A tough yet beautiful read. It poignantly explores the tragedy of 9/11 through the lens of two remarkable (and ordinary) teenagers.

An interesting novel, and quite different from many fiction that connects to the events of 9/11.
The main characters are engaging (the narrative alternates between them), and it was nice to see their connection grow - she can't remember anything, while he finds himself opening up to her in ways he hadn't expected.
Well-written, with well-drawn characters, and an engaging story. Recommended.

Gae Polisner takes you into the thoughts and feelings of two teenagers on 9/11, letting you experience their fears, worries, confusions, and hopes.

Kyle, the boy, tells his story through traditional prose, whereas the girl (she is unnamed for most of the book) tells hers through poetry. This choice of Polisner's underscores the differences between the two kids: Kyle is a vertical, traditional thinker, yet when it comes to processing what he sees and endures, his orderly nature helps him. He thinks in steps: get home, check on his disabled Uncle Matt, make sure his mother and sister are safe (they were supposed to fly home to New York from California that morning), help the girl he stumbled over on the Brooklyn Bridge as he tried to walk home, and, perhaps most urgently, find his father, a first responder who works in the area of the Twin Towers.

The girl, on the other hand, has been rendered almost catatonic. She can't remember her name, much less other important details, and she lets those worries nearly incapacitate her. She observes rather than acts, which could be construed as a means of self-care. Her mind can't let her dwell on the horror.

You will worry and fret for Kyle and the girl. Where is Kyle's father? What about the girl's family? The almost frantic claustrophobia in the apartment where Kyle lives imbues you with the anxiousness many of us felt that day, even as Polisner makes sure to give you hope.

That sense of hope builds to a crescendo at the end, which ... I'm thankful that Polisner didn't take this down a darker path, but ... it feels almost hokey, almost contrived. So much of this book feels genuine, but the ending for one of the characters doesn't quite meet that.

Still, though, I enjoyed Polisner's story, mostly because Kyle had my heart. I love him.

Let me know what you think of this book.

This is a book that takes place during 9/11 but manages to not be ABOUT 9/11. It's a reminder to us all that despite great tragedy, life goes on and the world keeps turning. It's a book that took me back to that fateful day in September of 2001 and what I was feeling, but it reminds me that the students I now teach weren't even born yet when it happened.

It's so easy to dismiss narrative and expressive writing in favor of teaching students dry, expository essay writing in school. But students aren't going to feel loss and empathy by reading about 9/11 in a textbook. They feel it by reading stories. All the more reason that books like this, while fiction, bring out an understanding that expository writing just can't accomplish.

Sixteen year old Kyle was in school when the first of the Twin Towers was hit by an airplane. On his way home, he sees what turns out to be a girl, covered with ash and debris and missing her memory. He takes her home and cares for her and his uncle, a police officer who had been injured and is in a wheelchair as he recovers. Kyle's father is a first responder. The story is touching and moving and inspirational.

I have not read a lot of YA fiction about September 11, 2001. The Memory Of Things by Gae Polisner is one of the handful I’ve read on this topic and certainly an interesting exploration of a moment in time. It’s a little bit weird to have lived through this event and almost view this book as contemporary even though it is actual historical fiction. I was a freshman in high school when 9/11 happened. I remember finding out during the Music In Our Lives class. And then during lunch they had wheeled these tvs to the cafeteria and we just watched. It was surreal. So, yeah, having lived through this in Upstate NY, it’s very interesting to read fiction about this event.

The Memory Of Things follows Kyle, a high school boy who is crossing a bridge right after the World Trade Center towers have gone down. He comes across a girl covered in dust and wearing wings and stops for her. The girl can’t remember her name or anything. So, Kyle brings her home and takes care of her. Meanwhile, his dad is a police officer and working to rescue people from the site. His mother and sister are in LA and unable to get home because all the planes have been grounded. And so, it’s just Kyle, the girl, and his uncle who is paralyzed at home.

This book really details the small moments against the backdrop of history. It’s a great portrait of humanity during NYC’s darkest moment. We have Kyle trying to figure out the girl’s identity while also falling for her. Meanwhile, we learn about the past tragedies both teens have been through. Plus the struggles of the phone lines being jammed immediately after. And then how it touched the lives of so many of his friends and really shook his sense of safety.

I think that The Memory Of Things is a really great look at a snapshot in time and looking back maybe I did like it more than I thought I did. It is a quick read for sure. It’s also really kind of a quiet book – not bold or loud in any way. Yet, there’s still an impact. It really portrays what happened in a sensitive light. Definitely would recommend you pick up – especially as this book seems so under the radar.

I received this arc from Netgalley for an honest review. This book is amazingly written and tells the story between two teenagers on 9/11. Remembering nearly everything from that day, it felt to soon to read a book about it and I found it hard to read.

very well written and impactful.
One of the best 9/11 books i have read so far that not only gives the reader feelings -sadness, despair, disbelieve and horror in some moments- but also in some magical way give you hope.

I have no idea behind the inspiration of this book, but I would love to say that this book spoke about a lot of things. The Memory of Things taught me how to keep moving forward, learn from my past but not forget it, but most especially, how to heal,

This novel was thoughtful and a great way to introduce young adults to an event that happened before their birth but changed the course of the world for them. I'd definitely recommend this novel for YA readers.

I read "The Memory of Things" in one sitting. I was so intrigued by the story that I honestly couldn't put it down. The writing was fantastic and I really found myself completely invested in the lives of the characters. The Memory of Things is such a fitting title.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of The Memory of Things.

Sixteen year old Kyle's life comes crashing to a stand still when he witnesses the destruction of the Twin Towers before his very eyes. Knowing all of the people who's lives are at stake, he rushes home to reach them. On his way he comes across an unusual girl, in angel wings, dirty, and unaware of who she is and how she got there. Without time to think amidst the chaos, Kyle grabs her and rushes her home to safety. Once home, and over the next week Kyle, the girl (as he knows her), and all the people in their lives start working toward recovery after such an unthinkable tragedy.

I have to get this out of the way first off. The Memory of Things? C'mon man. How about the Stove of Food? Or The Song of Notes. Pretty weak. Ok, I'm done.

Otherwise, I actually really enjoyed this quick YA story. Enjoyed is never really the right word to use when reading about tragedy, and this was a pretty idealized account of something so horrifically complex. But what I loved the most about it was how fast and furious people bonded in the midst of their own personal hell. People that may never otherwise mingle. I bet it happens all the time, and they're probably incredible examples of how deeply you can love someone you barely know when you go through something hard together.

This is the second book I've read about 9/11 and I didn't like it as much as the other, I found it confusing and although I understand they were both unreliable narrators, I found them both much too unreliable for me

I am totally captivated by any and all books regarding one of the most horrific days in U.S. history, that of 9/11. It's difficult to understand what it was like to be close to the tragedy that unfolded. Yet Gae Polisner told this story with honesty and tenderness.

This is Kyle Donohue's story. A story about a teenage boy who has to endure for one week amid a swirl of unthinkable tragedy he is forced to deal with on his own. He finds a girl with angel wings frightened and huddling on the Brooklyn Bridge and he brings her home to take care of her. They help each other to survive this tragic day and those that follow. He desperately tries to connect with his father a NYC police officer at Ground Zero, his mother and sister are stranded in L.A. not able to get home and he needs to care for his uncle a paralyzed ex-NYC police officer who lives with Kyle and his family.

In the author's words "this is a story about how we keep going, keep moving forward. How we heal. A story about hope and human resilience. A story where people still laugh, still brush their teeth, still fall in love, a story where people redeem one another by small gestures, a story where people have no choice but to keep going in the face of huge tragedy and unspeakable loss".

Much praise to Ms. Polisner whose writing (although fiction) helped me to envision the sights, hear the sounds and feel the fear.

I highly recommend this novel and wish to thank St. Martins Griffin and Net Galley for an arc.

Excellent book! I love how the author captures the emotions of that terrible day.

I really enjoyed this, if enjoyed is the right description for this!! The subject drew me in from the beginning to the end and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves books that make you really think. Brilliant

I doubt that I’m the only one to think this, but The Memory of Things was not at all what I was expecting when I requested it. Overall, this worked in its favor in a lot of ways… I ended up really drawn in by the brief snippets of poetry-thought we got from the girl’s POV, even though I’m not generally a huge poetry-lover. Her story intrigued me as much (if not more) than it intrigued Kyle, who was perhaps the weaker link between the two. I liked him, but I never really fell in love with him. His relationship with his Uncle Matt were his most standout moments, and I would’ve loved more with Uncle Matt in general (I definitely did fall for him as a character).

The 9/11 descriptions were accurate without being too graphic; perfect for a middle grade reader or a younger YA reader. I never felt overwhelmed by the tragedy, but it lingered over the entire story, so I still felt its weight looming over the characters. I thought that was a good way for a story such as this to go - the mystery of what happened to the girl was enough to keep the plot progressing, and trying to throw in too many details about 9/11 might have felt a bit overbearing.

I thought the way Kyle reacted to the tragedy – the sense of urgency when his mom and sister couldn’t get on a flight back to New York afterwards, the fear that something might happen to his dad (a first responder), and the true sense of helplessness, were very accurate for all those who experienced the tragedy first-hand. Then, on the flip side, we have the nameless (for most of the book) girl, who can’t really remember anything except for bits and pieces and is having a very hard time processing facts.

This is a sweet book, with likable characters and a solid ending. It wasn’t a homerun for me, but I definitely enjoyed it, and I’m glad that I picked it up.