Remembering Mog

by Colby Rodowsky

"Annie is about to graduate from high school, an event that intensifies all her memories of another graduation two years before, when her sister was murdered...Present-day events intermingle with Annie's recollections of the past. The shock, denial, and numbing grief are all realistically and starkly portrayed...This is an unsettling novel about an emotionally charged subject. It never falters. It will make an outstanding addition to any YA collection."-Starred/School Library Journal

Genres: Grief, Young Adult

144 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1996

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the eve of her graduation, Mog (Annie's older sister) is killed and her boyfriend is badly wounded in a random violent crime. Now, two years later, Annie is still trying to deal with the death of her sister even though her mother is in denial and her father is sullen and sad. It is her turn to graduate, but Annie's not sure she can go where Mog never had a chance to go before her.

[Lindsay Rogers · Rating 2 out of 5]

A girl graduating high school can't move on (and understandably so) two years after her older sister's murder. Her mother is in deep denial about the whole thing and Annie is constantly afraid of the world and potentially getting murdered as well even though her sister's murder was random. This book would be excellent for a child having a difficult time and is hesitant to go to a therapist. In the book Annie goes through the process of beginning to see a counselor. Readers get to see what the appointments are like and how seeing a professional can really help a person deal with problems that they are having. As far as the book's literary merit is concerned, I found it boring. The characters don't seem to be completely developed and the plot was totally predictable.

[Marcella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read in an hour on a flight. Made me cry, but the death and family reactions were cliche. And at a whopping 134 pages, you almost felt like it was all exposition to something bigger and better than the main character chosing to go to college. Maybe if I had read this in grammar school, would have had a better appreciation - but reading it as an adult, not so much.

[Salsabrarian]

Two years after her sister Mog's murder by a car thief, Annie finds herself graduating from high school and about to embark on paths her sister never got to travel. Her fears about the future compound her bereavement and she begins seeing a therapist. Complicating her progress is the fact that she is falling for Mog's ex-boyfriend and he for her.

[Heather McMurray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I googled my maiden name and found a review I wrote for this book when I was at BYU, but couldn't remember a thing about the book. So I thought I should reread it. It was a good book, but not one I would rave about...definitely fits the bill of a "required reading" book in high school.

[Cece Nunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad but good. This story includes a shooting death, but the author doesn't get all bogged down in solving the crime. It's more about the emotions caused by losing someone and can be therapeutic for a young adult whose lost a sibling or any loved one.

[Tysh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this book does a fairly good job of showing how the loss of a loved one effects people differently and some merits of grief counseling. However, overall I just felt like this was a bit boring and lacking more substance.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tear jerker