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How to Be Remembered
🎧Run Time = 10 hours and 16 minutes
An “emotionally uplifting” Earphones Award winner (AudioFile) for fans of The Midnight Library and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: Tommy’s existence is wiped from the universe each year on the day after his birthday. He’s had plenty of fresh starts, but what happens when he’s found a life worth keeping? “Original, engrossing, sweet” ( Graeme Simsion, author of The Rosie Project).
Some lives are simply unforgettable …
On an ordinary night in an ordinary year, Tommy Llewellyn’s doting parents wake in a home without toys and diapers, without photos of their baby scattered about, and without any idea that the small child asleep in his crib is theirs.
That’s because Tommy is a boy destined to never be remembered.
On the same day every year, everyone around him forgets he exists, and he grows up enduring his own universal Reset. That is until something extraordinary happens: Tommy Llewellyn falls in love.
Determined to finally carve out a life for himself and land the girl of his dreams, Tommy sets out on a mission to trick the Reset and be remembered. But legacies aren’t so easily won, and Tommy must figure out what’s more important—the things we leave behind or the people we bring along with us.
An “emotionally uplifting” Earphones Award winner (AudioFile) for fans of The Midnight Library and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: Tommy’s existence is wiped from the universe each year on the day after his birthday. He’s had plenty of fresh starts, but what happens when he’s found a life worth keeping? “Original, engrossing, sweet” ( Graeme Simsion, author of The Rosie Project).
Some lives are simply unforgettable …
On an ordinary night in an ordinary year, Tommy Llewellyn’s doting parents wake in a home without toys and diapers, without photos of their baby scattered about, and without any idea that the small child asleep in his crib is theirs.
That’s because Tommy is a boy destined to never be remembered.
On the same day every year, everyone around him forgets he exists, and he grows up enduring his own universal Reset. That is until something extraordinary happens: Tommy Llewellyn falls in love.
Determined to finally carve out a life for himself and land the girl of his dreams, Tommy sets out on a mission to trick the Reset and be remembered. But legacies aren’t so easily won, and Tommy must figure out what’s more important—the things we leave behind or the people we bring along with us.
Audio CD
First published February 28, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 690 reviews
June 28, 2023
Very touching story.
Tommy Llewellyn is forgotten every year on his birthday. Literally. Every trace of his existence: belongings, photographs, and all memories from everyone who knew him, gone. On his first birthday, his parents wake up and are horrified that someone has "left" a strange baby in their home. The police can find no records for him, so he is taken to a children's home. This same scenario repeats every year on his birthday, and when he is old enough, Tommy learns how to navigate this strange existence and carves out a wonderful life for himself.
I thought this was going to be sad, but it's overall so uplifting and meaningful. It touches on themes of identity, friendship, love, loyalty, and connection. You have to be a fan of magical realism and be able to suspend your disbelief that this could actually happen. There are shades of Addie LaRue here, so if you liked the premise of that one you may enjoy this one too.
It was a quick read for me and it really touched my heart. I was in the mood for a light, emotional summer read and this one fit perfectly.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Tommy Llewellyn is forgotten every year on his birthday. Literally. Every trace of his existence: belongings, photographs, and all memories from everyone who knew him, gone. On his first birthday, his parents wake up and are horrified that someone has "left" a strange baby in their home. The police can find no records for him, so he is taken to a children's home. This same scenario repeats every year on his birthday, and when he is old enough, Tommy learns how to navigate this strange existence and carves out a wonderful life for himself.
I thought this was going to be sad, but it's overall so uplifting and meaningful. It touches on themes of identity, friendship, love, loyalty, and connection. You have to be a fan of magical realism and be able to suspend your disbelief that this could actually happen. There are shades of Addie LaRue here, so if you liked the premise of that one you may enjoy this one too.
It was a quick read for me and it really touched my heart. I was in the mood for a light, emotional summer read and this one fit perfectly.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
April 1, 2023
Four and a half stars
One night Tommy’s parents wake to find a small child in their home. They appear to have no idea how he came to be there, even though the reality is he is their son. That’s because Tommy is destined never to be remembered. On his birthday every year, everyone forgets he exists. He ends up growing up in a foster home with the kindly Miss Michelle and other children. Yet no-one remembers him from one year to the next. He grows up enduring this reset every year. When he is fourteen Tommy falls in love with Carey. But just like everyone else, she does not remember him. She disappears from his life. Tommy is resilient and hardworking. He sets out to make something of his life, to find Carey and to trick the universe somehow and be remembered. Can he change the pattern of the reset and keep hold of what is important?
This is a book that quickly intrigued this reader. My heart went out to Tommy in his unique predicament. Yes, you need to suspend disbelief but it is easy to be absorbed into the story and to cheer for Tommy Llewellyn as he seeks to change the pattern of his life. I enjoyed this story. It kept me turning the pages though I admit I got tired of the use of the f word and bad language. But apart from that, it was an entertaining read. Something that really got me interested. This is a debut novel so it will be interesting to see what this author writes next. My thanks go to Allen&Unwin for my ARC to read and review. A recommended read.
One night Tommy’s parents wake to find a small child in their home. They appear to have no idea how he came to be there, even though the reality is he is their son. That’s because Tommy is destined never to be remembered. On his birthday every year, everyone forgets he exists. He ends up growing up in a foster home with the kindly Miss Michelle and other children. Yet no-one remembers him from one year to the next. He grows up enduring this reset every year. When he is fourteen Tommy falls in love with Carey. But just like everyone else, she does not remember him. She disappears from his life. Tommy is resilient and hardworking. He sets out to make something of his life, to find Carey and to trick the universe somehow and be remembered. Can he change the pattern of the reset and keep hold of what is important?
This is a book that quickly intrigued this reader. My heart went out to Tommy in his unique predicament. Yes, you need to suspend disbelief but it is easy to be absorbed into the story and to cheer for Tommy Llewellyn as he seeks to change the pattern of his life. I enjoyed this story. It kept me turning the pages though I admit I got tired of the use of the f word and bad language. But apart from that, it was an entertaining read. Something that really got me interested. This is a debut novel so it will be interesting to see what this author writes next. My thanks go to Allen&Unwin for my ARC to read and review. A recommended read.
February 24, 2024
2.75/5
Autor nie do końca poradził sobie z konceptem, który stworzył. Przykro, bo pewne kwestie pozostały całkowicie otwarte, a wszelkie przeciwności losu okazywały się bardzo proste do rozwiązania.
Było to szalenie bajkowe.
Autor nie do końca poradził sobie z konceptem, który stworzył. Przykro, bo pewne kwestie pozostały całkowicie otwarte, a wszelkie przeciwności losu okazywały się bardzo proste do rozwiązania.
Było to szalenie bajkowe.
May 13, 2023
An interesting take in the Addie LaRue and Matthew Haig tradition. Tommy goes to sleep every year on his birthday and wakes up to a world where no one remembers him, yet he remembers.
The Universe wipes his existence, except for what he has touching him. Sometimes a gripping and clever story, sometimes tedious and sad. One good thing in his life from where he lives in a children's home, is Carey. Many years later after fruitlessly searching for her, he finally finds her and something good may actually happen in his life beyond the annual reset.
4.5 stars library ebook in this first novel for Australian Michael Thompson.
The Universe wipes his existence, except for what he has touching him. Sometimes a gripping and clever story, sometimes tedious and sad. One good thing in his life from where he lives in a children's home, is Carey. Many years later after fruitlessly searching for her, he finally finds her and something good may actually happen in his life beyond the annual reset.
4.5 stars library ebook in this first novel for Australian Michael Thompson.
November 14, 2023
This is a very unique and intriguing story. It is the type of story that I know will stick with me. I am fascinated about the mechanics of the universe in this one and while it was a bit frustrating I am ok that it is also not explained the how or event eh try why (where do Tommy’s belongings go??). I liked the super brief glimpse into Richie’s psyche as a toddler and since he was clearly so entwined with Tommy I would have liked more of that. Tommy is a boy who is destined to not be remembered - literally. On his birthday every year the universe erases every bit of his existence except for the clothes he is wearing and his bed. On his first birthday his parents wake up terrified to a home with no toys or diapers to find a baby they don’t recognize and call the police to report not a stolen baby but a found baby whose parents must have broken into their home and left him. It was a fascinating story as Tommy tries to not only survive to find connections and even love.
August 7, 2023
the way i was holding my breath for the last 50 pages oh my god
March 28, 2023
“He knew there was something different about him, something uniquely … wrong. Normal kids don’t wake up each year as a stranger in their own lives, their entire existence wiped clean from the planet, the same way he arrived at class each morning to find the previous day’s lesson scrubbed from the chalkboard … when he went through the Reset, it was as though he’d never existed and the holes left in others’ lives were either wallpapered over or neatly filled by other people.”
How To Be Remembered is the first novel by Australian journalist, producer and podcaster, Michael Thompson. By the time he is in his teens, Tommy Llewellyn is used to the Reset he experiences every January fifth, handling it fairly smoothly. He’s lucky, after his birth parents failed to recognise him on his first Reset, to have landed in a small-town foster home with a kind manager who accepts this new boy each year with love and care.
But then he falls in love with another foster, and he realises the object of his passion might know, care for, perhaps even love, him on January fourth, but will see him as a stranger the next day. His initial despair affects his whole attitude to school, to friends, to life. But then he begins theorising: how can he prevent this heartbreaking loss? He accidentally finds a loophole in the yearly Reset, and learns how to take advantage of it.
By the time he turns eighteen and has to leave the foster home, he has a plan that involves moving to the city, going into business with a friend he met in hospital, finding the girl he has loved since he was fourteen, and creating a happy home. If he ever finds her and tells her the truth, though, she’ll surely be calling in the psychiatrists…
His determination is strong, even when his naivete sometimes ends in misfortune. He is hard-working and well-intentioned, and his basic goodness shines through even when his friends are repeatedly faced with a stranger. Tommy is also clever and resourceful, diligently working towards his goal despite the occasional setback, which only serves to make him more resilient. Does he manage to succeed, when it often seems that the Universe is against him?
Thompson gives the reader a well-executed plot that will keep the pages turning. The initial concept will remind some readers of Claire North’s The Sudden Appearance of Hope, but Thompson takes his story in quite a different direction. His protagonist is likeable and easy to cheer on, to hope for a good outcome. This excellent debut novel is clever, heart-warming and uplifting, and more from this author is definitely welcome.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Allen & Unwin.
How To Be Remembered is the first novel by Australian journalist, producer and podcaster, Michael Thompson. By the time he is in his teens, Tommy Llewellyn is used to the Reset he experiences every January fifth, handling it fairly smoothly. He’s lucky, after his birth parents failed to recognise him on his first Reset, to have landed in a small-town foster home with a kind manager who accepts this new boy each year with love and care.
But then he falls in love with another foster, and he realises the object of his passion might know, care for, perhaps even love, him on January fourth, but will see him as a stranger the next day. His initial despair affects his whole attitude to school, to friends, to life. But then he begins theorising: how can he prevent this heartbreaking loss? He accidentally finds a loophole in the yearly Reset, and learns how to take advantage of it.
By the time he turns eighteen and has to leave the foster home, he has a plan that involves moving to the city, going into business with a friend he met in hospital, finding the girl he has loved since he was fourteen, and creating a happy home. If he ever finds her and tells her the truth, though, she’ll surely be calling in the psychiatrists…
His determination is strong, even when his naivete sometimes ends in misfortune. He is hard-working and well-intentioned, and his basic goodness shines through even when his friends are repeatedly faced with a stranger. Tommy is also clever and resourceful, diligently working towards his goal despite the occasional setback, which only serves to make him more resilient. Does he manage to succeed, when it often seems that the Universe is against him?
Thompson gives the reader a well-executed plot that will keep the pages turning. The initial concept will remind some readers of Claire North’s The Sudden Appearance of Hope, but Thompson takes his story in quite a different direction. His protagonist is likeable and easy to cheer on, to hope for a good outcome. This excellent debut novel is clever, heart-warming and uplifting, and more from this author is definitely welcome.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Allen & Unwin.
April 22, 2025
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As soon as I heard about How to be Remembered I couldn't wait to read it, and Michael Thompson didn't disappoint.
Every year, on his birthday, Tommy's life is reset. Everything about him disappears and everyone forgets him. On his first birthday his parents awake to a strange baby in their house, the presents wrapped the night before gone, no baby toys or clothes. The police take Tommy to Milkwood House, a foster care home.
Can you just imagine every year you are the new child at the foster care home, obviously dropped overnight by child services, there is no paperwork, nothing. Every year you have to start over as the new child at school, introducing yourself to your friends.
How to be Remembered is a beautiful and heart-wrenching story of belonging, leaving your mark, falling in love and the fear of being forgotten.
I love magical realism, you just have let go and believe in the unbelievable. Michael Thompson has cleverly plotted this imaginative debut and I just loved going along for the ride.
You will fall in love with Tommy and ride his ups and downs wanting him to succeed and build a life. There may be tears, okay there will be tears. 😭
I'm excited to see what Michael Thompson comes up with next!
As soon as I heard about How to be Remembered I couldn't wait to read it, and Michael Thompson didn't disappoint.
Every year, on his birthday, Tommy's life is reset. Everything about him disappears and everyone forgets him. On his first birthday his parents awake to a strange baby in their house, the presents wrapped the night before gone, no baby toys or clothes. The police take Tommy to Milkwood House, a foster care home.
Can you just imagine every year you are the new child at the foster care home, obviously dropped overnight by child services, there is no paperwork, nothing. Every year you have to start over as the new child at school, introducing yourself to your friends.
How to be Remembered is a beautiful and heart-wrenching story of belonging, leaving your mark, falling in love and the fear of being forgotten.
I love magical realism, you just have let go and believe in the unbelievable. Michael Thompson has cleverly plotted this imaginative debut and I just loved going along for the ride.
You will fall in love with Tommy and ride his ups and downs wanting him to succeed and build a life. There may be tears, okay there will be tears. 😭
I'm excited to see what Michael Thompson comes up with next!
November 3, 2023
4 1/2 Stars
Heartwarming, poignant and ultimately inspiring... Michael Thompson's debut novel, How To Be Remembered, managed to capture my heart, and most definitely, will not be forgotten. More to come.
Heartwarming, poignant and ultimately inspiring... Michael Thompson's debut novel, How To Be Remembered, managed to capture my heart, and most definitely, will not be forgotten. More to come.
March 6, 2023
Loved it. I love a time slip book and this was just a great one. Tommy is just a lovely person I wish I knew. It was an honour to watch him grow and live and love despite his world being Reset every 5th of January. I loved seeing the foster care system being so positively portrayed in this novel. I loved seeing the friendship of Josh and Tommy through the novel, and the devoted love of a 14 year old. I think lessons of perseverance and legacy were taught in these pages and it’s definitely one I won’t be forgetting in a years time! Can’t wait to see what Michael Thompson writes next!
January 3, 2023
Every year Tommy Llewelyn has what he calls a reset on his birthday. That is, any sign of his existence vanishes, and everyone he's ever known forgets him. This begins on his first birthday, when his parents find him in their apartment and promptly call the police, who drop him off at a foster home. I thought it was an interesting premise, and was pretty far into it before I realized that the characters weren't very well developed. I finished it anyway. Meh.
February 18, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the eARC!
“Come and find me”
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book I’ve liked so much but that I’ve also wanted to stop reading at the same time. The concept of this story, similar to that of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, is one of the entire world forgetting your existence. Unlike Addie, our poor MC Tommy gets an entire year, finalizing on his birthday, to get to know everyone around him…before they all forget. Is this better or worse, you ask? Someone forgetting you after knowing them for a year, or forgetting after leaving the room for 30 seconds? As evident by the fact that I was crying 5 pages into the book and basically didn’t stop through the entire read through, I would say the former.
The highs were wonderful. Tommy meeting and befriending Josh, remembering “come and find me” and ACTUALLY DOING IT. Amazing, incredible. Their friendship was everything. The way their whole “arc” ended up—I swear I almost threw the book across the room I was so devastated. It’s difficult to balance sadness with happiness and joy with pain. While it didn’t take it too far by any means, I was just so Livid over how this poor, sweet boy just cannot catch a break. Universe, come on.
At one point, a character describes Tommy’s situation as having a “shadow of impermanence” hanging over it and I can’t help but feel that’s how the whole second half of the book felt. Every time something good happened, I knew right around the corner, something was going to go wrong. Even when Tommy managed to find loopholes, somewhere along the timeline, the Universe managed to screw him over yet again. I know that’s supposed to relate to the MC himself. Obviously he is going through this every year and we are going on this journey with him. Oh it was so heartbreaking, though. I did almost feel like I couldn’t finish this book. The last couple chapters were giving me so much anxiety and I was sure, absolutely sure it was going to end horribly devastating. Thank goodness it didn’t, but there was a few days I couldn’t pick it up for sheer angsty anticipation.
I would still recommend this to friends. Its sad and heartwarming AND heart-wrenching. It’s about perseverance and finding the light in a dark and ever-changing, unfair world. Tommy is a good character who has to overcome a lot of hardship to get to a place where he feels like he can actually have a sustainable life. It’s beautiful. For anyone who wants a good old fashioned tear jerker, this is it.
“Come and find me”
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book I’ve liked so much but that I’ve also wanted to stop reading at the same time. The concept of this story, similar to that of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, is one of the entire world forgetting your existence. Unlike Addie, our poor MC Tommy gets an entire year, finalizing on his birthday, to get to know everyone around him…before they all forget. Is this better or worse, you ask? Someone forgetting you after knowing them for a year, or forgetting after leaving the room for 30 seconds? As evident by the fact that I was crying 5 pages into the book and basically didn’t stop through the entire read through, I would say the former.
The highs were wonderful. Tommy meeting and befriending Josh, remembering “come and find me” and ACTUALLY DOING IT. Amazing, incredible. Their friendship was everything. The way their whole “arc” ended up—I swear I almost threw the book across the room I was so devastated. It’s difficult to balance sadness with happiness and joy with pain. While it didn’t take it too far by any means, I was just so Livid over how this poor, sweet boy just cannot catch a break. Universe, come on.
At one point, a character describes Tommy’s situation as having a “shadow of impermanence” hanging over it and I can’t help but feel that’s how the whole second half of the book felt. Every time something good happened, I knew right around the corner, something was going to go wrong. Even when Tommy managed to find loopholes, somewhere along the timeline, the Universe managed to screw him over yet again. I know that’s supposed to relate to the MC himself. Obviously he is going through this every year and we are going on this journey with him. Oh it was so heartbreaking, though. I did almost feel like I couldn’t finish this book. The last couple chapters were giving me so much anxiety and I was sure, absolutely sure it was going to end horribly devastating. Thank goodness it didn’t, but there was a few days I couldn’t pick it up for sheer angsty anticipation.
I would still recommend this to friends. Its sad and heartwarming AND heart-wrenching. It’s about perseverance and finding the light in a dark and ever-changing, unfair world. Tommy is a good character who has to overcome a lot of hardship to get to a place where he feels like he can actually have a sustainable life. It’s beautiful. For anyone who wants a good old fashioned tear jerker, this is it.
April 29, 2023
What a gorgeous, heartwarming, magical tale. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
March 12, 2023
While having shades of Addie Larue and Meet me in Another Life, How to be Remembered has I think the most original premise of any book I have read.
Imagine that on one day of every year, everything about you disappears, school records, identification etc and everyone you know forgets you. They forget they ever knew you and you are replaced in their memories by somebody else.
This is what happens to Tommy Llewellyn every year on his birthday. His parents wake up to an unknown baby in their house when Tommy turns one. Tommy then spends the next seventeen years living in a foster home, learning to deal with not being remembered, but knowing everything about these people he has to befriend again and again.
'𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘦?' 𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦.
'𝘞𝘩𝘰, 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵?' 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥.
'𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴,' 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴.
My heart broke for Tommy when he was a young boy. He didn't understand what was happening to him every year, but more importantly, he didn't understand why.
Tommy Llewellyn is an amazing character to read as he comes to terms with what happens to him every year. He learns to fend for himself, make connections with people again and again, and even finds a loophole or two so he doesn't start totally from scratch every time the universe tries to take it all away.
If you want to read a book that will make you laugh, cry, wonder why, question why, think about life, the universe and everything, then How to be Remembered is the book.
A stunning debut novel that I have been looking forward to since I saw the book advertised last year. It did not disappoint.
Imagine that on one day of every year, everything about you disappears, school records, identification etc and everyone you know forgets you. They forget they ever knew you and you are replaced in their memories by somebody else.
This is what happens to Tommy Llewellyn every year on his birthday. His parents wake up to an unknown baby in their house when Tommy turns one. Tommy then spends the next seventeen years living in a foster home, learning to deal with not being remembered, but knowing everything about these people he has to befriend again and again.
'𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘦?' 𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦.
'𝘞𝘩𝘰, 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵?' 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥.
'𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴,' 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴.
My heart broke for Tommy when he was a young boy. He didn't understand what was happening to him every year, but more importantly, he didn't understand why.
Tommy Llewellyn is an amazing character to read as he comes to terms with what happens to him every year. He learns to fend for himself, make connections with people again and again, and even finds a loophole or two so he doesn't start totally from scratch every time the universe tries to take it all away.
If you want to read a book that will make you laugh, cry, wonder why, question why, think about life, the universe and everything, then How to be Remembered is the book.
A stunning debut novel that I have been looking forward to since I saw the book advertised last year. It did not disappoint.
February 26, 2023
How to be Remembered by Michael Thompson
I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for review. My opinions are my own.
5/5 stars
I cannot tell you how much I love this book. I cannot wait for it to be released. I believe it will be THE BOOK for book clubs by the end of 2023. There is so much to discuss. It is so well-written. I could go on and on.
Have you ever finished a book and put it down after, closed your eyes, and thought, “oh my God. How do I go on? How do I read another book after this?” This is that book for me.
Tommy is a boy (eventually a man) who is destined to be forgotten. Each year, on his birthday, he is forgotten by everyone who has gotten to know him that year. This book tells the story about how Tommy forges ahead, makes a life for himself, and is ultimately remembered.
I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for review. My opinions are my own.
5/5 stars
I cannot tell you how much I love this book. I cannot wait for it to be released. I believe it will be THE BOOK for book clubs by the end of 2023. There is so much to discuss. It is so well-written. I could go on and on.
Have you ever finished a book and put it down after, closed your eyes, and thought, “oh my God. How do I go on? How do I read another book after this?” This is that book for me.
Tommy is a boy (eventually a man) who is destined to be forgotten. Each year, on his birthday, he is forgotten by everyone who has gotten to know him that year. This book tells the story about how Tommy forges ahead, makes a life for himself, and is ultimately remembered.
April 11, 2023
Predictable story, uninteresting characters, and very sloppy writing. The book didn't actively make me angry, hence more than one star. But it's not worth your time.
June 14, 2023
“He knew there was something different about him, something uniquely…wrong. Normal kids don’t wake up each year as a stranger in their own lives, their entire existence wiped clean from the planet, the same way he arrived at class each morning to find the previous day’s lessons scrubbed from the chalkboard.”
If a book has anything related to time manipulation in it, the chances are high that I’m going to want to read it, so I jumped at the opportunity to grab this one as an advanced reader copy! This isn’t time travel or time manipulation in the form we usually see it; it’s more a journey to outwit a combination of time and memory. It has vibes that reminiscent of Addie LaRue meets Oona Out of Order, with several interesting characters and plot points that make it unique and different.
Every year on his birthday, the main character goes through what he later calls a “reset,” where all traces of his existence seem to be wiped from the universe. His loved ones forget him, his possessions disappear, and he has to start over from scratch. This could have been an utterly depressing story, but there are humorous and triumphant and sweet moments that provide levity and loveliness to the book.
I loved reading Tommy’s story, watching as he fumbles through this strange hand that life has played him. There are moments of naïveté, utter brilliance, and sheer determination and strength of will. I couldn’t help but hope for him to succeed as the clock approached each reset.
This was a fantastic debut from Aussie author Michael Thompson, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for his future works.
Thanks so much for the advanced readers copy, Sourcebooks and Netgalley!
August 24, 2023
I don't know how this happened, but Tommy and How To Be Remembered completely captured my heart, and I wish it never would have come to an end. This is Michael Thompson's debut novel which I am still having issues accepting because it is just THAT good. I knew it was going to be a tear-jerker when I was crying in the middle of the thing, and there is something so ironic about reading from the viewpoint of a character who keeps getting forgotten every year, in the day and age where social media and the internet makes it hard to forget about anything, let alone people. I thought this was going to be a bundle of sadness the whole way through, so I was incredibly happy by the way the author wove in humor and a general mysteriousness as well.
This is filled with different elements and the way Thompson tied everything together was beautifully done. I swear another reason I fell in love with our MC Tommy was due to Lewis Fitz-Gerald being such an incredible narrator for the audiobook. He was everything and more that I would have expected, and I think he really did the book and the character of Tommy justice. Can this be a movie? If it were I would definitely watch it, and I'm sure I would cry through the entire thing. If you want something with a touch of magical realism (the Reset) but something that still has a lot of substance and (mostly) characters you can love, How To Be Remembered is a must-read. I know I will be thinking about this for a long time to come, and I spent the entire book anxious about how things would end for Tommy. While the conclusion felt like it was missing a tiny something, it was still satisfying, and I was happy. I really can't wait to see what is next from this talented debut author!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This is filled with different elements and the way Thompson tied everything together was beautifully done. I swear another reason I fell in love with our MC Tommy was due to Lewis Fitz-Gerald being such an incredible narrator for the audiobook. He was everything and more that I would have expected, and I think he really did the book and the character of Tommy justice. Can this be a movie? If it were I would definitely watch it, and I'm sure I would cry through the entire thing. If you want something with a touch of magical realism (the Reset) but something that still has a lot of substance and (mostly) characters you can love, How To Be Remembered is a must-read. I know I will be thinking about this for a long time to come, and I spent the entire book anxious about how things would end for Tommy. While the conclusion felt like it was missing a tiny something, it was still satisfying, and I was happy. I really can't wait to see what is next from this talented debut author!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
May 17, 2023
I’ll admit to you that I wasn’t expecting to like this book. I am primarily a reader of books with female leads, so I usually struggle a bit when the lead is male. BUT I WAS SO WRONG! I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! Seriously, this is unputdownable. My heart was racing at points, I shed some tears, I jumped for joy, I did all the things.
Tommy finds himself forgotten by the entire universe every year, having to rebuild his life. Every. Single. Year. He makes his peace with this, but then he falls in love. He has to find a way to be remembered before he is forced to start over again.
Honestly, I really recommend this book for every sort of reader. If you like mysteries, this will be a good read for you. If you like love stories, this will be a good read for you. If you like psychology, this will be a good read for you. I have no bad things to say, only love for this story.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC.
Tommy finds himself forgotten by the entire universe every year, having to rebuild his life. Every. Single. Year. He makes his peace with this, but then he falls in love. He has to find a way to be remembered before he is forced to start over again.
Honestly, I really recommend this book for every sort of reader. If you like mysteries, this will be a good read for you. If you like love stories, this will be a good read for you. If you like psychology, this will be a good read for you. I have no bad things to say, only love for this story.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC.
January 20, 2023
This book will stay with me for a very long time.
I don’t usually read books following a male protagonist (unless of course his name is Harry Potter). But when I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy, I was keen to give it a go. I was not disappointed!
I FELT ALL OF THE EMOTIONS!! Little Tommy and his struggle to be remembered will make you laugh, cry and love those closest to you just that little bit more. Being a mother myself I found his plight incredibly moving and from the very first chapter I couldn’t put it down! I had to know how he was going to make it through this incredible glitch of fate.
I felt his agony, I championed his ingenuity and had my heart in my throat when he tried to ‘beat the system’.
Even now I still think about Tommy and all the different possibilities. Already my favourite book of 2023.
I don’t usually read books following a male protagonist (unless of course his name is Harry Potter). But when I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy, I was keen to give it a go. I was not disappointed!
I FELT ALL OF THE EMOTIONS!! Little Tommy and his struggle to be remembered will make you laugh, cry and love those closest to you just that little bit more. Being a mother myself I found his plight incredibly moving and from the very first chapter I couldn’t put it down! I had to know how he was going to make it through this incredible glitch of fate.
I felt his agony, I championed his ingenuity and had my heart in my throat when he tried to ‘beat the system’.
Even now I still think about Tommy and all the different possibilities. Already my favourite book of 2023.
November 9, 2023
Sibling book club pick month #2 with @Brian Gregoire: this was amazing?????!!! My favorite book of the year so far. I will be bringing tissues to book club, Brian and I are abouta get deep
February 17, 2023
Yes, the premise is heartbreaking, and mind-boggling... this is an engrossing story about keeping determination, hard work and hope steady despite adversities. A coming of age with an intriguing supernatural twist, this book will inspire you to hang on tight to what you hold dear and will rekindle your appreciation for what it means to be human.
May 24, 2023
It took four chapters for me to find my footing in this experimental novel that explores themes of memory, love, loss, friendship and family. While I won't say that it ever fully convinces - life in the out-of-home-care system is never this smooth - it does so in a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant way.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
February 15, 2026
More books based in Western Victoria pls
September 1, 2023
Wow! This book absolutely blew my mind, and totally took me by surprise. I was a little bit skeptical when I heard that it had some sci-fi/fantasy/magical realism elements to it, but my gosh, did this storyline ever work for me. The premise of this novel is so incredibly unique, and like nothing I’ve ever read before:
“…𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘖𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘵.”
You honestly just have to read this book to fully appreciate the phenomenal writing skills that Michael Thompson exhibits. Pure genius. I held this novel to my chest and let out a big sigh once I finished it. I absolutely adored it, and will never forget Tommy Llewellyn’s extraordinary story. I will always remember you, Tommy! 5/5 stars!
“…𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘖𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘵.”
You honestly just have to read this book to fully appreciate the phenomenal writing skills that Michael Thompson exhibits. Pure genius. I held this novel to my chest and let out a big sigh once I finished it. I absolutely adored it, and will never forget Tommy Llewellyn’s extraordinary story. I will always remember you, Tommy! 5/5 stars!
August 6, 2023
Hey, lovers of the found family trope! I’ve got a book for you.
Hey, suckers for a coming-of-age story! Here’s one for you.
Hey, readers who adore a tender-hearted protagonist! This one is certainly for you, too.
HOW TO BE REMEMBERED follows Tommy Llewellyn who is forgotten by the universe each year on his birthday. We meet Tommy as an infant and follow him into adulthood as he navigates a world where everyone he meets is bound to forget his very existence despite his own memories remaining intact.
I simply adored Tommy as he fought to carve out a place for himself in the world. The story had such a rich cast of characters and I loved the themes of identity and legacy. Tommy has surely made an impression on me and won’t soon be forgotten.
HOW TO BE REMEMBERED is out now! Readers who loved IN FIVE YEARS, THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE and CASSANDRA IN REVERSE won’t want to miss this!
RATING: 4.5/5 (rounded up to 5 stars)
Hey, suckers for a coming-of-age story! Here’s one for you.
Hey, readers who adore a tender-hearted protagonist! This one is certainly for you, too.
HOW TO BE REMEMBERED follows Tommy Llewellyn who is forgotten by the universe each year on his birthday. We meet Tommy as an infant and follow him into adulthood as he navigates a world where everyone he meets is bound to forget his very existence despite his own memories remaining intact.
I simply adored Tommy as he fought to carve out a place for himself in the world. The story had such a rich cast of characters and I loved the themes of identity and legacy. Tommy has surely made an impression on me and won’t soon be forgotten.
HOW TO BE REMEMBERED is out now! Readers who loved IN FIVE YEARS, THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE and CASSANDRA IN REVERSE won’t want to miss this!
RATING: 4.5/5 (rounded up to 5 stars)
Read
June 27, 2023
Title: How To Be Remembered
Series: n/a
Author: Michael Thompson
Release date: June 27, 2023
Cliffhanger: no
Genre: magical realism, romance
Lately, I've been getting into books with magical realism a lot, so when I saw this story pop up on Netgalley, I was excited to give it a try. The plot is quite different from anything I have heard before as well, which is always an encouraging factor when choosing something to read. Tommy Llewellyn is an odd anomaly in a familiar world. He's faced with the herculean task of starting his life over from scratch every single year on the same day-his birthday. Even his own birth parents forget his existence on his first birthday, leaving him to figure out a way to survive and thrive all by himself. It really makes you think about the ramifications of a situation like this. What would it be like to be completely alone in the world, to have the ability to make friends and memories with other people, only to have your existence wiped clean every year? Not only is your existence deleted, but everything you earn, create, possess-every physical, tangible thing you own of sentimental or financial value is taken from you. You are "rebooted" with only the clothes on your back and your wits. It's obviously a very lonely existence because you can never truly share your true self with others when they can only remember a sliver of time with you, and even that is temporary.
One obvious hurdle comes to mind when presented with Tommy's plight: how is he able to find a permanent home to grow up in year after year, as a helpless child? The answer? He becomes part of the government system where everyone knows that incompetency reigns. This was one of the few explanations received about him, and a believable one I thought. At one year old, he arrives at Milkwood House, a home for kids run by a very caring woman named Michelle. No matter how many times she forgets Tommy, she is always there for him year after year. She is the kind of selfless person that puts the children first and works tirelessly in order to help them pave their way in the world. When Tommy's life is "reset" as he calls it, no one understands how he got to be in the house, but assumes that his paperwork has been lost due to human error. This is perhaps the only time bureaucracy could ever actually benefit anyone, but poor Tommy needs all the breaks he can get.
The reader is told about many one year increments of Tommy's life, some of them detailed, and others are merely mentioned or skimmed over. Once he learns how to bluff his way through the beginning of the reset, his focus is building his friendships/relationships with those around him as quickly as he can in the limited time that he has. The faster he can bond with the people he cares about, the more time he will have to enjoy these relationships before they are erased again. For many, it's hard enough to form attachments with others in normal circumstances. I can't even comprehend how hard it must be to constantly have to rebuild the same connections with others-to always be the new person on the scene that nobody knows. It would obviously be extremely challenging, lonely, and discouraging.
Despite the odds always being stacked against Tommy, he manages to stay optimistic even when the worst-case scenario plays out. He finds small victories to celebrate and occasionally tries to find new loopholes that give him an advantage. One year, when he's hit by a car and ends up in the hospital, it ends up being his first gift in disguise. The reset happens while he's in the hospital bed, and he is shown a way to retain physical items into the next year. This is a huge advantage because it means that he can save any money that he makes throughout the year as well as personal identification and paperwork he needs. This is also where he meets one of the few people in his life that he works hard to maintain a connection with. Josh becomes his best friend and business partner. Although Tommy doesn't make friends easily, when he does, he does everything in his power to keep them in the repetitive rhythm of his world.
Tommy's life is told in stages: his first year with his birth parents, his time in Milkwood House, the years at the hostel, and the period when he moves into his girlfriend's apartment. Each stage has a lot of repetition and not a whole lot of expansion of his predicament. The problem is that Tommy is wary of "rocking the boat" so to speak. Once he finds himself in a comfortable spot where he can cruise through resets without much hassle, he's content to do just that. He has goals for the future, but with very little knowledge of how to overcome his erasure, he just cannot make much progress. Frankly, there are chunks of the book that become a bit monotonous. I guess I was hoping that he would explore his magical boundaries more, try theories, and be more proactive in discovering the answers to his odd reality. Instead, what he discovers is very little, and most of it merely by chance. This leaves the reader in a somewhat stagnant plot that becomes mired in predictability. It never felt so slow that I had to force myself to keep reading, or take small, frequent breaks. However, I think it was merely the main character's likability and determination that kept me reading steadily. You really do root for him to find a way to create a permanent life for himself and maybe even someday create a family.
There is a romance in the story, though I would say that it remains in the background for at least half of the book. We meet Tommy's girl Carey in his Milkwood House days, but she doesn't reappear again until much later. He falls hard for her as a young teen, but unfortunately for him, she never notices him in a romantic way. This is why his long-lasting "love" for her does not quite feel realistic to me. It's more of a one-sided crush that he never really gets over. In the back of his mind, he's always wondering if she's okay somewhere out there in the world, and if she's happy. Once he finally does cross paths with her, their relationship escalates quickly. The problem is, we are told of this escalation rather than shown, and I don't think that allows their feelings to develop naturally. This is probably a result of the time constraints that he has, but I do think it could have been explored at a deeper level.
I'm used to reading full fantasy novels as opposed to magical realism, so the lack of explanations takes some getting used to. Apparently, this is a common feature of the genre-not being told why these magical things happen in an otherwise average world. I have so many questions about why things are happening, and just being forced to believe for no reason at all is a hard one for me. For example, what is Richie's significance to Tommy? He is clearly a sociopath based on what he did to him when they were children, however, we never know why he is at the center of these horrible scenarios that upset his hard-won routines. Why does it simply take being in his vicinity to risk not just an erasure, but a total replacement? I thought surely some backstory with Richie would be given at some point, something substantial to make me understand why he seemed to alter Tommy's reality in such a different way. Why is it that when mistakes happen, it's only someone that he despises that replaces him? If it were a friend instead of a sociopath or abuser that takes his place, there wouldn't be the same kind of despair as a result. It begins to feel like a plot device rather than a natural element in the story.
I appreciated Tommy's exploration of his small, lasting impacts in a world that is unable to remember him. We all want to leave our own footprints in the world, making a difference to others in a way that will never be forgotten. For Tommy, he must be satisfied with anonymous impacts like a cactus he plants that gives comfort to a kind nurse, and a window that he fixes that stays fixed long after he's gone. These things are not monumental, though they do give him comfort that his actions can have permanence in a positive way. I really feel like this could have been delved into more. Perhaps he could have tried to make a large impact in the year he's given, to show that even without money or power we can change other people's lives significantly. I just feel like we barely scratched the surface in what he could have experimented with and the ways he could have learned to game the system.
The end rushes up quickly, and I was worried with the small amount of time left that it would end in tragedy. Again, he discovers a huge advantage by chance, and this sets him up to be able to hold onto something very precious to him: a true home. There was one major flaw in the way that this was explained, however, I was glad that he finally got his happy ending.
This was an okay read, I feel that it could have been much more exciting had it lived up to all of its potential. There were so many thought-provoking possibilities that were never touched on, and the characters could have used a lot more detail and definition to flesh out the relationships better. However, I did appreciate the unique idea of the story so I would recommend it to anyone looking for something a little different with an endearing main character.
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March 27, 2023
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.
Man, what an unique storyline. I can honestly say I've never read anything like this, and that is a feat in itself!
The author is truly talented. The world building? Beautiful.
The main character Tommy lives a pretty ... upsetting life. Every year, his family forgets who he is. Almost as if their memories reset on the same day every year.. and this continues until he falls in love. . Once he falls in love he has to figure out how to "trick" the reset in his life. And that comes with a price. He has to make an important decision.
You'll be drawn into this storyline so easily.
I adored this book, more than I thought I would. And i'll definitely recommend it to others!
Man, what an unique storyline. I can honestly say I've never read anything like this, and that is a feat in itself!
The author is truly talented. The world building? Beautiful.
The main character Tommy lives a pretty ... upsetting life. Every year, his family forgets who he is. Almost as if their memories reset on the same day every year.. and this continues until he falls in love. . Once he falls in love he has to figure out how to "trick" the reset in his life. And that comes with a price. He has to make an important decision.
You'll be drawn into this storyline so easily.
I adored this book, more than I thought I would. And i'll definitely recommend it to others!
June 29, 2023
Charming, thought-provoking, and optimistic!
How to Be Remembered is a charged, moving tale that takes you into the life of Tommy Llewellyn, a young boy whose life is irrevocably changed every year on January 5th when after he falls asleep, anything that’s not touching or physically on him is lost forever when the universe resets and anyone who ever knew, cared or loved him forgets he ever existed.
The prose is smooth and sweet. The characters are complex, troubled, and resilient. And the plot is a compelling tale of life, loss, love, family, friendship, secrets, survival, loneliness, and the importance of having someone to love.
Overall, How to Be Remembered made me think, made me teary, and resonated with me long after the final page. It’s a poignant, immersive, beautiful tale by Thompson that combines exceptional character development with the magic of the supernatural to weave a heart-tugging, bittersweet tale steeped in an abundance of heartbreak, tenderness, and hope!
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
How to Be Remembered is a charged, moving tale that takes you into the life of Tommy Llewellyn, a young boy whose life is irrevocably changed every year on January 5th when after he falls asleep, anything that’s not touching or physically on him is lost forever when the universe resets and anyone who ever knew, cared or loved him forgets he ever existed.
The prose is smooth and sweet. The characters are complex, troubled, and resilient. And the plot is a compelling tale of life, loss, love, family, friendship, secrets, survival, loneliness, and the importance of having someone to love.
Overall, How to Be Remembered made me think, made me teary, and resonated with me long after the final page. It’s a poignant, immersive, beautiful tale by Thompson that combines exceptional character development with the magic of the supernatural to weave a heart-tugging, bittersweet tale steeped in an abundance of heartbreak, tenderness, and hope!
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 29, 2023
Thank you Allen and Unwin for sending me a copy of this book to review.
This was such a unique storyline. I was suprised at how much I really enjoyed it as it is not my usual genre.
Imagine falling in love and having your life reset. You remember them, but they dont remember a thing about you, as well as having to build relationships with your family all over again. The love story is why I was so invested in this book. Tommy was such a likeable character and the reason I liked this book so much. I wanted to know what was happening to him. The ending was the part of the book I loved the most. The fact you mentioned op shops was a huge tick for me.
This was such a unique storyline. I was suprised at how much I really enjoyed it as it is not my usual genre.
Imagine falling in love and having your life reset. You remember them, but they dont remember a thing about you, as well as having to build relationships with your family all over again. The love story is why I was so invested in this book. Tommy was such a likeable character and the reason I liked this book so much. I wanted to know what was happening to him. The ending was the part of the book I loved the most. The fact you mentioned op shops was a huge tick for me.
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