The Memory Wall

by Lev A.C. Rosen

An engrossing middle-grade novel set in a high-fantasy video game world that’s part Kathryn Erskine’s Mockingbird, part Patrick Ness’s A Monster Calls.
 
Wellhall is an immersive online fantasy world full of giants, sorcerers, and elves—and it’s junior-high-schooler Nick’s only escape from real life. Nick and his mom used to play the online video game together before her early-onset Alzheimer’s forced her to enter an assisted-living facility. At first, Nick seeks distraction in the game, but he soon becomes convinced that his mom is playing the game as a character named Reunne, and dropping him hints about her diagnosis and how he can help her return home.
 
Even as Nick becomes more and more certain that Reunne is actually his mother, Nick’s father and his new friend encourage Nick to confront the possibility that the game is just a game, and that he needs to be prepared to say goodbye to his mother as he knows her. . . .
 
“Readers—gamers and nongamers alike—will cheer the resolution of Nick’s transformative journey. Thoughtful, earnest, and gratifying.” — Kirkus Reviews
 
“A lovely, heartwarming story of a young man negotiating personal crises with the help of games, friends, and family, perfect for readers who appreciate a blend of fantasy and realism.” — The Bulletin
 
“A complex, emotional story about grief and acceptance. . . . A strong, thought-provoking novel.” — Publishers Weekly

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fiction, Family, Video Games, School

368 pages, Hardcover

First published September 13, 2016

About the author

LEV AC ROSEN sometimes is sometimes known as L.C. ROSEN. He is the author of books for all ages.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was probably about two-thirds through this book that I broke down sobbing on the couch.

My mother has Alzheimer's. I was very close with her, my family moved back home (at great expense both personal and emotional) to help take care of her, and, as I write this, she has been in a nursing home for well over two years after having been given less than half of that to live.

The Memory Wall is about a kid, Nick, having to deal with a similar situation. He's very young and his mother also has Alzheimer's. The family makes a decision that she, too, will go to a nursing home, and the kid doesn't really understand everything that's going on with the medical situation in play. He does, however, know a certain fantasy MMO that he plays quite a bit, and he's convinced his mother is playing it with him from the nursing home.

It's really a heartbreaking story. I can forgive some of the realism aspects of this in what's a challenging story to tell for this age group because it absolutely digs into the emotional struggle that comes with Alzheimer's caregiving. In particular, Nick's denial of what is actually happening and his ways to try and mentally craft how the doctors have it wrong and how his mother will actually come through or recover or however you want to phrase it is extremely realistic (to this day, even though my mother hasn't recognized me for five years and I rarely see her because it hurts so much, I keep thinking, in the back of my mind, that we'll get some phone call that will never come that tells us that she snapped out of it), and the use of a video game construct to literally play out these scenarios us caregivers who struggle to let go is a bit of a genius move.

I could nitpick on a lot of things here and there, but that's not the point. This book succeeds on its emotional core and the harsh realism of accepting the fate of a loved one you can't do anything for. The added helplessness of being a child in this situation is not one I can relate to directly, but will resonate for a lot of readers who might have grandparents in this or similar scenarios. It's closer to a 4.5 because of a lot of the nitpicks, but why bother when this is a book that anyone who has a situation even close to this should read.

Honestly, it's just a beautiful, gorgeous account of a very real struggle. I sobbed because it was perhaps too real for me, but those who can be a little more objective might appreciate it for what it does, if not what it represents. Just an amazing read.

[Rikke · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
I was unsure about this when I read its description. Half A Monster Calls sounded like something I wouldn't want to miss, but also unlikely, or at least like I would possibly be setting myself up for disappointment. Still I went for it. And I'm happy I did.

I find it slightly disturbing because I have this fear that one day I'll suffer from early onset Alzheimer's, and I find the notion quite scary. Otherwise it a wonderful story, very compassionate and believable. I liked it a lot. I'll definitely recommend it to anyone. And if you enjoyed A Monster Calls you mightn't want to miss this one. At least my one and only complaint is that it felt overly long/dragging at times, the game parts especially, but then the book is rather longish for this kind of story.

[Book Riot Community]

The story begins on the day twelve-year-old Nick Reeves and his father take his mom to a new home. Doctors say his mother has early-onset Alzheimers, and apparently Sunrise House can help manage her symptoms. Nick struggles against his mother’s diagnosis, believing that his father and the doctors are going too far. He finds a chance to help her when he starts a new online multi-player game, Wellhall, where he plays a gray elf named Severkin who is a fierce fighter and savvy problem solver. In the course of the game he comes across another gray elf, Reunne, who just might be the key to bringing his mom home.

Rosen pens a compelling book, alternating between reality and gaming with ease. His world building in Wellhall is stunning, sure to draw readers in with his vivid descriptions and imagery. In the end, this story speaks to the deepest longings of our hearts and the things we do to save the ones we love.

— Karina Glaser



from The Best Books We Read In July 2016: http://bookriot.com/2016/08/01/riot-r...

[Alice, as in Wonderland · Rating 4 out of 5]

My testament to how much I liked this book should be in the beginnings of tears in my eyes and the ache in my chest. I liked this book a LOT. I should, however, state a disclaimer about how I don't know any people who have Alzheimer's, nor am I a mixed race person who has to deal with it on a daily basis, so any glaring issues concerning faux paus of any of those things they may have passed me by.

Nick as a character is someone I want to hold up and say "this, do it like this." The balance of immaturity and being genuinely likeable, I have found, is not an easy one to strike, something that I've now realized after reading so many children's books in a row. Oftentimes I have to stop myself from my criticism and say "okay, it's just a kid." I never felt that with Nick. It's not like he doesn't act like a child, his 12-year-oldness is an important aspect of the book, because it is the core of his denial. He's the one who sees the truth, everyone has given up/has misdiagnosed/etc. etc. It's a very me vs. the world viewpoint that I certainly have horrible flashbacks to, and I definitely related to him (or at least my 12 year old self did) in that respect. But at no point did I feel like rolling my eyes and giving him a shake, it was all universally understandable, and the fundamental point of the fact that he was struggling against a diagnosis that people were not giving him a full picture of is honestly dealt with toward the end of the book, and his acknowledgment of that I thought was a good point to make.

I thought that his awkward conflicts with his father were really well handled, as it's clear from the book that they are both intensely hurting, though, again, Nick's level of self-involvement and self-focus stop him from understanding that particularly early on, and written in a way that didn't make me want to sigh a lot and groan. Plus, the interesting sidestep with Nick already knowing about his African-American heritage while realizing that his chance to learn more about his East German side might be crumbling before his eyes was a nice twist. Though I did make some suspicious eyes at the "I don't fit into the stereotypes" trope, because you have to acknowledge that the people who do are people too (and that you're not completely separate from them just because you don't fit stereotype) and I didn't feel that the book made that point clear enough for my taste. But admittedly these things were not the bulk focus of the book and were handled well enough for me not to get irritated by them (as an Asian American). There are definitely portions that are plain and straight-forward about it enough to be refreshing, the different types of racism that take form, from straight out mockery to slightly condescending disbelief. These are definitely do their part to enrich both Nick and Nat, and the world that they live in, i.e. our world.

The book also does a great job at hinting at characters. From my interpretation, it seemed to me that Charlie was in the closet and over-compensating, which gives a lot of depth to his character and feeling like his actions are understandable, even if they're not justifiable. This happens a couple of times in the book and every time they glance enough for me to get an impression of depth without getting a ten page backstory on the character. Considering that usually me saying this is a COMPLAINT, I just liked it because it made me feel like the characters were rounded even if they weren't important enough to be vital to the story.

Endings can be difficult to do, but the ending for this book came very naturally. The frustration of both Nick and his father are palpable, and his father finally being unable to continue with the lack of information, something he knows to be unfair, felt justified in its occurrence. Though several characters tell Nick to be more open, it becomes clear that that was apparently a one-way street. And the one-two punch that hits Nick, one in reality, one in the game, are set up well, a domino effect that Nick is no longer capable of fighting against. By the time I got to Nick's alone conversation with his mother, I was incredibly close to tears.

Okay, so. I'm sorry. There are portions of this book that I didn't like and I'm going to be honest - they are the gaming scenes. I guess I should write a bit of a personal defense on this before I get started because first of all, I did really like the idea of the gaming sections - they're why I picked up the book. I'm an avid, avid gamer, and I always have been, and really like books that toy with the idea that gaming can be used for a lot of different things. I was piqued by the concept of using gaming as communication through a mental illness, though the book makes it clear fairly early on how this is probably impossible. But the book is also impressive in how much I wanted it to be true as much as Nick did, though my pessimism stopped the belief from solidifying, even if I was flying through pages just wanting to knooooooowwwww for sure.

So my problem is really that I'm an avid gamer. The game described in the book is very kind of World of Warcraft-y and sort of Skyrim-y and I didn't believe a single goddamned sentence in it.

Severkin looks up and sees the glimmer of her tears, feels the ache of his shoulders, there's blood on his armor that he now needs to change out of - what is this magical amazing perfect simulation game of awesome??????? I'm sure people will argue with me but on some level I will defend gaming's lack of immersion. It's kind of half the fun. Death being a relatively inconsequential thing is part of the fun. But in the book, characters take actions I would never believe someone would program into a game in the current age. I feel like every one of us gamers are disconnected from a game (it's why the fourth wall utilized in things like Silent Hill 2 and Stanley Parable work), but the gaming part of the book basically just feels like a separate fantasy novel spliced in throughout. Ironically, Nick is so immersed in the game that I get anything but immersed in the book.

It would be one thing for this book to imply that the story takes place 20 minutes in the future where technology has developed this far, and Nick pops on the VR headset to play the game or whatever the somesuch, but it doesn't. Nick turns on his computer, picks up his controller and is brought to a computer generated world so realistic you can feel heat? Smell mud? Can't tell human and NPC characters apart even while communicating with them? How are you communicating with them without some sort of user input? Do they just talk back if you have a headset? What if you don't have a headset?

Not to mention while being in Severkin's head we are effectively in an entirely different character - and how so? Did Nick write this character? Severkin does reflect Nick in character choice from time to time, but they're separate enough people that they feel and read quite differently. I felt like this sections could have been more effective with more intersplicing of us being shown Nick actually playing the game. Hesitations of what to say, how to say it when Reunne seems to slip into Sophie territory. Nick fumbling with controls in anxiety and panic. Nick opening a separate chat with Nat to talk about how to approach Ruenne - I know that Nick seems to be super intent on being totally caught up with the game, but while I am willing to concede that that is appropriate for the early part of the book it would have been more interesting to me as Nick begins to see his real life seeping into the game, it does for the reader as well, and Nick can't escape the reality of his situation, video game or not.

I get that this is absolutely a critique of a gamer and someone who doesn't care about video games to the absurd extent I do may barely bat an eyelash, but I needed to mention it because it is basically an entire half of this book, which meant that I spent an entire half of this book having to force my sense of disbelief and not really enjoying the book. What made those sections just bearable to me was knowing the real life undercurrent through them, but again, they just felt so separate that it was occasionally something that I had to remind myself, as opposed to the two sides existing together.

Before you write this off as a negative review, however, the past like four paragraphs were my rant about one aspect of the book, even if physically it was a huge chunk of the book. All said and done, this book hit me emotionally, the characters were believably 12 but not a frustrating 12, and their social status as mixed-race people, of having a family member with a hereditary mental disease, of different lives, different coping mechanisms, these were all powerful enough parts of the book to make a great whole and it is a book I would absolutely recommend.

[Serina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boy in denial about his mother's early onset Alzheimers. Check that strong denial. Double-check that extreme-mind-numbingly-I-will-refuse-to-believe-anything-you-say-denial. But then thats how people hope with that sort of news. There's a double narrative of him playing the video game which does tend to drag on. I started skim it when it started to get too lengthy so I really feel that whole bit could have been skipped. There's also the side aspect of him being mixed which I really liked how they handled that topic.

My father is german and my mom black. My sister whos 6 years older than me is very defensive about it like the lead girl in the book. However I'm more like the boy where there's no desire to prove you're one race or another. You simply are who are.

[Julian Valle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nick Reeves is a young middle schooler that has had some trouble in his life recently. His mother has had some problems with her memory, and was later diagnosed with an illness. Nick is in denial, and believes that it was a misdiagnosis. He uses his video games to get away from the real world, and because he could do practically whatever he wants in them. The book is a young adult fantasy genre, and is very interesting. This book is very well written, but seems to be forced at some times, but nonetheless a great idea, a well written, and has a plot not too bad. The plot twist where a character, that the main character theorizes is his mother, betrays the main protagonist was poorly executed, and doesn't seem to be important, and is brushed over very quickly.

The time is in the present, and in the protagonist's, Nick Reeves, middle school years. The place is mostly in Nick's school and house, but is also sometimes in the nursing home where his mother is. The conflict is protagonist v. himself. This is because, throughout the whole book, he believes his mother is not ill, despite being told she is multiple times. This is where the setting comes in. Had the protagonist been older, say 20, he would've accepted her mother being ill sooner. But because he was very young, he couldn't accept the fact that his mother was ill, putting him in denial for a long time. He only stopped this belief when a character, that Nick thought was his mother, named Reunne, betrayed him, shattering the thought that his mother was Reunne. This snapped him out of his beliefs, because his only shred of evidence that his mother wasn't sick was that the character was his mother, helping him throughout the game and teaching him. His belief shattered because he knew his mother would never do that to him. The book starts out with Nick telling about how he is waiting for the delivery of a video game while also talking about how he is told that his mother has Alzheimer's, and him not believing it at all. He then goes on with his life, never believing it without any evidence other than himself having a gut feeling that he was right. Him and his family eventually find a home for his mother. He wishes for relief, and does so by playing a game called Wellhall, in which he could do practically whatever he wants. In school he finds someone else, a girl, that plays the game as well. They naturally become friends, because of their shared hobby. The new friend is named Nathalie, or Nat throughout the book, and tried to help Nick accept that his mom is ill, while playing the game online with him. While playing the game, both Nick and Nat start to feel a bond with Reunne, unbeknownst that she shall soon betray them. They go through many obstacles in the game to retrieve 3 items, the Staff, the Spear, & the Hammer. Once they think that they have retrieved them all, and they return the items to someone, they find out that the weapons are fake life-like replicas. Nick and Nat both go to Reunne's dwelling, and find out that Reunne had been planning to take the weapons for a long time. After a few lives and fights, Nat & Nick defeat her, and retrieve the weapons, as Nick realizes Reunne is not his mother. After saving and leaving the game, Nick goes to his mother's nursing home, and says something he knows he should've done earlier. He says goodbye to his mother.

The first person view affects the story by putting the reader into the shoes of the character, and makes the reader feel a bit more attached to the characters, so when a tragic moment happens, such as a plot twist, the reader feels more emotional and has more feeling. Throughout the book the protagonist, Nick, is motivated by his belief that his mother is not ill, and that she was misdiagnosed with Alzheimer's. Whenever he spoke to his father, he questioned whether or not she was really ill, and also told everyone he met what he thought of it. In the end of the book however, as mentioned previously, he finally believes his mother is ill, because his only shred of evidence that she was not ill, was disproven. The title, "The Memory Wall," relates to the book because makes a reference to an event in the book, where Reunne shows a wall, showing all of her ancestors and lost family, written in dwarven writing. The setting of the protagonist being in his middle school adds to the conflict because had he been older, as said before, he would have given in and accepted the fact that his mother was ill sooner. But because he is younger, he held on to his belief for long.

I liked how the author tried to appeal to younger audiences by making the protagonist a gamer, and making the entire story about a video game. However, I dislike how the author how the author emphasizes this, as the protagonist seems to have his life revolve around them, as if it was a lifestyle. Nonetheless, the author made a good attempt to appeal to them. I was surprised with the plot twist, where Reunne betrays Nick & Nat. I legitimately thought the author was going to reveal Reunne as Nick's mother in the end. I could not believe the way Nick acted throughout the book, not believing his mother was ill. Though I do realize he was young and had a very strong bond with his mother, I do certainly wish that he had accepted it earlier than he did, as it had driven me insane reading the book. I can relate to the character Nick the most, very loosely, because I too play video games as a hobby, and love them, &, as Nick does, I like open world games, where you could do practically whatever you want.

I would rate this book a 3 out of 5, because it is well written, is a good book, in my opinion, and the main protagonist is a gamer, which is rare. Though it tried, I had not cared at all for the protagonist being a gamer, as the author had not created a bond with me, the reader, or a real reason for it to be there. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy or young adult, as those two genres seem to stand out the most. There were few interesting things about this book, other than the fact that the main protagonist was a gamer, which makes the book special already, and the protagonist's mother's very dark & unique background.

[Isabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, but I would only give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars. The good side of this book was that it was humorous and I liked how it went back and forth between real life and Wellhall. This book made me want to play Wellhall! It seemed like some of the video games I've played and enjoyed. The story line was an emotional roller coaster and was a lot of fun to read. But, in my library system, it's marked as a children's book, which I would be fine with if it weren't for the amount of cursing in this. I mean, I get that the setting is in Jr. High, but that doesn't mean that the characters (especially the kids) have to curse. That makes me feel like the book should be marked as a teen book, not a children's. That was my only problem with this book, but other than that, it was AMAZING!!!

[Amko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, especially the real life chapters. I feel like the in-game chapters dragged on a bit, but I enjoyed them anyway. It has a deep lesson about learning to accept change, even if you don't want to.

[Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really enjoyable. A bittersweet and emotional story but also wholesome. I loved the way it was written---very captivating!

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Parent with Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disorder

[Molly Cluff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the premise of a gamer trying to solve a family mystery inside the game. Some of the storytelling just felt weird to me--like that we got the gaming chapters from Severkin's point of view, so we didn't get to see Nick's reaction to key revelations. Also the gaming chapters just felt like someone's D&D campaign or something--like the author really just wanted to write a fantasy book instead. I did REALLY love the Games Con chapter though. That was the best part for me, because it perfectly combined the realistic world with the world of the game.

[Thistle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long ago, an author had told me the only difference between YA and adult books was the length of the story. This book is further proof that that is the truth. Though this was a middle grade book, it was outstanding for adult-reader me!

Set in the current time and current world, Nick's mother has early-onset Alzheimer’s. His parents make the (understandable) mistake of trying to hide just how sick she is, which means when she has to be moved to a care facility, Nick doesn't believe she's actually sick enough to need to go.

Half of the book is spent in our world, with Nick dealing with all sorts of RL issues. He's just starting junior high school, so he has to try to make friends, deal with a bully, cope with his mother being gone, with his mourning-but-trying father, and so many other things. All that while being in (understandable) denial about just how sick she is. He spends lots of time googling to try to prove she's not actually sick, that maybe she has something else and his father is wrong to send her away.

The story dealt with race issues (Nick's mother is German and his father is black, and Nick's best friend is half-Hawaiian). Gender and sex issues (his favorite teacher is lesbian and there's a seriously cool subplot about the bully being gay -- it's subtle though, young readers would probably completely miss it). There's lots of interesting information about recent history as well (his mother had been living in East Germany when the wall fell). None of it gets in the way of the story at all, I loved it all.

The other half of the book was spent in a video game. Nick is a gamer, and has strong connections to his character, so when he played we felt like he was actually in the world. Sadly (and surprisingly) this half of the book was weaker than the real world half, but it tied into the plot really well -- Nick is convinced a character in the game was actually his mother playing from the care facility so she could secretly contact him.

My issue with the book was very very minor -- nitpicking level. The video game's main story/questline was seriously short. This was a major game, very popular, and he finished the main questline in what seemed like four nights and a weekend day (and that's kid-nights, after homework/before bed, not all night long playing). If something like that is my biggest issue, you know this was a darned good story.

The author's writing was so good, too! I rarely save quotes from books anymore, but this time I kept stumbling upon things that were so well-worded, I wanted to save them.

"Nick recognizes only because he hasn't seen it for so long--the expression of mothers: the lines around the eyes that are like the lists of things they love and worry about."

"The sky is old-sword gray." I've never ever seen "old-sword" used to describe grey before. Metal sure, but never old-sword.

Sometimes it felt like he was talking to the young readers directly. One teacher said "we adult types like video games, too." which tickled me.

[Keshav Mohta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Memory Wall is a very unique book written by Lev A.C. Rosen. It is split in two parts with every alternate chapter switching between them. One is the life of an 11 year old boy Nick Reeves and the other is of Severkin a gray elf played by Nick in a video game called Wellhall.

Nick’s mom has been diagnosed of Alzheimer’s after an 'incident' which happened at his school a year earlier. Nick’s mom’s father also had Alzheimer’s and a few weeks later, disappeared. Nick does not want to believe that his mom has Alzheimer’s. He tries his best to persuade his dad to not let his mom be sent to a nursing home for Alzheimer’s patients. But to no avail.

At school, he meets a new friend called Nat. She too plays the video game Wellhall but as Elkana, a troll with magical capabilities. They come across another gray elf in-game called Reunne. Reunne reminds Nick of someone he knows in real life, his mom. Both Nick and Nat try figuring out this mystery of whether Reunne is his mom playing the game or a non-playing character.

Will they be able to prove that Nick’s mom is misdiagnosed and is actually playing Wellhall? Will Nick get his mom back home? What had actually happened to his grandfather? Read the book to find out.

I think that Memory Wall encapsulates the feelings of all those who have lost a loved one to Alzheimer’s. It shows how we should fight back and not let this be our weakness. Except for a few inconsistencies in the story I found it to be a fabulous book. I think that this book is a must-read for everyone.

[The Keepers of the Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

When his mother is put in a long-term care facility for early-onset Alzheimer’s, Nick’s only escape from reality comes in the form of the video game Wellhall. As he plays his character, Severkin, he meets a dark elf who he could swear is his mother. Her mannerisms, speech, and skill reminds is very similar. Unfortuantely, no one in the game uses their real name. Could his mother’s diagnosis be a mistake? Is his mom trying to reach out to him?

The characters in this book are easy to sympathize with and relate to. The handling of Alzheimer’s is tactful and well done. The plot is well written and touching. Fans of realistic fiction, books dealing with hard issues, and/or video games will enjoy reading this book.

Recommended for Grades 7 to 10, Ages 12 to 15.

This book was featured on The Keepers of the Books' Weekly Reads 12 episode. For more book reviews, recommendations, or online librarian advice, please visit us at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK3v.... You may also find a copy of this review on kissthbook.blogspot.com

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twelve-year-old Nick Reeves is firmly convinced that his mother has been misdiagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's and should not been placed in assisted living despite plenty of evidence to the contrary. But Nick's case seems stronger when he finds himself playing an online computer game, Wellhall, as Severkin, alongside another player, Reunne, who reminds him of his mother. The author effectively builds suspense through descriptions of the online play and the deterioration of Nick's mother in her placement. Since the chapters alternate between real-time narration and Nick's Wellhall play, gamers especially will be interested in this book's plot and the ever-thinning distinction between both of Nick's worlds. Parts of the book are quite heartbreaking, but I grew a bit tired of all the gaming. Then again, I'm not much of a gamer myself and have limited patience for that sort of thing although I see its appeal.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Memory Wall tells the story of Nick, a biracial seventh grade boy who's mother has just entered a memory care facility for early onset Alzheimers. He uses video games as a way to escape from his grief but after awhile the video game seems to start mirroring his real life. This is a beautiful story about family, grief, and legacy told through the lens of a high fantasy video game. Because of the video game element, this book is a mixture of realistic fiction and fantasy. It is suited for students ages 9-13. I chose to read this book because I love playing video games and I also currently work with many individuals with dementia or Alzheimers. In the reading classroom, this book would be useful for teaching about symbolism and point of view. Because of the genre-blending, this book would appeal to lots of different readers, including gamers.

[Jehnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. I appreciate a storyline about a teenager dealing with a mom with early-onset alzheimers and how overwhelming that can be. I liked the dual stories with him immersed in his fantasy game.

However, the main character doesn't feel reliably 12. Sometimes the plot, the academics, the relationships, feels like a 15 year old and others it feels like a younger kid.
There are also idiosyncratic errors that an editor should have picked up. There minimal, but they pulled me out of the story.

[Cecilia Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twelve year old Nick Lamont is struggling with his mother's diagnosis of early
onset Alzhiemer's and the fact that she has chosen to move into a care facility.
As a way to escape, Nick plays: Wellhall, an online multiplayer game.
While in the game, Nick meets Reunna, and is convinced that she might be
able to help "cure" his mother.
The story has a good message about bullying and dealing with a family member who has
a serious illness.

[Sarah W · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read on how one teen deals with his mother's diagnosis of early Alzheimer's and her move to a care facility. Part of the story unfolds in an immersive computer game he used to play with his mother. The book also ties in elements of bullying, standing up for one's self and growing up biracial. East Berlin and the fall of the Berlin Wall are also elements in the story.

[MixterCharlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be one of my new favorite middle-grade books! Loved the narration, the story line, and the way the reader was wrapped into Nick's explanations for his mother's illness and his struggle to accept the reality of his illness. There were so many pieces to this story and yet nothing felt like it was out-of-place or unfinished at the end.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a "can't put it down" book for me. I was wrapped into the 2 story lines (real life & video game) and so curious how/if/when they would intersect. I could see this book being very difficult for a person with close ties to someone with Alzheimer's.

[Kris · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm definitely not in the target audience for this book. I had to speed through just to get to the end of it. It was not interesting to me at all.
This is the 97th book I've read so far this year. 2025

[Malia Dorsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply picked up this book and checked it out of the library by accident.

morale of the story....




Best accident I've ever made.

[Ginger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish it was a little more condensed -- it got sort of slow and faltered a little at the end.

[Brittany Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG. THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING. Audiobook was amazing. My favorite audiobook and book of 2018 and this is my 50th title I've read this year.

[AinShariff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very relatable. Like the twist about the game and the delicious description about it. Good job, author!

[Karen Hornyak · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alzheimer's

[A Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

if diffucultly was my review my review is cuphead

[Panthoos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blessed

[Kathy Daggett]

Wonderful collection of short stories.