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Turn
“Have you ever thought about the fact that you can walk, talk, read, and do complex scientific equations but have no idea when your birthday is or if you’ve ever had chicken pox?”
“All the time.”
---
He calls himself Damon. If only he could remember his real name.
He struggles to live a “normal” life, stuck in a midwestern orphanage.
Being a teenager is hard enough without the added problem of amnesia.
When the police find another amnesiac teen in the same abandoned home, it’s a painful reminder of Damon’s own apparent abduction the year before.
With a problem more complicated than his science homework, Damon must decide to continue living in ignorance or, with help from the new girl, to unlock the memories held captive in their minds.
"Turn" is a journey of determination. Friendships are tested. Trust broken.
At what cost are they willing to remember?
“All the time.”
---
He calls himself Damon. If only he could remember his real name.
He struggles to live a “normal” life, stuck in a midwestern orphanage.
Being a teenager is hard enough without the added problem of amnesia.
When the police find another amnesiac teen in the same abandoned home, it’s a painful reminder of Damon’s own apparent abduction the year before.
With a problem more complicated than his science homework, Damon must decide to continue living in ignorance or, with help from the new girl, to unlock the memories held captive in their minds.
"Turn" is a journey of determination. Friendships are tested. Trust broken.
At what cost are they willing to remember?
150 pages, Paperback
Published September 21, 2018
2 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Emily Van Engen
2 books8 followersEMILY VAN ENGEN tells people often and proudly: "Middle schoolers are my people." Teenagers in general, with their awkwardness and angst, are exactly the room of people she wants to get trapped in. [Well maybe not trapped unless there is an abundant supply of snacks and deodorant.] She writes YA fiction to show her students that they can achieve anything if they work hard, and she plans to continue writing and teaching until she's so old the school forces her into retirement. Though she spent most of her life as a proud Virginian, Van Engen now happily embraces her life as a Michigander, including the three seasons of winter. When she isn't teaching her "kids" at school or writing about the ones that occupy her mind, she's at home reading or being lazy with her husband and dog, Cloud, who you can follow on Instagram: @cloudpups (he's quite popular).
*In case you are wondering, she pronounces her last name Van (like one you drive) Engen (rhymes with vegan without the V, or the diet).
*In case you are wondering, she pronounces her last name Van (like one you drive) Engen (rhymes with vegan without the V, or the diet).
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 27, 2025
Loved this book! I loved the characters, and the plot! Such a page turner! It was well written, and so fun to read! Great job, Love You Mrs. V!!! 🫶🫶💗
April 30, 2019
A thrilling blend of science fiction and mystery that will have you working to find the solution all the way to the very end. A masterful, smartly written story that makes you love the characters and want the very best for them. Perfect for all YA readers, and adults too!
March 23, 2021
f you're looking for a quality good book look no further than turn by Emily Van Engen. Basically its about a boy named Damon he was found in a shack with amnesia and now they're trying to uncover whos behind all these attacks. I had Mrs. van engen as a middle school teacher and she recommended me this book so 2 years later i started reading it.
So Damon a teenager was kidnapped and put into an abandon shack and the cops find him. Hes trying to recover his memory and is trying to figure out who put all the victims in the shack and file a lawsuit against him. He figured out who it was but he was blackmailed out of actually pressing charges because before he left he stole a couple things from the shack. Now they need to remember the most important pieces of evidence before he gets off scott free.
Damon had to overcome his memory loss so he can find out what really happened and testify against the man that put him in the shack this takes great courage and strength to get up there and testify against someone that can prove a great threat to there life because he can easily take your life. Emily Van Engen did a good job implementing courage into the characters lifestyle willing to risk their life for the greater good. I didn't have any favorite part due to the fact the plot of the book was good all the way through. It was really detailed on how amnesia works and discussed the characters feelings all the way through the book.
So my personal opinion on this book is that its worth reading if you're into mystery books or maybe love to try something different. Because this book is very unique to its own plot and i would like to mention again the plot is very good. I would recommend this book to anybody because i liked it that much.
So Damon a teenager was kidnapped and put into an abandon shack and the cops find him. Hes trying to recover his memory and is trying to figure out who put all the victims in the shack and file a lawsuit against him. He figured out who it was but he was blackmailed out of actually pressing charges because before he left he stole a couple things from the shack. Now they need to remember the most important pieces of evidence before he gets off scott free.
Damon had to overcome his memory loss so he can find out what really happened and testify against the man that put him in the shack this takes great courage and strength to get up there and testify against someone that can prove a great threat to there life because he can easily take your life. Emily Van Engen did a good job implementing courage into the characters lifestyle willing to risk their life for the greater good. I didn't have any favorite part due to the fact the plot of the book was good all the way through. It was really detailed on how amnesia works and discussed the characters feelings all the way through the book.
So my personal opinion on this book is that its worth reading if you're into mystery books or maybe love to try something different. Because this book is very unique to its own plot and i would like to mention again the plot is very good. I would recommend this book to anybody because i liked it that much.
October 22, 2018
Page Turner!
What a fun and sweet story! Relatable characters, crazy good plot, and the twist!! The twist got me in the feels. My middle schooler took one look at the cover and knew she’d be interested in this story. Can’t wait for her to read it too!
What a fun and sweet story! Relatable characters, crazy good plot, and the twist!! The twist got me in the feels. My middle schooler took one look at the cover and knew she’d be interested in this story. Can’t wait for her to read it too!
September 28, 2019
Great book for young adults! Quick read and a page turner!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews