Escape from Memory (original 2003; edition 2005)

Kira is hypnotized at a slumber party and she speaks in a foreign language about an escape! When she wakes up, the mystery has begun. Who is she, where is she from (she has always been told they moved from California), who was she escaping from? Her best friend won’t let it go and her mom won’t give her any answers. Then her mom takes a month off of work which Kira finds out accidentally. When her mom doesn’t come home from work, Kira gets worried but when someone comes to take her away, she doesn’t fuss. This person claims to be her Aunt Memory, which is what everyone from Crythe has. Luckily her best friend had been on her way to check on her and was able to sneak in the kidnappers trunk and zip herself into Kira’s suitcase. Now she needs to “Escape from Memory”.

It all works out in the end when Kira comes home to live with her best friend and her family as her mom is now in a coma. At the very end Kira and her friend check mom out of the hospital and plan on waking her up as Kira knows how because of the memories that have been saved from her parents before they died when she was escaping from danger as a toddler.

I like Haddix and have read most of her books. I was not thrilled that the story started with hypnotism, but was glad later when it’s stated that hypnotism isn’t good. It turns out that hypnotism is a needed part to figure out the mystery, but when it’s all said and done, it seems Kira will live a normal life. There is a unit in READ 180 dealing with identity. I’ve read “Double Identity” to students and this may be another book that I could read to them during that unit. ( )

Book Review on Escape from Memory
By Margaret Peterson Haddix
When Kira is hypnotized by her friends at a sleepover she discovers secrets about herself and possibly her mother. She also discovers that she can speak another strange language. Kira is defiant to find out what all this means and she plans to confront her mother, but after her mother disappears and a strange woman comes to her house, calling herself her Aunt Memory, Kira's whole world is turned around. Kara’s aunt memory takes Kira to a strange place called Crythe hidden in the state of California, where Kira discovers she is the daughter to 2 famous scientists from Crythe. In Crythe memory means everything and in order for Kira to save her mother she must discover the secrets and memory of her parents hidden inside her... I thought this book was really well written, but it was slightly confusing near the end and I thought it could have been better. I think especially girls would enjoy this book, but it can definitely also be enjoyed by boys. I think the suitable age for this book is 11 and above... ( )

wonderful book. must read if you like mystery. ( )

When Kira is hypnotised at a sleepover, she discovers secrets of which she'd never been aware, such as she can speak another language. After revealing this information to her mom, he mother disappears and a strange woman comes to take Kira away to Crythe, a place that existed once, many years ago in war torn Russia.
I didn't find this story as well written as most of Haddix's stories. I thought it was rather affected and silly. ( )

Again the original cover was better. I read this book when I was in middle school and it really make you think. Haddix the author of many of my favorite books makes the characters seem real, like there is something besides what is shown. And you understand what is not being said ( )