YA Book Review: The Memory Book by Lara Avery

The Memory Book by Lara Avery 
Deep into her senior year, Sammie gets a diagnosis that she has a very rare disease that will rob her of her memory. Initially, Sammie doesn’t share the diagnosis with anyone -- including her debate partner as they head to the national speech & debate tournament. 
But Sammie gets a heavy dose of reality, and she begins to see what her future looks like. Set to be valedictorian of her class, Sammie is incredibly driven and admits that she’s willing to trade anything to keep her memory. 
So many things in her life rely on memory -- her studies, her scholarships to NYU, law school, and eventually work as a human rights lawyer. In hopes of keeping some sort of a reminder, Sammie starts to keep a journal -- her memory book -- so that she can remind herself of who she is once the disease takes over. 
The novel is Sammie’s journal, and this is the story of a powerful young woman focused on the future who suddenly realizes that all she has is now.