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Good point on Chase feeling confused, Jade. Just trying to get a grasp on what amnesia is is hard enough… actually experiencing it has got to be terrifying.

I’ve heard Gordon Korman talk about the book a bit in some author presentations, and he mentions how odd amnesia is. Patients suffer at different degrees, and so the story had to help readers understand quickly how bad Chase’s memory loss was. He could still remember what words mean and he could form new memories, which isn’t true for all amnesiacs. Dr. Cooperman is such a great tool for exposition: His explanations to Chase and his family about amnesia really serve to educate the reader!

I’m with you on Frank Ambrose, Jade. I’m not ready to form an opinion yet, but calling his older son a wimp and being rude to his ex-wife aren’t a good start.

It would be impossible to read the first chapter and not want to continue. Really strong! And what a perfect ending to the chapter: “What kind of person am I?” 

One final note: I had forgotten that the chapter narrator’s name appears in the footer next to the page number. Hey @Scholastic, you should do this all the time. It’s a good reminder of who’s “talking” if you set down the book and pick it back up a couple hours later. That’s not a hypothetical. Maybe I have a really mild case of short-term amnesia?