The Impossible Knife of Memory
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Publication Date: January 7, 2014
Viking Juvenile, 372 pages
For the past five years, Hayley Kincaid and her father, Andy, have been on the road, never staying long in one place as he struggles to escape the demons that have tortured him since his return from Iraq. Now they are back in the town where he grew up so Hayley can attend school. Perhaps, for the first time, Hayley can have a normal life, put aside her own painful memories, even have a relationship with Finn, the hot guy who obviously likes her but is hiding secrets of his own.
Will being back home help Andy’s PTSD, or will his terrible memories drag him to the edge of hell, and drugs push him over? The Impossible Knife of Memory is Laurie Halse Anderson at her finest: compelling, surprising, and impossible to put down.
- Goodreads.com description
I was blown away by Anderson's debut novel Speak so I was very excited when I saw she had a new book coming out. The story deals with PTSD, a tough subject matter that is not often covered in teen fiction. Be warned this is an emotional read that is hard to stomach at times. However Anderson is a pro at delicately handling difficult issues and creating strong main characters you can't help but root for. I wanted to keep reading, even though it was hard at times, because I just had to know what was going to happen to Hayley in the end.
It was heartbreaking watching Hayley's father hurt her repeatedly, knowing that he wasn't always in control of his actions. Even more heartbreaking was watching Hayley punish herself when things became challenging at home. The romance between Hayley and Finn balanced out the heavy subject matter nicely, injecting some tenderness and snarkiness into an otherwise melancholy plot. Finn was supportive and caring without being overbearing, exactly the kind of support Hayley needed. Hayley and Finn have made my list of all time favorite literary couples. That first 'anti-date' alone....sigh! One thing I want to touch on is the supporting characters. I felt as though in the beginning of the novel they were featured prominently in the story line however as the story progressed they faded out, leaving some questions unanswered. Overall I highly enjoyed the book and gained an understanding of what PTSD really is and how it affects soldiers and their families.
I highly recommend this novel to fan's of Laurie Halse Anderson's earlier novels. Other teen novels that touch upon PTSD include The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher and Something Like Normal by Trish Doller.
