The Memory Trap Paperback – March 28, 2019

The danger in magicians writing novels is, one could easily swerve into terminology and arcana, and become transfixed by the world we inhabit (speaking from experience as a semi-pro). Yet, the potential to craft something genuinely compelling is there, and used appropriately, can produce wonderfully constructed garden paths for the mind.The author has achieved the latter here. Readable in a few hours, I found myself genuinely caring about Henry’s predicament, as his knowledge of magic and sleights is the very basis for him being suspected of low-grade crimes at school.Those familiar with loci—also called the “memory palace” mnemonic approach—will appreciate that Henry not only uses it to strengthen his ability to memorize a deck of cards, but also uses it as a defense mechanism against the omissions of parental attention—a family that loves him, but have displaced him by virtue of career and vertical mobility.Two mysteries emerge, and Henry finds himself in the middle of both of them. Along with a few friends with disparate experiences, a secondary message is also apparent: Children are sometimes tasked with burdens they need not carry, if their parents would put down the bottle, the phone, and the ego. In both the mysteries at hand, as well as the developmental and relationship continuums in the lives of children—only a certain amount of time is allocated before irreversible effects are seen.And the message is: Time is of the essence. Do not waste it.

Really enjoyed this book! An aspiring magician is framed for pranks that are causing disruption in his middle school, and he is on a quest to uncover the culprit and clear his own name. Love how the mystery unfolds and we learn more about him, his family, and friends.The author does a great job of getting the reader into the head of this awkward, shy middle schooler - I think kids of that age would relate to him.I stayed up late to finish the book, which shows just how much l liked reading this novel.

I read The Memory Trap by Greg Koren for my book club. This book was funto read because it had mystery, adventure, excitement and card tricks. I liked thecharacters and their friendships. There are some twists to the story and I like the ending. I recommend this book for fifth grade and up. I rate it 5 out of 5 Stars!

Good plot with lots of magic

This book was so well crafted, fast moving and engaging that I had that experience where I was thinking about the characters during the day and wondering what would happen when I got home to read some more. It captures well not only the difficulty of navigating the emotional landscape of adolescence but also the struggle/balance of work life and home life (from the young person’s perspective). But by far it’s greatest attribute is the way the author spins out a story with enough mystery and intrigue to keep you turning those pages!

This is a real page-turner!!! If you are looking for a wholesome way to get your middle schooler buried in a book, here's a wonderful way to do just that! It's well-crafted and riveting, with well-developed, three-dimensional characters, engaging and authentic dialogue, filled with intrigue, and, best of all, it packs a whollop at the end - with a strong message and a beautiful finish. It makes me so happy to know books like this exist. Middle schoolers will love it, but I'm all grown up and I loved it too!

I highly recommend this book for the middle schooler who enjoys magic and a little mystery. I am an adult that runs a youth book club, and enjoyed this story very much. Greg did a gret job touching many young teen topics, and handling them well. I was engaged into the story from beginning to end. Some of the characters were a bit off the wall, but that's part of the charm this book has.

I purchased this book for my daughter while on vacation. She is 12 and she liked it so much we couldn't get her to stop reading. She really liked it. On her own she did a search for the author and found his other book which she read the next day!