From the author of Restart, the story of two boys who are losing their memories… to each other.

Reef and Theo don’t know what’s happening to them. They’ll be going about their days and then suddenly they’ll have these strange flashes of memory — but the memories don’t belong to them. And at the same time, their own memories are starting to… vanish.

For Reef, this is a big problem, because memories are all he has left of his mom.

For Theo, it’s strange because the new memories give him a freedom he doesn’t have with his domineering dad.

Twelve-year-olds Theo and Reef are entirely different personalities and life challenges, go to middle schools the opposite ends of town and would never have met if they hadn’t been forced to track each other down because they were (bizarrely) losing their memories to each other. No one believes them, of course, and concocting a pseudo-scientific theory on how to stop the damage becomes all-consuming for them throughout the book.

In other words, this novel takes us on a hilarious ride packed with action, tension and authentic middle-school angst, personalities and dialogue. There are misunderstandings galore, and an excellent cast of “side” characters including the popular girl who no one gets, the town bad guy and a nasty principal. Stakes keep getting higher until the wacky climax.

It’s all written in first person, with every other chapter is in Theo’s point of view and every other chapter in Reef’s. That keeps interest high, especially given that both are attracted to the same girl. But the main focus is on their freaky “Phenomenon” and how to reverse it.

Theo looks shocked for a moment and then breaks into a nervous laugh. “You really are the right guy. Makes sense, I guess. If I’ve got your memories, why shouldn’t you have mine?”

“Is this, like, a disease?” I wonder. “We both got sick, and now our brains are…switching heads?”

“Not our brains. I’m still me and you’re still you. But I remember your life like I’m the guy who lived it. And vice versa.” —Reef

Each character changes in an appropriate and satisfying manner by the end, and the writing is great quality. The premise itself is totally wonky, but any reader with a sense of humor will totally enjoy it.

—Pam Withers