This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. You may receive a partial or no refund on used, damaged or materially different returns.

Read full return policy

Payment

Secure transaction

Payment

Secure transaction

We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more

Details

$7.75

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

A typical used book in Very Good condition. It shows light use with some slight noticeable wear. No markings on pages (other than possibly previous owner's name/note or remainder mark on edge). We carefully inspected this book and pages are unmarked and binding is intact. Comes with Super Fast Shipping – usually leaves warehouse within 24 hours. Professional packaging with tracking number and 24/7 customer service provided at no additional cost. 100% satisfaction guaranteed with every purchase! A typical used book in Very Good condition. It shows light use with some slight noticeable wear. No markings on pages (other than possibly previous owner's name/note or remainder mark on edge). We carefully inspected this book and pages are unmarked and binding is intact. Comes with Super Fast Shipping – usually leaves warehouse within 24 hours. Professional packaging with tracking number and 24/7 customer service provided at no additional cost. 100% satisfaction guaranteed with every purchase! See less

FREE delivery Wednesday, May 15 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Select delivery location

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

$$11.98 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Sold by Burlington MA- Used Book Superstore -new books too and Fulfilled by Amazon.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (54) from $1.24 + $3.98 shipping

Follow the author

Val Emmich

+ Follow

More books from this author

The Reminders Paperback – September 25, 2018

by Val Emmich (Author)

4.2 603 ratings

Editors' pick Best Literature & Fiction

See all formats and editions

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$11.98","priceAmount":11.98,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"11","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"98","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"Sz5xLlpUrtdOc6ZVh1OiL%2BqH6%2BcbpGU3wm5T9ouLCAcMiyYeUndDxHFjKMwRQq9EtgbdO4dVQJioIISKRFW84JbUGdhf6YJRFFB18Kr%2FYZnBOVuuXdHLm%2BCbgzeKcaW1Kr1mOur2yUfM6EkzI8mjTT0t5MlyX9POFn73lRbdgjJI7ATuGmfB2Q%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$7.75","priceAmount":7.75,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"7","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"75","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"Sz5xLlpUrtdOc6ZVh1OiL%2BqH6%2BcbpGU38tXIDJ%2F9Tf1TWUYl6z8MkTFIWcF9GBl5SpHxeYugT81xm1LbBYLcIMLhVMS4I74G5f9Isc4C46S9Ks5tXfU8yEckC%2BHftRo3%2Bqtv3a08bc9xbMqsXyA2ozMZqvvdx7UJyXeQxS%2BKFNL%2FtUDGL08cmw%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

From the author of Dear Evan Hansen, The Reminders is perfect for fans of J. Courtney Sullivan's The Engagement or Graeme Simsion's The Rosie Project, and follows what happens when a girl who can't forget befriends a man who's desperate to remember.

Grief-stricken over his partner Sydney's death, Gavin sets fire to every reminder in the couple's home before fleeing Los Angeles for New Jersey, where he hopes to find peace with the family of an old friend. Instead, he finds Joan.

Joan, the family's ten-year-old daughter, was born Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory, or HSAM: the rare ability to recall every day of her life in cinematic detail. Joan has never met Gavin until now, but she did know his partner, and waiting inside her uncanny mind are startlingly vivid memories to prove it.

Gavin strikes a deal with Joan: in return for sharing her memories of Sydney, Gavin will help her win a songwriting contest she's convinced will make her unforgettable. The unlikely duo set off on their quest until Joan reveals unexpected details about Sydney's final months, forcing Gavin to question not only the purity of his past with Sydney but the course of his own immediate future. Told in the alternating voices of these two irresistible characters, The Reminders is a hilarious and tender exploration of loss, memory, friendship, and renewal.

Frequently bought together

$11.98

Get it May 15 - 21

Only 3 left in stock - order soon.

Ships from and sold by LOGOFAT.

+

$9.73

Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14

In Stock

Sold by PTP Flash Deals and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.

Total price:

To see our price, add these items to your cart.

Try again!

Details

Added to Cart

One of these items ships sooner than the other.

Show details Hide details

Choose items to buy together.

Val Emmich
40
Hardcover
64 offers from $1.36

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Emmich performs a bit of creative magic...in his warm and winning debut―Huffington Post

"Like Nick Hornby, Emmich has a knack for avoiding the treacly and saccharine while finding magic in unlikely relationships."―National Book Review

"Charming, raw and filled with empathy and sorrow, THE REMINDERS is also a refreshing look into the lives of people on the road to healing and new purpose, and for these reasons alone I give THE REMINDERS five stars."―The Aquarian

"this is a sad, sweet story of the pain and joy of the past, the curse of remembering everything, and the importance of new friendships."―Book Riot

"Beautiful and beguiling, a story that will stay with you long after you finish reading it"―Popsugar

"Val Emmich has created an indelible cast of complex and quirky characters who drew me in for an emotional and humorous ride. THE REMINDERS is a book brimming with heart and soul-you really must read it!"―Garth Stein, bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

"In a story that is both startlingly original and deeply familiar, [Val Emmich] has given literature a remarkable young heroine, Joan, and a series of seemingly small events that add up to the kind of story small classics are made of. I could not stop reading, and was bereft when the story ended."
―Jacquelyn Mitchard, bestselling author The Deep End of the Ocean

"I thoroughly enjoyed The Reminders. It's a wonderful and unusual story told in a beautifully understated way. Quietly magnificent"―Ruth Hogan, author of The Keeper of Lost Things

"An endearing and wise novel. I adored the unlikely friendship between a gifted child who remembers everything and a grieving man who is trying to forget. Emmich brings a compassionate, often comical, and always true eye to his storytelling. Ten-year-old Joan says a good song should either make you want to dance or cry, and The Reminders does both."―Eowyn Ivey, author of The Snow Child

"Emmich captures the voices of Joan and Gavin, two such different characters, brilliantly. Actor and musician Emmich (Vinyl; Ugly Betty; 30 Rock) can confidently add "novelist" to his list of achievements. He has written a quirky, touching, and addictive read."
―Library Journal

"Achingly sweet and unexpectedly nuanced.... profoundly likable pair of leading characters."―Kirkus

"Charming and relatable."―Booklist

"An entertaining and emotionally powerful read."―NJ.com

"This is a book that leaves you feeling better about life and the role we play, either on purpose or inadvertently".―Kirkus Review

"All of the characters grow throughout the book,making Emmich's novel worthyof being remembered―NJ.com

About the Author

Val Emmich is a writer, singer-songwriter, and actor. He has had recurring roles on Vinyl and Ugly Betty as well as a memorable guest role as Liz Lemon's coffee-boy fling, Jamie, on 30 Rock. His debut novel, The Reminders, was a B&N Discover selection that Library Journal called "quirky, touching, and addictive."

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Back Bay Books; Reprint edition (September 25, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316317020
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316317023
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.88 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #448,942 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4,588 in Coming of Age Fiction (Books)
- #6,795 in Family Life Fiction (Books)
- #21,486 in Literary Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.2 603 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Val Emmich

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Dubbed a "Renaissance Man" by the New York Post, Val Emmich is a writer, singer-songwriter, and actor. He has had recurring roles on Vinyl and Ugly Betty as well as a memorable guest role as Liz Lemon's coffee-boy fling, Jamie, on 30 Rock. Emmich lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his wife and their two children. The Reminders is his first novel.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5

603 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Reviews with images

See all photos

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Sheila McClure Workman

A Beautiful, Touching, and Memorable Story

Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2017

Verified Purchase

From the opening pages of The Reminders, little Joan Lennon Sully wraps you around her finger. Her stunning and awe-inspiring memory, precociousness, and seemingly never-ending curiosity draw the reader into her story. When Val Emmich combines Joan Lennon with grief-stricken and embattled Gavin Winters, music is made. Joan Lennon Sully has HSAM, a rare condition which allows her to have a perfect memory. Gavin Winters has just lost the love of his life and is now struggling to find meaning. When Gavin stays with Joan Lennon’s parents to find escape, the two begin a unique and memorable friendship, based in Joan’s memories of Sydney, Gavin’s lost partner, and their shared love of music. With these two characters, Emmich creates a spell-bounding narrative, where the reader feels a part of Gavin and Joan’s friendship. The overarching theme of music lends an especially poetic feel to the book and its message. The dual perspectives of Joan and Gavin allow for extremely detailed character development, making Joan and Gavin leap off the page. With the two, you feel Gavin’s grief and lost sense of purpose while feeling Joan’s ever-increasing confusion and fear of others forgetting. Truly creative and unique, The Reminders is a reminder in itself of the power of friendship and the strength of the human spirit.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Azzurra Rowland

Fun-endearing novel! Check out theinkblotters.com for Author Q & A!

Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2017

Verified Purchase

If the name Val Emmich sounds familiar to you, it’s because you may have recently seen him on HBO’s Mick Jagger’s and Martin Scorsese’s produced TV show Vinyl, about a record executive in the 1970’s. Or you may remember him from other popular TV shows such as Ugly Betty, 30 Rock, and Cashmere Mafia. Or you may have stumbled upon some of his songs whilst watching an episode of Teen Wolf.

More recently, you may find Val Emmich in the bookstore in the form of his debut novel, The Reminders.

The plot is pretty straight forward, it’s told in alternating voices (something that Jennifer Niven loves to do in her novels as well), between Gavin Winters, an actor of a semi-popular TV show that has recently lost the love of his life and Joan Lennon Sully, a precocious ten-year old girl with a fascinating but rare neurological condition that allows her to recall every single detail of her life since the age of four.

Gavin and Joan’s lives meet when Gavin goes to visit his old college friends in New Jersey, as a way to escape a scandal in Los Angeles and in the meantime try to forget his time with his partner Sydney since the memories are too painful for him to move on. Meanwhile, Joan struggles with the notion of being forgotten after her grandmother has difficulty remembering her because of Alzheimer’s disease and yet can still recall all the lyrics of her favourite songs, which prompt her to believe that in order to be remembered she must write an amazing song just like John Lennon (her hero and namesake). Once Joan learns that Gavin used to be a musician, she attempts to persuade her into helping her write a memorable song if she in return shares with him her memories of his late love. Together, they forge a very dynamic and amusing bond.

The novel’s strength is that is has us pondering the importance of memories. Is it a curse to forget or is it an even bigger curse to remember? Ultimately, the reader will come up with their own conclusions on that as the characters each demonstrate the pros and cons of both of those throughout the novel. If you’re a music lover (in particular a Beatles fan) you’re going to love all the tidbits about them strewn throughout the novel. I particularly enjoyed being able to see the world with child-like wonder as Joan and then seeing the world from the eyes of an emotionally broken character such as Gavin. One of the best moments in the novel is when the two of them end up on the Mindy Love Show (that for some reason reminds me very much of The Wendy Williams Show) and how that goes drastically different from how both characters thought it would go, but as a reader it was hilarious although you’re left sort of cringing for the two characters at the same time.

If you’re hoping to get immersed in a music-filled ode to memories and the power they hold, then The Reminders is right up your ally. It’s a fun, light, but also thought-provoking book about love, loss, and what is worth fighting for, that will leave you missing the characters once you’re done.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Amazon Customer

beautiful story.

Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2017

Verified Purchase

The Reminders is a heartfelt, beautiful story ... inventive, insightful, and so true to life. The characters, their relationships and the story are so rich and relatable that you're immersed in the world of the book, eager to learn how things unfold.

And it's all of the little details and observations ... like Joan thinking Sydney's earmuffs were headphones. And Joan's sketches. And how she emulates her dad; and knows band names have to start with The ... they all paint such a vivid world.

The tie to music serves as a clever background and is a neat peek into the world of artists/musicians ... but really it's a stand-in for any shared interest that bond people together. What's amazing is the dynamic between Joan and her father, Joan's parents themselves as they come into "adulthood" making hard family choices, Gavin and his relationship with this unique young woman ...

And add in the interesting "gift" Joan has, (which is a truly fascinating REAL THING in human life) ... and the story just gets more textured and layered and wonderful. To have captured and expressed the mind of a young girl, let alone someone with the gift Joan has is a real feat, and a pleasure to read.

Think along the lines of Little Miss Sunshine ... an endearing, heartwarming tale that will make you laugh out loud at times, and tear up at others, but mostly with a knowing smile on your face in understanding the ups and downs of life and the perseverance of the human spirit.

A great read!

20 people found this helpful

Helpful

Kindle Customer

Nice, easy summer beach read with characters who have some unusual problems

Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2017

Verified Purchase

You live in the heads of a young girl with astounding memory capabilities and a man who's lost the love of his life. They ping pong back and forth to tell the story. It's kind of a fun writers trick, but starts to wear a bit thin by mid-way through.

This is not a page-turner, more of a lazy summer beach read. At least the characters have some more interesting problems then the average book these days. And it's not quite a formulaic as many. But for some reason, I didn't find either character easy to connect with. I wanted to like them and cheer them on, but I never really caught on to their points of view.

The reveal is a little maudlin as well. You already knew where it was headed as the author leaves rather too large bread crumbs for you to follow.

Fairly well written...it's worth a look.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Youdontownme

Wonderful book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 7, 2017

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

This is a wonderful book with vivid, engaging characters and a great story centring around the unlikely friendship between a girl who has a photographic memory and difficulty relating to other people, and a gay actor who is struggling to come to terms with the death of his partner. The writing is beautiful and the characters stay with you.

When I'd finished I passed it on to my 13 year old daughter and she also loved it.

Inés Hagenbucher

Schönes Buch

Reviewed in Germany on September 27, 2017

Verified Purchase

Liest sich nach den ersten Seiten zu beurteilen schon sehr gut. Ich freu mich drauf, es im Urlaub zu lesen

Translate review to English

Northern AB Sunshine

Very good read

Reviewed in Canada on November 23, 2017

Verified Purchase

Good read. Not predictable, which, when reading as many books as I do, is a complete delight. Very enjoyable book.

Mrs. K. A. Wheatley

A Really Charming Read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 15, 2017

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

What a charming book. I loved this so much. Gentle, thoughtful, generous and lovely. It's a clever take on the power of memory and also forgetting, when it comes to the people we've loved and lost. The narrative switches between two first person narrators, Joan, a ten year old girl who has an eidetic memory of her whole life from when she was five, and middle aged, Gavin, a well known actor who is in the public spotlight for his very public breakdown after the loss of his partner, Syd. Joan and Gavin's lives interconnect in the most marvellous way.

Zipster Zeus

Likeable and affecting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 23, 2017

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

An accomplished first novel that is likeable and affecting. Good characters that develop nicely that you find yourself empathising with, particularly Joan, the central character who has perfect recall of her memories- all of them, good and bad. It's a relatively gentle but intriguing tale- a good UK comparison is probably Mark Haddon- if you like his stuff, then you will this. Well worth a look.

See more reviews

Return this item for free

Follow the author

Image Unavailable

The Reminders Paperback – September 25, 2018

Purchase options and add-ons

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Videos

About the author

Val Emmich

Customer reviews

Reviews with images

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries