MIXED UP by Gordon Korman

 

Here's another Gordon Korman hit! Over 100 books make him a great go-to when looking for middle grade and YA novels. MIXED UP didn't disappoint.

Reef and Theo live on opposite sides of town and go to different middle schools. They have never met, but when their memories suddenly begin to switch places, discovering what's going on is a must.

Since Reef's mother died of COVID he has been living with his mother's best friend. It's nice that they took him in, but the living arrangement doesn't always make Reef feel welcome. For example, he shares a room with Declan who is a bully who isn't happy about this new member of the household. When Reef begins experiencing strange memories that can't possibly be his, he feels even more left out of this family than before.

Theo lives with his demanding father, busy mother, and sporty sister. His main interest is gardening which doesn't exactly thrill his competitive father. When he starts having flashes of memories that he can't identify, he's sure his family won't understand. 

When Reef sees a middle school that matches the one in one of his new memories, he begins to investigate. His research leads him to the other side of town and eventually to Theo. These two strangers want to find out why their memories are switching places. Reef is especially concerned because when a memory of his dead mother appears in Theo's mind, that means Reef has lost that memory. What if he loses all his memories of his mother?

MIXED UP is one of those books that will make readers wonder how the author came up with such an idea. It won't take long for readers to be hooked by the impossibility as they connect with Reef and Theo and root for them to find some answers.