The Impossible Knife of Memory begins with an uncompromising introduction by the narrator, Hayley. In her typical cynical and witty style that continues throughout the book, she informs us that there are only two people in the world: 'zombies' and 'freaks'. Hayley isn't the easiest character to warm to, nor is she the most original – she's basically your 'usual' rebellious, authority-hating teenager – but I grew to like her enough for the novel to be held together.
It's only a little way into the book that we realise that Hayley's family is pretty messed up: her mother is dead, and she is haunted by memories of a woman named Trish. The suspense built up in these memories fell flat once I discovered Trish's identity, but that might have been because I was expecting something a bit more, well… explosive. In fact, the real demon, the knife as referred to in the title, is Hayley's father's PTSD. He's been falling in a downward spiral since his return to Iraq: always on the road, never quite pulling away from the drugs or the drink or the violence. I can't say whether Laurie Halse Anderson gives an accurate representation of his condition, but I would have liked to see a little more of it throughout the book.
To be honest, the book was mostly dominated by the romance between Finn and Hayley. It was one that I liked, thankfully – they fell in love a little too fast and a little too cleanly, but the book didn't pretend it was perfect. There was no mention of true love, or soulmates; they were just teenagers in a relationship, unlike many other YA books I've read. There were some truly wonderful moments and pieces of prose to be found within their relationship. Although I initially disliked the apparently perfect Finn, I did come around to him; much like with Hayley, it wasn't exactly love at first sight, but he worked enough for me to enjoy the novel.
Hayley's friend, Gracie, also had a beautifully realistic relationship, though that was probably the most memorable thing about her. She didn't speak out to me at all – in my opinion there's as much potential inside characters as protagonists (think Zuze from Daughter of Smoke and Bone) and frankly, Gracie was rather boring. I wouldn't have thought that Hayley would put up with her, especially with the text language that nobody actually uses anyway. (The effort to include technology was nice, though.)
The Impossible Knife of Memory didn't quite live up to a book I previously read by the author, Wintergirls, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Its continually rolling plot meant that I was gripped throughout, and the whole book was lifted up by slick prose. It's an excellent addition to the contemporary genre that I'm sure will be read and loved by many people.
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.
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