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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
I did not like this nearly as well as the First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. I found the story confusing at times, and dragging oh-so-slowly at others, and the ending just did not do it for me.
Perfect blend of surrealism & sensibility, a near-future sci fi that explores the implications of privacy and memory in an increasingly technological world.
I really loved the premise of the story, but the execution was....just ok.
Woo for an ARC copy. I got a copy of this at BookCon in Chicago; this review is unsolicited. Thought I think there is a chance that this is no longer an ARC copy as it looks like it came out May 20, 2016.
Regardless, I read the First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, the earlier book by this author and loved it so I was thrilled when I got a copy of this.
The main character, Hope Arden, can't be remembered. The concept of that alone was enough to hook me, but the plot revolves around an app called Perfection that functionally trains people to become the kind of 'Perfect' that you see in tabloids. This app starts to become a phenomenon and Hope, who thieves with her ability to not be remembered has an encounter while she's on a job.
This book was stunning in how deep it felt. There was a lot of debating about what makes a person a person, and it was interesting to see how people's mind could change over time as evidenced by their conversations with Hope and how they change. They might not remember her, but they often talk about similar issues even if it's with a different tone.
This book did leave a couple of loose ends, which I think was entirely intentional. The book itself has an open-end, for a character who can't be remembered, and therefore can't have relationships it seemed strangely fitting.
Regardless I feel like this is going to be a book I continue to think about and there's a chance that might bump it up to a 5 star.
Regardless, I read the First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, the earlier book by this author and loved it so I was thrilled when I got a copy of this.
The main character, Hope Arden, can't be remembered. The concept of that alone was enough to hook me, but the plot revolves around an app called Perfection that functionally trains people to become the kind of 'Perfect' that you see in tabloids. This app starts to become a phenomenon and Hope, who thieves with her ability to not be remembered has an encounter while she's on a job.
This book was stunning in how deep it felt. There was a lot of debating about what makes a person a person, and it was interesting to see how people's mind could change over time as evidenced by their conversations with Hope and how they change. They might not remember her, but they often talk about similar issues even if it's with a different tone.
This book did leave a couple of loose ends, which I think was entirely intentional. The book itself has an open-end, for a character who can't be remembered, and therefore can't have relationships it seemed strangely fitting.
Regardless I feel like this is going to be a book I continue to think about and there's a chance that might bump it up to a 5 star.
Hope Arden - a woman people forget quickly. In my case, I feel the same fate will apply to this book.
A crashing disappointment after reading Harry August.
A crashing disappointment after reading Harry August.
Dead via lack of momentum.
Another one where I just... didn't finish it. I left the main character about to die in a fire, and a week later I didn't feel any compelling desire to go back to it.
The premise was interesting: a young woman who no one ever remembers, who's taken up a life of crime to support herself/stay interested in the world. But like much LitFic with an SF/F twist, there wasn't much to support the whys, and the story itself (her attempt to steal jewels from the Saudi royal family, with a background plot about an evil self-improvement app) clearly wasn't riveting.
I'm not sure why I have trouble with non-genre fiction that doesn't explain the genre elements. Why no one remembers the MC or another character she meets is not explained, didn't look like it ever would be explained, and she doesn't ever seem to wonder about it or even think it's that remarkable. If this were an SF book, they'd have waved their hands and said "genetics!" and I'd have walked away happy, ditto with fantasy and magic. But here I was just going BUT WHY!?
I also found the writing style jarring and a little pretentious.
Another one where I just... didn't finish it. I left the main character about to die in a fire, and a week later I didn't feel any compelling desire to go back to it.
The premise was interesting: a young woman who no one ever remembers, who's taken up a life of crime to support herself/stay interested in the world. But like much LitFic with an SF/F twist, there wasn't much to support the whys, and the story itself (her attempt to steal jewels from the Saudi royal family, with a background plot about an evil self-improvement app) clearly wasn't riveting.
I'm not sure why I have trouble with non-genre fiction that doesn't explain the genre elements. Why no one remembers the MC or another character she meets is not explained, didn't look like it ever would be explained, and she doesn't ever seem to wonder about it or even think it's that remarkable. If this were an SF book, they'd have waved their hands and said "genetics!" and I'd have walked away happy, ditto with fantasy and magic. But here I was just going BUT WHY!?
I also found the writing style jarring and a little pretentious.
I didn't like this as much as I did the first 15 lives, but it's a fun concept
This was such a different book. It's about identity, the loss of identity, seeking perfection, conspiracies, jewel theft, murder, man hunts, interpol, love, betrayal. The basic premise is a woman named Hope who is completely forgotten when out of site. How does she live with that? Fun ride.