Reviews

Mem by Bethany C. Morrow

booksandladders's review against another edition

4.0

See this review and more on Books and Ladders!

I really enjoyed this one and thought there was so much good conversation about "true" selves and what constitutes "yourself." I loved the alternative history aspect to this, but found it was really hard to be anchored in the year/time because it was never quite clear if it was the past, present, or some variation of the future. It also took me a bit to get into this one, but once I did, I couldn't stop reading! I got hooked on the characters, their development, and even their relationships. If you like the idea of holding onto memories, losing memories, and being a Person, this is definitely the book for you.

saracosk2's review against another edition

3.0

2.5??
science fiction really isn't my thing and i can't fault this book for that.

greenikat89's review against another edition

3.0

Loved this different take on 1920s scifi that's more of a speculative fiction. Easy and quick read but I will be following this new author.

yellowchevron's review against another edition

hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

erin_is_reading's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

hurlyburlywitch's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Enjoyable, but meandering. It didn't drive forward in the way I anticipated, seemingly unsure if it were a dystopian  alt-history, ponderous lit-fic, or a historical romance. 

bookheart_dreams's review against another edition

4.0

4.50

Following my last thought for this book, when I finished. If you didn't read this please do it, it is a wonderful, sad, thoughtful book.
It is not long but really worth it!






My last thought: Oh thank God, it ended with a warm feeling and happy... It did not crush my heart.

maia_eve's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

monarcadelibros's review against another edition

2.0

I really wanted to like this book but it really fell flat. It felt sci-fi/romance at the start but just felt more like drama and romance by the end. I wanted more conflict with a better resolution and just didn't feel enough of that.

readingwithhippos's review against another edition

5.0

This book is a real achievement, and I’m glad I read it on vacation so that I could slow down and appreciate it. The premise is a stunner and Morrow makes the most of it—there’s such richness and complexity here. In an alternate 1920s era Montreal, Dolores Extract #1 is a Mem—a memory removed from a person and stored in the Vault. Most Mems aren’t sentient and can’t form new memories of their own; they’re husks doomed to relive the memory they hold in perpetuity until they expire. Dolores—or as she has renamed herself, Elsie—is different. She remembers her Source’s life before she was extracted, and she can make new memories of her own. Because of this difference, she is allowed to live outside the Vault and pursue something of a life for herself, until the day she is summoned back to the Vault. This is so creative, so beautifully written, if you’re a fan of thoughtful sci-fi you really should check it out. And as if it wasn’t already fabulous enough, it’s also a devastatingly good love story. Masterfully done.