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eleanora0901's review against another edition
4.0
3.8
"Why is memory this way? Why isn't it content to hurt you once ? Why must it remind you of all the times you've been hurt before ?"
"Why is memory this way? Why isn't it content to hurt you once ? Why must it remind you of all the times you've been hurt before ?"
kappafrog's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
4.0
This was awesome concept sci fi. I loved Elsie and all the exploration of her unique perspective. The only downside was the love interest's lack of appeal. Otherwise this was a fantastic sci fi tale.
carrienation76's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so damn good - I'm 2 minutes from screaming into a goddam pillow. Ahhh!
Set in the 1920's, this speculative fiction is focused on Elsie, a perpetually 19 year old "woman" who first manifested in 1906. In this book, people can have memories extracted (at great expense) and those memories take on a physical form similar to the original person. However, these "mems" are stunted, forever relieving the emotions and actions of the memory from which they came. Elsie is an inexplicably rare mem with self-awareness and memories of her own. Whaaaa?!
The underlying questions in the book: How do our memories contribute to who we are and who we become? How does trauma impact our development? What are the repercussions of memory?
At about 180 pages, it's a fast read and so bitterly perfect.
Set in the 1920's, this speculative fiction is focused on Elsie, a perpetually 19 year old "woman" who first manifested in 1906. In this book, people can have memories extracted (at great expense) and those memories take on a physical form similar to the original person. However, these "mems" are stunted, forever relieving the emotions and actions of the memory from which they came. Elsie is an inexplicably rare mem with self-awareness and memories of her own. Whaaaa?!
The underlying questions in the book: How do our memories contribute to who we are and who we become? How does trauma impact our development? What are the repercussions of memory?
At about 180 pages, it's a fast read and so bitterly perfect.
simonamiller's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
rayn0n's review against another edition
5.0
I read this in two sittings and I am absolutely obSESSED. The layers of turn of the century culture, the politics and social pressures, the speculative science, and all from the lovingly crafted point of view of a Memory who's trying to sort out her place in the world in a very personal way. In *love*. I was terrified about what the ending might hold since a lot of speculative fiction leans towards the ugliest conclusion, and I won't spoil it but I had a healthy ugly cry at the end of it. Highly recommend. I need to hunt this book down and add it to my library since I checked it out from the local library on a whim (so glad I did).
bookcrone's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
readingunderadesk's review against another edition
5.0
Synopsis:
Dolores Extract #1 is a MEM: a memory extracted from the original Dolores, a point in time taken out and kept aside, locked inside themselves looking human but degrading over time with no actual consciousness or no free will.
Dolores Extract #1, or Elsie, was the first MEM extracted to have her own thoughts and wishes and the first to create her own memories outside of the Dolores that came before her, and in that very unique existence becomes a set dressing to a behind the scenes legal argument of what should be done with her? With MEMs? With those who have extracted so many of their memories, both good and bad, that they have become a disconnected sort of person?
Thoughts:
I picked this for a POPSUGAR prompt (palindrome title) and was enchanted by this little novella! I’m already big on robots with feelings, and while MEMs seem to be flesh and blood, Elsie’s self-musing on the differences between herself and Dorothy and the other MEMs was a gentle philosophy that was appealing. Additionally, I appreciated the author’s note in that although historically (MEM is set in the early 1900s) Elsie and Dolores would have experienced racism, that she chose not to make that part of her story.
Dolores Extract #1 is a MEM: a memory extracted from the original Dolores, a point in time taken out and kept aside, locked inside themselves looking human but degrading over time with no actual consciousness or no free will.
Dolores Extract #1, or Elsie, was the first MEM extracted to have her own thoughts and wishes and the first to create her own memories outside of the Dolores that came before her, and in that very unique existence becomes a set dressing to a behind the scenes legal argument of what should be done with her? With MEMs? With those who have extracted so many of their memories, both good and bad, that they have become a disconnected sort of person?
Thoughts:
I picked this for a POPSUGAR prompt (palindrome title) and was enchanted by this little novella! I’m already big on robots with feelings, and while MEMs seem to be flesh and blood, Elsie’s self-musing on the differences between herself and Dorothy and the other MEMs was a gentle philosophy that was appealing. Additionally, I appreciated the author’s note in that although historically (MEM is set in the early 1900s) Elsie and Dolores would have experienced racism, that she chose not to make that part of her story.
deliacaroline's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sonjbean's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked this book but I found it hard to suspend my belief in some parts. I wish it had gone more into the science ... like, why is it necessary for these memories to be put into a body? If they've worked out how to extract them, why not just erase them?