Reviews

Forest of Memory by Mary Robinette Kowal

merricatct's review against another edition

3.0

An interesting little novella that touches on the interplay of technology and memory - if you're connected 24/7 and can review anything you've seen or said at the touch of a button, do you really have to remember anything? What happens when you're disconnected after a lifetime of never being alone? I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars for this one - I want to give it 4 for the premise and the questions it raises, but at the same time, that's like praising a chef for assembling gourmet ingredients in the kitchen before they've actually cooked anything. I really wish this was an actual novel - 85 pages is not long enough to develop the character or premise. And as proof of this, everyone seems to discuss the questions about memory, recollection, authenticity, etc., raised by this book; but the ACTUAL conflict

Spoiler

(some kind of eco/tech terrorism? Some shadowy AI or corporation that's infecting deer herds with some kind of spreadable/communicable internet-blocking "virus"? WTF?!) gets almost no mention. And it's because there's just no time for it in this book! This really needed to be longer.

But if you've got 45 minutes, I recommend reading this. It's certainly worth the minimal time investment.

If this author ever expands this into a novel, I'm on board!

2016 reading challenge: a book under 100 pages long

tyrshand's review against another edition

4.0

All my stars are for mood and voice. There was a clever aspect to the ending, but overall things were too vague to satisfy me.

lesbianwolves's review

mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

chimesmage's review against another edition

4.0

really clever and fun!

laurareads87's review

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.0

I picked up this short novella on a whim based on really enjoying Mary Robinette Kowal's Lady Astronaut of Mars series. I liked a lot about it -- immediate immersion in a compelling futuristic world, an interesting protagonist, and a thought-provoking set of themes related to memory, authenticity, and the ability to trust one's own knowledge of one's experiences. Minus one for deliberate typos/misspellings throughout.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence and Confinement

thetalesofabookishmom's review against another edition

3.0

Weird, slightly confusing little story. I feel like it was the middle of a book and not a full story.

atex6371's review

mysterious medium-paced

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

2.0

jselliot's review

mysterious reflective medium-paced

3.5

A story that debates authenticity and the fallible nature of memory. Kayta's response to being cut off from digital argumentation isn't unexpected, with how thoroughly intertwined with her life it is. The typos included are a nice touch, though I felt the story could have been a bit more fleshed out.

ephrael's review against another edition

3.0

This was such a nice lil story, it left me wishing there was a whole series written around it. Pairing sci-fi elements with nature always has such cosy feelings for me and i loved the way it has been done here.

natlight's review against another edition

mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0