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mgreco5's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to like this book. The reveals were done well but 3/4 into the book, I realized not much progress had been made between the two main characters. I felt there was too much time spent on some minor details and not enough on the overarching story. Too many loose ends for my taste but a really interesting premise.
tboofy's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I would've liked it to be lighter on the swearing and F words, but the overall premise was interesting. It was different from most "amnesia" books. I enjoyed watching the main characters get to know each other again (even though they were previously engaged).
meganonpaper's review against another edition
5.0
I received this book as part of a giveaway for the September 2014 Author/Reader discussion in The Next Best Book Club.
I'm not even sure where to begin. This book sucked me in and wouldn't let me go. I loved the way Jennie Shortridge created the story and had it unfold. As the characters discovered answers and faced new problems, we discovered those facts with them. It was a bit of an emotional roller coaster - in a good way - and I laughed and cried along. Now that I am done, I am content and hopeful, which I suppose is exactly how I would feel if that were me in this situation. I really loved this book and look forward to reading more from Jennie Shortridge.
I'm not even sure where to begin. This book sucked me in and wouldn't let me go. I loved the way Jennie Shortridge created the story and had it unfold. As the characters discovered answers and faced new problems, we discovered those facts with them. It was a bit of an emotional roller coaster - in a good way - and I laughed and cried along. Now that I am done, I am content and hopeful, which I suppose is exactly how I would feel if that were me in this situation. I really loved this book and look forward to reading more from Jennie Shortridge.
thrifty_librarian's review against another edition
2.0
A passable story about a woman who blacks out for six days and "reawakens" a new person. The novel tells the woman's quest to figure out who she was, who she is, and whether she belongs with the spineless stud bucket who picked her up at the psych ward.
The amnesia story is a cover for a gushy "Who am I really?" "I have a deep secret that makes me unlovable." "Why so serious?" narrative. The amnesiac's inner dialogue is so repetitive as to be pointless, and I still haven't figured out why her fiance liked her before the accident, when she was a cold, career-oriented robot.
The resolution to the mystery was even more far-fetched than it was satisfying.
Wait, where am I? What was the second star in my rating for? Have I always been someone who writes slightly catty reviews of perfectly decent novels?...
The amnesia story is a cover for a gushy "Who am I really?" "I have a deep secret that makes me unlovable." "Why so serious?" narrative. The amnesiac's inner dialogue is so repetitive as to be pointless, and I still haven't figured out why her fiance liked her before the accident, when she was a cold, career-oriented robot.
The resolution to the mystery was even more far-fetched than it was satisfying.
Wait, where am I? What was the second star in my rating for? Have I always been someone who writes slightly catty reviews of perfectly decent novels?...
sdemler14's review against another edition
4.0
I loved how this book had the viewpoint of the person who lost their memory and someone really close to the person who lost their memory.
suzreads95's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
eviebookish's review against another edition
5.0
What if one day you forgot who you were? What would happen, if one day your brain decided to erase all your memories, habits, personality.. everything that makes you you? What would you learn about yourself from bits and pieces of information offered by people in your life? What would you discover about yourself by looking at what you've accomplished so far? The things you've collected and cherished, but can no longer understand why or what for? Would you be happy with who you were? Who you used to be? Or would you try and start over, choose a different path and make some big changes in your life?
Would you fall in love with the same person again? And would they know how to love the new you?
Lucie Walker, a 39-year old recruiter for tech companies, is forced to start all over when she comes to miles away from home, knee-deep in cold waters of San Francisco Bay. She doesn't know how she got there or even who she is. She's been missing for 8 days. Her mind is blank, memories wiped out. Doctors call it dissociative fugue, a condition that causes people to temporarily lose their sense of identity and impulsively wander or travel away from their homes. But what happened to Lucie that was so traumatizing to result in a mental break down? And will she ever recover from it, or is her past - her entire life filled with memories - lost for good?
Jennie Shortridge wrote a beautiful, meaningful and very powerful story that I won't be able to forget easily (if ever!). Through her thought-provoking and emotionally affecting prose, she examines themes such as memory, identity, the role of family and how it shapes who we are, the loss of a parent and how it affects our lives, and - ultimately - the cause and aftermath of mental illness. Lucie's story was completely absorbing and riveting. It tugged at my heart strings and made me reflect on my own life, identity and the relationships I've built over the years. It made me take a step back and try to see myself through other people's eyes, and that was a priceless and eye-opening experience.
Love, Water, Memory is filled with symbolism (water, music) and flavorful, carefully shaped and realistically flawed characters. Told from the perspectives of three people whose lives intertwine with one another, it's a novel that resonates deeply and leaves a permanent footprint in your heart. I savored each page of this book and couldn't put it down. This book is fantastically readable and absorbing. Shortridge's writing style is delectably honest, her words flow effortlessly and capture the full spectrum of the characters' emotions. It's simple, yet very evocative and reflective. A perfect read for anyone who enjoys a compelling and meaningful story they can relate to - whether they were ever faced with a similar situation or not.
Lucy is a fascinating character - one that changes a lot throughout the story. She's a prisoner of her own traumatic past and I found it extremely interesting that, in order to regain balance in her life and finally start living, she had to first lose herself completely. After she's brought back home by her fiance, Grady, she's trying desperately to put the pieces of her life back together, but she soon discovers that she doesn't really like the emerging picture. She learns things that unsettle her and make her question what kind of person she was before. Her need to fill the void in her life by purchasing things - expensive things, that usually weren't even taken out of their boxes when they arrived. Her obsession with fashion and the need to control every single part of her and her fiance's life together. Her determination to keep everyone at arm's length. And, ultimately, the things she learns about her past, things she worked so hard to keep buried and forgotten...
Love, Water, Memory is a book that grabs you with its incredibly captivating prose, disquieting energy, gut-wrenching reveals, and unforgettable cast of characters. I can't tell you how much I loved it, but then again, you should definitely read it and experience it for yourself.
Would you fall in love with the same person again? And would they know how to love the new you?
Lucie Walker, a 39-year old recruiter for tech companies, is forced to start all over when she comes to miles away from home, knee-deep in cold waters of San Francisco Bay. She doesn't know how she got there or even who she is. She's been missing for 8 days. Her mind is blank, memories wiped out. Doctors call it dissociative fugue, a condition that causes people to temporarily lose their sense of identity and impulsively wander or travel away from their homes. But what happened to Lucie that was so traumatizing to result in a mental break down? And will she ever recover from it, or is her past - her entire life filled with memories - lost for good?
Jennie Shortridge wrote a beautiful, meaningful and very powerful story that I won't be able to forget easily (if ever!). Through her thought-provoking and emotionally affecting prose, she examines themes such as memory, identity, the role of family and how it shapes who we are, the loss of a parent and how it affects our lives, and - ultimately - the cause and aftermath of mental illness. Lucie's story was completely absorbing and riveting. It tugged at my heart strings and made me reflect on my own life, identity and the relationships I've built over the years. It made me take a step back and try to see myself through other people's eyes, and that was a priceless and eye-opening experience.
Love, Water, Memory is filled with symbolism (water, music) and flavorful, carefully shaped and realistically flawed characters. Told from the perspectives of three people whose lives intertwine with one another, it's a novel that resonates deeply and leaves a permanent footprint in your heart. I savored each page of this book and couldn't put it down. This book is fantastically readable and absorbing. Shortridge's writing style is delectably honest, her words flow effortlessly and capture the full spectrum of the characters' emotions. It's simple, yet very evocative and reflective. A perfect read for anyone who enjoys a compelling and meaningful story they can relate to - whether they were ever faced with a similar situation or not.
Lucy is a fascinating character - one that changes a lot throughout the story. She's a prisoner of her own traumatic past and I found it extremely interesting that, in order to regain balance in her life and finally start living, she had to first lose herself completely. After she's brought back home by her fiance, Grady, she's trying desperately to put the pieces of her life back together, but she soon discovers that she doesn't really like the emerging picture. She learns things that unsettle her and make her question what kind of person she was before. Her need to fill the void in her life by purchasing things - expensive things, that usually weren't even taken out of their boxes when they arrived. Her obsession with fashion and the need to control every single part of her and her fiance's life together. Her determination to keep everyone at arm's length. And, ultimately, the things she learns about her past, things she worked so hard to keep buried and forgotten...
Love, Water, Memory is a book that grabs you with its incredibly captivating prose, disquieting energy, gut-wrenching reveals, and unforgettable cast of characters. I can't tell you how much I loved it, but then again, you should definitely read it and experience it for yourself.
sarah11's review against another edition
2.0
It started out with a lot of promise, but then it flopped.
aflv_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Love Water Memory is certainly a very interesting read. The writing is almost compelling, the story is intriguing and the characters are sweetly complicated.
Jennie’s writing can only be characterized as unique. She is truly magnificent. She’s very skilled and talented and her novel proves it. It shows that this novel comes from an experienced writer, who knows what she’s doing. The whole book has an aura of purpose. The story has a beautiful flow and grace and the reader feels like she’s flying right along with the characters and the story. It just feels so calm and confident. Everything about the story and Lucie is utterly intense, but Jennie presents it all with such grace….
It’s one of those classic novels that you just have to read in order to feel you’ve read something good, something great that exudes quality.
In my opinion, the writing was the best part of the book. I didn’t love-love the story or the characters for some reason. I liked it a lot, but I wouldn’t say it’s one of my favorites either. But the writing is indeed spectacular. It’s so outstanding that it makes you want to read it again, just to make sure you didn’t miss anything.
Jennie’s writing can only be characterized as unique. She is truly magnificent. She’s very skilled and talented and her novel proves it. It shows that this novel comes from an experienced writer, who knows what she’s doing. The whole book has an aura of purpose. The story has a beautiful flow and grace and the reader feels like she’s flying right along with the characters and the story. It just feels so calm and confident. Everything about the story and Lucie is utterly intense, but Jennie presents it all with such grace….
It’s one of those classic novels that you just have to read in order to feel you’ve read something good, something great that exudes quality.
In my opinion, the writing was the best part of the book. I didn’t love-love the story or the characters for some reason. I liked it a lot, but I wouldn’t say it’s one of my favorites either. But the writing is indeed spectacular. It’s so outstanding that it makes you want to read it again, just to make sure you didn’t miss anything.
kslhersam's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this. I would go to take a nap and end up just reading. There were too many f-words, but I really liked the characters and how the story unraveled.