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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I think I am going to think about the ending of this book for the rest of my life, I'm not exaggerating. I have never read something that made me feel so hollow and hurt! I knew I loved Ogawa's writing when I read The Housekeeper and the Professor, but this was an incredibly different genre, and I was so blown away by this one. The progression of this story is so subtle and yet terrifyingly quick that I almost felt like panicking when I saw where it was going! I think all scifi lovers would eat this up, and those who want a speculative-ish impactful read, this is for you!
It didn’t speak to me idk. Read it in one sitting and there was some beautiful imagery but left me feeling empty and unfulfilled
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Really great concept and writing. It makes you think about everything.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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:
Complicated
Harrowing. Yoko has a way to put it on the reader to do the work of materializing the thoughts and feelings that are often left lingering in the air between the words on the page and their own soul. It's charged in all the ways that leave reverberate through your heart.
I was left feeling like it was a bit unpolished; as if Yoko had grand ambitions for everything she wanted to touch on in this work, and tried her best to fit them how she may (and for the most part she does a wonderful job of it). Perhaps in another reread I would come to feel more sure of the progression, connection, and meaning of all its parts.
I was left feeling like it was a bit unpolished; as if Yoko had grand ambitions for everything she wanted to touch on in this work, and tried her best to fit them how she may (and for the most part she does a wonderful job of it). Perhaps in another reread I would come to feel more sure of the progression, connection, and meaning of all its parts.
I really wanted to love The Memory Police. After seeing it pop up on countless lists and blogs, and being praised by readers I respect, I had high hopes. Unfortunately, much like the vanishing objects in the story, my enthusiasm for this book disappeared as I read.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why it didn’t click for me. Maybe it was the fact that I’d just finished another dystopian novel, or maybe it was something more elusive, but I found it nearly impossible to connect with the characters. Awful, heartbreaking things are happening to them, yet I couldn’t summon any real concern.
That said, I can appreciate Ogawa’s meditative, almost dreamlike writing style. The book’s lack of a traditional plot gave it an ethereal, meandering quality, which might work well for some readers. For me, though, it felt like the premise, so perfect for a short story, had been stretched thin to fill a full-length novel.
If this had been a shorter slice of dystopian life, I think it would have been brilliant. Instead, it feels like a concept that lost its power by being overextended. It’s a quiet, reflective story, but one that ultimately left me indifferent.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why it didn’t click for me. Maybe it was the fact that I’d just finished another dystopian novel, or maybe it was something more elusive, but I found it nearly impossible to connect with the characters. Awful, heartbreaking things are happening to them, yet I couldn’t summon any real concern.
That said, I can appreciate Ogawa’s meditative, almost dreamlike writing style. The book’s lack of a traditional plot gave it an ethereal, meandering quality, which might work well for some readers. For me, though, it felt like the premise, so perfect for a short story, had been stretched thin to fill a full-length novel.
If this had been a shorter slice of dystopian life, I think it would have been brilliant. Instead, it feels like a concept that lost its power by being overextended. It’s a quiet, reflective story, but one that ultimately left me indifferent.