Reviews with content warning for Death - The Memory Police

A hauntingly written novel with a terrifying ending, The Memory Police is not a traditional book with an obvious story arc. More of an allegory than a story, the novel opens a window to a handful of years of the life of a young woman who lives on an island where random things are “disappearing,” meaning the island citizens are forced to forget and compelled to dispose of the items which “disappear.”

Though the prose is quite simple, the author’s mysterious emphasis on what seem to be carefully chosen elements left me slightly puzzled. I found the characters’ tendency toward inaction frustrating, the lack of explanations boring, and I finished the novel acutely unsatisfied. I had the immediate impulse to slap a one-star rating and annoyed review on what seemed to me to be an over-hyped book. Yes, it’s different from most novels. But different doesn’t necessarily mean good.

However, after sitting with this story for half an hour or so, while reading reviews from other readers, I’ve made peace with The Memory Police. I was struck by just how widely varied the interpretations and explanations I read were. For some, the allegory was clearly political. For others, metaphysical. Others derived a distinctly religious overtone from the book. But my first impression led me to assign a psychological theme to the book’s message.

It struck me then that The Memory Police as a novel is like an enchanted mirror that shows the reader their deepest fear. The story had to be terrifying to unearth this fear. The plot had to be simple to adapt itself to every reader’s unique psyche. The explanations for events had to be sparse so the reader could fill in the gaps.

I didn’t enjoy this book, but I do recommend it.

Content Warnings

miaaa_lenaaa's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? No

4.0

D: if i read this before i went to bed i think i would have gently cried myself to sleep

‘No matter how careful we are, we all leave behind little bits of ourselves as we go about our lives.’

‘Nothing remained on the hillside except things that were quietly awaiting their ruin.’

‘"But how can you hold something that has disappeared?"’

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amsswim's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

I really liked this one, almost 5 stars from me. The world is very interesting, and it leaves me wanting more to understand how it all works. That is not the point though; the author leans into the human reaction to the circumstances and it is devastating. Would recommend to dystopian fans and emotional people looking to get into their feelings.

Content Warnings

prickly_plant's review

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emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.75

A very melancholy read that explores the meaning of memory and grief. I wanted to add that this book contains content that might be difficult to read if you struggle with dissociation.

The writing style and the characters kept me reading (as well as the main character’s novel).

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mariavdl's review

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challenging mysterious sad

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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siob___'s review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

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vcriveros's review

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Really interesting concept, and quite well executed. The tension on the book is at some points almost unbearable; but I think it is mostly because of the expectations of the genre made me wait for things to go wrong at every turn. Great characters, and the narrative-within-the narrative was really clever. The ending was intriguing and left me thinking about all the implications of this universe

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