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thebookishpersuasion's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
books_and_mags's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
kayreadsandnaps's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
CW: murder, violence
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC!
The Memory Collectors by Kim Neville is a book about betrayal, trauma, and healing. As an HSP (highly sensitive person) the premise of this book resonated with me so much. Our main characters, Ev and Harriet, can both sense the feelings and emotions left on everyday items from previous owners. Guilt, shame, happiness, lust, anger, love, you name it and they’ve felt it. Each character has used their gift in very different ways – Ev collects “stained” items to sell where Harriet finds “bright” items to collect – even in the way they name the objects shows how they feel towards them. Ev, due to childhood trauma, sees these items as dangerous where Harriet feels that they have life and should be preserved.
When their paths cross, tensions run high as neither can understand the other and the way they view the gifts they have and how each uses them. But together they grow, not quite what i’d call a friendship, but a fondness and understanding of one another as they come together to create a museum of objects curated to bring people joy.
While the book has notes of magical realism, it isn’t what (for me) drove the story. I was invested in both of these characters pasts and the paths they took to heal, and how these very different people could help one another along in the process. Neville’s writing was beautiful and well paced creating a well crafted novel.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC!
The Memory Collectors by Kim Neville is a book about betrayal, trauma, and healing. As an HSP (highly sensitive person) the premise of this book resonated with me so much. Our main characters, Ev and Harriet, can both sense the feelings and emotions left on everyday items from previous owners. Guilt, shame, happiness, lust, anger, love, you name it and they’ve felt it. Each character has used their gift in very different ways – Ev collects “stained” items to sell where Harriet finds “bright” items to collect – even in the way they name the objects shows how they feel towards them. Ev, due to childhood trauma, sees these items as dangerous where Harriet feels that they have life and should be preserved.
When their paths cross, tensions run high as neither can understand the other and the way they view the gifts they have and how each uses them. But together they grow, not quite what i’d call a friendship, but a fondness and understanding of one another as they come together to create a museum of objects curated to bring people joy.
While the book has notes of magical realism, it isn’t what (for me) drove the story. I was invested in both of these characters pasts and the paths they took to heal, and how these very different people could help one another along in the process. Neville’s writing was beautiful and well paced creating a well crafted novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
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