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melissatrew's review
5.0
"I absolutely believe that objects have power. Especially the objects that are the most important to us."
The Memory Collectors is a captivating, utterly magical tale about the deeply-held emotions and memories that we attach to our possessions over the course of a lifetime. In the book, Evelyn and Harriet are total strangers, with seemingly nothing in common, united by the discovery that they both share an incredible gift: the ability to sense those very memories and emotions when they encounter new objects. Evelyn is astounded to have met someone else "like her," and is even more shocked when Harriet offers her a job in helping to curate a museum out of collected, memory-tinged items.
"A museum of memory... a space where her best treasures could be displayed. She would advertise it as an art exhibit or a museum of curiosities, but secretly it would work its magic on visitors as they soaked up the energies within."
Reading this story felt like experiencing Frozen for grown-ups, with a KonMari twist. Two sisters, tragically orphaned at a young age, with little to link them to their childhood or their heritage. Noemi, the younger of the two, is easygoing, charming, and adventurous; while Evelyn, the older sister, is emotionally closed-off, haunted by all that she's lost, and terrified of a magical gift she possesses, unsure of her own power. Together, they work to unlock the secrets of their past, and with them, the true beauty of Ev's gift.
"The best things in life are always the scariest, don't you think?"
Kim Neville has done an outstanding job of creating a believable, immersive atmosphere in a novel that toes the line between magical realism and outright fantasy. Her descriptions of each memory-wrapped item, from the brooches and baubles that line Ev's table at the Chinatown market to the boxes of Christmas lights and jars of buttons that begin to take shape as curated collections in Harriet's museum, I could almost see (and feel!) everything Neville described.
"Maybe you can't force happiness on a person. But you can build a place where a person could find happiness when they're ready for it."
Part of what made this story so unique was Neville's nuanced delivery of emotions. The memories and feelings attached to her objects aren't so simple as "anger" or "love." She carefully measures and articulates the differences between blind rage and righteous indignation, between friendship and loyalty, between maternal protection and the bond of sisterhood. Stacked together, these distinctions lend evidence for the incalculable range of human emotion, the boundless capacity of the heart to feel, and the infinite ways in which our future can be shaped by what we remember about our past.
"People matter most, Evelyn. Not things. Never forget that."
I loved The Memory Collectors. I found myself at once unable to put my book down, and also constantly wanting to stop right where I was and save the rest for another day, so that it wouldn't have to end. My only complaint was that I simply wanted more. I wanted more dimension from the characters, that would have made them as fascinating and likeable as the memory-laced objects strewn throughout the book. I wanted more at the end, to see the museum open and be received by the community - to experience the impact of Harriet, Owen, and Evelyn's tireless work. And so, so much more about how Evelyn's gift (and Noemi's!) develops at the end.
"Life is change. Experiences change you. People change you... The things we surround ourselves with change us too."
Overall, I would call this a 4-and-a-half-star read (rounding up for the sake of the GoodReads review system), and would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys magical realism, grown-up fairytales, or even the KonMari method of sparking joy!
——
A huge thank-you to Kim Neville, Atria Books , and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
——
Follow @letteredlibrary on Instagram!
The Memory Collectors is a captivating, utterly magical tale about the deeply-held emotions and memories that we attach to our possessions over the course of a lifetime. In the book, Evelyn and Harriet are total strangers, with seemingly nothing in common, united by the discovery that they both share an incredible gift: the ability to sense those very memories and emotions when they encounter new objects. Evelyn is astounded to have met someone else "like her," and is even more shocked when Harriet offers her a job in helping to curate a museum out of collected, memory-tinged items.
"A museum of memory... a space where her best treasures could be displayed. She would advertise it as an art exhibit or a museum of curiosities, but secretly it would work its magic on visitors as they soaked up the energies within."
Reading this story felt like experiencing Frozen for grown-ups, with a KonMari twist. Two sisters, tragically orphaned at a young age, with little to link them to their childhood or their heritage. Noemi, the younger of the two, is easygoing, charming, and adventurous; while Evelyn, the older sister, is emotionally closed-off, haunted by all that she's lost, and terrified of a magical gift she possesses, unsure of her own power. Together, they work to unlock the secrets of their past, and with them, the true beauty of Ev's gift.
"The best things in life are always the scariest, don't you think?"
Kim Neville has done an outstanding job of creating a believable, immersive atmosphere in a novel that toes the line between magical realism and outright fantasy. Her descriptions of each memory-wrapped item, from the brooches and baubles that line Ev's table at the Chinatown market to the boxes of Christmas lights and jars of buttons that begin to take shape as curated collections in Harriet's museum, I could almost see (and feel!) everything Neville described.
"Maybe you can't force happiness on a person. But you can build a place where a person could find happiness when they're ready for it."
Part of what made this story so unique was Neville's nuanced delivery of emotions. The memories and feelings attached to her objects aren't so simple as "anger" or "love." She carefully measures and articulates the differences between blind rage and righteous indignation, between friendship and loyalty, between maternal protection and the bond of sisterhood. Stacked together, these distinctions lend evidence for the incalculable range of human emotion, the boundless capacity of the heart to feel, and the infinite ways in which our future can be shaped by what we remember about our past.
"People matter most, Evelyn. Not things. Never forget that."
I loved The Memory Collectors. I found myself at once unable to put my book down, and also constantly wanting to stop right where I was and save the rest for another day, so that it wouldn't have to end. My only complaint was that I simply wanted more. I wanted more dimension from the characters, that would have made them as fascinating and likeable as the memory-laced objects strewn throughout the book. I wanted more at the end, to see the museum open and be received by the community - to experience the impact of Harriet, Owen, and Evelyn's tireless work. And so, so much more about how Evelyn's gift (and Noemi's!) develops at the end.
"Life is change. Experiences change you. People change you... The things we surround ourselves with change us too."
Overall, I would call this a 4-and-a-half-star read (rounding up for the sake of the GoodReads review system), and would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys magical realism, grown-up fairytales, or even the KonMari method of sparking joy!
——
A huge thank-you to Kim Neville, Atria Books , and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
——
Follow @letteredlibrary on Instagram!
novelspirits's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jadekelly90's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
daybreak1012's review
4.0
Classify this under books with fascinating concepts that go in unexpected directions. This book seems like it will be charming but I spent most of my time reading it feeling ill at ease. There is this dark reverberation that runs as an undercurrent that I just couldn't shake, but neither could I put the book down. In fact, the more uncomfortable I became, the faster I needed to turn the pages. I have yet to determine if this is because I needed to know what happened next or because I needed the book to be over.
What I liked about The Memory Collectors:
Once the story got moving, it really moved - This book had a slow build, but it built layer upon layer until it practically crackled with intensity. While I wouldn't call the writing lyrical at all, it was powerfully effective, not just getting across its point, but taking the reader into emotional, nearly tactile, places. Within the first three chapters, I felt like the story was almost stressful for me to absorb, as if I were getting the air sucked out of me with each word. I won't say this is a bad thing, because it sure sounds bad, until you consider that I tagged this under "things I liked." As I said: it was effective writing. I think you're supposed to feel this way about the story, honestly.
The ability presented is a fascinating concept - It's not unfamiliar to me. I first encountered it in The Keeper of Lost Things, but I am laughing to myself now, because I thought that was a dark book. But this ability to imprint inanimate objects with the emotions of the person to whom the objects belong is one that leaves the lane wide open for some storytelling. There are infinite objects in the world that can be imbued with any mixture of an emotional cocktail, and the stories that can spin off of this are equally infinite.
This book is adept at answering questions - It doesn't feel like it for a long time. Most of the book, actually. Trust the process. You'll get them.
What I didn't care for:
Seemingly unbalanced darkness - This book is heavy. The characters have secrets, none of them good. Even though there is a degree of redemption by the end, I am not certain that it was enough to get me completely to a place of hopefulness. I think it tried, but when there is just so much darkness gathered in one place... well... the story illustrates this better than I can here while avoiding spoilers.
What left me conflicted:
The characters, all of them - I still don't know how I feel about these characters. I can't say that I really liked any of them, though I liked some of them better than others. There were just so. many. secrets. that I spent the better part of the book not really knowing who any of them really were. This is conflicting because the plot itself is devised of the secrets and without them, you don't really have a story to tell. So, sacrifice any sort of connection with the characters at the altar of a plot that compelled you deeper, whether you want to go or not.
The various settings - Again, most of the spaces stressed me out more than I actually liked them -- the singular exception being The Dragon -- but you almost couldn't avoid having the other settings be uncomfortable because they were practically characters themselves that drove the plot.
Worth noting:
Some language - Not a lot, but it's there, if that is a deal-breaker for you.
Parts of this book read like a horror movie - In fact, I could absolutely see this playing out in my head like a horror movie. It had some uniquely disturbing scenes.
This book played with a concept that is magical realism at (for me) its best. It's just real enough to be believable, but also just enough magic evident to keep it with one foot firmly in fantasy. There is a strong lesson woven into the pages of this story of the bent "use your abilities for good and not evil", which I appreciated. Another lesson would be that buried secrets will do more harm than good -- every secret held in this book was hungry for destruction. If I could use two words to describe The Memory Collectors, they would be 'riveting' and 'sinister'. I was completely creeped out through a good portion of the story, so depending on whether that's a characteristic you're drawn to or avoid would weigh heavily on whether this is a book for you.
iheartya311's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I've had this on my shelf for a while and I don't know why I didn't read it sooner. The story is unique and the author did an excellent job of fleshing out all the details. The writing style and pacing are stellar. I would have liked a stronger and more redeeming conclusion, however. I'll be watching for more work from this author.
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readbyashleyd's review
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
5.0
I read quite a lot of books and it’s VERY rare for me to be able to say that a book is completely unique and unlike anything I’ve ever read. This is one of those extra special books and I absolutely loved it. The idea is so fresh and unique and I was instantly drawn into this new world the author created for me. From start to finish it was perfect and I really couldn’t have loved this book more. Highly recommend this one if you’re a big reader like I am and you’re looking for something new to blow your reading mind.
onceuponasarah's review
5.0
This reminded me a lot of the video game Unravel. A kind of hidden story behind the story. It's stayed with me long after I've read it, it remains as a sort of afterimage. It is a bit scary or eerie, but really good at keeping it just under the creepy level, at least for me. I liked this more than I thought I would.
kgs339's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
graceannemc's review
3.0
i wanted to love this so bad but i just couldn’t get into it, but i loved the premise. literally took me almost a year to read
lindscodycats's review
2.0
This book was just odd. I couldn't really get into the characters or get what the point was.