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talesoftheraven's review against another edition
4.0
If memory could be excised...
The last lines of this short novel really blew me away in their tenderness. The idea that our memories could just be delicately snipped out of our brains,becoming a whole new person who can only exist reliving that memory is, in some aspects a curiosity and in others horrifying.
Memories exist as a source of growth and learning - our experiences shape who we are. I feel bad for the Source Delores. Her father never really gave her a choice, instead excising all the bits that bothered him about her. There is so much depth in these pages, in the interactions Delores’s first extract has while seeking to understand her existence in a world that does not even believe she is a real person.
Read, and please enjoy.
The last lines of this short novel really blew me away in their tenderness. The idea that our memories could just be delicately snipped out of our brains,becoming a whole new person who can only exist reliving that memory is, in some aspects a curiosity and in others horrifying.
Memories exist as a source of growth and learning - our experiences shape who we are. I feel bad for the Source Delores. Her father never really gave her a choice, instead excising all the bits that bothered him about her. There is so much depth in these pages, in the interactions Delores’s first extract has while seeking to understand her existence in a world that does not even believe she is a real person.
Read, and please enjoy.
see_dani_read's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
dillarhonda's review against another edition
What if you had complete control over your memories? Not in the sense that you could remember everything, but that unpleasant memories could be siphoned off into oblivion. This is the conceit at the core of Bethany C. Morrow's Mem. When a young black girl witnesses a car accident in 1920s Montreal, she seals off the memory in her own Mem. As it turns out, her Mem has a consciousness of her own and is determined to be a person in her own right. While an intriguing set-up, MEM fails to dig as deep as it could into questions of class status, race, and who controls the latest technological advance. Despite Morrow's note at the end of the book, I don't understand why she chose to limit her world and her writing when her chosen topic is so expansive.
lyg004's review against another edition
2.0
veeeery slow paced and difficult to get into the swing of things
elenisa's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.75
cheye13's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This was a wonderful story. I feel like a bit of it maybe went over my head – there was a bittersweet note through the end that i'm not sure I understood fully. But the world building was wonderful and the themes posed interesting thought exercises. I appreciate how the story makes use of the entirety of its short-form and throws the reader in the deep end, trusting them to catch up. Probably worth a reread tbh.
At risk of spoiling, I'll say this will probably be a hit with fans of [new] Doctor Who.
At risk of spoiling, I'll say this will probably be a hit with fans of [new] Doctor Who.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Dementia, and Car accident
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
themes of clones and human experiments are present, but not detailedemmaraeempowered's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I was really looking forward to reading this...but it ended up being a big disappointment.
The first 1/4 of the book I was really interested in the technology developed and was having fun imagining all this happening in 1920s Canada...but the rest of the book seemingly took a nose dive. From a sudden romance, to questionable choices, to the authors note. I felt like nothing was making any sense.
The authors note is honestly what bugged me the most. The author spoke about how racism in Canada is often omitted from books and how she wanted to write a story with Black character thriving. I had no idea these characters were supposed to be Black! I figured the main Mem "Dolores" was Black...but then some descriptions had me confused and I figured maybe she was just a tanned white woman. The authors note further says that she then omitted racism from the story so the characters didn't have to live through that...
This made me highly confused. Maybe I'm not connecting the dots...but if the point is to point out how racism in Canada is often not spoke of - then why omit it from your story all together. Doesnt that make the book fall in the long list of other books that disregard racism in Canada? Why include the authors note if you're doing the same. Also why couldn't I pick up on that all these characters were supposed to be Black?
This was disappointing.
The first 1/4 of the book I was really interested in the technology developed and was having fun imagining all this happening in 1920s Canada...but the rest of the book seemingly took a nose dive. From a sudden romance, to questionable choices, to the authors note. I felt like nothing was making any sense.
The authors note is honestly what bugged me the most. The author spoke about how racism in Canada is often omitted from books and how she wanted to write a story with Black character thriving. I had no idea these characters were supposed to be Black! I figured the main Mem "Dolores" was Black...but then some descriptions had me confused and I figured maybe she was just a tanned white woman. The authors note further says that she then omitted racism from the story so the characters didn't have to live through that...
This made me highly confused. Maybe I'm not connecting the dots...but if the point is to point out how racism in Canada is often not spoke of - then why omit it from your story all together. Doesnt that make the book fall in the long list of other books that disregard racism in Canada? Why include the authors note if you're doing the same. Also why couldn't I pick up on that all these characters were supposed to be Black?
This was disappointing.
cannonballer's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.75