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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to the author and publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
Before I begin, this book has many trigger warnings that I discuss in this review - please read with caution.
When I first received this book, I was intrigued to see how the author would discuss the experiences of the reader rather than creating a set of characters. I rarely see the second person point of view in anything published traditionally - it is more a fan fiction thing than a traditional literature kind of thing. Catherine used it perfectly. Not only did she manage to put into words the exact feelings that we have all felt throughout our lives - especially as teenagers - but she managed to do so with a lyrical and poignant style.
As someone who grew up around phones and the interent but didn't have my own phone or social media until I was old enough to understand what it was and the dangers of it, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Yes, it was disturbing and scary, but it also felt so real. Catherine captured the essence of social media and the damage it does to young people - especially girls - perfectly. I loved the reference to propoganda and the taboo of men watching pornography, especially as the story went on to be based around unconsensual pornography. I think the author wrote the characters so they could be any one of the reader's friends, lovers, or family, and that, in itself, made this book an extremely personal read. Discussing body image, rape, violent sex, pornography and jealousy, this book encapsulated the essence of what it is to be a teenager in this day and age. Catherine discusses how easily accessible pornography is, how easy it is for sex to become scewed in the wake of social media and pornograpjhy websites.
This was lyrical, real, and poignant. 4 stars as there were some elements that I felt were left unanswered.
Before I begin, this book has many trigger warnings that I discuss in this review - please read with caution.
When I first received this book, I was intrigued to see how the author would discuss the experiences of the reader rather than creating a set of characters. I rarely see the second person point of view in anything published traditionally - it is more a fan fiction thing than a traditional literature kind of thing. Catherine used it perfectly. Not only did she manage to put into words the exact feelings that we have all felt throughout our lives - especially as teenagers - but she managed to do so with a lyrical and poignant style.
As someone who grew up around phones and the interent but didn't have my own phone or social media until I was old enough to understand what it was and the dangers of it, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Yes, it was disturbing and scary, but it also felt so real. Catherine captured the essence of social media and the damage it does to young people - especially girls - perfectly. I loved the reference to propoganda and the taboo of men watching pornography, especially as the story went on to be based around unconsensual pornography. I think the author wrote the characters so they could be any one of the reader's friends, lovers, or family, and that, in itself, made this book an extremely personal read. Discussing body image, rape, violent sex, pornography and jealousy, this book encapsulated the essence of what it is to be a teenager in this day and age. Catherine discusses how easily accessible pornography is, how easy it is for sex to become scewed in the wake of social media and pornograpjhy websites.
This was lyrical, real, and poignant. 4 stars as there were some elements that I felt were left unanswered.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It’s very rare for a book to have the power, to grip a reader from the first page. This one did, a fantastic page-turner written in a second-person narrative, immersing the reader into the story. A solid 5 stars from me!
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback. Thank you NetGalley!
This book blew me away, I’ve never read anything like this. The second person point of view was so interesting to read! The story is very compelling and beautifully written. It’s a sort of love letter to growing up as a girl at the beginning of the internet and I identified with it a lot.
I really went through a journey reading this book and it was so interesting to me that I was able to see the world and experience it through someone else’s perspective but then at the same time feel nostalgic towards my own experiences. Particularly the teenage school years brought up a lot of feelings that I had long forgotten.
Tender, eye opening, and poignant, this book is a must read for anyone who remembers their parents bringing home their first family computer and lived their childhoods through the computer screen.
This book blew me away, I’ve never read anything like this. The second person point of view was so interesting to read! The story is very compelling and beautifully written. It’s a sort of love letter to growing up as a girl at the beginning of the internet and I identified with it a lot.
I really went through a journey reading this book and it was so interesting to me that I was able to see the world and experience it through someone else’s perspective but then at the same time feel nostalgic towards my own experiences. Particularly the teenage school years brought up a lot of feelings that I had long forgotten.
Tender, eye opening, and poignant, this book is a must read for anyone who remembers their parents bringing home their first family computer and lived their childhoods through the computer screen.
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This Is How You Remember is a brilliant try at a novel about growing up online and navigating public as well as private spaces while growing up as the first generation to have the ability to do so. This coming-of-age story is told in the second-person pov, from when a girl's family purchases a computer when she is nine years old, and she (also as the reader) rapidly realises how wonderful it is to be able to find anything on it, from exploring virtual pet sites to entering chat rooms and conversing with people who become friends. Quickly, as the use of the internet and social media becomes more frequent, the attempts to fit in the offline world get confused with the ones online, especially as the lines get blurred.
As someone who grew up throughout the rapid growth of the internet, this book spoke to me deeply, especially because of the close 2nd-person pov and the shocking but real events described in the book.
So far, so good, but here is where it fell flat for me. In the execusion.
The writing is very simple and straight-forward, but the rapid timelines can make a person confused about where they are in the story.
What also fell short for me was that the takeaway appeared to be a little shallow in comparison to what could've been a vast exploration of online space, boiled down to more or less 'put down the phone and live in the moment' as a moral. It was pleasing to see the protagonist mature, gain confidence, and move away from the addiction of social media, as one might anticipate from a coming-of-age story, but it lacked the necessary weight and clarity for me because of how fast-paced the story line was. I wish there was more dedication to the development of both the story and characters, but seeing as everything is fast on the internet, I will blame it on being a calculated move.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canongate for the ARC!
As someone who grew up throughout the rapid growth of the internet, this book spoke to me deeply, especially because of the close 2nd-person pov and the shocking but real events described in the book.
So far, so good, but here is where it fell flat for me. In the execusion.
The writing is very simple and straight-forward, but the rapid timelines can make a person confused about where they are in the story.
What also fell short for me was that the takeaway appeared to be a little shallow in comparison to what could've been a vast exploration of online space, boiled down to more or less 'put down the phone and live in the moment' as a moral. It was pleasing to see the protagonist mature, gain confidence, and move away from the addiction of social media, as one might anticipate from a coming-of-age story, but it lacked the necessary weight and clarity for me because of how fast-paced the story line was. I wish there was more dedication to the development of both the story and characters, but seeing as everything is fast on the internet, I will blame it on being a calculated move.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canongate for the ARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Alcohol
Minor: Fatphobia, Grief