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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
3. A new story I haven’t read before. Slightly science fiction, but only because it isn’t our reality yet!
Technology has gotten to a point where you can have a specific memory of an event erased from your life as long as it is a week period or less. You simply go the the Nepenthe hospital and have it taken care of. You can choose to remember or not remember that you had this memory erasure done.
This follows the story of 4 characters who chose to have their memories erased but they are having slight flashes of it, maybe…and are confused. Thus begins the development of their stories and what they do about it.
This will be a book I will think back on. The whole concept of memory removal is fascinating if not alarming! Thinking of who we are and who we will become because of our life experiences and memories is an integral part of our life! I don’t know that I’d be willing to have a memory erased regardless of how awful it might be….but then again….
Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for an advanced e-copy of this book.
Technology has gotten to a point where you can have a specific memory of an event erased from your life as long as it is a week period or less. You simply go the the Nepenthe hospital and have it taken care of. You can choose to remember or not remember that you had this memory erasure done.
This follows the story of 4 characters who chose to have their memories erased but they are having slight flashes of it, maybe…and are confused. Thus begins the development of their stories and what they do about it.
This will be a book I will think back on. The whole concept of memory removal is fascinating if not alarming! Thinking of who we are and who we will become because of our life experiences and memories is an integral part of our life! I don’t know that I’d be willing to have a memory erased regardless of how awful it might be….but then again….
Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for an advanced e-copy of this book.
Four and a half stars. This book was fascinating and unnerving. If you've ever studied memory, argued with a friend about the details of an event, or found yourself questioning your own memory, you'll recognize aspects of this story. It's appealing to think of being able to wipe unpleasant or traumatic memories from our brains, but Harkin reveals the downsides to such a practice and pushes it further, almost into horror. I enjoyed the book but it's seriously haunting.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-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
So much potential - unfulfilled.
Five separate stories going parallel, with lots of characters and history to remember, and they just do not make a whole picture. The basic idea of the book is intriguing, and I was hopeful for quite long that something great will come out of this. However, the plot didn't go anywhere, and all I feel now is disappointment.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone for an ARC.
Five separate stories going parallel, with lots of characters and history to remember, and they just do not make a whole picture. The basic idea of the book is intriguing, and I was hopeful for quite long that something great will come out of this. However, the plot didn't go anywhere, and all I feel now is disappointment.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone for an ARC.
A definite slow-burn, low-simmer sci-fi, Tell Me an Ending took some patience but ultimately delivers on character development and on a gentle brain flex.
In Tell Me an Ending, we follow a collection of characters related in various ways to Nepenthe, a memory removal clinic in the UK that scientifically targets and removes certain memories from its clients, helping them wipe out their worst days. Most clients retain their self awareness of this, while others choose to enter into a "self-confidential" treatment, where even the fact that they've had a treatment is wiped from their memory. Following new developments in the science of memory, Nepenthe is required to inform their self-confidential clients that they've received treatment and give them the option of reversing it. Much of the book embarks on the decision of various characters to either accept or decline this reversal, and their discovery if they choose to reveal their hidden memory.
I saw the potential in this book early on and I'm thankful that gave me the patience to push through, because it did take a little longer to grab me than I'd like. The payoff was worth it, because I truly enjoyed this unique exploration of memory and its role in defining our lives, and the ethical implications of tampering with it. For a debut novel, I think this novel shows impressive character development, as I ultimately connected with each character. I didn't always agree with what each character did, but I understood why their decisions were inevitable. Just two things stopped me from giving this a five-star rating -- 1) the aforementioned slow start, and 2) the characters would have benefitted from being a little more closely related. I kept waiting for the twist of seeing parallel story lines come together, and in some cases they tip toed across the line, but never quite crashed together. As it was, they collectively made for a compelling story, but I suspect there was a real gut-punch of a story potential hiding in there had they been more closely related.
Regardless, this was a good read that I feel has been flying under the radar a little too much. It's definitely one I'd recommend, especially to fans of sci-fi realism.
In Tell Me an Ending, we follow a collection of characters related in various ways to Nepenthe, a memory removal clinic in the UK that scientifically targets and removes certain memories from its clients, helping them wipe out their worst days. Most clients retain their self awareness of this, while others choose to enter into a "self-confidential" treatment, where even the fact that they've had a treatment is wiped from their memory. Following new developments in the science of memory, Nepenthe is required to inform their self-confidential clients that they've received treatment and give them the option of reversing it. Much of the book embarks on the decision of various characters to either accept or decline this reversal, and their discovery if they choose to reveal their hidden memory.
I saw the potential in this book early on and I'm thankful that gave me the patience to push through, because it did take a little longer to grab me than I'd like. The payoff was worth it, because I truly enjoyed this unique exploration of memory and its role in defining our lives, and the ethical implications of tampering with it. For a debut novel, I think this novel shows impressive character development, as I ultimately connected with each character. I didn't always agree with what each character did, but I understood why their decisions were inevitable. Just two things stopped me from giving this a five-star rating -- 1) the aforementioned slow start, and 2) the characters would have benefitted from being a little more closely related. I kept waiting for the twist of seeing parallel story lines come together, and in some cases they tip toed across the line, but never quite crashed together. As it was, they collectively made for a compelling story, but I suspect there was a real gut-punch of a story potential hiding in there had they been more closely related.
Regardless, this was a good read that I feel has been flying under the radar a little too much. It's definitely one I'd recommend, especially to fans of sci-fi realism.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book is a deep dive into memories, trauma and what they mean for ability to heal. I enjoyed the read for the most part and it was interesting to see how many of the stories were intertwined. Sometimes the characters were a tad long winded and i felt like there was so much build up to amount to nothing really. The ending fell a bit short for me. All of the back stories and mysteries were resolved but it felt like it could have been much more. I will read other books by this author as I enjoyed the main plot ideas immensely.
adventurous
dark
reflective
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
I loved the way this book was laid out, going from character to character, slowly unfolding the ways they are and are not connected.
It raises some very interesting questions about memory and ethics.
Personally, there is no WAY I wouldn't get the memory back. It'd make me insane not knowing.
It raises some very interesting questions about memory and ethics.
Personally, there is no WAY I wouldn't get the memory back. It'd make me insane not knowing.
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes