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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
What if you lived in a world where you could not only delete your worst memory but also get to choose whether you’re aware you have deleted it? This is the topic of “Tell Me An Ending”. For years, the Nepenthe clinic has been erasing people’s worst memories …well almost. After it was found that “traces” of your worst memory can still remain to haunt you, the clinic is ordered to contact everyone who has the procedure and offer to reinstate their memories. For four patients it’s decision time - but what did they erase and why?
Let me start by saying I LOVED the concept of this book. It’s a fantastic idea for a speculative thriller. I really liked the sardonic tone of Noor, who works in the clinic and I was fascinated by most of the lives of the people who had their memory erased. There was one narrative I didn’t feel added much to the book. I did feel it started to drag a little in the last third of the book and I got impatient for less soul searching from the characters and more answers. The ending felt a little rushed and I felt there was some unanswered questions.
However, from the first page this book made me think - what would I do? What would I erase? It has a lot of interesting arguments around trauma and what causes the “least harm” and I am glad to have read it.
Thank you to Jo Harkin, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Let me start by saying I LOVED the concept of this book. It’s a fantastic idea for a speculative thriller. I really liked the sardonic tone of Noor, who works in the clinic and I was fascinated by most of the lives of the people who had their memory erased. There was one narrative I didn’t feel added much to the book. I did feel it started to drag a little in the last third of the book and I got impatient for less soul searching from the characters and more answers. The ending felt a little rushed and I felt there was some unanswered questions.
However, from the first page this book made me think - what would I do? What would I erase? It has a lot of interesting arguments around trauma and what causes the “least harm” and I am glad to have read it.
Thank you to Jo Harkin, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Every character was whiny and boring. I hated reading this but I used to be the type of person that would finish a book even if I don’t like it. This book changed that especially after reading about Mei’s wipe (seriously? That was it) after that I figured it wasn’t worth it any more. This idea had so much potential. I think a problem with the book is that the author had to create 5 different POVs with 5 different personalities but after a while it began to blend in together because of how depressingly dull they are.
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
This was a very interesting book, it was pretty slow at the beginning and then confusing with all the different storylines and it was longer than the average book. Overall i liked it and it brought up lots of questions about how our lives would be if we got some or all of our memories deleted. And then what would happen if we had the chance to restore them. what is our identity and how do our memories shape who we think we are. The main character had a lot of personal growth in the story. While the story was unfinished in some ways, it also was finished and like life left us with questions
In Tell Me an Ending, there is a new-ish medical procedure that can erase a specific memory that someone wants to forget (usually traumatic). Clients can choose to know that they’re having a memory erased and keep the vague details of what happened, or come in to have the procedure while they would normally be sleeping and have no knowledge of the memory wipe at all. The company offering these memory erasures has been sued because some of the clients say that they are experiencing small flashbacks of the memory that was supposed to be erased. Now, the company must notify all previously unaware clients that they had a memory removed and offer to let them reinstate that memory if they would like.
I was not able to enjoy the story because it seemed almost entirely unrealistic to me that all of these people were so conflicted with whether to take their memory back or not. I mean, their previous self would have deleted it for a reason..
Also, how could the memory be reinstated? It was erased. Seems like it should be a pretty permanent thing. The story would have been much more interesting imo if people were struggling with the fallout of their erased memories and realized that it was something they did need to remember so they had to go on this sort of hunt to find what they were missing.
I was not able to enjoy the story because it seemed almost entirely unrealistic to me that all of these people were so conflicted with whether to take their memory back or not. I mean, their previous self would have deleted it for a reason..
Also, how could the memory be reinstated? It was erased. Seems like it should be a pretty permanent thing. The story would have been much more interesting imo if people were struggling with the fallout of their erased memories and realized that it was something they did need to remember so they had to go on this sort of hunt to find what they were missing.
challenging
dark
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Death of parent
Moderate: Infidelity, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
Really great; felt like a slow untangling with all the characters and how reveals are unspooled over the latter half of the book.
My only issue was that quite a few moments of dialogue and narration seemed like the author just saying something philosophical to the reader, rather than a natural thought for the character. Also this is mostly written without quotation marks but then it sometimes just. has them for a page.
My only issue was that quite a few moments of dialogue and narration seemed like the author just saying something philosophical to the reader, rather than a natural thought for the character. Also this is mostly written without quotation marks but then it sometimes just. has them for a page.