Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was a 4.5 until the end, when it got a little convoluted— the threads weren’t done justice imo. Really interesting concepts and I liked the different POVs
I didn't like the writing style. The author went into too much detail about mundane things that don't even apply to the story. I found most of the characters to be unlikable or just plain boring to read about.
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The concept was better than the execution. The end was a bit heavy handed while trying to keep it overly dramatic. This made it feel kinda meh.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Did not expect the David Hume reference. Interesting story process
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Complicated
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
mysterious
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
This story shares a lot in common with the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind—in the fictional world that Jo Harkin has created here, there exists a company that is capable of erasing memories from people’s minds using a secretive procedure that they may or may not even remember having after the fact. Unlike in Eternal Sunshine, though, this procedure can’t erase entire people or relationships, just extremely specific memories.
Events in the book lead to widespread knowledge about the company doing these erasures, and suddenly people who have undergone this process are told about it and given the choice of whether or not to have the erased memories restored. We follow several characters in this position as they try to make this decision, and the meat of the novel is in how their choices affect their lives and relationships.
This premise hooked me immediately and provided infinite material for thought and discussion—it was the perfect book to talk about with friends who had also read it.
The writing is also gorgeous and bittersweet:
Events in the book lead to widespread knowledge about the company doing these erasures, and suddenly people who have undergone this process are told about it and given the choice of whether or not to have the erased memories restored. We follow several characters in this position as they try to make this decision, and the meat of the novel is in how their choices affect their lives and relationships.
This premise hooked me immediately and provided infinite material for thought and discussion—it was the perfect book to talk about with friends who had also read it.
The writing is also gorgeous and bittersweet:
How can you have nostalgia for somewhere you don’t remember being? How can you long, in a painful way, for something you don’t even know?
But she longs, all the same.
If you’re interested in memories and what-ifs and past trauma and self-examination and deliciously complicated relationships, definitely pick this one up.