Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Tell Me An Ending is a novel about erasing memories, getting them back, and what memory means for grief and identity. Memory clinic Nepenthe has been deleting specific memories for clients for a while now, for clients both knowing and who forget even having the procedure done. Suddenly, these unknowing clients are getting emails saying they are entitled to reinstate a memory they had deleted if they want. The novel follows Mei, William, Oscar, and Finn, all affected by memory deletion, and Noor, who works at the clinic, as they explore their own pasts and the reality of Nepenthe.
The concept of this book is fairly similar to other stories—it in fact references the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind quite a bit—but it explores different circumstances, especially traumatic ones, and the reasons behind people keeping or deleting memories. The chapters move between different characters, with a lot of focus on Noor who works at the clinic and is trying to work out what her boss has been up to, whilst dealing with a heartbreak that is intricately tied up with her job. The Nepenthe side of things, as found out through Noor, is fairly interesting, but quite straightforward, with unsurprising twists. The other characters, who we see trying to deal with their current lives and also decide if they want their memory back, allow the novel to cover other ground, particularly around what people do with traumatic memories, or different kinds of memories that might impact our lives.
The book is quite long and can be slow at times, though also some of the characters you wish you could delve a bit more into, as a lot of the book is taken up with what they are doing. In particular, Oscar and William's stories both pose interesting questions about trauma and memory, whereas Mei's narrative is more around parental influence and what kind of troubles actually need deleting, or actually need other kinds of support and autonomy. The other story, with Finn and his wife, was a bit slow and didn't really go anywhere, not quite exploring enough at the end to counterbalance with the other characters.
A near-future dystopia that focuses particularly on the importance of memories, but also considers if deleting various kinds of memories is actually the best option, Tell Me An Ending is an enjoyable read, though it did drag a bit for me.
The concept of this book is fairly similar to other stories—it in fact references the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind quite a bit—but it explores different circumstances, especially traumatic ones, and the reasons behind people keeping or deleting memories. The chapters move between different characters, with a lot of focus on Noor who works at the clinic and is trying to work out what her boss has been up to, whilst dealing with a heartbreak that is intricately tied up with her job. The Nepenthe side of things, as found out through Noor, is fairly interesting, but quite straightforward, with unsurprising twists. The other characters, who we see trying to deal with their current lives and also decide if they want their memory back, allow the novel to cover other ground, particularly around what people do with traumatic memories, or different kinds of memories that might impact our lives.
The book is quite long and can be slow at times, though also some of the characters you wish you could delve a bit more into, as a lot of the book is taken up with what they are doing. In particular, Oscar and William's stories both pose interesting questions about trauma and memory, whereas Mei's narrative is more around parental influence and what kind of troubles actually need deleting, or actually need other kinds of support and autonomy. The other story, with Finn and his wife, was a bit slow and didn't really go anywhere, not quite exploring enough at the end to counterbalance with the other characters.
A near-future dystopia that focuses particularly on the importance of memories, but also considers if deleting various kinds of memories is actually the best option, Tell Me An Ending is an enjoyable read, though it did drag a bit for me.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
mysterious
reflective
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
There are a few suspect references, haha. But I am wowed by this debut - fantastic, riveting, and didn't end too pat.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Interesting concept, and an interesting execution of it. Whereas something like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind focused a lot on the emotional side of memory deletion, this book puts an additional focus on the bureaucratic and technical side of things. This made the book feel so much more real. Imagine an organisation having to inform clients - who chose to not remember their memory removal - that they have the right to get their memory restored. What does that do to people, how do you handle it as an organisation, how does the general population react? This was a great question to pose. The individual POVs were a nice way to tell the story, but don't read this to get the dramatic 'reveal' of the deleted memories - read it because it feels real, and makes you think about it more than just giving you plot twists and turns.
“In the end, I felt like even though it was a painful memory, I wanted to hold on to it anyways…Because then you might just be able to let it go, naturally…And then…it’s really gone.”
Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. #TELLMEANENDING releases TUESDAY MARCH 1, 2022!
I really enjoyed this debut novel from Jo Harkin! This story is a sci-fi mystery that emphasizes how technology affects human lives.
It is a character-driven story with five characters of focus - a doctor at the main memory removal clinic, a young college dropout, an ex-cop, a man constantly on the run, and the husband of a woman who can’t recall deleting a memory. Their stories are all very intriguing and keep you on your toes.
The main theme of this story is coming to terms with painful events. There are a number of ways people grapple with trauma: some act as though it never happened, and some face it head on to learn and grow from the experience. But there’s also a “gray area” that is central to TELL ME AN ENDING’s story. Sometimes pain finds it’s way into other important aspects of our lives…
My only qualms are:
1. At the beginning there were too many characters to keep up with. I think if we had our doctor and two patients that would’ve been sufficient.
2. Harkin’s writing style is interesting. We switch from characters’ internal monologues to real-time conversations, but sometimes I couldn’t discern the two.
As a whole, I give this 4.25 stars. I usually don’t like books longer than 400 pages as I often find they can be edited down. However, the added context is definitely needed for this character heavy story. I would love to see what other sci-fi novels Harkin has up her sleeve and will definitely keep an eye out for any of her future releases.
Characters: 4.5/5
Cover: 5/5
Story: 4/5
Writing: 3.75/5
Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. #TELLMEANENDING releases TUESDAY MARCH 1, 2022!
I really enjoyed this debut novel from Jo Harkin! This story is a sci-fi mystery that emphasizes how technology affects human lives.
It is a character-driven story with five characters of focus - a doctor at the main memory removal clinic, a young college dropout, an ex-cop, a man constantly on the run, and the husband of a woman who can’t recall deleting a memory. Their stories are all very intriguing and keep you on your toes.
The main theme of this story is coming to terms with painful events. There are a number of ways people grapple with trauma: some act as though it never happened, and some face it head on to learn and grow from the experience. But there’s also a “gray area” that is central to TELL ME AN ENDING’s story. Sometimes pain finds it’s way into other important aspects of our lives…
My only qualms are:
1. At the beginning there were too many characters to keep up with. I think if we had our doctor and two patients that would’ve been sufficient.
2. Harkin’s writing style is interesting. We switch from characters’ internal monologues to real-time conversations, but sometimes I couldn’t discern the two.
As a whole, I give this 4.25 stars. I usually don’t like books longer than 400 pages as I often find they can be edited down. However, the added context is definitely needed for this character heavy story. I would love to see what other sci-fi novels Harkin has up her sleeve and will definitely keep an eye out for any of her future releases.
Characters: 4.5/5
Cover: 5/5
Story: 4/5
Writing: 3.75/5