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lgiegerich's review against another edition
2.0
Too sketchy by far- characters were all incomplete cyphers (even the one who was supposed to be more than that), & extremely light on the science of how all this happens (which I wanted to know about).
romiress's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book never landed with me. Very little happened across the short page count, I never felt interested in the characters, never cared about the mystery. It gestures at things that never pay off, including core concepts and themes. The marketing is also very bad - if I'm expected to read this as a race-involved slavery metaphor, it's an absolutely awful one.
baronessekat's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
It's the height of the Roaring 20's and Elsie is a strong independent female living in Montreal, Canada. But unlike anyone else she interacts with, she doesn't age - perpetually stuck at 19 years old.
By law, she is not a person. She's a Mem, an artifical construct designed to house a specific memory of a person and her designation is Delores Extract #1.
At the turn of the century a scientist figured out how to extract memories from a person's mind and put them into a body that looks just like the person at the age they were at the memory. Many have jumped at the chance to rid themselves of bad memories and then let their Mem be housed in The Vault until they expire.
But Elsie is different from any other Mem. She is able to have independent thought and create her own memories. She is a curiosity.
But soon controversy rises regarding the Mem industry and Elsie is recalled to the Vault to await her fate.
****
This was a short book (184 pgs/5 hours) but it is PACKED with deep ideas - what makes us human? Are clones really part of your family? How do our memories make us us? And so much more.
The story was good, despite the thinky-think nature of it. Would recommend.
It's the height of the Roaring 20's and Elsie is a strong independent female living in Montreal, Canada. But unlike anyone else she interacts with, she doesn't age - perpetually stuck at 19 years old.
By law, she is not a person. She's a Mem, an artifical construct designed to house a specific memory of a person and her designation is Delores Extract #1.
At the turn of the century a scientist figured out how to extract memories from a person's mind and put them into a body that looks just like the person at the age they were at the memory. Many have jumped at the chance to rid themselves of bad memories and then let their Mem be housed in The Vault until they expire.
But Elsie is different from any other Mem. She is able to have independent thought and create her own memories. She is a curiosity.
But soon controversy rises regarding the Mem industry and Elsie is recalled to the Vault to await her fate.
****
This was a short book (184 pgs/5 hours) but it is PACKED with deep ideas - what makes us human? Are clones really part of your family? How do our memories make us us? And so much more.
The story was good, despite the thinky-think nature of it. Would recommend.
brittania_and_the_books's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoy Bethany C. Morrow’s writing style. This speculative fiction stretches the way we think of memories. I think I wanted more world building to match the character development.
maybs1's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.75
gloridays's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
fionnanilsson's review against another edition
3.0
I’m not sure yet what to say about this book. I did enjoy it, but throughout the whole story I had the sensation that I had missed a key sentence just above. I did love the end. May come back to write more when I’ve had more time to digest.
jenno's review against another edition
4.0
Hard to put down and short. Super interesting scifi story. Recommend!
keen's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Miscarriage and Car accident
Minor: Child death, Dementia, and Murder