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janwe's review against another edition
5.0
WOW. Imagine an alternate 1920s society, in which it is possible to get rid of unwanted or traumatic memories. What if these memories become actual manifestations, that relive this memory... and even gain the ability to think for themselves and make their own memories? I REALLY loved the way the concept of memory and free will is discussed in this short novella. And the ending was just heartbreaking.
black_girl_reading's review against another edition
4.0
This was a super fun read. About a “mem”, an embodied memory withdrawn from a woman’s mind to forget a traumatic event, the particular extraction seems more human than the rest. Having had a chance to love freely in 1920’s Montreal, she’s called back tot he vault to be confined and reprinted by her original. This book felt like a 1920’s film, Morrow really captured that. The book was glossy, and thoughtful, and enjoyable. I appreciated that Morrow included an author’s note at the end explaining why there was no racism in this #speculativefiction read, because I agree that it is so so nice to imagine a world without racism for your protagonist, but also grapple with the ethics of erasing a reality from a real time and place. Check this one out!
kylielovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This book was so interesting and thought provoking.
I honestly had a hard time getting into it and found it quite confusing. There is no real introduction into this different world where people can extract memories of trauma to forget about them and I found myself struggling to figure out how everything worked.
For about half the book, I was struggling to figure out what the plot line was. In the very beginning we are told about Elsie (a lady named Dolores' first memory extraction). She is the only memory, or Mem, who can make new memories instead of constantly recreating the extracted memory. For that reason, she has been able to live her own life in Montreal instead of in the Vault. She is recalled to the Vault for an unknown reason. Then a large chunk is Elsie remembering things either in her own life, or Dolores' life when she was still a part of her. We finally figure out the reason Elsie is recalled to the Vault. It is because she is going to be reprinted. So little of the story follows this plot line which made it hard for me, but I realized that's ok. Everything that needed to be told was told.
It was sometimes hard for me to figure out what time each part of the book was taking place. There was the present, the past while she was living out in Montreal, when she was first made inside the Vault and before she was extracted when she was still a part of Dolores. I had to always be actively engaged.
I really liked Elsie because she questioned everything including her own existence. She was very logical and very much her own person. It broke my heart that she was a memory and she knew she was a memory and her Source wanted to reprint her with another memory. It broke my heart that Dolores' parents did not want to know Elsie because even though she had every single childhood memory that Dolores did, she was not their daughter.
To be honest, I think a lot of this book went over my head. I feel like there was a lot of really deep points that I didn't get because I was trying to figure out the plot line, or trying to figure out if that certain part of the story was past or present. I think if I reread the book, I would get a lot more out of it because I would be able to concentrate on those deeper points.
I absolutely fell in love with the cover of this book. The dust jacket is a plain white, but underneath is the door to the Vault. I am so used to intricate designs on the dust jackets and plain colors underneath, so this was such a fun surprise.
I wanted to add in a few quotes that really struck me as thought provoking:
"It was the first time I'd been lied to by a man, that I knew of, and I felt it must mean something. What surprised me most was that while he was the one being dishonest, I somehow was the one made to feel small and uncertain." (pg 37)
"The extraction abandoned Dolores to be just as she had been before, unprepared to cope with subsequent traumas, which her father would therefore continue to extract." (pg 92)
The first quote made me think about everyday life for me. How it happens every day. People try to cover their lies by making the other person feel like it's their fault. I feel like this was something I already knew, but never put into a thought.
The second quote made me look at the book in a different way. By taking away a traumatic experience from someone, you don't give them the opportunity to learn from it. Learn to deal with it and grow into a better person (hopefully) because of it. That is what happened to Dolores. She could never learn to be able to cope with bad things that happen. Elsie understood that and never wanted to have a Mem of her own.
I ended up enjoying this book more than I thought I was going to when I first started reading it. I may end up rereading it in the future to get even more out of it because it has such a great message!
I honestly had a hard time getting into it and found it quite confusing. There is no real introduction into this different world where people can extract memories of trauma to forget about them and I found myself struggling to figure out how everything worked.
For about half the book, I was struggling to figure out what the plot line was. In the very beginning we are told about Elsie (a lady named Dolores' first memory extraction). She is the only memory, or Mem, who can make new memories instead of constantly recreating the extracted memory. For that reason, she has been able to live her own life in Montreal instead of in the Vault. She is recalled to the Vault for an unknown reason. Then a large chunk is Elsie remembering things either in her own life, or Dolores' life when she was still a part of her. We finally figure out the reason Elsie is recalled to the Vault. It is because she is going to be reprinted. So little of the story follows this plot line which made it hard for me, but I realized that's ok. Everything that needed to be told was told.
It was sometimes hard for me to figure out what time each part of the book was taking place. There was the present, the past while she was living out in Montreal, when she was first made inside the Vault and before she was extracted when she was still a part of Dolores. I had to always be actively engaged.
I really liked Elsie because she questioned everything including her own existence. She was very logical and very much her own person. It broke my heart that she was a memory and she knew she was a memory and her Source wanted to reprint her with another memory. It broke my heart that Dolores' parents did not want to know Elsie because even though she had every single childhood memory that Dolores did, she was not their daughter.
To be honest, I think a lot of this book went over my head. I feel like there was a lot of really deep points that I didn't get because I was trying to figure out the plot line, or trying to figure out if that certain part of the story was past or present. I think if I reread the book, I would get a lot more out of it because I would be able to concentrate on those deeper points.
I absolutely fell in love with the cover of this book. The dust jacket is a plain white, but underneath is the door to the Vault. I am so used to intricate designs on the dust jackets and plain colors underneath, so this was such a fun surprise.
I wanted to add in a few quotes that really struck me as thought provoking:
"It was the first time I'd been lied to by a man, that I knew of, and I felt it must mean something. What surprised me most was that while he was the one being dishonest, I somehow was the one made to feel small and uncertain." (pg 37)
"The extraction abandoned Dolores to be just as she had been before, unprepared to cope with subsequent traumas, which her father would therefore continue to extract." (pg 92)
The first quote made me think about everyday life for me. How it happens every day. People try to cover their lies by making the other person feel like it's their fault. I feel like this was something I already knew, but never put into a thought.
The second quote made me look at the book in a different way. By taking away a traumatic experience from someone, you don't give them the opportunity to learn from it. Learn to deal with it and grow into a better person (hopefully) because of it. That is what happened to Dolores. She could never learn to be able to cope with bad things that happen. Elsie understood that and never wanted to have a Mem of her own.
I ended up enjoying this book more than I thought I was going to when I first started reading it. I may end up rereading it in the future to get even more out of it because it has such a great message!
little_silver's review against another edition
4.0
When is a memory more than just an aspect of one's personality?
thomcat's review against another edition
1.0
The author takes an interesting concept and doesn't examine, explain, or exploit it. The setting could have been used for contrast, but instead was mostly scenery. This novella, though short on pages, felt long - a short story may have been a better venue.
This is the 19th book in a challenge to read new science fiction, fantasy and horror authors; this is the first book or story I have read by Ms. Morrow. I did enjoy some of the description, and the core of this is an interesting idea - a memory can be removed from your head, though it will live on externally for a time (as a "Mem"). Our main character uses this to question whether memories should be removed, how that affects us - good stuff there.
The setting is early 1900s Montreal - why? The main character has dark skin, and this could have been used to contrast "ownership" of the memories - if alive, they are akin to slaves, and can be mistreated or even killed by their owners. Other topics not explored include the effect on the host of having too many memories removed, whether memories can be returned, and the reuse of mems as targets for new memories. Later, the main character falls into a romance of sorts, but the results of that aren't explored either.
Perhaps your experience will be different than mine, but I can't recommend this book.
This is the 19th book in a challenge to read new science fiction, fantasy and horror authors; this is the first book or story I have read by Ms. Morrow. I did enjoy some of the description, and the core of this is an interesting idea - a memory can be removed from your head, though it will live on externally for a time (as a "Mem"). Our main character uses this to question whether memories should be removed, how that affects us - good stuff there.
The setting is early 1900s Montreal - why? The main character has dark skin, and this could have been used to contrast "ownership" of the memories - if alive, they are akin to slaves, and can be mistreated or even killed by their owners. Other topics not explored include the effect on the host of having too many memories removed, whether memories can be returned, and the reuse of mems as targets for new memories. Later, the main character falls into a romance of sorts, but the results of that aren't explored either.
Perhaps your experience will be different than mine, but I can't recommend this book.
thevampslayer's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jvantland's review against another edition
5.0
Weird, wonderful, and unlike any scifi I’ve ever read. It felt a bit like being immersed in an old twilight zone episode, a bit absurd and a little campy, but the questions it raises are so compelling and the characters far more complex. I really enjoyed this quick read.
atipsygiraffe's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
sneakysnam's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0