A review by smalltownbookmom
The Memory Collectors by Kim Neville

3.0

3.5 - I was really excited for this Canadian debut set in Vancouver’s Chinatown but I think it was just a case of wrong book wrong time. At the core this is a story about the bonds of sisterhood and follows Ev and her sister Noemi as they come to terms with their ability to feel the emotions “stained” on everyday objects. I had a hard time getting into this which is strange because it’s fairly fast paced and full of mystery and intrigue and conflict. Fans of stories full of magical realism like The scent keeper, The keeper of lost things or The little shop of found things should enjoy this one a lot. I’ll probably give it another try at some point - because again, wasn’t bad just wasn’t for me right now. I did like how the family history of this ability had strong metaphors to mental health illness - Ev finds a way to cope and turn her gift into a positive thing, whereas her father and sister struggled with the darkness.

TW: hoarding, domestic violence