coric 's review for:

Tell Me an Ending by Jo Harkin

4.75

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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: Yes

---

 Based in a speculative alternate present where people can opt to have memories erased, I found this story compelling and was enthralled from the first to the last page. It’s an intricate puzzle of a mystery where Harkin guides you toward locking in each piece at the right moment. Noor, who works at Nepenthe clinic is the connecting through line between each of the other characters. She pulls you in deeper and deeper as her discoveries continue to raise more questions about the ethics and actions of her employer. It also provides an atmospheric adventure and journey around the globe with beautiful descriptions of locations and distinct characters contributing to unraveling the mystery through their narrations and experiences. I love a story that moves through different points of view and slowly reveals each character’s experience and unravels the mystery. This whole story is wrapped up in a philosophical exploration of the benefits and pitfalls of being able to erase painful and traumatic memories. These very different characters provide a diverse array of experiences as each struggles with the discovery of having an erased memory and having to reckon with that knowledge and choosing whether to have it restored.