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A review by silverliningsandpages
The Memory Chamber by Holly Cave
5.0
🌿Review🌿
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The Memory Chamber was such a slick thriller. I was so glad to get my hands on it after reading about the intriguing premise.
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Isobel is a successful Heaven Architect, who can help the terminally ill create their chosen afterlives from their happiest memories. She crosses an ethical boundary when she falls for Jarek, her client - who is married. Following his wife’s murder, Isobel uncovers a more sinister side to her profession as she tries to clear her dead lover’s name. But as her life unravels, she makes discoveries that will have far-reaching and unsettling repercussions.
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From the outset this sophisticated speculative novel was very compelling. There were details scattered throughout that piqued my curiosity about the context of the story. It is set in the not-too-distant future, when there seem to have been dramatic environmental changes. Also, there is a a climate of fear and heightened sense of mortality, as troops are preparing for escalation of an ongoing Cold War against parts of Asia. I felt that the characters were well drawn and Isobel’s was particularly complex but sympathetic. Initially I thought I had misjudged and was going to find the novel too sad given the subject matter, but believe the author @hollycavewrites dealt with mortality in a very sensitive and empathetic way. Some of the scientific explanations went slightly over my head, but I’m just not that way inclined, so don’t let that put you off. Ultimately this was a very stylish and unpredictable novel, which reminded me of Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go (interestingly Holly Caves was mindful of this story whilst writing). The legal and ethical considerations that this opens up would be perfect for book club discussion. I can’t wait to watch this on the screen, and am keeping my fingers crossed for a sequel.
🌟4.5
.
The Memory Chamber was such a slick thriller. I was so glad to get my hands on it after reading about the intriguing premise.
.
Isobel is a successful Heaven Architect, who can help the terminally ill create their chosen afterlives from their happiest memories. She crosses an ethical boundary when she falls for Jarek, her client - who is married. Following his wife’s murder, Isobel uncovers a more sinister side to her profession as she tries to clear her dead lover’s name. But as her life unravels, she makes discoveries that will have far-reaching and unsettling repercussions.
.
From the outset this sophisticated speculative novel was very compelling. There were details scattered throughout that piqued my curiosity about the context of the story. It is set in the not-too-distant future, when there seem to have been dramatic environmental changes. Also, there is a a climate of fear and heightened sense of mortality, as troops are preparing for escalation of an ongoing Cold War against parts of Asia. I felt that the characters were well drawn and Isobel’s was particularly complex but sympathetic. Initially I thought I had misjudged and was going to find the novel too sad given the subject matter, but believe the author @hollycavewrites dealt with mortality in a very sensitive and empathetic way. Some of the scientific explanations went slightly over my head, but I’m just not that way inclined, so don’t let that put you off. Ultimately this was a very stylish and unpredictable novel, which reminded me of Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go (interestingly Holly Caves was mindful of this story whilst writing). The legal and ethical considerations that this opens up would be perfect for book club discussion. I can’t wait to watch this on the screen, and am keeping my fingers crossed for a sequel.
🌟4.5