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A review by lizetteratura
This Is How You Remember It by Catherine Prasifka
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This Is How You Remember is a brilliant try at a novel about growing up online and navigating public as well as private spaces while growing up as the first generation to have the ability to do so. This coming-of-age story is told in the second-person pov, from when a girl's family purchases a computer when she is nine years old, and she (also as the reader) rapidly realises how wonderful it is to be able to find anything on it, from exploring virtual pet sites to entering chat rooms and conversing with people who become friends. Quickly, as the use of the internet and social media becomes more frequent, the attempts to fit in the offline world get confused with the ones online, especially as the lines get blurred.
As someone who grew up throughout the rapid growth of the internet, this book spoke to me deeply, especially because of the close 2nd-person pov and the shocking but real events described in the book.
So far, so good, but here is where it fell flat for me. In the execusion.
The writing is very simple and straight-forward, but the rapid timelines can make a person confused about where they are in the story.
What also fell short for me was that the takeaway appeared to be a little shallow in comparison to what could've been a vast exploration of online space, boiled down to more or less 'put down the phone and live in the moment' as a moral. It was pleasing to see the protagonist mature, gain confidence, and move away from the addiction of social media, as one might anticipate from a coming-of-age story, but it lacked the necessary weight and clarity for me because of how fast-paced the story line was. I wish there was more dedication to the development of both the story and characters, but seeing as everything is fast on the internet, I will blame it on being a calculated move.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canongate for the ARC!
As someone who grew up throughout the rapid growth of the internet, this book spoke to me deeply, especially because of the close 2nd-person pov and the shocking but real events described in the book.
So far, so good, but here is where it fell flat for me. In the execusion.
The writing is very simple and straight-forward, but the rapid timelines can make a person confused about where they are in the story.
What also fell short for me was that the takeaway appeared to be a little shallow in comparison to what could've been a vast exploration of online space, boiled down to more or less 'put down the phone and live in the moment' as a moral. It was pleasing to see the protagonist mature, gain confidence, and move away from the addiction of social media, as one might anticipate from a coming-of-age story, but it lacked the necessary weight and clarity for me because of how fast-paced the story line was. I wish there was more dedication to the development of both the story and characters, but seeing as everything is fast on the internet, I will blame it on being a calculated move.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canongate for the ARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, and Alcohol
Minor: Grief and Fatphobia