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A review by vanessar_769
The Memory of Animals by Claire Fuller
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I won't lie, the first few chapters of this book had me hooked! First, there was the premise of an unknown viral pandemic. These types of stories, for me, read a little differently after the effects of COVID-19, and I was excited to read a story that would potentially portray all the familiar feelings I had during that time. Fear, uncertainty, the works. That, alongside the concept of our protagonist being one of a small group of volunteers participating in the first human trials for a potential vaccine-- completely isolated from her friends, family, and even her fellow volunteers-- had me excited for the journey ahead. However, I was a bit surprised and slightly confused when the focus of the plot shifted from the vaccine and pandemic before us and changed into a weird survival story with strange tech and flashback scenes with our protagonist. Potential spoilers ahead ***
First, the dream sequences with the memory "revisitor" used by Neffy throughout the story that give us a glimpse into her life before the pandemic. I actually kind of liked these scenes, but I did find myself thinking that this particular plotline was a bit out of place and didn't make a ton of sense for me in terms of the story I thought I was getting at the beginning. While it was fun to get to know Neffy through her memories, I was unsure what the "revisits" really did for the progression of the story other than act as a way for us to dig into Neffy's past and figure out why she is the way she is.
Then, we have the journal entries with 'H'. I enjoyed these parts of the book. I felt it was a great way to give us little hints about Neffy and her true feelings that she wasn't always able to tell us outright. Even though the journal entries did feel random at times, I was able to see how they connected in the end, and I did enjoy learning about octopi during the process lol.
Overall, the book was a solid 3.5-4 for me. I do wish that the pandemic/vaccine plotline had been more explored as I do feel like it kind of took a seat on the back burner. The description of the virus and its effect on people was absolutely horrifying and I would have liked to see more from the author on it. Instead, the pandemic felt like an oversight, briefly mentioned and never really discussed after the first few chapters. The ending was also a bit abrupt, but such is the nature of sickness and death. I wish we had gotten more from the BioPharm crew outside of the vaccine clinic as well. Especially after the big reveal at the end about the fate of Neffy's fellow vaccine testers.
First, the dream sequences with the memory "revisitor" used by Neffy throughout the story that give us a glimpse into her life before the pandemic. I actually kind of liked these scenes, but I did find myself thinking that this particular plotline was a bit out of place and didn't make a ton of sense for me in terms of the story I thought I was getting at the beginning. While it was fun to get to know Neffy through her memories, I was unsure what the "revisits" really did for the progression of the story other than act as a way for us to dig into Neffy's past and figure out why she is the way she is.
Then, we have the journal entries with 'H'. I enjoyed these parts of the book. I felt it was a great way to give us little hints about Neffy and her true feelings that she wasn't always able to tell us outright. Even though the journal entries did feel random at times, I was able to see how they connected in the end, and I did enjoy learning about octopi during the process lol.
Overall, the book was a solid 3.5-4 for me. I do wish that the pandemic/vaccine plotline had been more explored as I do feel like it kind of took a seat on the back burner. The description of the virus and its effect on people was absolutely horrifying and I would have liked to see more from the author on it. Instead, the pandemic felt like an oversight, briefly mentioned and never really discussed after the first few chapters. The ending was also a bit abrupt, but such is the nature of sickness and death. I wish we had gotten more from the BioPharm crew outside of the vaccine clinic as well. Especially after the big reveal at the end about the fate of Neffy's fellow vaccine testers.