In a five-minutes-into-the-future world, a bereaved daughter must choose between losing memories of her mother to the haze of time and the reality-distorting, visceral pain of complete, perfect recall.
Lora Mint is determined not to forget.
Though her mother’s been dead for five years, Lora struggles to remember every detail about her—most importantly, the specific events that occurred the night she sped off in her car, never to return.
But in a world ravaged by Vergets disease, a viral form of Alzheimer’s, that isn’t easy. Usually Lora is aided by her memory key, a standard-issue chip embedded in her brain that preserves memories just the way a human brain would. Then a minor accident damages Lora’s key, and her memories go haywire. Suddenly Lora remembers a moment from the night of her mother’s disappearance that indicates her death was no accident. Can she trust these formerly forgotten memories? Or is her ability to remember every painful part of her past driving her slowly mad—burying the truth forever?
Lora’s longing for her lost mother and journey to patch up her broken memories is filled with authentic and poignant emotion. Her race to uncover the truth is a twisty ride. In the end, Liana Liu’s story will spark topical conversations about memory and privacy in a world that is reliant on increasingly invasive forms of technology.
Publication Date: March 3, 2015
Lora Mint is determined not to forget.
Though her mother’s been dead for five years, Lora struggles to remember every detail about her—most importantly, the specific events that occurred the night she sped off in her car, never to return.
But in a world ravaged by Vergets disease, a viral form of Alzheimer’s, that isn’t easy. Usually Lora is aided by her memory key, a standard-issue chip embedded in her brain that preserves memories just the way a human brain would. Then a minor accident damages Lora’s key, and her memories go haywire. Suddenly Lora remembers a moment from the night of her mother’s disappearance that indicates her death was no accident. Can she trust these formerly forgotten memories? Or is her ability to remember every painful part of her past driving her slowly mad—burying the truth forever?
Lora’s longing for her lost mother and journey to patch up her broken memories is filled with authentic and poignant emotion. Her race to uncover the truth is a twisty ride. In the end, Liana Liu’s story will spark topical conversations about memory and privacy in a world that is reliant on increasingly invasive forms of technology.
Publication Date: March 3, 2015
I have mixed feelings about The Memory Key, but I do have to
say I enjoyed the topic immensely. I loved the idea of our memories being
controlled by corporations and how scary it must be to not know what’s real and
what’s fake.
The setting was unique and I found myself drawn into a world
where memories are fleeting. I’ve read memory wipe novels, but never a book
about a viral Alzheimer’s like disease. The author did a good job of not info
dumping at the start of the book and allowed the reader to get a feel for the
world naturally. I also liked the pace of the book. It’s fast paced and kept my
interest from waning.
The characters were difficult to connect with. The main
character was a little all over the place and I couldn’t quite get a read on
her. She seemed to blow up at minor things, but when a major event took place,
she almost had too little of a reaction. I also wasn’t totally feeling the
romance which is usually one of my favorite elements in YA books.
Overall, I think The Memory Key was enjoyable since I found
many of the themes and plot elements thought provoking. The book is very clean
and would be an appropriate choice for younger teens.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Thanks to the publisher for a copy to review!
Great review! I love how you point out the good and the not so good. Interesting concept for a novel. :) Thanks for sharing. WRITE ON!
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