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booklovingmom_'s review
3.0
I received a copy of Memory Lane through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Memory Lane is about a mother and daughter who have a strained relationship. In hopes of connecting better, Cassie, the mom, signs her daughter and herself up for a scientific trial that has to do with sharing memories. Alex, the daughter, agrees in hopes that she can find out about her father and all of the things that her mom has refused to tell her.
Let me start by saying that I am not a huge sci-fi fan at all, but I saw Sara Shepard’s name and knew I needed to give this book a try. It was an interesting story that was fast paced and made me want to keep turning the page, but I didn’t get into it all that much. I wasn’t a huge fan of the characters and felt like there were a lot of questions I didn’t get answered. It was a good story, but like I said before, I am not a huge sci-fi fan, which made it hard to get into this story for me. I think if you like sci-fi a lot, this would be a good book to read.
Memory Lane is about a mother and daughter who have a strained relationship. In hopes of connecting better, Cassie, the mom, signs her daughter and herself up for a scientific trial that has to do with sharing memories. Alex, the daughter, agrees in hopes that she can find out about her father and all of the things that her mom has refused to tell her.
Let me start by saying that I am not a huge sci-fi fan at all, but I saw Sara Shepard’s name and knew I needed to give this book a try. It was an interesting story that was fast paced and made me want to keep turning the page, but I didn’t get into it all that much. I wasn’t a huge fan of the characters and felt like there were a lot of questions I didn’t get answered. It was a good story, but like I said before, I am not a huge sci-fi fan, which made it hard to get into this story for me. I think if you like sci-fi a lot, this would be a good book to read.
melissadelongcox's review
2.0
*Thanks to Serial Box + NetGalley for the ARC!*
I'm bummed about this one. The premise was really good - very Black Mirror adjacent - what if you could transfer memories between people? In this case, between mother and daughter. But then things started to go awry. The story pacing was great, and the way you were getting a slow reveal of the memories was good, too. Towards the end, the pacing was too much, though - it felt like the book just stopped, several chapters too short with no real resolution. I don't know... it was fine.
I'm bummed about this one. The premise was really good - very Black Mirror adjacent - what if you could transfer memories between people? In this case, between mother and daughter. But then things started to go awry. The story pacing was great, and the way you were getting a slow reveal of the memories was good, too. Towards the end, the pacing was too much, though - it felt like the book just stopped, several chapters too short with no real resolution. I don't know... it was fine.
trisha_thomas's review
3.0
"Any new invention seems impossible until it becomes a part of everyday life."
This was an interesting story about a mother and daughter going on a road trip to remember shared memories - memories that the mother shared with the daughter through a new mind-meld type technology. The daughter knows little of her mom's life before she was born and she'd love to know more.
But the story felt very light. I'd have loved more before story and more depth in-between. I think there's a lot of potential to really get to know Alex - the daughter. I didn't buy her need to control or her doing so much for her mom because she seemed to know very little about her mother in general. And she seemed to have this endless supply of money for only working part time.
However, the story was short, fast paced and definitely kept me wondering what was going on. I didn't love it but I did find it interesting.
An e-ARC was provided to me by the author and publishing via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
This was an interesting story about a mother and daughter going on a road trip to remember shared memories - memories that the mother shared with the daughter through a new mind-meld type technology. The daughter knows little of her mom's life before she was born and she'd love to know more.
But the story felt very light. I'd have loved more before story and more depth in-between. I think there's a lot of potential to really get to know Alex - the daughter. I didn't buy her need to control or her doing so much for her mom because she seemed to know very little about her mother in general. And she seemed to have this endless supply of money for only working part time.
However, the story was short, fast paced and definitely kept me wondering what was going on. I didn't love it but I did find it interesting.
An e-ARC was provided to me by the author and publishing via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
mad_about_books's review
4.0
The relationship between a mother and daughter is always a complex combination of love and conflict. Just ask me, I have a daughter…. hence, daddy's girl, and mama's boy.
MEMORY LANE is a soft science fiction serial that feels like it is in both a contemporary and near future timeframe. Through some scientific machinations, a mother and daughter can physically share memories. Under the auspices of a study into this possibility, Cassie (the mom) and Alex (the daughter) undertake this transfer of memory from mother to daughter.
I found the story both more interesting than I expected yet somewhat lacking in substance. In length and language it seems to be directed to new adult readers. The premise is tantalizing, but the abrupt ending leaves something to be desired. If you're looking for a thought-provoking fast read, I'd say give this one a go.
MEMORY LANE is a soft science fiction serial that feels like it is in both a contemporary and near future timeframe. Through some scientific machinations, a mother and daughter can physically share memories. Under the auspices of a study into this possibility, Cassie (the mom) and Alex (the daughter) undertake this transfer of memory from mother to daughter.
I found the story both more interesting than I expected yet somewhat lacking in substance. In length and language it seems to be directed to new adult readers. The premise is tantalizing, but the abrupt ending leaves something to be desired. If you're looking for a thought-provoking fast read, I'd say give this one a go.
shelfreflectionofficial's review
4.0
This isn’t real. This isn’t real. Trust no one.
[3.5 rounded up to 4] This was a really good psychological thriller (I wouldn’t classify it as sci-fy except for some futuristic tech). Memory therapy- implanting memories from one person’s brain to another. What could wrong?
Alex and her mother take part in a study where Alex has memories from her mother implanted in her brain. But is she experiencing reality or delusion? Her mother claims certain aspects of her visions are incorrect. Is something sinister taking place? Are they being watched? Are people who they say they are? Who can they trust- can they even trust each other? Everyone has their secrets and now they’re on the run and Alex has to decipher what’s going on in her head before someone gets hurt.
So much potential here but it was a little too short. I read it in a day and I’m a mother of 4 under 4. I hated the ending (UNLESS there’s supposed to be a sequel). I’m disappointed that the author didn’t write more. She had so much to work with.
But the suspense and anticipation was definitely there. I thought I had it figured out and I did some of it because I was suspicious about everything the whole time but there are a few unexpected twists that were nice. I would read more from this author- as long as her other books have more resolution.
Side note: Could use a better cover; this one with the hand coming up from the water and the weird title font isn’t real appealing and doesn’t make a ton of sense to the story
**Received an ARC via NetGalley**
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
[3.5 rounded up to 4] This was a really good psychological thriller (I wouldn’t classify it as sci-fy except for some futuristic tech). Memory therapy- implanting memories from one person’s brain to another. What could wrong?
Alex and her mother take part in a study where Alex has memories from her mother implanted in her brain. But is she experiencing reality or delusion? Her mother claims certain aspects of her visions are incorrect. Is something sinister taking place? Are they being watched? Are people who they say they are? Who can they trust- can they even trust each other? Everyone has their secrets and now they’re on the run and Alex has to decipher what’s going on in her head before someone gets hurt.
So much potential here but it was a little too short. I read it in a day and I’m a mother of 4 under 4. I hated the ending (UNLESS there’s supposed to be a sequel).
Spoiler
Judith has some sort of operation going at the hospital where she was able to wipe Remi’s memory and Alex and Cassie are just like- We’ll help you remember! The End. What? Judith is on the run, no one can vouch that you didn’t shoot him, he doesn’t know he’s your father and lover respectively, Alex could still be charged with a different crime, Trina and Peyton are still under Judith’s tampering, and that’s just it? The end? Plus Alex talks about wanting to meet her dad and that maybe that would help her understand this ‘darker’ side to her but that storyline fizzles out. Also, Remi reveals that he knows how Judith messed with them saying it’s the generator, but then we are given no further explanation. If there is no sequel that’s the worst ending ever.But the suspense and anticipation was definitely there. I thought I had it figured out and I did some of it because I was suspicious about everything the whole time but there are a few unexpected twists that were nice. I would read more from this author- as long as her other books have more resolution.
Side note: Could use a better cover; this one with the hand coming up from the water and the weird title font isn’t real appealing and doesn’t make a ton of sense to the story
**Received an ARC via NetGalley**
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
mommasaystoread's review
3.0
Memory Lane has an intriguing premise, and I found myself really enjoying the read almost immediately. There is the futuristic tech that would fall under science fiction, but other than that, I would say this one is more a psychological thriller. There are many twists and turns - enough to keep the pages turning all the way through. Right up to the end, and that's where I had problems. I would call it a cliffhanger, which it is technically, but it kind of feels like an open ending, maybe even speculative. It feels a bit abrupt to me, and maybe it's my need to have things tied up in a neat little bow, but this ending just didn't work for me. There were way too many loose ends along with a couple of threads that felt like they just fizzled out and were left to dangle. So, what I ended up with was a really good story with a really disappointing end. I did like the rest of the book enough that I'd definitely check out a sequel if there is one, sp there's that.
andredababy's review
5.0
OMG!!! This was so much more than I expected. Like I just expected a mother and a daughter going on a road trip and it being all happy with a few twists, but nothing too severe. When I tell you this had so many unexpected twists and I loved them. It's been so long since I've read a book where I couldn't even guess what was gonna happen next. Really glad I was able to get my hands on the ARC thanks to netgalley.
emmreadsbooks's review
2.0
I had high hopes for this book given the comparisons to Inception and Recursion. However I felt that the book was too short to build the appropriate tension and instead relied on constant gaslighting of the main character as an attempt to create a sense of unreliability in the mother. It seemed like towards the end there was such pressure to tie everything up neatly that I left the book with a sour taste in my mouth. Overall just disappointing unfortunately.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange of an honest review*
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange of an honest review*
librarypatronus's review
4.0
3.5 stars...This was fast-paced, which usually I love in a thriller, but it was almost too abrupt at the end. There wasn’t a page count listed, but it was very short. I read it in one sitting, less than 2 hours, and was kept enthralled the entire time. When I put it down though, I had a moment of “wait, what?” about the ending.
This follows a young woman and her not-very-motherly Mom, who she always thinks of as Cassie, as they try to share memories and find out what’s real and what isn’t. I loved how right off the bat you just knew something wasn’t going quite right, I don’t tend to like when thrillers pack all the thrilling bits at the end. The end wrapped up a bit too neatly, and just didn’t make sense to me. I know we suspend some disbelief to believe they can share memories, but how it all tied together was a little much. Overall, I found it a very enjoyable reading experience and would definitely recommend picking it up.
This follows a young woman and her not-very-motherly Mom, who she always thinks of as Cassie, as they try to share memories and find out what’s real and what isn’t. I loved how right off the bat you just knew something wasn’t going quite right, I don’t tend to like when thrillers pack all the thrilling bits at the end. The end wrapped up a bit too neatly, and just didn’t make sense to me. I know we suspend some disbelief to believe they can share memories, but how it all tied together was a little much. Overall, I found it a very enjoyable reading experience and would definitely recommend picking it up.
ndgrad98's review
2.0
Memory Lane aimed straight but missed the mark.
This fast-paced read will have you guessing what’s real or not and what really happened to Alex’s mother and father all those years ago. However, other than the main character Alex, the characters are flat and the ending rushed to an unfinished close.
Alex and her mom Cassie agree to participate in a scientific study where some of Cassie’s memories are transplanted into Alex’s mind in hopes she will be able to recall them as if they were her own. Cassie has spent 20 years as an off and on addict with mental illness. Alex has tried to make something of herself by going to college and finding a good job while she cares for her mother. The only reason she agrees to the experiment is that Cassie refuses to tell her anything about her father and why she left him 20 yrs prior. Alex hopes she can learn more about him from cassie’s memories. Instead, Alex recalls memories that Cassie says aren’t real, including one of a body on a table and one of Cassie being drowned.
This is another book that was issued as a serial, so it has “season x episode y” at the start of every chapter. I really wish authors would take this out when publishing as a full book because it's distracting and irrelevant to a full-length book. The book did not feel long at all, making me think the plot could have been filled in more in a few places or a bit more added to the ending.
Overall I think the idea has promise but the authors just didn’t pull it off. If you like sci-fi type thrillers you would like this one. It’s written like it’s the future but really set in modern-day times. I’m not quite sure when it publishes as the ARC states 1/13/21 but Amazon states 12/21/21.
Thank you to #NetGalley and Serial Box for providing me an #ARC of #MemoryLane to review.
This fast-paced read will have you guessing what’s real or not and what really happened to Alex’s mother and father all those years ago. However, other than the main character Alex, the characters are flat and the ending rushed to an unfinished close.
Alex and her mom Cassie agree to participate in a scientific study where some of Cassie’s memories are transplanted into Alex’s mind in hopes she will be able to recall them as if they were her own. Cassie has spent 20 years as an off and on addict with mental illness. Alex has tried to make something of herself by going to college and finding a good job while she cares for her mother. The only reason she agrees to the experiment is that Cassie refuses to tell her anything about her father and why she left him 20 yrs prior. Alex hopes she can learn more about him from cassie’s memories. Instead, Alex recalls memories that Cassie says aren’t real, including one of a body on a table and one of Cassie being drowned.
This is another book that was issued as a serial, so it has “season x episode y” at the start of every chapter. I really wish authors would take this out when publishing as a full book because it's distracting and irrelevant to a full-length book. The book did not feel long at all, making me think the plot could have been filled in more in a few places or a bit more added to the ending.
Overall I think the idea has promise but the authors just didn’t pull it off. If you like sci-fi type thrillers you would like this one. It’s written like it’s the future but really set in modern-day times. I’m not quite sure when it publishes as the ARC states 1/13/21 but Amazon states 12/21/21.
Thank you to #NetGalley and Serial Box for providing me an #ARC of #MemoryLane to review.