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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
This reviews and other found at:
https://caughtupinbooks.wordpress.com/
This book was good. Not bad, not amazing, but good. It started off kind of slow for me. I was 24% into the book before it really started getting interesting. Even from there the pacing of the book was off. I would read a few pages and put it aside only to pick it back up and read some more and put it back down. It was like I could only handle the pacing for so long before I had to put it down for awhile. Until, it got to be around 50-60 ish % then it was going good. It was like Eileen finally got to her favorite part and took of with it. The pacing was better and before I knew it was over. Not like boom, only my God, it ended suddenly but it was going at a much better pace for myself and I quit paying attention to how far along I was until it was over. It got more interesting as it went along as well. I became more.. how do I put this..... engulfed?, entranced?, more into the story and less actually in reality. I need up liking the read. It is interesting to ponder what it would be like to have my memory partially erased. I don't think it's my cup of tea. I have a bad memory as it is. I don't need any help in that department. If you like sci-fi, fantasy this could be a read for you. Have you read it? What do you think?
https://caughtupinbooks.wordpress.com/
This book was good. Not bad, not amazing, but good. It started off kind of slow for me. I was 24% into the book before it really started getting interesting. Even from there the pacing of the book was off. I would read a few pages and put it aside only to pick it back up and read some more and put it back down. It was like I could only handle the pacing for so long before I had to put it down for awhile. Until, it got to be around 50-60 ish % then it was going good. It was like Eileen finally got to her favorite part and took of with it. The pacing was better and before I knew it was over. Not like boom, only my God, it ended suddenly but it was going at a much better pace for myself and I quit paying attention to how far along I was until it was over. It got more interesting as it went along as well. I became more.. how do I put this..... engulfed?, entranced?, more into the story and less actually in reality. I need up liking the read. It is interesting to ponder what it would be like to have my memory partially erased. I don't think it's my cup of tea. I have a bad memory as it is. I don't need any help in that department. If you like sci-fi, fantasy this could be a read for you. Have you read it? What do you think?
Read more at http://rainbowreviews.wix.com/readingfree or on Instagram @RainbowReviewsKC
Gut Instinct Rating - 3.5
Story Line - 4
Writing Style - 4
Characters - 4
Excitement Factor - 3.5
Believability for type and topics - 5
Similarity to other books - 4
Cover art - 3
Title Relevance - 5
Emoji Meter:
Gut Instinct Rating - 3.5
Story Line - 4
Writing Style - 4
Characters - 4
Excitement Factor - 3.5
Believability for type and topics - 5
Similarity to other books - 4
Cover art - 3
Title Relevance - 5
Emoji Meter:
I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this one: it wasn't my favorite.
The premise sounded so cool and intriguing, but the delivery was a struggle. The writing wasn't good, the characters didn't connect for me, the instalove was just too much, and the plot ended up not being nearly as interesting as I'd hoped. It was a really great idea—and some of the mystery aspect was why I kept reading—but overall, a disappointment. The story had a great chance to dig deep into complex ideas and issues, such as the human brain and memory and how trauma effects a person, but it barely skimmed the surface and came off supremely superficial.
Not for me.
Rated 1.5/5 for a good idea and a couple of funny lines
The premise sounded so cool and intriguing, but the delivery was a struggle. The writing wasn't good, the characters didn't connect for me, the instalove was just too much, and the plot ended up not being nearly as interesting as I'd hoped. It was a really great idea—and some of the mystery aspect was why I kept reading—but overall, a disappointment. The story had a great chance to dig deep into complex ideas and issues, such as the human brain and memory and how trauma effects a person, but it barely skimmed the surface and came off supremely superficial.
Not for me.
Rated 1.5/5 for a good idea and a couple of funny lines
Initial Impressions 2/15/20: It's been a long time since I finished a print copy of a book in one day but I didn't want to put this one down! I got about halfway in the morning and then picked it back up again the afternoon so I could see how it all tied together and how it ended!
I fell in love with Eileen Cook over WITH MALICE and her books have actually been on my TBR since 2012 when I added THE ALMOST TRUTH (but I still don't have a copy of that one...) so when I was looking into what to read to knock some more off my blacklist TBR, I knew this book had to be one to read soon!
There were a few beliefs I had to suspend in order to read the book. The concept was about a company that was able to "soften" painful memories so they weren't as all-consuming or painful, so I had to assume this would work. I also had to let it slide when the main character sneaks in to have the procedure which would like never, ever be possible. Even when you have a minor medical procedure you have to show ID and they check your birthdate 100 times to make sure you're the right person and they're doing the right thing to you, so there's no way she could have just snuck in to have this done under someone else's name and the medical staff would just accept that she was who she was by giving her name.
Anyway! Those things aside, the book was really enjoyable. I liked the story overall and there were a few things that I thought would be predictable and were and a few things that I thought would be predictable and surprised me! I loved Eileen Cook's storytelling ability in WITH MALICE and REMEMBER also had some great pacing, revealing things at the opportune time while still holding enough back to make me want to finish this book in a day and not put it down! I've only read two of her books so I can't really say how her writing has grown from one to the other, and they were also different types of stories even though they both held the elements of a mystery/thrillers, but it does feel like the character development grows (this was the earlier book so I didn't read them chronologically) and it definitely makes me more interested in reading more!
I fell in love with Eileen Cook over WITH MALICE and her books have actually been on my TBR since 2012 when I added THE ALMOST TRUTH (but I still don't have a copy of that one...) so when I was looking into what to read to knock some more off my blacklist TBR, I knew this book had to be one to read soon!
There were a few beliefs I had to suspend in order to read the book. The concept was about a company that was able to "soften" painful memories so they weren't as all-consuming or painful, so I had to assume this would work. I also had to let it slide when the main character sneaks in to have the procedure which would like never, ever be possible. Even when you have a minor medical procedure you have to show ID and they check your birthdate 100 times to make sure you're the right person and they're doing the right thing to you, so there's no way she could have just snuck in to have this done under someone else's name and the medical staff would just accept that she was who she was by giving her name.
Anyway! Those things aside, the book was really enjoyable. I liked the story overall and there were a few things that I thought would be predictable and were and a few things that I thought would be predictable and surprised me! I loved Eileen Cook's storytelling ability in WITH MALICE and REMEMBER also had some great pacing, revealing things at the opportune time while still holding enough back to make me want to finish this book in a day and not put it down! I've only read two of her books so I can't really say how her writing has grown from one to the other, and they were also different types of stories even though they both held the elements of a mystery/thrillers, but it does feel like the character development grows (this was the earlier book so I didn't read them chronologically) and it definitely makes me more interested in reading more!
*Thank you Simon Pulse for an Advance Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.*
Remember was a book that had easily pulled me out of my reading slump. It was entertaining and contained topics that interested me, such as memory loss. It was also mix of sci-fi and mystery, with a light coating of romance, which surely is my cup of coffee.
There are many things in Remember that I love. However, the one thing I found to be admirable in this novel was friendship.
The relationship between Harper and her best friend Win, and the bond both Harper and her horse, Henry, share.
From the way Harper and Win acted with each other, you can really tell how much of a great friend they are to each other. I found their friendship to be realistic and very admirable.
Then there was Harper and Henry. As human and horse, they both share a special bond, one that is unbreakable. Despite Harper having him since she was young, having grown up together, their friendship is none other than different from how it would be with another human being.
Throughout the novel as the story started to unfold, I slowly became attached to characters and wanted to know what would happen next. Eileen Cook, author of Remember, could of gone with the typical story line, “girl has no memory of her past and tries to regain them” and just left it at that. Fortunately, she chose to take the opposite route, one that has a whole new twist. Overall, I say Remember is worth reading. The story line is nicely paced and laid out, and keeps you turning the pages. It will most definitely interest sci-fi genre lovers, as it had for me.
Remember was a book that had easily pulled me out of my reading slump. It was entertaining and contained topics that interested me, such as memory loss. It was also mix of sci-fi and mystery, with a light coating of romance, which surely is my cup of coffee.
There are many things in Remember that I love. However, the one thing I found to be admirable in this novel was friendship.
The relationship between Harper and her best friend Win, and the bond both Harper and her horse, Henry, share.
From the way Harper and Win acted with each other, you can really tell how much of a great friend they are to each other. I found their friendship to be realistic and very admirable.
Then there was Harper and Henry. As human and horse, they both share a special bond, one that is unbreakable. Despite Harper having him since she was young, having grown up together, their friendship is none other than different from how it would be with another human being.
Throughout the novel as the story started to unfold, I slowly became attached to characters and wanted to know what would happen next. Eileen Cook, author of Remember, could of gone with the typical story line, “girl has no memory of her past and tries to regain them” and just left it at that. Fortunately, she chose to take the opposite route, one that has a whole new twist. Overall, I say Remember is worth reading. The story line is nicely paced and laid out, and keeps you turning the pages. It will most definitely interest sci-fi genre lovers, as it had for me.
RATING: 3.4 YA stars.
REVIEW: Well-written but not nail-biting plot (memory wipes!). Heroine should've gone Lisbeth Salander* on the adult who deserved it.
BONUS POINTS FOR: The "romance" was light and fairly tolerable here. No insta-love, excessive sighing, etc.
* from [b:The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo|2429135|The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1)|Stieg Larsson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327868566l/2429135._SX50_.jpg|1708725] series
PS As usual for YA, no good adult or parental role models here, and it's up to the kids to overcome everything on their own. *Yawn*
REVIEW: Well-written but not nail-biting plot (memory wipes!). Heroine should've gone Lisbeth Salander* on the adult who deserved it.
BONUS POINTS FOR: The "romance" was light and fairly tolerable here. No insta-love, excessive sighing, etc.
* from [b:The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo|2429135|The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1)|Stieg Larsson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327868566l/2429135._SX50_.jpg|1708725] series
PS As usual for YA, no good adult or parental role models here, and it's up to the kids to overcome everything on their own. *Yawn*
Remember was definitely a dream to read. It featured all of the things I love in fiction:
▪ Unique Characters
▪ Friendship
▪ Mystery
▪ Memory Loss Treatments
What caught my eye from the very get go is the memory loss treatment called Memtex. This instantly made me think of Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind. Memtex is a procedure that "softens" memories for people. When Remember begins, the treatment has just been opened up to children and teenagers. This of course doesn't fare well for everyone because there are protesters who are against the treatment.
I have to say, I would love a treatment that helped erase or soften memories. I can see why people would protest it though, especially if they've seen someone suffer from the treatment.
The main character in Remember is Harper, a girl whose father just happens to be the head of a company called Neurotech which has created a memory loss treatment called Memtex.. I thought this aspect was extremely interesting. When her dad comes to talk to the school, he announces the product for teens. I loved that Harper was defensive over her dad, she always immediately defended him, the treatment and the company. Even to her best friend, Win, which is short for Winifred.
"I still stand by what I said: You have to learn to deal with life. Whatever it throws at you, good and bad."
"But if you can make it easier, why shouldn't you? I said. "Isn't that the point? Life is hard, but if there's a treatment that can make it less difficult so that you can focus on other stuff, positive stuff, that is dealing with it."
Remember really made me think about my position on memory loss treatment. I know that's weird, having a "position" on something that doesn't even exist, but it made me think. Would having a treatment done to lose memories make things easier? Wouldn't it be sort of running away from it all? I loved that Win wasn't interested in this treatment at all. It reminded me of a character in Free To Fall (by Lauren Miller) who also wasn't interested in something that everyone else was. I really loved the science fiction element of Remember, that part was really interesting to me. I liked seeing how Memtex took effect exactly.
To read the rest, you can view the full review here.
▪ Unique Characters
▪ Friendship
▪ Mystery
▪ Memory Loss Treatments
What caught my eye from the very get go is the memory loss treatment called Memtex. This instantly made me think of Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind. Memtex is a procedure that "softens" memories for people. When Remember begins, the treatment has just been opened up to children and teenagers. This of course doesn't fare well for everyone because there are protesters who are against the treatment.
I have to say, I would love a treatment that helped erase or soften memories. I can see why people would protest it though, especially if they've seen someone suffer from the treatment.
The main character in Remember is Harper, a girl whose father just happens to be the head of a company called Neurotech which has created a memory loss treatment called Memtex.. I thought this aspect was extremely interesting. When her dad comes to talk to the school, he announces the product for teens. I loved that Harper was defensive over her dad, she always immediately defended him, the treatment and the company. Even to her best friend, Win, which is short for Winifred.
"I still stand by what I said: You have to learn to deal with life. Whatever it throws at you, good and bad."
"But if you can make it easier, why shouldn't you? I said. "Isn't that the point? Life is hard, but if there's a treatment that can make it less difficult so that you can focus on other stuff, positive stuff, that is dealing with it."
Remember really made me think about my position on memory loss treatment. I know that's weird, having a "position" on something that doesn't even exist, but it made me think. Would having a treatment done to lose memories make things easier? Wouldn't it be sort of running away from it all? I loved that Win wasn't interested in this treatment at all. It reminded me of a character in Free To Fall (by Lauren Miller) who also wasn't interested in something that everyone else was. I really loved the science fiction element of Remember, that part was really interesting to me. I liked seeing how Memtex took effect exactly.
To read the rest, you can view the full review here.
This is surprisingly deep. In fact I am not sure why, but I was kinda taken aback by the fact that this was so deep.
Don't ask me why. I should have expected it. It's a Cook novel after all. And I think I am slowly getting that that's her MO. Deep cute and fluffy.
Except the only kinda cute and fluffy bits are the romance, everything else. Not much cute and fluffy. Entertaining, thought provoking and endearing are more words I would use to describe this.
The writing style is Cook alla extraordinare. I love her writing style, its straight forward and accurate. I enjoy her brand of humour, witty and at times eyebrow raising with a tad of sarcasm. She does write beautiful scenes, like the one set on the view point, and heart-aching one with the same ease as she does action scenes. But her writing style while beautiful is also deceptively lighthearted. One only realised it's depths when you gotta pause to be able to realise all the different things that are happening.
The story line is interesting to say the least. It's fairly fast paced- except that Harper is actually rather a bit melodramatic and self-involved most of the time, which puts rather many bumpers on the story flow.
This also has a kinda love-triangle. Well, actually let me say it as it is: it has a love triangle. But funny enough I didn't mind it, well mostly I didn't, which in itself is a minor miracle. Since I loath those like little else. But there was absolutely no cheating, and Harper was actually surprisingly considerate about it. It was a bearable love triangle. Can't even believe I am saying that! LOL. But trust me it was.
Besides the main event here is Harper's journey of discovery. Her treatment- the Memtex she had done- and it's consequences. Not the romance.
Again this is not a cute & fluffy, it's light hearted with a big punch of depth.
Since this is all told from Harper's POV, we get to see everything from her perspective. And herein lies an issue I had with this book. I am not a fan of Harper. At first I just thought she was a spoilt rich kid who thought life will always go her way, under the guise of being this nice girl. But frankly I found her too self-involved and melodramatic. Totally spoilt and attention seeking. Her reasons for the Memtex were- ridiculous at best. I mean I get she was upset, but I felt like she really needed some real sorrow in her life, to even come to grips with what pain means. Sorry i know it sounds absolutely jaded and mean, but hey there a kids in this world who live in war zones, kids who don't have a home and kids who are abused in their homes... so many way worse scenarios than hers.
But I think this was a rather clever move of Cook- in fact it make you wonder when is it worth getting rid of your memories? Is life without the pain a better life? How much pain would grant a Memex treatment?
See deep!
I also didn't like how she handled her mother at the end. Nor was I sure how that solution was gonna work- cause let's face it, she is in school, where does she get money from?
I loved Neil,while searching for a cause, seemingly lost, he is probably less so than any other characters. He is interesting, honest (mostly), clever, loyal, adorable and fun. He is a total dream book BF. I adore him, totally fell for him. And couldn't understand what any of Harpers issues were.
I did have some issues with the adults in this book- they kinda cartoony, cliche and totally one sided in my opinion. It was a stark contrast to the teens, who all had many facets to their personality and evolved as the story went on.
My favourite though by far was Win. Awesome, beautiful, fabulous Win. Harper and Win's relations ship was dynamic and felt real. Even their quarrels were warranted- and I loved how they solved them. I am super pleased that Cook written such an awesome and realistic female friendship. Their love and loyalty was wonderful, but what was so moving was the fact that they were supportive and real with each other! I think only a real friend can tell you how it is in a time of crisis, but also only a real friend can call bull. And Win did both! She also showed a depth and maturity beyond her years. Stuff she said, stuck with me, made me ponder...And I love her, she is my new fave book BFF. Well, also my first- but hey I would want her as my friend in RL and we all got book BFs... so time I get a book BFF as well!
As I said, this was way deeper that expected. But also totally down my alley. The whole science side to it- while the treatment is total fiction and sci-fi-y - was interesting. The issues of side-effects, risks and welfare in procedures has always fascinated me and is a matter that has been close to my heart ever since I started studying chemistry. It's the balance of it all isn't? Finding where the good outbalances the bad... and frankly it's a huge grey matter. So it will always be a matter of interest, a matter of discussion as long as humanity does research and tries to improve.
As I said, way deeper than I expected. So I have warned you, while you will get gushy, happy feelings when it comes to Neil, you also get suspense, mystery and a whole lot of questions to ponder over.
I absolutely can only recommend this to lovers of the genre!
Don't ask me why. I should have expected it. It's a Cook novel after all. And I think I am slowly getting that that's her MO. Deep cute and fluffy.
Except the only kinda cute and fluffy bits are the romance, everything else. Not much cute and fluffy. Entertaining, thought provoking and endearing are more words I would use to describe this.
The writing style is Cook alla extraordinare. I love her writing style, its straight forward and accurate. I enjoy her brand of humour, witty and at times eyebrow raising with a tad of sarcasm. She does write beautiful scenes, like the one set on the view point, and heart-aching one with the same ease as she does action scenes. But her writing style while beautiful is also deceptively lighthearted. One only realised it's depths when you gotta pause to be able to realise all the different things that are happening.
The story line is interesting to say the least. It's fairly fast paced- except that Harper is actually rather a bit melodramatic and self-involved most of the time, which puts rather many bumpers on the story flow.
This also has a kinda love-triangle. Well, actually let me say it as it is: it has a love triangle. But funny enough I didn't mind it, well mostly I didn't, which in itself is a minor miracle. Since I loath those like little else. But there was absolutely no cheating, and Harper was actually surprisingly considerate about it. It was a bearable love triangle. Can't even believe I am saying that! LOL. But trust me it was.
Besides the main event here is Harper's journey of discovery. Her treatment- the Memtex she had done- and it's consequences. Not the romance.
Again this is not a cute & fluffy, it's light hearted with a big punch of depth.
Since this is all told from Harper's POV, we get to see everything from her perspective. And herein lies an issue I had with this book. I am not a fan of Harper. At first I just thought she was a spoilt rich kid who thought life will always go her way, under the guise of being this nice girl. But frankly I found her too self-involved and melodramatic. Totally spoilt and attention seeking. Her reasons for the Memtex were- ridiculous at best. I mean I get she was upset, but I felt like she really needed some real sorrow in her life, to even come to grips with what pain means. Sorry i know it sounds absolutely jaded and mean, but hey there a kids in this world who live in war zones, kids who don't have a home and kids who are abused in their homes... so many way worse scenarios than hers.
But I think this was a rather clever move of Cook- in fact it make you wonder when is it worth getting rid of your memories? Is life without the pain a better life? How much pain would grant a Memex treatment?
See deep!
I also didn't like how she handled her mother at the end. Nor was I sure how that solution was gonna work- cause let's face it, she is in school, where does she get money from?
I loved Neil,while searching for a cause, seemingly lost, he is probably less so than any other characters. He is interesting, honest (mostly), clever, loyal, adorable and fun. He is a total dream book BF. I adore him, totally fell for him. And couldn't understand what any of Harpers issues were.
I did have some issues with the adults in this book- they kinda cartoony, cliche and totally one sided in my opinion. It was a stark contrast to the teens, who all had many facets to their personality and evolved as the story went on.
My favourite though by far was Win. Awesome, beautiful, fabulous Win. Harper and Win's relations ship was dynamic and felt real. Even their quarrels were warranted- and I loved how they solved them. I am super pleased that Cook written such an awesome and realistic female friendship. Their love and loyalty was wonderful, but what was so moving was the fact that they were supportive and real with each other! I think only a real friend can tell you how it is in a time of crisis, but also only a real friend can call bull. And Win did both! She also showed a depth and maturity beyond her years. Stuff she said, stuck with me, made me ponder...And I love her, she is my new fave book BFF. Well, also my first- but hey I would want her as my friend in RL and we all got book BFs... so time I get a book BFF as well!
As I said, this was way deeper that expected. But also totally down my alley. The whole science side to it- while the treatment is total fiction and sci-fi-y - was interesting. The issues of side-effects, risks and welfare in procedures has always fascinated me and is a matter that has been close to my heart ever since I started studying chemistry. It's the balance of it all isn't? Finding where the good outbalances the bad... and frankly it's a huge grey matter. So it will always be a matter of interest, a matter of discussion as long as humanity does research and tries to improve.
As I said, way deeper than I expected. So I have warned you, while you will get gushy, happy feelings when it comes to Neil, you also get suspense, mystery and a whole lot of questions to ponder over.
I absolutely can only recommend this to lovers of the genre!
This is a clean teen read about a girl trying to unravel the mysteries of her past. Remember adds a slightly sci-fi element with Harper’s father having developed a medical procedure that erases sad memories. I liked Remember and I thought Harper was a strong protagonist that I could root for.
Remember took a while to take off for me. The beginning was slow and I found myself a little bored with Harper and her drama with her boyfriend and best friend. Once Harper undergoes the memory erasing procedure, the book picked up as she starts to have flashes from a life she doesn’t remember.
There was a love triangle, but I didn’t hate it in Remember. I liked the introduction of Neil and I thought the relationship between him and Harper was sweet. The two had great chemistry even though they met while he was protesting her dad’s company and the Memtex procedure.
I was surprised by the outcome, so I thought the author wrote a wonderful conclusion. I don’t think Remember will be a novel that stays with me, but I do think younger teens looking for a clean and solid mystery will enjoy the book.
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!
Remember took a while to take off for me. The beginning was slow and I found myself a little bored with Harper and her drama with her boyfriend and best friend. Once Harper undergoes the memory erasing procedure, the book picked up as she starts to have flashes from a life she doesn’t remember.
There was a love triangle, but I didn’t hate it in Remember. I liked the introduction of Neil and I thought the relationship between him and Harper was sweet. The two had great chemistry even though they met while he was protesting her dad’s company and the Memtex procedure.
I was surprised by the outcome, so I thought the author wrote a wonderful conclusion. I don’t think Remember will be a novel that stays with me, but I do think younger teens looking for a clean and solid mystery will enjoy the book.
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!