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A review by silencia167
Remember by Eileen Cook
4.0
This review was originally published on my blog, The Reality of Books. Check it out here: https://therealityofbooks.wordpress.com/2015/02/10/remember-by-eileen-cook/
Remember, by Eileen Cook, begins in the middle of the horse jumping circuit with a young girl named Harper and her horse, Harry. Harry and Harper win many awards together, but then one morning she wakes up and Harry is gone. Harper immediately turns to her father, the head of a company called Neurotech that pioneered the “Memtex” procedure. “Memtex” is a drug that helps to soften painful memories for people to help them get past their grief. When Harper’s father refuses to allow her the treatment, she seeks it out without his approval. Afterwards, she begins to suffer from increasingly weird symptoms, including hallucinations that she worries might be memories. The pictures that appear to Harper after the procedure cause her to go on a journey with one of the people protesting her father’s company, Neil, to find out what of her life is true and what’s a lie.
This is a book that is largely driven by its unique and interesting plot. I like the science behind it, though I found myself wanting to know a little more about how specifically the memtex worked and what areas of the brain it had to target in order to banish memories. The storyline was wonderfully planned out, with piece after piece falling into place in a way that kept me rapidly turning the pages. The fast pace really worked for me, especially after Harper got the procedure. From that point on, the book really moves forward. I also love that the book kept me surprised until the very end. I was like “Oh, I totally have this all figured out.” But then, I didn’t. Always a nice surprise.
Harper is a strong protagonist. I like the way she handles her situation and the way she approaches everything. I wish, however, that she wouldn’t have gotten the procedure. It would seem that she could have dealt with the loss on her own. However, that would have made this an entirely different book. I like Harper’s relationships and the way she interacts with Win, Josh, and Neil in such different ways. She comes across as a very realistic character, which made me care about her.
I hate Josh. I hate the way that he treated Harper, and I hate the way that he came across as flat on the page. Josh could have been a lot more than what he was as a character, and, without giving any spoilers, I think the ball got dropped in his department. Neil, however, really worked for me. I understood Neil’s motivations, and his function within the story. Neil worked really well with Harper both as a way to advance the plot and a way to make Harper a more likable character. Neil is the catalyst that changes Harper from a somewhat spoiled brat into a more relatable person.
The obvious theme in this book in memory. What things do we remember? Or rather, what do we want to remember? It is never easier to just erase what hurts us rather than work to move past the pain. We need to deal with what ails us.
This is a great, fast paced read. Yes, the first quarter is a little slow, but it’s totally worth it to push through. If you’re looking for something that is unique and entertaining, with a strong hand in a realistic future, then Eileen Cook’s Remember is perfect for you. 4 stars from me.
I received Remember as an ARC from Edelweiss/Above the Treeline. I was not paid to write this review. Remember is expected for publication on February 24th, 2015, by Simon Pulse.
Remember, by Eileen Cook, begins in the middle of the horse jumping circuit with a young girl named Harper and her horse, Harry. Harry and Harper win many awards together, but then one morning she wakes up and Harry is gone. Harper immediately turns to her father, the head of a company called Neurotech that pioneered the “Memtex” procedure. “Memtex” is a drug that helps to soften painful memories for people to help them get past their grief. When Harper’s father refuses to allow her the treatment, she seeks it out without his approval. Afterwards, she begins to suffer from increasingly weird symptoms, including hallucinations that she worries might be memories. The pictures that appear to Harper after the procedure cause her to go on a journey with one of the people protesting her father’s company, Neil, to find out what of her life is true and what’s a lie.
This is a book that is largely driven by its unique and interesting plot. I like the science behind it, though I found myself wanting to know a little more about how specifically the memtex worked and what areas of the brain it had to target in order to banish memories. The storyline was wonderfully planned out, with piece after piece falling into place in a way that kept me rapidly turning the pages. The fast pace really worked for me, especially after Harper got the procedure. From that point on, the book really moves forward. I also love that the book kept me surprised until the very end. I was like “Oh, I totally have this all figured out.” But then, I didn’t. Always a nice surprise.
Harper is a strong protagonist. I like the way she handles her situation and the way she approaches everything. I wish, however, that she wouldn’t have gotten the procedure. It would seem that she could have dealt with the loss on her own. However, that would have made this an entirely different book. I like Harper’s relationships and the way she interacts with Win, Josh, and Neil in such different ways. She comes across as a very realistic character, which made me care about her.
I hate Josh. I hate the way that he treated Harper, and I hate the way that he came across as flat on the page. Josh could have been a lot more than what he was as a character, and, without giving any spoilers, I think the ball got dropped in his department. Neil, however, really worked for me. I understood Neil’s motivations, and his function within the story. Neil worked really well with Harper both as a way to advance the plot and a way to make Harper a more likable character. Neil is the catalyst that changes Harper from a somewhat spoiled brat into a more relatable person.
The obvious theme in this book in memory. What things do we remember? Or rather, what do we want to remember? It is never easier to just erase what hurts us rather than work to move past the pain. We need to deal with what ails us.
This is a great, fast paced read. Yes, the first quarter is a little slow, but it’s totally worth it to push through. If you’re looking for something that is unique and entertaining, with a strong hand in a realistic future, then Eileen Cook’s Remember is perfect for you. 4 stars from me.
I received Remember as an ARC from Edelweiss/Above the Treeline. I was not paid to write this review. Remember is expected for publication on February 24th, 2015, by Simon Pulse.