Full disclosure: I was given a free advance reader copy of this book by Author Marketing Experts in exchange for an honest review.
Science fiction is a genre that I’m not that familiar with. I’m not usually drawn to these kinds of books like I am with historical fiction. Nonetheless, I want to read more science fiction. I had the opportunity to do so recently with the novel The Mechanics of Memory by Audrey Lee. It was a good story with a unique concept, multifaceted characters, and great twists.
The Mechanics of Memory is about one woman’s journey to remember her lost year. Memory is Copeland-Stark’s business. They help patients to recall forgotten memories at their sleek new flagship facility. Yet after months of reconsolidation treatment, Hope Nakano still has no idea what happened during her lost year, or the life she was just beginning to build with Luke – her one great love. Each procedure surfaces fragmented clues that lessen Hope’s trust in her own memories, especially those of Luke. As inconsistencies mount, her search for answers reveal a larger secret that Copeland-Stark is determined to protect at all costs. But everyone has secrets, including Hope.
I love the concept. Plenty of science fiction novels deal with memory in one way or another. Yet, none of them handle it like The Mechanics of Memory does. Copeland-Stark aims to recover memory by implanting false ones in patients in the Wilder Sanctuary, which is anything but. I’ve not read anything like that before. My one complaint about this concept was that not every treatment was made clear. I get that implanting the false memories was the start, and the recovery strategies involved therapy sessions and going through a labyrinth in order for patients to find a way to recall certain things. They also spend time in a place called The Butterfly Box, which I was never sure what it was and what it was used for. Other than that, the concept is unique, and I hope to see more of this take in future science fiction books.
In addition, I really like Hope. She is strong, resilient, and flawed. Readers will immediately see her as determined as she tries to figure out why she was put in the sanctuary in the first place. On top of that, they will be invested in her relationship with Luke as they are wonderful together. The novel reveals that Hope was in an emotionally and verbally abusive relationship prior to meeting Luke, and she sees him as someone who treats her like an individual, and she can open up to him with no problem. Sadly, she wonders if he was the one who put her in the sanctuary. The other people at the facility are interesting too. Doctors Stark and Emerson as well as other patients like Carter, Quinn, and Spooky (aka Spencer) have their own secrets as well. Some readers complained how there were too many characters. I didn’t feel that way at all because all of them were distinct.
Even though it’s mainly Hope’s story, readers do get Carter’s and Luke’s points of view. In one chapter, tech genius Carter is in a therapy session and finds out why he’s in the sanctuary. For some parts, people get to know Luke more and how he feels about Hope being in the facility. He is just as complicated as Hope, especially the fact that he works for Copeland-Stark – the same business that placed Hope in the treatment center in the first place.
Moreover, there are plenty of twists that will catch readers off guard. Obviously, I can’t spoil any of them. What I will say are two things: 1. Many of them didn’t see it coming and 2. One blew my mind towards the end and made me squirm in my chair. I haven’t felt that way since I learned about the big reveal in Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell. The twists are definitely worth it.
The Mechanics of Memory by Audrey Lee is a vastly interesting science fiction novel. The concept alone makes the book worth reading, but it also helps that it has well-developed characters and twists that will leave readers thinking about them for a long time. I would recommend it for those who love science fiction with some mystery and suspense as well as reading about corrupt businesses and how memory works. The Mechanics of Memory is out tomorrow, August 27, so go grab it wherever you get your books.
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Book Reviews by a Chick Who Reads Everything 