Alex

I loved it! A little bit of everything for every type of reader

I was told this book was tense and dark but I truly did not grasp the severity of it. Please check trigger warnings because it is mighty graphic. 

That being said RF Kuang is an auto buy author for me. Her attention to detail and the amount of research that has gone into each of her books makes her stories so real. There is a scene, in fact multiple scenes that had me crying because of how vivid they were. 

This will be a book that I think about for years to come. I'm excited and nervous to finish the rest of the trilogy. I hope it's not as brutal as this but I'm excited to see what happens in the next book. 

  The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa Genre: Dystopian Psychological Thriller Release Date: Japan in 1994 and translated into English in August 6, 2019 Length: 288 pages 8 hours, 45 minutes “I wonder whether the story will remain after I disappear.” The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa is a dystopian novel set on an island where objects and memories mysteriously vanish, and a force called the Memory Police enforces these erasures. The protagonist, a young novelist, begins to notice the disappearances and secretly hides those at risk of being forgotten, including her editor, R. As the island's residents lose their memories, the novel explores themes of loss, identity, and the power of authoritarian control over memory. It's a haunting meditation on how memory shapes who we are and the consequences of its loss with a chilling atmosphere that questions the nature of forgetting and the power of authoritarian control over the mind. The Memory Police themselves represent an oppressive force that seeks to eradicate not only physical objects but also the essence of the past, reducing people to hollow versions of themselves. The story is both a psychological thriller and a reflection on how memory shapes who we are. It's a quietly unsettling read that builds tension slowly, blending the personal with the philosophical in a way that lingers long after the last page. Typically novels are described as either character or plot driven. What happens when neither are the sole focus of the story? In my opinion, you have a deeply thought provoking and one open to interpretation. After sitting with the story and reading reviews and analysis videos one thing I can say for certain is there is no one interpretation. Bases on this alone, it begs for a re read. This book would make for an interesting group read and discussion. I still find this book very difficult to define. What I can say is to read this book if you are ready for a thought provoking and unsettling book I'd recommend giving The Memory Police a try. I have never read a book quote like this where the character work and the plot were lacking but I enjoyed the existential dread of it all. 

I loved this book so much. It had me on the edge of my seat! I can't wait to read the other books in the series. I love the world building and the politics that we are exposed to during the course of this book. My favorite quote “anyone can betray anyone”. Girrrrrrl. The battle sequences had me losing my mind. I think this will be living rent free in my head for a long while.

I'm annoyed with the character or Marianne.
I will try not to spoil anything but girl needs a therapist asap. It seems like as Connell has grown and evolved throughout the years, Marianne is in a state of arrested development. Now an argument can be made for why she remains this way but I feel like she had ample opportunity to make changes and just did not.

I'm very annoyed with the ending. It could have been so much more. Anything would have been more. This is my first book by Sally Rooney so I won't give up on her writing just yet but this has left a sour taste in my mouth.