I really wanted to like this book, and I really tried to make my way through it but I cannot stand it and have to dnf it. I was hooked in my the title and description of this book but the pace and some other details...sadly really let me down. Before we get into this I do want to say thank you to the publisher for sending me this arc.

This book follows Sean who is a widower. His wife tragically died in his arms, however he cannot quiet remember how. The only memory he has is that he watched her die in his arms. Now Sean works at this company where the CEO frequently holds these tests or games for a group of other widowers and whoever wins the games is said to be granted wealth and fame.

Sean finally wins a round and he is given a box and instructed to go home and use it to retrieve his memories. This box hooks up to his temples and then projects his memories in front of him. He sees memories of his wife, his childhood, and even some mundane moments.

Let's get into when I first had a problem with this book. So when Sean gets home we get introduced to his new wife and his daughter as well as his teenage son from his previous marriage. His son is going through an emo phase and doesn't like communicating with his step-mom. Sean goes up to his son's room to talk to him and when he finally enters he notices that his son has a poster of Hitler in his room and then thinks "I don't know how to handle that" and proceeds to ignore it and attempt to tell his son he needs to be better at communicating. This pissed me off honestly for so many reasons. 1. why even write this in?? 2. why not write the character to handle it instead of bring it up then move on. I still cannot believe that this was written in! As I type this I'm remembering that the poster also had a Nike symbol on it. Just so many issues with this. Honestly this is when I should have immediately dnf'd but unfortunately I continued reading.

Because I received this arc I felt like I should continue on reading so I did.

The story progresses with him reliving memories and feeling like this machine could help him see who killed his wife and what actually happened on that night. The pace of this sequence was interesting at first then quickly lost my interest as it felt repetitive and I felt like we weren't getting any actual clues surrounding his wife's murder. Then we get to a part where his son is unloading a lot of what he is going through with coping with the fact that his mother was murdered when he was young and that he'll never know her and Sean's memory box ruined what he built up in his head of who his mom was. Sean brushes this off - "Teenagers. Teens and their angst. I wondered if it was the drugs or drinking. But maybe it was just who he was, so much like his mother."

Another issue I had with this is 40%-ish in Sean is taking the box back to the CEO to ask some questions. He decides to take a subway and it's written that he sees a "rather intimidating teenager" with a t-shirt that says "Jesus is Black". He then clutches his bag and hurries away.

*sigh*

The last thing that I had a problem with is there is a memory that plays where Sean and his toddler daughter are at a family event and his uncle says that his daughter is shy. This pisses Sean off and he tries explaining that she isnt. He then tells this elaborate lie of her preforming in front of the church and tries getting the toddler to agree with the lie even as she protests that none of it happened. But he keeps going on and on and finally the, again, toddler nods and agrees that yes this did happen therefore she didnt lie. Everyone rejoices I guess and he bends down and tells her "you remember this and remember how everyone loves when you share how great you are with them" so okay cool yeah let's tell a toddler everyone will love her if she lies.

This character is not enjoyable and at this point I was so annoyed with everything. I ended on 43%. Once Sean got back to the CEO and asked what the box was he responded with something like 'if you don't get it you don't deserve to know'.

So with relief I dnf this book and move on to the next read.

I really enjoyed this work by Michael Kozlowsky. Although not knowing completely what it would be about, I enjoyed there story and the points regarding memory the book made. The book really picks up steam in the 2nd half, a plot point they could have spent more time with. Excellent narration as well.
The cover and the title are a curious choice here as neither seems to have much to do with the actual book. Also there were some diatribes that dint add much to the story. Otherwise a solid read that will make you think,

I received a free Advanced Reading Copy via NetGalley in exchange for a complete and honest review.

One of the best books I've read in a long while.

I chose to listen to this book because of the first line of the description: Never trust other people's memories, and watch out for your own. That led me to believe this was definitely going to be a case of "be careful what you wish for." I hoped for tinges of maybe "The Twilight Zone"and the darker side of "Fantasy Island". I wasn't disappointed. The journey to get the answers that the protagionist thinks he wants has a lot of surprises along the way, as you kind of knew it would. The author was extremely skillful in keeping you guessing up until almost the last minute. I thought I had things figured out farly early on, but there was just enough doubt caused by alcohol and drug use,, that I was never entirely positive what was real, and because of the nature of the story, "real"almost escapes definition. I will say that this book stayed with me as few others have. The characters were not very likeable even most of the time, so if that is something you have to have in order to enjoy the story, this book might not be for you. Again, the author was very skillful at making his characters feel legitimate and empathetic. I can't say that I would change a single thing about this book, and I'm glad I read it.

The audio performance was exceptionally well done. I received both the audio and eBook versions, and I would say I listened to about 90% of the book and only switched to reading when audio wasn't convenient.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

How much can we trust our memories? Over time do they become diluted or exaggerated, contaminated or glossed over? This book, aptly named for the unsettling scene in The Wizard of Oz, discusses and explores all the ways memory is malleable.

I enjoyed this book for its speculative aspects. As an idea, memory is a fascinating one and the author does it justice. If you need likable characters to enjoy a story... maybe skip this one. The characterization is well-done, and I felt like I got to know these characters well over the course of the story. They feel real.

The audiobook narration was excellent, namely the performance of one character's manic laugh that just kept reentering the dialogue.

Good story but dragged a bit in the middle. Ending saved it. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

Not for me. It started of very dark. I should have given up right then. The middle was stretched out for too long. The end was not satisfying. It did have some decent ideas in there. The narrator was good though.

oh I loved this book. LOL I’ve been thinking about it all day.

What if there was a way to relive your memories. If there was a way to bottle your memories what could we do with them? What if those memories weren’t exactly how we remembered them?

This book started with an introduction to Sean’s boss in a life threatening game involving the Widowers Club.

This book flies off on some pretty wild tangents. If the publisher’s summary or what I’ve written here sound interesting then you should definitely pick up this book! You’re never quite sure what the truth is. I loved the ending!

Thank you NetGalley & Imbrifex Books, this was a crazy great story!!

It was like a Guy Ritchie film in novel form. Fast read!

I will be thinking about this one for awhile. It was weird.

<i>Life could not be accurately reproduced. Not in photographs, not on video, not in memory. Real life came around once, and we had to catch it while it was taking place; otherwise, it was distorted. We were distorted. The only truth was in the box.</i>

Sean Whittlesea works in a company whose boss comes up with contests for widowed men, promising a life of fame and wealth to the winner. One day, Sean Whittlesea wins one of those contests, and is gifted the Memory Place, a box that will replay all your memories. Entrapped by its lure, a plaintive Sean pushes away his family to discover what happened to his wife.

Scarecrow Has a Gun is a superlative piece of work, with its foundation rooted in the psychological brittleness and malleability of memory. It brings out the critical truth of human existence. That human memory is unreliable. The details of it cannot be trusted. Humans tend to fill in the gaps in their memories with information which seems accurate to them. We shape our memories, minimize or multiply the damage they can do. Sean is sure his recollection of his own memories are more accurate than the ones displayed by the Memory Place, but he soon realizes that his own mind cannot be trusted to play a memory accurately. This theme of the book was my favorite. The narrator's voice was perfect for the story.

The middle of the book got repetitive, but the ending did it justice. However, there was one plothole in the book I could not overlook. In the book's ending, Sean only gets rid of Mr. Ulger, but his assistant can always take his place. The objects in Mr. Ulger's office still exist. The other widowers with destructive gifts like the puppet pills are there as well. Sean's revenge could have been executed better, with Sean coming up with a plan to get rid of all the potential evil people existing within the company. Apart from that and Sean forgiving his not-so-good partner so easily, this book is the perfect blend of mystery, science fiction, fantasy, and psychological thriller.


Thanks to NetGalley, Imbrifex Books, and Michael Paul Kozlowsky for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to net galley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. I really enjoyed the plot of this book and the ending. The characters were so unlikable but I think that was kind of the point.

A definitely unique, original mind trip - no puns intended! Slow in spots, but once the story takes flight, it doesn't stop, right up to its fantastic, justified ending. I loved the clever use of the title and although the narration might normally annoy it, it greatly added to the story and connected the character well.

This audiobook was a wild ride! I wasn’t expecting half of the things that happen. If felt like a black mirror episode and I loved every single bit of it. I didn’t really feel The Wizard of Oz at first but as the book continued I understood more. Only thing I didn’t like it now controlling his wife is, saying he can’t talk about his deceased ex wife. I just felt that was a little low tbh. My favorite character has got to be Jodie tho. I absolutely loved her and how she was absolutely ready to fight anyone that wanted it! The ending tho? This is going to be an ending that I will have on my mind for a long long time. Absolutely amazing and well written. Can’t wait to read others from this author. Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this arc

🗝️Book Review🗝️
Author: Michael Paul Kozlowsky
Publisher: Imbrifex Books
Publishing: August 2,2022
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy of the book. And thanks to @angelsmomreads and @booksnbites13 for buddy reading this one with me. All opinions are my own.

From Amazon: "Sean Whittlesea was there when his wife was murdered. He saw the light leave her eyes. He held her dead body in his arms. He knows he wept, but he cannot recollect a single other detail. Tormented by the tragedy, Sean relives the horror over and over again. As he struggles to recall what really happened, his imagination serves up an endless chain of scenarios. The truth, however, remains hidden in the vault of his memory, and the key is nowhere to be found.
Nearly two decades later, Sean, now remarried and a father of two, wins a bizarre contest hosted by his eccentric boss. The prize is the Memory Palace, a state-of-the-art black box that purportedly allows its possessor to relive every moment he has ever experienced, playing out all the memories on a screen.
While the small machine at first appears to be the answer to the mystery surrounding the death of his wife, it instead upends Sean’s life. He pushes his family further and further away as the Memory Palace forces him to confront harsh realities and difficult questions that he lacks the strength to face or answer. Spiraling downward, Sean encounters increasingly harrowing challenges that force him to realize that his memory is not the only thing at stake. To recover the truth about his past, Sean must fight for his very life."

If you enjoy slow burn psychological thrillers then this is the book for you!
It had me curious from the get-go and I had a hard time finding out what was happening, what the purpose of the box was and who the bad guy could possibly be if there was one. It was strange (in a good way) and at times confusing, but I think some of it went a little over my head.
The narrator did a great job portraying the torment and obsession of Sean as he worked through his memories and tried to discover the actual truth.

This was a strange book. Not quite as sci-fi as I had expected and I found none of the characters likeable.

I was intrigued by the description of this story, and found the last quarter to be riveting! While the beginning was a very slow start for me, I found that it was because the author was providing the foundation layer by layer in the most precise and delicate way. I found the memory box to be absolutely fascinating and the big question of would you or wouldn’t you want to relive every memory from your life, to be very intriguing. I myself would not use the memory box, but it definitely poses a controversial question. I had hoped for a bit quicker of a pace, and more action earlier on but overall this was a solid scifi thriller!

I received a ARC of this book in exchange for my thoughts and review.

★★★★ 4 nothing is real stars!
“... Know this! Nothing is how we remember it.”
Wow.

From the very moment this book opened with the Widower's Club and the mind games of Mr. Ulger I was hooked. My curiosity got the best of me and finished this in one sitting. I love a good misery, and even better I love a good emotionally-charged memory reliving.

Plot —
Sean Whittlesea won his last Widower's Club game. It's no secret that every victor from the games seemed to have progressed in some way, either by company ranking or fame or fortune, they've come ahead of the rest. The reward was promise to be life-changing. Sean's is the Memory Palace, a cutting edge futuristic black box that allow its holder to relive every moment of his/her life by displaying all of his memories on a screen. He has now in his very hands the answers to the big mysteries in his life, but the more he get his answers the more he questions everything.

Scarecrow Has A Gun came off as unexpectedly smart and very insightful read. I had not expect the thought-provoking undertone this one has. More to the point, it really made me think and question myself about my own memories and recollections. While I do believe that human memories are not reliable, this still makes me wonder about the extent in which our memories can be tainted. I must say though, the lengthy monologues of some of the characters can come off preachy at times but it was well-received on my end.

Just a few points:
1. Hayley - I can't feel her. I feel so little love between Sean and Hayley;
2. the mystery wasn't too hard guess but still it was satisfying when everything unraveled;
3. what even is the point of the widower's club? it'll be interesting to know the rest of the victors, how they turned out and things this club made possible;
4. I need more of Auntie Josie the hippie.

I'm not the biggest sci-fi reader however I do have a soft spot for memory reliving, live-overs, and time-loops. There is something about those that makes me sentimental and emotional. Suffice to say this hit me heavily.

Thanks so much to Netgalley, Imbrifex Books, and Imbrifex Audio for the copy! I enjoyed this immensely. I was fortunate to be granted both the eARC and ALC so it's simultaneous reading and listening for me! Eh, that's just how I roll, lol.

In other news, holy hellmuffin! First time listening to David Doersch, and this certainly won't be the last!

Narrated by: David Doersch

A compelling, quick read. I enjoyed the end very much - it was unexpected. It's an interesting take on an unreliable narrator (of sorts).

I had high hopes for the book, but, I could not find anything interesting in the book. The plot was driving recklessly. Also, the story could not correspond to its title. There was a scene in the story when the character mentions the title in reference to the scene, but, I was literally confused with that. Basically, I was not able to connect myself with the book. It felt like I was jumping from a particular scene to an entirely different scene altogether.

I could give only 3 stars to the book. Although, the book could have been very different. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me an opportunity to read and review the book.

How much do you trust your memory?

Scarecrow Has a Gun by Michael Paul Kozlowski is a sci-fi trip that questions not just our own memory, but how much power can be wielded by the control of memory. I was captivated by this thought-provoking novel. David Doersch does a phenomenal job narrating this audio. I felt all the disquiet and desperation emerge from the character as the story unfolds.

Sean wins a bizarre contest by his boss and has access to a little black box called a Memory Palace that allows access to memories played out on screen. This is especially significant for Sean because there is a moment years ago that he can't remember...the death of his first wife in his arms. As he dives deeper into this little black box, his present is becoming skewed by his growing obsession of his past threatening his future with his new family and his career.

Again, this story made me contemplate what impact our memories have on who we think we are. This was a really crazy premise and the ending was superb. Especially enjoyed when the title phrase hit. The family dynamics were interesting and gave Sean a deeper humanity. I really liked this story, and it is a solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐ for me!

Thank you to @NetGalley and @imbrifexbooks for this digital ARC! If you enjoy a good suspensful sci-fi story that leaves you thinking, pre-order this August 2 release!

Wasnt sure about this one mid-way through as its quite a slow burn, but the ending pulled through. This was a lot more ambitious than a standard mystery/thriller, probably for readers looking to branch out into more experimental reads