The basic idea of limited memory is a neat device but I found it difficult to accept. Because of this I struggled with the inconsistencies throughout, and found the characters unsympathetic.
If you can accept the premise, then you will enjoy the book. I'm sure

This was an intriguing read. The concept of a society made up of people who were either Monos who could only remember one day at a time ot the superior Duos who could cope with 2 days. Marriages between the two were frowned upon. Everyone had to keep diaries to have any kind of memory. Add into this a murder and how it can be solved. The four main characters tell the story each from their personal point of view.
Mark an author aiming to be a politician and the main suspect in the murder
Claire a mono married to and subservient to Mark and so in a frowned upon mixed marriage
Sofia who is murdered and was Mark's mistress. She claims to have a full memory
Hans Richardson the detective who is a mono trying to hold out that he is actually a duo.
There are several twists and turns along the way and I did not see the final twist coming but for me it was one step too far. I also found it difficult that this futuristic concept was written at the present time.

This book is based in an alternate reality to today’s world, where there are people that remember only what happened the day before and those who can remember the last two days – Monos and Duos.

Both types of people have to keep diaries as a log to remember facts about the past. But what happens when the whole truth has not been entered into a diary?

Claire and Mark are in a mixed marriage and have been for 20 years. Mark (duo) is a famous novelist and aspiring MP while Claire (Mono) is a housewife that feels inferior to her husband who remembers more of the past than she does.

One day a dead woman turns up in the river by their house, but who is responsible for her murder or was it an accident?

This has been compared to Gone Girl and Before I Go To Sleep, I don’t agree. It is quite different and did not have the pace of these novels. At first I struggled to get into this book as it feels like such a strange concept to not be able to remember more than two days previous. I did however enjoy the story in the end and didn’t expect the twist coming as the finale.

Wowsers. What a book. This, to me at least, was such an interesting idea to explore. As the tagline states: 'How do you solve a murder when you only remember yesterday?' When half of the population of the world can only remember the past twenty-four hours and the remainder only slightly less handicapped in that they remember forty-eight, it certainly adds a unique element of jeopardy to the investigation. The ultimate in 'ticking clock' mysteries as it were. When the body of a woman is found in the River Cam, the two main people of interest are on either side of the social divide - one a Mono - the people who can only remember the one day; the other, her husband, a Duo who has the benefit of two days of memory. But is that extra knowledge a blessing or a curse?
It is difficult to go much further into the plot itself beyond this, as to do so risks giving away too much of the story and a lot of the real pleasure in this novel is in the reading. The gradual discovery of each of the significant clues which come to inform the investigation. The story, in its simplest form, is a murder investigation, but in truth, it is so much more than that too. It is a story of deception, betrayal and denial. But how much of this is deliberate and how much caused by the novels unique premise, the presence of a protein which deprives people of their memories, you will need to read to fully understand.
The story itself is told from four perspectives, four unique voices who all have a different take on events leading up to and following the murder. Firstly, we have husband and wife, Mark and Claire Evans, one of which is the main suspect in the murder. Then we have DCI Hans Richardson, the man tasked with solving the murder with such urgency before all memories are lost. Finally, we have the victim, Sophia Ayling, a woman whose life is filled with secrets. It is told in just twenty-four hours, the maximum time necessary to catch all suspects before memories start to fade and as such this feeling of time being of the essence, of being so finite, also spurs the reader onward.
Now as you can imagine, with memories limited to one or two days, recalling the past is very difficult and so people record their thoughts, feelings and significant 'facts' in diaries which are then consulted every day. Significant facts are retained to ensure that they are able to interact with people in their lives on a daily basis. Using both real time perspective and diary entries, the four people recount all that has happened, and is happening, leading up to and during the investigation. This provides us hints and direction as to what really happened, but also drops in a number of red herrings as we try to establish which memories, which facts, are in all truth relevant.
This for me was both a brilliant hook, but also one of the only niggles I had about the book. As both Monos and Duos had the ability to commit 'facts' to their memory and retain that knowledge indefinitely, I had to wonder what stopped them from recording all memories as fact and thereby having a near complete recollection. But in truth, it was only very key facts that people seemed to retain, such as birth dates, memorable occasions, names and the like, which would be easier to remember for most, and with a host of facts which would have been retained prior to the trigger date for memory loss.
The book certainly made me think and compare to how our own memories work. While I can think back to my youth and remember snippets of my childhood, how much of what I recall is truth and how much have I genuinely either a) forgotten or b) embellished? Have I merely retained 'facts', my name, my date of birth, with all that surrounds that being a fuzzy memory? I can say with all surety what I was doing last weekend, so my memory extends beyond twenty-four hours, but ask me to tell you what I was doing two weeks ago ... Pass. The book takes this concept up a notch and does it very, very well.
Beyond the slow burning mystery which unravels throughout the novel, Felicia Yap takes a clear look at the class divide - the Monos verses the Duos - the haves verses the have nots. Duos are the exalted members of society. More successful, more talented and overall wealthier. Monos, in comparison, are by and large less educated and less successful. A merging of the two is still frowned upon, the idea met with prejudice, something which can be seen as a metaphor for so many aspects of modern society. Claire and Mark's marriage is simply not meant to work. There are too many reasons why it should fail and with added pressure of a murder investigation how can it possibly survive? Is it nature, love or a overwhelming sense of duty which keeps them together for over twenty years?
Although the story is built around so few characters, I actually grew to like them all. Mark and Claire are both flawed in their own way, and yet they were characters I could get behind pretty well straight away, and appreciate their motivation and fears. Hans Richardson was a little harder to gauge at first, but as you came to understand his own challenges then you could appreciate more what he was trying to achieve. And as for Sophia. Well from the off you get a clear picture of her character, and while I couldn't say she was someone I liked, without a doubt she elicited strong emotions in me and I needed to know more about her. She is a very unique character, for reasons which will be obvious when reading the book. But all four have elements which could make them unreliable narrators so just which of them should you believe?
Felicia Yap has done a brilliant job in creating this alternative reality, another version of modern society which mirrors our own in all ways but one. I have seen others question that lack of explanation as to how this situation came to pass. How Monos and Duos came to lose their memories, what the root cause was. To me this was not important. This was a simple 'fact'; a reality that in this world exists. The reason of why it occurs matters less than the impact of situation in itself, and if you accept this then you will understand how unique this book actually is.
Rather cleverly, Yap captures the prejudice and distrust in the two sides of the social divide perfectly. While I have to say that I could see in which direction some of the plot was heading, there were elements which were a revelation and completely took me by surprise. Most importantly, she has an engaging and absorbing style of writing and has written a story which drew me in from the off. It was a daring premise, one which was pulled off with aplomb.
A very exciting debut and I am looking forward to seeing what comes next.

Clare and Mark are in a rare mixed marriage. Clare is in a conscientious Mono (have only one day's worth of memory) housewife. Mark is a a novelist-turned-politician Duo (have two day's worth of memory). Then, a woman is found dead, her body had been dumped in England's River Cam. The woman is Mark's mistress and he is the prime suspect in her murder. But the Detective investigating the murder case and the murder victim both have secrets. With their memories constantly erased, how can anyone learn the truth.

This book is a bit confusing at the start. It took me until I was about 25% to understand the parallel universe. The characters use idiaries to record everything they do. It alternates between the four characters points of view. The murder victims is told through the contents of her Idiary. It is an interesting concept but don't try to overthink this book. An engaging but also a frustrating read. A good debut novel.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Headline and the author Felicia Yap for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting concept with interesting if not totally likeable characters and well written. So what's not to like? I am not a big science fiction fan but occasionally an idea grabs me and this book being a thriller too should have been one I would like. Unfortunately I just could not get the idea of it being in present time and my enjoyment was spoiled.
Great for a first attempt though and shows a lot of promise from an author who can certainly write well.

Yesterday by Felicia yap.
There are two types of people in the world. Those who can only remember yesterday, and those who can also recall the day before.
You have just one lifeline to the past: your diary. Each night, you write down the things that matter. Each morning, your diary tells you where you were, who you loved and what you did.Today, the police are at your door. They say that the body of your husband's mistress has been found in the River Cam. They think your husband killed her two days ago.Can you trust the police? Can you trust your husband? Can you trust yourself?
Slow but good read. 4*. Netgalley and headline.

The concept of this book intrigued me as to the use, and reliance of digital diaries to live your life by and now to see how manipulative and dangerous they can be really makes you think. It took a couple of chapters to get into whilst getting used to the references back to the diaries and the different characters but after it settled down - it is a good thriller that twists and turns with each chapter. I did guess the one twist but not the rest. Would definitely recommend this and will be looking out for other books by this author.

Not for me i'm afraid, couldn't get into it at all. I found the way it was written very confusing and all over the place; I couldn't connect with the characters or the story.

Yesterday by Felicia Yap is a story set in an alternate reality where people suffer from short time memory loss and have to keep a Diary to remember past events. I found the story interesting. A thriller about murder, infidelity and lies.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thought the concept was really original, a world divided not by class but by memory length of only one or two days. The use of the idiary to fill in the blanks in their memory should have felt very futuristic but actually felt just one step removed from where we are now with our extensive use of electronic data recording. While there was some intrigue over the murder, we did have a fairly limited list of suspects. I enjoyed the flashbacks via the diary entries and got caught up in that to the point where I almost forgot about the murder. I liked that the chapters from the detective point of view started with a countdown of the hours until the end of the day when his memory would reset. However as he was a DCI I found it jarring that he was actively investigating the murder, making house to house enquiries and interviewing suspects.
This book is unique enough to stand out from the crowd but I do wonder whether setting it a bit in the future might have broadened the appeal and given it more believability.

I was given a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

You can't fail to be intrigued by a whodunnit wrapped in an alternate world where adults don't have long term memories. What does it mean to perpetrator, investigator and innocent bystander, if no-one can even remember what happened?

In this book, adults are divided into those who only remember yesterday and those who also remember the day before. They religiously keep their daily journals and learn important occurrences as ‘facts’. The author doesn't shy away from an in depth examination of what this might mean in emotional and social terms. The society is fractured between the two levels of memory or ‘Monos’ and ‘Duos’. Monos are discriminated against, thought to be stupid, given menial jobs. Mixed marriages are frowned upon. There is discussion of the relationship between memory and love, and how they interact. There is also consideration to what happens when people rely on their own written descriptions, and what happens when those descriptions are deliberately inaccurate.

Throw into this backdrop the body of Sophia Ayling is found near the home of Mark (Duo) and Claire (Mono) Evans. The murder is investigated by DCI Hans Richardson who has a reputation for solving murders in a single day. These three protagonists examine the past by reading back over the own Ijournals (major plug for Apple there). The victim Sophia's account is included as Hans reads through her journal. The final solution will certainly take you by surprise. I felt overall there was a little too much activity to have fitted into a single day but I was happy to go along for ride. And it was quite a ride! If you like a whodunnit with more than just a trail of clues, you will enjoy this book. If you like a good twist, you will love this book.

What a fabulous idea ,imagine only being able to remember one day at a time or if you are lucky two days, imagine having to rely on your own diary entries to have any idea what you did.I wonder if your diary entries would always be reliable? I thought this was a really original idea ,it is a thriller but not like any I have read before.The story is told from different points of view including the diary entries of the murdered woman I like the different points of view technique it keeps the story fresh.I didn't really like the main characters, but I didn't have to.The story wasn't as complicated as I first thought it might be there were limitations because of the situation with peoples memories I guess but it was a truly original book and I thought it was a cracking read.If you are looking for something quite different, pull up a chair you have found it.

an amazing debut book, I will . definitely be looking for more from this author.
the story is very interesting and focuses on memories and how we all recall things differently and how we choose to believe our versions of them.

I found the story kept me interested and delivered some super twists

An enjoyable read that I would recommend to others. Unfortunately, being a mono, I can't remember much else :-)

I enjoyed the premise of this book. The world is divided into Monos (people who can only remember one day in the past) and Duos (those who can remember two days in the past). Everyone relies on diaries and when a woman is killed, the protagonist must work out how her husband is involved.

Although I liked the idea of the book, I found it to be a little slow and the idea was more lively than the writing. I really liked that it was from different people's POV but I have to confess I did not finish it.

This is a debut novel of outstanding qualities. Read this and it will change your life.Writers will learn how to engage readers immediately. Beta-readers will discover new words.. Words that hit you with fierce force--like ''asphyxiatingly cloying., Dazzling word play. And there are two repeats:1) He found redhead's attentions asphyxiatingly cloying. 2) Her company can be asphyyxiatingly cloying. Felicia Yap is assiduous in her scrutiny, with every word meticulously and cleverly added. A stickler to detail.She uses sentences that produce a miniature symphony of word-strangeness.
The most fascinating character is Mark. His alma mater at Cambridge is Trinity College. He is a successful writer of fiction, who gets an advance of nearly half a million pounds.,for his new novel. .As the story enfols, we get this lesson in Oxbridge learning: Mark found it hard to think clearly, even though trained by a Cambridge degree to do so. His wife, Claire, is a scatter-brained mono. A term that distinguishes.. her from her husband, who is a duo. I found this disconcerting---a new psychobabble term for having an outstanding memory.This could be a thesis for a PhD. The use of iDiaries, is also weird. At every opportunity, the four main charachters refer to their dependable aids--these constantly updated , This later serves them well, however, when the crimes unravel. The story line is unique. Set in glorious historic Cambridge, a beautiful city where great learning flourishes beside the elite intelligentsia---the preserve of the elite members of a fraternity steeped in coruscating and sparkling conversations
Gripping, funny, witty, spooky, and conversations that will enthrall and amaze the reader, this is a great addition to fiction of the highest order. By best read this year. I hope it will be your too. Loved it.
Thanks to Net Galley, and the publisher, for a free copy. An ARC in exchange for an honest, and unbiased review. .

My review as posted on Goodreads:

This is a scary book.
This is not a genre which I usually read, So I wasn't sure what to expect.
I soon found that I liked the writing style and the characters in this book. The two central characters are Claire and Mark who are married, yet come from different sides of the social divide.
The plot is enticing and I found myself drawn in to the story right from the start.
The whole concept of being either a mono or a duo is extremely disturbing.
It is difficult to say much about the story without spoiling the plot.
There are just so many things going on: Murder, jealousy and revenge being just a few.
Where is the truth?
Who is the most delusional?
Who is the most deceitful?
Who can you trust?
Science fiction or a warning for the social media generation?

This is a real psychological thriller, it messes with your grasp on reality. Does reality exist? An excellent twist as the story ends.

If this is Felicia Yap's debut thriller, I for one look forward to the next!
This is destined for a place near the top of my 'Best debut novel of the Year' list

My thanks go to Netgalley and the publisher, Wildfire for a copy of this novel in exchange for this review.

There is a wonderful premise to this book. A world in which people are distinguished by their memory recall. Some of the population have 48 hour recall while the others only 24. In this crime mystery we discover what happens when a person with complete memory of past events seeks revenge on those responsible for her 17 year stay in a mental hospital only to turn up drowned in the river Cam.

Sounds thrilling, right? And it totally is. Told in the voices of the main protagonists, Yap skilfully relays the events so that we become totally involved in each of their lives. Characters are well rounded and believable in a world some may describe as dysptopian but certainly weird enough to make me glad I was neither a Mono nor a Duo.

The plot is carefully weaved with some intricate twists and turns that I never saw coming. That's always a plus for me. The only time I thought the intensity was lacking was towards the end when I thought the book should have been coming to a close but Yap amps up the tension a notch and I found myself engrossed until the closing pages.

As this is suspenseful and somewhat of a thriller, I don't want to give any spoilers. All I can say is that this is a well written book with a good pace and flowing language that will appeal to readers of several commercial genres and well worth the read.

Unfortunately I struggled to finish this book. Purely for the fact that I did not pick up on the genre of the book from the blurb so it was unexpected. I find it hard to read dystopian/sci-fi as a genre although it was combined with crime. An interesting concept, but not for me personally.