Cover Image: The Memory Box

The Memory Box

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Member Reviews

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I found this to be a very tough read. It was confusing and to be honest a real struggle but I finished it.
The end was definitely a twist, but I really didn’t enjoy this book.

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I am exhausted after reading this crazy, chaotic and very clever book. The main character’s gradual disintegration is draining and yet addictive at the same time. I spent much of my reading time whirling through the pages at an uncontrolled pace, desperately trying to keep up while a part of me was screaming at Caroline to just talk to someone! It’s a crazy ride through the scrambled mind of a genuinely likeable character. Brilliant!

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I had high hopes for this book, but was pretty disappointed. I felt like I had to force myself to continue reading, which is never fun! Some parts were fun to read but others just fell flat.
Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy of this book.

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This one is worth the read. I enjoyed this from beginning to end. Of course there are a few unexpected twists, especially at the end but I think they are well executed. I very much enjoyed the main character. I got to like her and feel for her plight... but the ending definitely made me question my loyalties to her.
These suspense books seem to be all the rage lately. Often that means authors throw them out there hoping to make a sale when they really aren't that great, but this one is quite good.

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What if you Googled yourself and didn't recognize what you found? With this premise, The Memory Box sucked me in and took me on a wild ride. Reading it made me feel really uncomfortable, but in a good way. I really felt like I was losing my mind along with the main character. I can't imagine not being able to remember that my twin sister had died (and I do have a twin . . . I am pretty sure). Once I was totally invested in the book, a twist jerked the rug right out from under me again. I am not sure how I missed reading this psychological thriller when it first came out, but I am glad that I found it now.

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Thanks to Kobo Writing Life for the ARC!

When I requested this title, I didn't see that it was originally published in 2014. I don't know why I never heard about it before. My first impression was great, I really wanted to read it.

Okay, so let's be honest. The first part is a little too crazy. Caroline's so annoying. For many times, I asked myself, "How come she does not know this? How come she has NO ONE to ask about it?". I was already feeling bad because I'd have to write a lame review.

BUT, then I got to the second part! And, whoa... Give it a chance. I don't want to say any spoilers, but that plot twist really caught me and made the reading worth it.

• What I liked: There is an explanation. You will definitely understand what happened.
• What I didn't like: Many dialogues seem kinda fake and slow.

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Did not finish. Was ready for a book that moved.

Thanks bookgalley and Eva Leslie Natiello for my copy. I found the kids cute in it, and parts of the book entertaining but I got bored and needed to move on to a more moving story.

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Secrets, secrets are no fun,
Secrets, secret hurt everyone...

Woah. This is...a book that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Sister, affairs, murder, deceit.

I LITERALLY can't stop thinking about this book and have already recommended it to my thriller loving friends.

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Ok, now having read this and thought about it, it is gimmicky and not entirely logical and overly convoluted and the plot may not hold up to real scrutiny and it tricks the reader, but…when you’re in it, it really grabs you. The novel is as the author and her protagonist both intended is unputdownable. In fact if not for food, I’d have gone through it straight in one sitting or does food even count? Because if not, then it was a one sitting read. It had that addictive hypnotic quality that some thrillers manage to achieve…that ok and then what thing going on. So basically you have your female authored female lead narrative (at least there’s no girl or woman in the title, look at that) and this lead egogoogles herself to some seriously disastrous results. The novel is set in 2006 for the most part when egogoogling was…well, novel. So she finds out that her beloved twin sister is actually dead and had died some 8 years ago, although she’s convinced they had only spoken recently, and this revelation understandably sends her spiraling out of control and she tries to find out which parts of her identity are real, which are made up and just how much of her perfect life is fiction and this latter thought will play out in the most interesting way as the prerequisite ending twist. But anyway…this one came out originally to some acclaim 4 years ago, I vaguely remembered it and was glad for a chance to check it out on Netgalley. There is no shortage of similar stories on the market, what sets this one apart is its pinwheeling quality, you know how in a slapstick comedy someone slips and starts to go down, but try to right themselves desperately by pinwheeling their arms? Well, that’s what the protagonist here is doing the entire novel pretty much, this crazy balancing act of trying to maintain appearances and commitments of a perfect mother and wife while psychologically coming undone in the most spectacular way. So it’s that sort of fun, even laugh out loud funny at times. And while I started figured out plot details frustratingly early on, there were so many twists, turns, zig zags that it still managed to be a very exciting read. Aberrant psychology is always fascinating and this one’s got plenty of it and (in this case) refreshingly estrogen driven too. In the end it offers book club questions and I was thinking about how much fun this book might be to discuss. The more I ponder it, the more I find to ponder, that sort of thing. But then again, a book titled Memory Box ought to be fairly memorable, right? We’ll see in time, but for now it was very entertaining, made the morning speed by straight into an early afternoon. Thanks Netgalley.

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This book is soooooooo chatty and slow.

It's like over 60% is some sort of action/dialogue between various women and kids that's completely irrelevant to the plot. And only about 40% makes up the actual story. It is also very long.

Well, it didn't do much for me. Just wasn't my kind of book I guess.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

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A complete and utter train wreck from beginning to end.! Reading this story was like riding a roller coaster - fast-paced and crazy! Unbelievable!

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The cover intrigued me, but I wasn’t to sure about the synopsis of the book. But I am so glad I decided to download it! This was an awesome book! It’s the epitome of what happens when you assume something, and end up being wrong! How an obsession and delusion ends up with murder!

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I was prepared to stay up all night reading this book but that didn't happen. I read a bit into it and was bored by the whiny character Caroline and the writing and dialogue. I then skipped to the very end and didn't like the ending-it just kind of dropped off out of nowhere. The character of Caroline is as un-likeable as Amy in gone girl.

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I didn't notice that this book has already been in print for almost 4 years prior to requesting it - I can see why they are still looking for feedback.

It sucked.

I couldn't understand why someone would not remember their life and Caroline wasn't enough of an exciting character to want to find out why.

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What a strange, strange book...I don’t even know where to start?! The first 30% of the book drove me crazy. I very nearly gave up more times than I’d care to admit. Outrageous, unbelievable, and completely bizarre, but ultimately glad I stuck it out. The main character Caroline starts off likable enough, but goes off the rails about halfway through the story. Her husband Andy is less than a supporting character for much of the book, and so are the friends mentioned the beginning. The story has as many twists & turns as a mountain road, and will keep you guessing.
Get through the first half of the book or so, and you won’t be able to put this one down!

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