cool, well written, book telling a very effective story throughout through an assortment of memories of various people. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Yiming Ma delivers a radical and haunting meditation on memory, censorship, and resistance. This speculative novel is mosaic in nature. It's layered and fragmented and almost like a dream sequence or transmission.

TMDNBTU is set in a future where the world is ruled the authoritarian Qin Empire. In this world, memories are no longer private - they are commodities! Every citizen is implanted with a Mindbank, a device capable of recording, sharing, editing, and even erasing memories.

Our narrator, is unnamed and grieving,and inherits from his mother a collection of outlawed memories that challenge the official story of Qin’s rise to power. The book unfolds through these fragments. They are interconnected but nonlinear. Together we encounter an armless Olympic swimmer, a dissident delivery worker in New York, a mother stirring a pot of chankonabe in defiance, and a runaway recalling a forbidden love. What these memories have in common is that each is an actual act of rebellion against a the regime.

What’s so striking is that Ma balances the coldness of science fiction and the regime with warm emotions in the memories. We are left with enduring questions such as,; What do we owe to the truth? What stories survive when governments rewrite the past? And how do we carry forward the memories that others tried to silence? This is a beautiful, fragmented and chilling look at a possible future. #Mariner #Thesememoriesdonotbelongtous #yimingma

The idea of this book is cool, and the writing is good for a debut book. I like the memory concept and how the stories are connected (even tho I struggled to follow them and got confused sometimes(?)). I didn't really enjoy the parts about the whole empire and the world-building thing. And I just didn’t feel interested in the politics or something like that here. Maybe other people will like it more, but it wasn’t really for me.

I loved the setting and framework of this book - a dystopian future in which Qin (formerly China) is the global superpower and most citizens have Mindbanks (interracial devices that are used to record memories and transmit them to others). Mindbanks also serve as their primary devices for communication with others, etc. Each chapter is a memory that has been transmitted to an unnamed narrator by his mother at the time of her death.

Similar Vibes: To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara. Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng.

Thoughts
- This book does not read as a novel. It reads like interconnected short stories. I didn’t fully grasp that until halfway in and probably would have enjoyed it more if I had realized it sooner.
- My favorite kind of dystopian setting…one that feels very real and possible. It makes it all the more eerie to read.
- I had difficulty grasping the timeline and had to frequently go back to an earlier page where the chapter timeline was outlined.
- Some stories I loved and wanted more of. Several other stories…I’m not sure why they were included. But isn’t this always the way with short story collections?
- This is a “trust the process” type read. I was often unsure of the direction we were headed with various stories. But it all comes together in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley & Mariner Books for the ARC!

These Memories Do Not Belong to Us by Yiming Ma is a thought-provoking collection of interconnected short stories, or memories, that span multiple lifetimes. Although the stories are not presented in chronological order, readers gradually learn to place each narrative in its proper time period as they become more familiar with the world Ma has created. One of the most enjoyable aspects of reading this book is piecing together the threads that connect the stories: objects, themes, and characters that appear and reappear. A particularly memorable recurring object is a watch. After finishing the book,I found myself wanting to go back and reread it to catch details I may have missed the first time. My two favorite stories were those of the sumo wrestler and the armless swimmer which were both moving and memorable.

The stories are framed by a central character who has inherited these memories from their mother. The setting is a dystopian future version of China, now called Qin, which has become the dominant global power after a devastating war. The United States, in contrast, has become a marginalized “4th world country.” In Qin, the government demands total obedience, and any information that challenges its authority or image is strictly forbidden. In this world, people store their experiences in “mind banks,” where memories can be traded like currency. Corporations produce “Memory Epics,” which are modified memories that have been edited for emotion, color, or even historical accuracy. This technology is not only invasive, but it also allows those in power to rewrite the past.

The memories the protagonist receives are illegal and dangerous to possess. They know that the authorities will eventually discover what they hold in his mind bank, and when they do, the consequences will be severe being either execution or forced reeducation.
Yiming Ma’s book is a fascinating blend of science fiction, dystopian warning, and social commentary. It paints a chilling but believable picture of a future where history, truth, and identity are controlled by those in power. I would recommend These Memories Do Not Belong to Us to readers who enjoy dystopian fiction, speculative sci-fi, and stories that echo real-world political issues.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for this ARC!

While the premise of the Qin Empire, the Mindbank, Memory Capitalism, and memory censoring is fascinating, there is very little said about how all of this works. Given it was this premise that drew me to the book, I was disappointed.

Instead the book is comprised of a series of vignettes - memories. They are all told in the first person. At first I thought they were all of the narrator’s mother’s personal memories. However, there are two memories featuring young women about the same age, so they can’t possibly belong to one woman. I found this very confusing.

Were these memories his mother collected, since they didn’t all appear to be her own? And if so how did she manage to inherit them while evading the censors? So many questions!

That said, I am in the minority given the 4 rating on both Storygraph and Goodreads. Obviously, this book wasn’t meant for me. Yiming Ma is a good writer who knows how to paint a scene that’s easy to see. So I can understand how readers with a more literary appetite enjoyed this book. I really didn’t.

Thank you to Mariner Books and author Yimimg Ma for access to the ARC of These Memories Do Not Belong to Us. This book focuses on a boy retrieving memories from his mother who passed. In a world where China, renamed Qin, has taken over much of the world including America. Written in short stories, this book relives stories before, after, and during the war in which Qin claimed much of the world. In this future the boy lives in, Mindbanks (which people use to quickly access memories and share memories with others) are standard for people to use. Memories that go against party ideals are dangerous to possess. The stories our main character finds involve many revolutionary ideals. Each individual story connects in some way to other parts of this book which is a very nice touch. I enjoyed the concept of this book and the pacing. I wish there was more!

Is this going to be one of my favorite books of the year? Probably. I'm really going to have to sit with this one and maybe re read it a couple times to fully wrap my head around everything, but I will enjoy every second of it.

This book consists of several short stories, which can be read in almost any order. In a future where memories are shared just as easily as we share reels and tiktoks today, our narrator inherits several memories from his mother, only to discover that they are banned memories and he will suffer the legal consequences of owning them once the government gets around to screening them. These memories cover a wide span of time and take place around the world. We are offered a range of perspectives on the war and the Mindbanks that have propelled this society's timeline forward. Some stories feel a little Black Mirror, and others feel so "normal" that you forget you are reading a science fiction book. All of them feel real.

I love a book that makes me think. I spent most chapters considering 1. Why tell us this story? and 2. Why ban this story? There are some obvious parallels to what we are currently experiencing in real life, but Memories also demonstrates how the gradual destruction of our human connections makes us weak and isolated. The memories all have a degree of sadness but are not overly bleak, and often have an undertone of hope. I'm a sucker for a quiet dystopian novel that doesn't launch me into a bottomless depression.

Considering recommending this for book club to force my friends to talk about it with me.

Even though the book is presented to us in loosely-related short stories, the narrative does have an escalating tone that helps keep its readers engaged. I'll randomize the chapter order a bit more for subsequent reads. Looking forward to more from Yiming Ma in the future! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC!

These memories Do Not Belong to Us is a series of short stories set in a post-apocalyptic China, renamed Qin, where memories are used as currency. There is literal trade and monetary value extracted from the use of memories, and those memories may be passed from person to person in order to relive experiences from a true first person angle. As you would expect, censorship occurs and many of the Memory Epics, a title used for notable memories, begin to become either redacted or outright banned as anything which may be considered anti-Qin is suppressed. You gain access to your mother's memory bank which contains many banned memories and Memory Epics - what will you discover about your world? The parallels to modern-day China are very clear with themes of government censorship and control of the media, though this takes it a step further in which those memories may be literally deleted -erased from existence aside from those who harbor rogue, unadulterated copies.

The format of the novel is incredibly smart - by having a series of short stories, it's like we the audience are able to experience the various banned memories in first person. None of the stories are very long and breeze by quickly, but you continue to learn more about the worst as you continue reading. I found each of the short stories to be individually enjoyable, and slowly piecing together the history of this alternate timeline is incredibly satisfying. By the end, I had a strong urge to reread the novel just to see what I missed now that I have some additional context! The novel also provides a recommended reading order (aka the order it's published in), but offers the opportunity to experience these stories in any order which is nifty as well and plays into many of the themes of individual expression and freedom.

My only issue with the novel is the lack of emotional depth that I felt with any of the individual stories. They're all snappy and read easily, but you never get to know the characters enough that their personal tragedies go beyond a base layer of empathy. There are some recurring characters and references are made to the events of previous stories, but we never grow with a single character enough to really bond with them. This may be a general issue with short story compilations, but I digress.

Overall, I recommend this novel for people who enjoy Sci-fi which plays into themes of identity, individualism, and the dangers of government control. The stories are well paced and the reveal of information about the world is satisfying.

4/5 stars.

I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. I am not usually into sci-fi but the premise of inherited/shared memories was intriguing to me.

It took me awhile to piece together how the chapters connected to each other but once I got far enough in and started seeing the big picture it really made me think. I got serious 1984 vibes from this.

The ending was kind of a let down for me, but I think the ending is meant to be more open and make you think rather than being a definitive “the story is over now” kind of ending. This ending worked really well for the book and the story it told, but it just wasn’t as impactful for me personally as I would have liked.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I liked that it made me think about the world today even if it took place in a future time.

In this stunning, genre-bending work, author Yiming Ma introduces us to a world that parallels our own, but one where China has become the global superpower and the introduction of Mindbanks, a device implanted in individuals' brains, leads to the rise of Memory Capitalism and the overarching surveillance of the Party. The opening pages are told from the perspective of an unnamed narrator who has inherited his deceased mother's Mindbank and memories - and despite the risk of experiencing and sharing them, he chooses to do so. What follows is a series of short stories that are loosely interconnected, told from various time periods before, during, and after the rise of the Qin empire and the devastation of the Chrysanthemum Virus that plagued the world.

Each of these stories act like mosaics - a piece of art independently, but even more beautiful when put into context with the others. In "First Viral Memory: Chankonabe", a mother questions her decision to send her only child to train as a sumo wrestler and years later, tries to bring to him a pot of her signature chankonabe stew after his eventual success. In "Swimmer of Yangtze", an armless swimmer from the small village of Wuhan is enlisted in the Olympics and tries to obtain fame for his hometown - at a devastating cost. In "+86 Shanghai", a Qin deserter leaves his family behind in China and attempts to make a new life in New York City, working as a food delivery person in the hopes of bringing his family with him. Each of these stories is immersive, thought-provoking, and beautifully written, questioning our ties with our loved ones, our reliance on technology, the deeply expanding surveillance of state, how our memories and experiences craft who we are.

Despite how short "These Memories Do Not Belong to Us" is, I found it deeply impactful and memorable. Especially in the current state of the world and the ever-changing geopolitical status, the message underlying this work feels deeply relevant. Very much a recommended read when this is published in August 2025!

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for this ARC!
These Memories Do Not Belong to Us is a collection of short stories following characters before, during, and after a war that leaves a single authoritarian state in control of the entire world in which not even your own mind and memories are safe. These are all different settings, circumstances, and people, but each story is connected, a poignant reminder that the same is true in reality. It was easy to sympathize with all the characters, no matter their backgrounds or flaws. Whether the stories ended hopefully, sadly, or with bittersweet feelings, each were distinct and made you truly think about what you would do in the same circumstances.
In the current political climate, stories of systematic propaganda and misinformation hit unfortunately close to home. The 'main' narrator's story ends without resolution, but as we can hope for a better world, we can also hope that his narrative does not end tragically.
I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

Yiming Ma’s These Memories Do Not Belong to Us is not your traditional novel, and that’s what makes it so haunting. There’s no singular protagonist, no neat, linear progression—just fragments of lives lived under an increasingly oppressive regime, where memories are recorded, rewritten, and erased.

Through a series of interconnected narratives spanning different time periods, economic backgrounds, and government structures, Ma crafts a chilling vision of a future that feels uncomfortably close to reality. The novel explores authoritarian control, media manipulation, and the slow, methodical erasure of personal and collective history. The most unsettling part? It doesn’t read like speculative fiction—it reads like a warning.

The structure forces the reader to engage deeply, piecing together the overarching story through different perspectives. Some struggle within educational restrictions, others live under the weight of a government rewriting their past, and all of them—regardless of their circumstances—grapple with the same question: How do you hold onto hope when the very fabric of your reality is being altered?

Ma doesn’t leave the reader entirely adrift in despair, though. The novel builds toward a type of resolution, offering a form of closure for those searching for meaning in the chaos. But the real power of These Memories Do Not Belong to Us isn’t in the answers it provides—it’s in the questions it forces us to ask about our own world.

This is a book that lingers. It’s disturbing, timely, and impossible to ignore. If you’re looking for something that will challenge you, unsettle you, and make you think about the fragility of truth, this is it.

3.75 stars

4⭐️

The premise that you can read these stories in any order instantly intrigued me - it’s such a rarity in stories and definitely made this a unique reading experience. I found myself crying multiple times during this book at the beauty of these stories and what they symbolized. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would love to reread it in a different order - it seems like a story you can revisit multiple times and get a new experience with each read-through. Thank you for the early copy!

“Because you’re my koala, and I’m your tree.” ❤️

A beautiful and powerful novel of how memories eventually become a commodity with a new invention of "Mindbanks" in this new dystopian society of Qin. We dive into several "Memory Epics" or short stories from a variety of perspectives, and how governmental surveillance and control come into play with each Epic.

A true thought provoking novel as we reflect on our current global state. <3

*These Memories Do Not Belong to Us" is a thought-provoking exploration of memory, identity, and human emotion. The book's structure—shifting between fragmented memories—keeps readers engaged, with powerful moments emerging in scenes like the sumo wrestler, chess game, and swimmer’s struggle. These emotional highlights truly resonate, offering a deeper connection to the characters.

The ending ties everything together beautifully, leaving a satisfying sense of closure. However, I found myself wishing for more emotional depth throughout the book. Still, the story cleverly challenges readers to reflect on our global state and future possibilities, making it a memorable and intellectually stimulating read.

An incredible dystopian collection of interconnected short stories, spanning three different time periods. Each chapter offers a unique perspective either before, during, or after the war. The protagonist lives in a world where memories have been turned into a commodity - editable, marketable, and easily corrupted. In this society, a single memory can determine one’s fate and jeopardize their freedom. I found the story to be incredibly immersive, drawing me into a world where personal memories challenge the controlled narrative of history.

When I was a boy, my mother used to tell me stories of a world before memories could be shared between strangers. Some of the Memory Epics from which she drew her stories must have been censored already by the Party. Any loyal patriot would have deleted these memories.

There’s a deep melancholy, accompanied by a quiet hope, in each story. At times it felt like a reality check, eerily similar to today’s world. The contrast between individualism and systematic control is striking. Making this not just a story of the past, but one that resonates with the present as well. It reminded me of Black Mirror, with its unsettling exploration of technology and control. Overall, it’s a thought provoking and beautifully written book that will linger with you long after the last page. I look forward to re-reading this in the future.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC!

“They want to use nature to remind us to be afraid, It’s their greatest source of power. Because they don’t want us to know what it’s like to live without fear.”

“In their wisdom, our leaders deemed it wiser to phase out the violent aftermath of the War, rather than delete the entire history at once.” 

This story follows a narrator that has inherited the memories from his mother’s Mindbank, the devise that records all memories and interactions for an individual. The narrator discovers that several of these memories are considered criminal and puts them at risk of arrest and criminal sentencing. The narrator makes these memories available to the general public to see before they are erased from the public space.

I loved this story. The idea that there was a war in which China has taken over the world and has mandated that everyone have a Mindbank placed so that they can monitor everyone’s interactions and memories for events that could be considered “dissident”. The book flows through the narrators inherited memories and you get to see how Qin (China) implemented their control. The story has three sections where the memories gradually increase in how critical or dissident they are. There are memories from before during and after the war so the reader gets to see how society has changed. I also greatly enjoyed that the stories connect to each other through the whole book. Whether it is a descendent from an earlier story or a new character interacting with a previous character.

For those who do not like books with multiple points of view, I don’t think they will like this as there is a different pov every chapter.

These Memories Do Not Belong to Us by Yiming Ma is a beautifully written book that explores the power of memory, government totality, and hope. Each chapter feels like a small glimpse into different lives, but together, they give us a view into a dystopian world.

Two of my favorite chapters were First Viral Memory: Chankonabe and After the Bloom. Even though we don’t spend a lot of time with each character, I still found it easy to connect with them, which isn’t always the case in books with so many different perspectives.

One thing I wish had been done differently was the "Map of Memories." The book jumps around in time, which mostly works (usually my personal preference is against it), but I think it would have been helpful to have the years or simple labels like “Before,” “During,” or “After the War” on each chapter rather than having to refer back to the Map of Memories. Most of the time, I could figure out where I was in the timeline after reading a little, but clearer markers would have made it easier to follow.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and hope the future it contains never comes to fruition.

These Memories Do Not Belong to Us by Yiming Ma is a series of interconnected short stories that tell the story of a near future full of censorship, governmental violence, obfuscation of the truth, deadly diseases... oh wait, maybe it's not the near future, maybe it's our present moment. So often science-fiction/speculative fiction feels like it is holding up a mirror to our society and showing us a reflection of our current moment. TMDNBTU is a series of memories that ask us- who do our stories belong to? Do they belong to our government? Do they belong to our culture? Or do they belong to us? Joan Didion once said "we tell ourselves stories in order to live." What will we do when our stories are co-opted by authoritarian governments intent on their version of truth being recorded in the history books?

I loved the questions that this book brought up for me, I deeply connected to the characters who felt forced to watch the end of the world through their apartment windows with little to no power to stop it- until that moment where they realize there is nothing to lose if everything has already been taken away from you. The structure was a beautiful puzzle of how the stories connect and relate to each other as you read through them. I'm looking forward to holding a physical copy in my hands so I can read through the book again.