This is an alternate future, where China, now called Qin, dominates as a global superpower after conquering America. One where Mindbank technology collects, distributes, and censors all memories. Our nameless narrator inherits a cache of forbidden memories from his mother. Illegal because they hold human experiences the Party wants erased. And through these fragments, we experience the world as a series of stories.

What a beautiful, poignant collection. Each story steeped in emotion with a deliberately Chinese lens. Themes of filial piety, collectivism, sacrifices, and overreaching state power thread through the book. It reads like both a critique and a love letter to China’s cultural and political identity, all wrapped in science fiction.

The stories’ timeline moves across decades, before the war, during, and after. We can see decisions made before the war having consequences during and after the war. A father moves to America to support his family back home, a son is treated as a traitor for leaving the motherland. Each story is layered, each one ties into relevant social and geopolitical topics, each features complex characters.

I think this is Yiming Ma’s first published novel, in which case, what an incredible debut! There’s clearly so much heart and history. I see myself in a lot of these characters. I feel heard but also educated and challenged at the same time. And isn’t that what the best books do?

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada / McClelland & Stewart for sending this ARC. This review is voluntary; all opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.5/5

These Memories Do Not Belong to Us is a speculative fiction that shows me again why I love the genre.

It is a series of interconnected short stories with a frame story to help provide direction and context. The stories themselves range from intriguing to incredibly disturbing, in the best way possible. Put together, they provide a mind-warping commentary on government control, technology, identity, and what is worth fighting for.

After reading all the stories with varying levels of dystopian horror, ‘Reincarnation’ deals a devastating blow in the way only the best speculative fiction can. What does it mean to be human? What makes you ‘you’? If your memories aren’t your own, who are you? I had to take a break from the book after this part, as I had a bit of a existential spiral and needed a breath of fresh air after the grief of witnessing what the characters had endured.

After ‘Reincarnation,’ which is easily the emotional peak of the book (if the stories are read in order), the stories become a little more personal, no less lacking in quality but tapered back a bit in tension. The last story and final instalment of the frame story work together to bring home the final messaging and the key theme of resistance found in all dystopian literature. It gives a soft landing point after breaking your brain and punching you in the heart, which I think is kind, and helps redirect focus where it should be - the what ifs and horrifying potential realness that dystopian and speculative fiction is known for.

Do I think we could ever live in a world like the one presented in These Memories Do Not Belong to Us? God I hope not. (Even if I recognize that many things in this book are just a more futuristic version of things that have already happened.)

I really enjoyed These Memories Do Not Belong to Us by Yiming Ma! I liked the way this sci fi novel was told in vignettes and the constellation structure was quite unique. What a great debut! I liked how this novel focused on government control, memories, family bonds, love and power. I enjoyed the mention of Chinese poets Li Bai and Du Fu. I’m eager to reread this one!

A short story collection with an overarching narrative and interconnection with what felt like “easter eggs” throughout each dystopian narrative.

Spanning over different time periods in a fictitious world where China, referred to as “The Party”, wins a future war against America and becomes a global superpower.

This book invites you to reflect on multiple themes, including status, immigration, gender roles, patriarchy, government power, race, education, and generational trauma. At just over 200 pages, this dystopian science fiction story is a fun time.

One of my favourite lines from my e-ARC reads: “Instead, I force my expression into a smile befitting a pleasant, well-mannered girl. Even if all I wanted to do was scream.”

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada (Adult) and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of These Memories Do Not Belong to Us by Yiming Ma.

These Memories Do Not Belong to Us by Yiming Ma is beautifully written, and I was intrigued throughout -- by the memory-storing-and-sharing technology described, the dystopian future envisioned, and the connections between the lives described in the forbidden memories.

I will say that if you're looking for a straightforward, action-packed read, this book likely isn't for you. But if you enjoy literary explorations of the nature of time, memory, and freedom and are willing to dive in, be taken along by the stream, and let the story wash over and around you, you'll love it.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in advance of publication.

An intriguing and layered exploration of memory, ownership, and the subtle encroachments of technology. What drew me in was the concept—how the book imagines a near-future where memories can be shared, stored, and even owned. While I had hoped for a deeper dive into the tech itself, what I found instead was a series of intimate vignettes that orbit around this premise. These stories raise important questions about privacy and control without ever becoming heavy-handed.

It reads more like a collection of interconnected short stories than a traditional novel, with the technology as the connective tissue rather than the focal point. If you’re someone who enjoys speculative fiction that leans literary, especially with a human-centered lens, this one’s worth checking out.

In this futuristic world where humans have lost their voices, communicating almost exclusively through their minds, a reluctant rebel shares memories he has inherited, in a quietly devastating narrative that will stay with you for a long time...

This story reminded me of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, and the dire world depicted in this novel eerily feels like this future is not as far as we might think... It is a very smart book, with short stories that don't seem all that connected at first, but as you read through them you do make some connections between them in the end.

I will say the points of views change constantly and might feel a bit too fast for some, there is even the use of second POV at times, but it's used for a good reason. I found the voices between the stories not as distinct as I would've liked, but overall the prose is so precise and there is literally gold in this novel. I have a feeling it will be a book we will talk about for a long time.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this advanced reader copy, I was looking forward to this book and I'm so glad I got to read it! It truly was a stellar novel.

4.5 Stars

What a cool little story! This is very 1984 esque. It is a bunch of short stories about a world where China amassed a great deal of power and created the Qin empire. Also people have drives installed in their brains called Mindbanks that allow you to download and experience memories in a VR like experience. The narrator receives a bunch of unusual memories as inheritance from their mother and those memories are the short stories.

As a whole, the memories tell a lovely story of resistance, interconnectedness and plain ol' human nature. It's heavy and deep, but ultimately optimistic which was refreshing. Absolutely worth a read!

Disclaimer: I was provided an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own

I am a lover of dystopia and this is why i was so happy to have an arc. The Mindbank system and the new world that revolved around it took grip of my curiosity. Unfortunately, this wasn't for me.

At the beginning you understand that you will be traveling around different times and memories. I knew i was getting on a journey probably confusing, but i was lost very fast. From a memory to another, for me, it was hard to keep up. At the end of the book, i completely forgot that it was the memories of his mother that we were reading.

It feels more like a short stories book than a novel to me. My reading sessions were based on the ending and beginning of a story. Each time i was taking the book back, i had to take a couple of minutes to bring myself back to a little recap of : ok what i am reading again? At least, i think i would be more grounded if the memories were more easy to identify in the timeline.

Anyhow, thanks to netgalley and the publisher to giving me this arc in exchange of my honest review!

Pub date: 12 August 2025

Thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this series of interconnected short stories. As with any collection, some stood out more than others, and there was only one I didn’t connect with.

My main concern is how the book is pitched in the blurb. I went in expecting a single, action-driven narrative about a character releasing memories in a dystopian regime. While that is the premise, the structure and tone are quite different, quieter, more introspective, and fragmented. Ironically, I ended up liking the actual approach more than what the blurb promised. I just wish it had been marketed more accurately because I think some people will go in with different expectations and not like it.

That said, the author’s voice is incredibly compelling, and I’ll definitely be reading more of their work.

Just finished These Memories Do Not Belong to Us by Yiming Ma… and wow, this one hits different. It’s strange, dreamy, and kind of slips between reality and memory in the most beautiful way. Definitely not a typical read—super quiet and reflective, but it sticks with you.

If you like books that are more about vibes and emotions than plot, this one’s for you. It’s all about identity, family, and the weird, complicated ways we remember things.

Honestly, still thinking about it. 🫧✨