Book Review: The Mechanics of Memory

By Sara Steven

Never Forget.

Memory is Copeland-Stark’s business. Yet after months of reconsolidation treatments at their sleek new flagship facility, Hope Nakano still has no idea what happened to her lost year, or the life she was just beginning to build with her one great love. Each procedure surfaces fragmented clues that erode Hope’s trust in her own memories, especially the ones of Luke. As inconsistencies mount, her search for answers reveals a much larger secret Copeland-Stark is determined to protect.

But everyone has secrets, including Hope. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

I’m completely in love with The Mechanics of Memory! I’m a sucker for a good psychological sci-fi thriller with elements of romance sprinkled into it, and this fits that to perfection. Copeland-Stark’s facility reminded me of an upscale rehabilitation resort for A-listers, combined with the Hawkin’s National Laboratory the character Eleven from Stranger Things has had to fight to survive in. And Hope has had to fight to survive, too. Nothing is as it seems, despite everything the employees try to do to make it appear that the facility is doing it’s best to make the inhabitants “be well,” a phrase the reader will encounter often between staff and the “guests” there. All for research. But to what end?

Soon, Hope and other cohorts figure out that there is more behind the scenes, and they go to great lengths to discover the truth behind what Copeland-Stark is really up to. In every chapter, there are a myriad of clues and answers that are given to the reader in the best of ways, a few steps at a time, and even when I thought I knew what was happening and how Hope ended up at a place like Copeland-Stark, in the end I was completely wrong in my assessment. The virtual reality rooms and the scenes between Hope and her friends who have banded together through trauma were engaging moments that provided so much to the story. Through it all, despite having memory stripped away at every turn, it’s never really gone. Not entirely. Particularly when there is love involved.

While I enjoy this genre, I don’t often get the opportunity to read from this genre. It’s a favorite of my husband’s, too, and it was nice to have the chance to recommend this book to him. There’s a big scene in the book where computer code is used to decipher some hidden secrets and meanings and it was fun to hear from my husband (a computer programmer/web developer) on what it all means and where it had been derived from. It’s definitely been added to his TBR list. The Mechanics of Memory is a definite five-star page turner, and if I could give it more stars than that, I would in a heartbeat!   

Thanks to Author Marketing Experts for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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