The Memory Key
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Lora Mint is determined not to forget.
Though her mother's been dead for five years, Lora struggles to remember every detail about her—most important, the specific events that occurred the night she sped off in her car, never to return.
But in a world ravaged by Vergets disease, a viral form of Alzheimer's, that isn't easy. Usually Lora is aided by her memory key, a standard-issue chip embedded in her brain that preserves memories just the way a human brain would. Then a minor accident damages Lora's key, and her memories go haywire. Suddenly Lora remembers a moment from the night of her mother's disappearance that indicates her death was no accident. Can she trust these formerly forgotten memories? Or is her ability to remember every painful part of her past driving her slowly mad—burying the truth forever?
Lora's story of longing for her lost mother—and for the truth behind her broken memories—takes readers on a twisty ride. The authentic, emotional narrative sparks fascinating questions about memory and privacy in a world that increasingly relies on electronic recall.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The theme of memory has been thoroughly explored in YA fiction in recent years, and Liu's novel doesn't distinguish itself amid similar offerings. Few readers will naively assume that a computer chip implanted in every American's brain as a prophylactic against dementia is innocuous, so it comes across as banal when protagonist Lora Mint confides, "It's sort of disturbing that Keep Corp is able to track each individual memory key." Lora isn't the most savvy or energetic heroine her narration is prone to meandering repetition, and she spends much of the early chapters staring into space, overwhelmed by intermittent memories she can't filter. These often seamlessly bleed into the present, creating a confused, stop-start reading experience. As a representation of Lora's internal reality, it's effective, but less so in terms of pacing and emotional connection. Eventually Lora's struggles with her misbehaving memory take shape as a formulaic government-corporate conspiracy thriller. Liu shows technical skill, particularly in the well-crafted memories, but it isn't enough to overcome the story's lack of suspense. Ages 13 up.
