The Mechanics of Memory

By: Audrey Lee

Narrated by: Sunny Lu, Keong Sim, Charlie Thurston

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 which 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.

EARPHONES AWARD WINNER!

"Sunny Lu, Keong Sim, and Charlie Thurston narrate a mesmerizing thriller about a woman who must confront the unreliability of her own memory. Hope's memories of her life before her time at a facility designed to reconsolidate lost memories are spotty. Each treatment is slow to bring order to the chaotic remnants of her past. But as secrets come to light, she begins to doubt the facility itself. Lu imbues Hope with endearing eagerness despite her uncomfortable experiences during her unusual therapy treatments. Once the story shifts from psychological suspense to science-fiction mystery, Lu commands the ear as Hope becomes more and more unreliable. All three narrators enhance this stunning thriller's unique atmosphere of paranoia." - AudioFile Magazine

"Lee's debut makes a binge-worthy audiobook. Recommended for listeners who like quick reads and thriller/mysteries with a modern edge. It also makes a worthy addition for those looking for East Asian representation in the genre." - Booklist

©2024 Audrey Lee (P)2024 CamCat Books

*Chef's Kiss*

I rarely use my credits on a new author. I will usually use Libby or Hoopla to "preview" a new author. But I took a leap of faith here and I am very glad I did. It's definitely a book that I will revisit.

The characters were well developed and the narrators did an excellent job. I usually veer away from multi readers so I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed listening to them. That being said I will probably give this one an eye read as well as I struggled a bit with the science and computer aspects of the storyline and I would like to delve a bit deeper into the virtual reality part of the story.

It was a bit of a slow start for me (likely due to the many characters. I tend to connect more quickly to a large cast of characters when reading vs listening) but as I came to know the characters better the pace picked up quickly. I found myself finding excuses to listen so I could find out what was coming next - especially as the twists and turns began to pick up.

Quinn, and Spooky were some of my favorite characters and I do hope to see more of them in future novels.

Either way any new book from this author will go straight to the top of my "too read" pile.

Engaging Story with Amazing Characters

I found this to be a riveting story from start to finish. The character development was world-class and I found myself super sad to be finished with the book. I really enjoyed how the different pieces of the puzzle came into play throughout the storyline and not once did I ever successfully guess what was going to happen next. I loved the characters and their personalities and the narrators did a great job with them (a tough task for multiple narrators I'd say). I appreciated the small easter-eggs in the book as well, being a California native and recognizing many things from my childhood. I think the author did an exceptional job with this and I would instantly purchase her next offering. I'm so happy to have found this and highly recommend it if you like a suspenseful, surprising and adrenalin-filled story.

Pleasant surprise

Really well written and a great story. Lots of interesting twists and turns. Totally recommend it.

Unforgettable

The complexity of characters makes this one of the best pieces of fiction I’ve ever read. I feel like I really got to know everyone as a personal friend (or foe). Highly recommend!

Fantastic Psychological Thriller

The Mechanics of Memory is a must read psychological thriller. The mind games within this novel make the reader feel immersed in the confusion of the characters, and connect the reader with the emotions throughout. The plot and the characters are extremely well developed, and the story is one that will stick with the reader.

I also listened to the audiobook version of this story which was well done. I thought the narrators did an excellent job bringing the characters to life. I listened at 1.7x speed (my normal audiobook listening speed is 1.75-2x speed).

An engaging near future thriller

A rich character-based story with a near-future thriller plot that will keep you guessing untilnthe end

I enjoyed this very much.

Do you like books set in the near future with twists and turns that continually surprise you? Well, do I have a book for you. The Mechanics of Memory was a fun, fast read. The payoff was near perfect. So glad I picked this one up. Can’t wait to see what Lee does next.

Another dystopian novel I can't finish

One of my favorite genres but lately all these very long and literary dystopias are...long and so boring that I often DNF them--like this book. As well, I was confused for hours (not one of my usual issues). When I figured out what was going on, I just didn't care about any of the people or what happened to them.