The Memory Eater

By: Rebecca Mahoney

Narrated by: Victoria Villarreal

“An eerie tale offering equal measures of fright, angst, and emotional catharsis.”—Kirkus, starred review

A teenage girl must save her town from a memory-devouring monster in this piercing exploration of grief, trauma, and memory, from the author of The Valley and the Flood.

For generations, a monster called the Memory Eater has lived in the caves of Whistler Beach, Maine, surviving off the unhappy memories of those who want to forget. And for generations, the Harlows have been in charge of keeping her locked up—and keeping her fed.

After her grandmother dies, seventeen-year-old Alana Harlow inherits the family business. But there’s something Alana doesn’t know: the strange gaps in her memory aren’t from an accident. Her memories have been taken—eaten. And with them, she’s lost the knowledge of how to keep the monster contained.

Now the Memory Eater is loose. Alana’s mistake could cost Whistler Beach everything—unless she can figure out how to retrieve her memories and recapture the monster. But as Alana delves deeper into her family’s magic and the history of her town, she discovers a shocking secret at the center of the Harlow family business and learns that tampering with memories always comes at a price.

©2023 Rebecca Mahoney (P)2023 Listening Library

Critic reviews

A Kirkus Best Book of March

★ “Via poetic prose, darkly ominous ambiance, and Alana’s witty, undeniably teen voice, Mahoney movingly addresses themes of atoning for past mistakes, confronting intergenerational trauma, and overcoming grief in this unforgettable read.”—PW, starred review

★ “An eerie tale offering equal measures of fright, angst, and emotional catharsis.”—Kirkus, starred review

“A must-read study of memory and emotion, filled with complex characters in an eerie setting.”—School Library Journal