Book Review: The Memory Collectors By Dete Meserve

Book: The Memory Collectors 

Author: Dete Meserve 

Genre: Sci-fi/time travel/mystery 

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Source: ARC from Netgalley.

The joy of reading an unputdownable book! There's something so intriguing and fascinating and kind of uplifting about time travel stories. 

‘When you know how easily things can be taken away from you, you appreciate them more.’

‘The Memory Collectors’ follows four strangers who are chosen for a rare opportunity — a time travel trip to the past for one hour.

Elizabeth yearns for some precious hour with her son, who died in an accident. She never knew why he, a newly appointed astronomy teacher, was at that place, at that time, with a drug dealer. Andy, a bestselling author is desperate to find his first love, Kate, a beautiful pianist who suddenly vanished after a whirlwind romance — the day after he professed his love for her. Logan craves the experience of walking, mountain climbing, or surfing once again, after a mishap landed him in a wheelchair. Brooke, after serving 900 days in jail, seeks an hour of relief from a haunting guilt of an unforgivable mistake by going back to a time when she wasn't tagged a criminal.

Strangely enough, their one hour time extends, as time travel scientists are seemingly unable to extract them from the past. As they spend more time in the same city, in the same timeline, their paths cross. And as they search for answers, they discover that their lives are interconnected.

‘We all think we know what other people should do. But I see now that each of us is going on roads only we can see.’

This unique story of love, grief, hope, and second chances is beautifully written and intelligently executed.

‘The details take my breath away. We’re at a wooden table in a courtyard. Mounds of red and purple bougainvillea spill over its stone walls. Rose-fingered sunlight drifts through the leaves of a guava tree which fashions a canopy over our table. I draw in a slow, soothing breath of salty air. The ocean is nearby. It feels so damn real.’

The book is full of surprises, secrets, twists, and turns that keep you hooked until the end (well, almost — we’ll talk about that later). The chapters are short and end with cliffhangers, making it difficult to put down.

The characters are well-defined; their emotions, regrets, doubts, and dilemmas are skillfully expressed. My favourite was Elizabeth. Her moments with Sam are so beautiful — full of love, hope, and emotion. Even a brief scene in the past with her husband Mark is lovely. Andy’s past with Kate is intriguing and mysterious. Brooke’s part felt okay but was essential, as she plays a significant role. 

Now about keeping me hooked till the end —it did manage to do that, however in the final chapters, when they all come back to the present, the story starts to lose steam a bit and meanders. 

Logan — I felt his character and backstory were not as compelling. In fact, I personally think the story could have been tighter without him. 

I understand this is an advance review copy, but there were editing errors, which I hope will be fixed by the time of publication.

Overall, a very intriguing, mysterious, and engrossing story. A must-read if you particularly enjoy time travel tales.