"No one can take your memories from you... can they?"
Seven is a thief with a difference - he steals downloadable memories from banks and memoriums to sell onto London's black market, trading secrets and hidden pasts for a chance at a future of his own. He makes sure he keeps some special stuff back to 'surf' himself though - it's the only real form of entertainment he can afford. But one night, as Seven is breaking into a private memorium in a wealthy part of London, he is caught in the act by one of its residents; Alba, the teenage daughter of London's most famous criminal prosecutor. Instead of giving him away, Alba promises to keep Seven's secret - as long as he allows her to go memory-surfing herself. In doing so, they discover a hidden memory about Seven's past, revealing a shocking secret about Seven's childhood, the government and a mysterious experiment known as The Memory Keepers...
Now Seven and Alba will have to race against time to unlock the maze of The Memory Keepers - but can they keep themselves out of harm's way before the London Guard - and Alba's father - catches up with them?
***
I think the thing that really draws me is that however unoriginal the plot or the background is, it still sounds like a thrilling story. It's not an easy work, as unoriginal stuff often means, you know, kind of boring. I'm so glad that this book is nothing like that.
Seven is our male protagonist here. As a thief, he is street-smart and sneaky. I don't really know why, but I like street-smart guys. They are cunning in various but reasonable ways. Seven is probably one of the more interesting characters I've ever read about even when I read his own perspective. Normally people get pretty transparent when written in their own point of view, which sometimes ruins all the fun. Not this time though. Seven still has this mysterious streak about him. However he's like any other person, with very human emotions and a surprisingly sacrificing side (not in the "I am going to do anything to keep you safe" kind, but still).
Alba is a different story. I like Alba actually. She's surprisingly relatable in my world. It might seem ridiculous, but Alba is like an extreme version of some of my friends - being controlled by unreasonable parents and not having a chance to speak out and fight. I'm pretty glad that she is smart enough to realize her dire situation, because otherwise she will really piss me off. Alba is adventurous in an almost reckless way. But I kinda like this attitude. What's the meaning of life without a little rule breaking? (Oh, and please don't take this in the wrong way)
I'm actually a little pissed that it is a standalone. I get the reason behind it, and in a way it's good (because it's not stretched out). But I'm not sure why it's called The Memory Keepers when TMK is not even a big part of the story. Sure, they are vital to the background, but they hardly make any active participation. The title is very misleading.
Other than that though, I like this book. For some reason the whole memory thing is fascinating. Perhaps it's because this category of our life is still not fully explained by any kind of science. Both of the protagonist are mesmerizing in their own way. It's a book that I fully enjoy.
Rating: 8/10
No comments:
Post a Comment