I think we can all agree that most people have a memory or two that they would like to be rid of, whether it’s something embarrassing that’s happened or something sad or harmful. But what if you had the opportunity to forget bad memories, would you choose forgetting over remembering? The Memory Eater by Rebecca Mahoney isn’t a book that is very realistic, but it did make me ask myself if I would give up any of my memories given the chance and at what cost. 

Alana Harlow has always known about the history of Whistler Beach, tales passed down through the generations not only for reminiscing but also for protection. How years ago her ancestors landed on the shores after a rough journey by boat and made homes for themselves on the land. The passing of her grandmother leaves Alana with the burden of carrying on the Harlow family’s work, a job that she has witnessed her grandmother carrying out for as long as she can remember. 

This is where the story gets weird, but in a good way. You see, Alana didn’t inherit your typical family business. She is now the sole protector of herself and her neighbors and friends, the only one who can hold back the presence that is imprisoned in a cave and has been since Whistler Beach became a town. An unwelcome guest on the voyage that happened all those years ago, something that no one understands completely but no one questions because it’s all they’ve ever known. Plus, the Harlow family has found a way to monetize the responsibility. The creature living in the cave eats memories, ones that people pay to have taken from them. She is incessantly hungry and there is a never-ending supply of people who will travel to have a bad memory eaten by whatever is dwelling in the cave.

Though Alana has become used to her job she still fears the memory eater. There are certain things that have to be done to keep everything running smoothly and to keep the memory eater complacent, a ritual that only Alana knows and one she must carry out to protect herself and everyone who lives in Whistler Beach. It’s a lot of responsibility for her and the pressure to make the right decisions for herself and the town she lives in and loves is heavy. The memory eater seems to be ravenous and unable to satisfy the aching hunger, until one day it stops obeying the age-old rules.

This is a book about love and fear and the power they have over us as emotional beings. Rebecca Mahoney did a great job of making me think the memory eater could consume more than just memories; every time the monster was mentioned I was worried for the next victim, even though all that was taken was memories, not an entire life. Though what is a life without memories? Ultimately, I really liked this book and how the story played out. We can always use more books with a bold female lead who faces adversity and comes out of the situation stronger than before.

Review of a Digital Advanced Reading Copy from Razorbill Penguin Random House

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 21 religious exclamations; 2 mild obscenities; 1 religious profanity; 8 scatological words; 5 anatomical terms; 7 F-Word derivatives.

Violence/Gore: A recollection is made by the protagonist of how they fell on some rocks by a body of water and ended up spraining their wrists and breaking an ankle; a brief scene occurs of a girl using a knife to make a cut on herself to make a “seal” with her blood for a spell; a mention is made of an inhuman entity that was discovered to be stowing away on a ship years ago causing harm to the ships passengers; a brief scene occurs where the entity that was once on the previously mentioned ship is described to have creepy hands, arms, and mouths that appear to be writhing under the skin; the protagonist experiences the creature grabbing her wrist and slamming her to the ground in a brief scene; the creature is mentioned to be loose and has attacked two residents of the town in a brief report; a woman is mentioned to come to the conclusion that her daughter has turned into a monster; the creature/monster is mentioned to require blood to seal her into a cave so the doesn’t escape; verbal threats are exchanged between the protagonist and the creature/monster; a brief scene occurs where the people of the town are aware that the creature/monster is loose and are in fear of her catching them; the creature/monster is depicted apprehending a resident of the town and slamming them to the ground with their giant hand.

Sex/Nudity: The protagonist, a female minor, mentions that she broke up with her girlfriend, though she doesn’t remember when or why; a mention is made of the character realizing she’s bi-sexual; a girl refers to her ex-girlfriend as her hot girlfriend; girls are mentioned to be flirting with each other in a brief scene; the protagonist recalls a moment when she almost kissed her then girlfriend in a theater; two girls kiss in a brief scene; flirting is mentioned to occur between two girls; a girl is mentioned to give her girlfriend a good morning kiss

Mature Subject Matter:

Death of a loved one; magic; sexual discovery; same-sex romance/relationship.

Alcohol/Drug Use:

An adult character is mentioned to be drunk; a minor smells beer in an apartment hallway; wine is mentioned to be drunk.