Memento Nora

By: Angie Smibert

Narrated by: Gail Stairs

Length: 4 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

In the future, it doesn't pay to remember.

In Nora's world you don't have to put up with nightmares. Nora goes with her mother to TFC - a Therapeutic Forgetting Clinic. There, she can describe her horrible memory and take the pill that will erase it. But at TFC, a chance encounter with a mysterious guy changes Nora's life. She doesn't take the pill. And when Nora learns the memory her mother has chosen to forget, she realizes that someone needs to remember.

With newfound friends Micah and Winter, Nora makes a comic book of their memories called Memento. It's an instant hit, but it sets off a dangerous chain of events. Will Nora, Micah, and Winter be forced to take the Big Pill that will erase their memories forever?

Angie Smibert's remarkable debut novel takes readers on a thrilling ride through shadowy world where corporations secretly rule - and wish you'd just keep shopping.

©2011 Angela Smibert (P)2012 Angie Smibert

It's OK

If you think this story may be a little something like the film Momento, you are mistaken. Aside from having loss of memory and the title very loosely tying them together, they are as dissimilar as possible, so don't make the purchase based on that.

Overall, this story is ok. Certainly not more than ok. The plot isn't as intriguing or the characters as compelling as the publisher's description would lead one to expect. The kids relationships are very flat, and underdeveloped and one doesn't feel particularly moved by their connection to each other. The real problem, I think, is just that the plot simply doesn't seem to develop as much as it should, or as fully and it seems not well paced. The threat the society and students face doesn't feel particularly threatening as it is never really detailed enough, just kind of hinted at, and it doesn't feel, through much of the story, that there is any real menace. We never know why society came to this state, which would have helped perhaps. Also what we think should be major developments in the plot (the discovery that the main character makes about her parents, the impact of the publishing of the comic, etc) are not really as major as one would expect them to become and are introduced to be ignored or to be presented in a very underwhelming, slow way.

That said, there is enough of a plot to follow it, and it is your typical teen dystopia story - not as good as some, better than some... nothing special but nothing terrible.

The reader does a good job reading the story. By reading, I mean reading. It is not performed, but read for the most part. It's read well, to be fair, but it often felt like when your teacher reads you a story in class when you are a kid... Perhaps I have been spoiled by so many professional performances of works on audible. Given the way it was read, it was very difficult to distiguish one character from another, so you need to pay close attention as they all sound exactly the same so there are no audible clues as to who is talking, and there is no feel of characters interacting - and it feels like a reading. This isn't necessarily bad, but doesn't help the book rise above its potential of just being ok either.

Beautifully read

Where does Memento Nora rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

As a middle school teacher, I am constantly looking for new great YA books. This is one. The characters are real and compelling, and it does not have a Disney ending.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Memento Nora?

I enjoyed the interaction between the teens. The fact that well into the plot and their "friendship" they were still wary of one another and distrustful. It felt like real teens.

What does Gail Stairs bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The reading of this book was beautiful. Ms. Stairs sold the trendy "glossy" as well as the dark anger in the characters.

Any additional comments?

I searched for the next book, The Forgetting Curve, and was ready to buy it. It is not here yet. Hopefully soon.

Glossy!

Where does Memento Nora rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I thought this audiobook was great. The story keeps you guessing, makes you think about things in a different way and is also super fun! The narrator's voice was smooth, easy to listen to and kept me interested in the story. Unlike some audiobooks, I liked the way the performance wasn't over the top, because it let me use MY imagination to create the characters.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The Future's not so Glossy!

Surprising and Enjoyable

Memento Nora was a surprising and enjoyable read.

I don’t usually read such short books but I had some spare credit in my account and the premise really piqued my interest as memory alteration is a growing topic in YA right now.

I was pleasantly surprised to find an interesting, well-built future world and fascinating characters were richer and more well developed than some I’d read in longer stories on a similar topic.

The plot was mostly straight forward but still managed to catch me off-guard with a clever little twist I didn’t pick! The ending was fairly tight and satisfying too.

My only complaint is that I wish it was longer or that we’d at least be seeing more of Nora (The ending didn’t obviously set up a sequel though reading, I now see there will in fact be a follow-up and I’m excited)!

It’s so rare with all the ho-hum stories I read that I wish for more but I couldn’t help but be disappointed it was over (unlike being disappointed it was dragging on like so with so many other books!)

Overall, I highly recommend Memento Nora. Despite its brief length it was a solid, enjoyable read.

Like 1984, but in 2012!

What did you love best about Memento Nora?

I love being able to recommend books for my nephew. Particularly dystopian pieces that are age appropriate. I also really loved Gail's voice. I've felt in the past when I listen to a less than great story a narrator can mask that by being overly dynamic and masking the writing, but the best stories are where you don't even notice the acting or the actor involved. I think of the way John Hurt described himself in the Elephant Man role, a fellow actor noted how great he was but that no one will talk about him and only the character since there's so much makeup involved and how much distance there is between himself and the character. He noted how that's the opposite of how he views acting, that he disappears into the role and is invisible as an actor.

What other book might you compare Memento Nora to and why?

I reference 1984 in the title and while not as bleak a future portrayed in that, Nora's world is certainly authoritarian and makes use of wealth and advertising as a means of control rather than permanent war. While not Orwell, it's certainly a fun and imaginative book.

Have you listened to any of Gail Stairs’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't heard her before. I would very much like to again though!