The Memory Collectors by Kim Neville is a standalone magical realism novel.
Ever since she was a little girl, Ev has been able to sense the emotions of objects around her–intense emotions left by behind by their owns. She believes she must distance herself from these emotions, protect herself from their influence. Ev destroys the harmful objects and sells the harmless ones at Vancouver’s Chinatown Night Market.
In another part of town, Harriet hoards these special objects but the number of heightened emotions mixed in one place is beginning to take its toll on her neighbors and eviction is on the horizon.
When Ev and Harriet cross paths, Harriet knows that Ev is the only one who can help her make something more of her collection but Ev only feels fear and wants nothing to do with such an immense collection of “stains.”
Together Ev and Harriet must learn to harness their powers and overcome their past. But, when emotions are involved anything can happen.
This was actually a really good book. I enjoyed this idea of object being infused with the emotions of their owners and those objects passing those feelings on. It’s a very ghost/haunting-like concept but without the “spooky” factor.
One of the things I liked about this book was how Ev’s growth paralleled Harriet’s decline. There was this role reversal that really worked for me. And the scene’s in Harriet’s house towards the end of the novel, were really well done.
The only thing that really bugged me about this book, is how annoying I found it that I could not place Owen’s age. I know it is a little think but it really bothered me.
Overall, this one gets 4 stars from me.
That’s all for now!
-M-
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