Thought-provoking and compulsively readable, this novel was nearly impossible to put down. I love the growing genre of novels centred on queer women, whose queerness really plays no significant role in the plot but is simply fact, who discover a secret their scientific job is hiding that turns their worldview from one of utopia to dystopia. (A similar novel I want to shelve this one next to is 'You Feel it Just Below the Ribs' for its similar themes). While I think the ending wrapped up a little too cleanly--I was excitedly anticipating a much darker twist--I do think it ended more realistically, which can be argued makes the book that much more sinister as it felt like something that could actually happen. Overall, it made me really think about how much your memories make you who are and whether it's a good thing to forget something even if it hurts. Brilliant.

Unique, Disquieting…
High concept suspense, both unique and disquieting. A memory clinic is giving the opportunity to retrieve that lost memory, that traumatic memory that the chosen ones decided to lose forever. The question is - do they want it back? After all, some memories may undoubtedly be perilous. Character driven exploration of the power of the human psyche and all that goes with it and of a miraculous piece of technology that, perhaps, is best left in it’s place.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so looking forward to reading this book, and while I did enjoy it, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. A good read nonetheless.

Really interesting premise about memory and the impact of erasing certain memories. I hoped this book would be really compelling, but I found it the opposite. There were a handful of characters all with different stories and I found it difficult to differentiate between them because none of them were very memorable. I wish I could give this book a better review, but I’m afraid it really wasn’t for me.

With an extremely interesting premise of memory deletions and their possible repercussions, this was a roller coaster of a book.

It starts off slow with some clunky writing. I found the characters to be hit or miss in the beginning but soon got used to the book and its unique style. This book questions concepts like personality, psychology, philosophy and in relation to our memories.

It turned into a compelling and thought provoking page-turner with characters that grew on me. I was sure that this would be a five star until the last part where turned a bit messy and let me wanting more for the characters.

But I think that's what the point of the book is. Life isn't a neat fictional story with all the ends tied up properly for you. A book can't tell you that. But i suggest you read this one all the same.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK for the e-copy.

4/5

I thought this was a great idea for a book and the author did a fantastic job of realising a world in which memory deletion was possible with a realistic process and technology, so it didn't feel like 'sci-fi'.

However, the author also took on rather a lot in terms of storylines, I don't mind a complex narrative with lots of strands and was happy to keep up with all of the stories and how they eventually meshed together. But because a couple ended up almost like red herrings/unfinished I was left a little unsatisfied as I was quite invested by the ending in all of them. I get that there was realism in that not everyone WOULD want to get a memory back but while clever I found it frustrating.

The tone and writing style was also quite sparse and clinical, which while I enjoyed and felt really suited the book (especially Noor's account) it didn't quite reveal enough of emotional side of what these people were going through, it all felt quite held in with a lot NOT being said.
Which while an accomplishment in itself, just for a change I would have quite liked to have a bit more of the telling not showing. It was a little exhausting to have to see what the significance was of every thought/movement rather than just been told a few things to sweep you a long a little bit.

Still, a great idea, and ideal for a TV adaptation, if only because I'd like to watch the story without having to dig deep into every word and maybe get a more satisfying ending because I think some of these characters really needed a happy ever after!

I'm sorry but I only read a couple of chapters of this book and didn't like it so will not leave a review

I loved the idea of this book but found all the different characters like different short stories within the book, a bit confusing even though they do eventually all link up
It's about a tech company called Nepenthe, that helps people to remove unwanted and traumatic memories. But now, thousands of people are receiving an email telling them they had a traumatic memory removed which can be reversed.
As a psychotherapist the very idea of the book was interesting about memories and how they impact on our daily lives until we deal with them. Ultimately, therapy is always the answer!

Being honest, I found this book so confusing I almost gave up on it. I'm glad I persevered though as it raised many questions for me. I'm not sure I have any answers, but I'm working on it.

If you could have a memory wiped, would you? What about the ramifications? What about the niggling hole it would leave, and what about other disjointed memories that you still have that were connected to the now wiped memory? Confusing? Not half!

If anyone remembers the 60s TV series, 'The Prisoner' this book is the modern-day equivalent. Just like The Prisoner, people will talk about this book for years debating what it was all about.

Sorry but this book is not for me I got no enjoyment from reading it. I struggled through to the end but wish I hadn’t bothered.

I have seen a couple different covers for this book, but my preferred one is the Hutchinson Heinneman hardback one. The front cover features what I would say is a blank white sheet with a figure at the centre of it, which fits with the whole ethic of “wiping the slate clean” or “fresh blank sheet of paper.” I love the by-line of “What if you didn’t have to live with your worst memories” which is the whole basis of the book really. There’s a large company called Nepenthe who offer a service that means you can have traumatic, or even just memories you don’t want removed. “Nepenthe” literally means “a potion used by the ancients to induce forgetfulness of pain or sorrow.” Would this book cover make me pick it up from a bookstore shelf? Honestly, I’m not sure, though upon reading the by-line I think I would want to read the blurb and that would be the thing that hooked me into wanting to read the book.

Initially all seems like it is going well for Nepenthe with the memory removals, then people begin to get what the media name “traces,” meaning they have flashbacks, or nightmares about the memories they have had removed. This becomes such a serious problem that when it is discovered the “removed” memories can be restored. Everyone that has had a removal is sent a letter explaining that they have a choice, to stay as they are with their memory “erased” or they can come back into the clinic and have the “re-installed.” These people who went have paid a large amount of money to have these memories taken away are now faced with the reality that perhaps those strange flashback, or just out of reach “half memories” and those weird nightmares they have been having may be connected to their memory they so desperately wanted removing. Now they are presented with a tough quandary, continue as they are or risk having their “unwanted memory” returned and have to deal with the consequences of that. There were two types of clients at the Nepenthe clinic, the day time ones that the clients were aware they’d had a procedure. The other type of client usually came to the clinic at night and along with their unwanted memory being removed so was the knowledge of having the procedure done. However, there is also another sub-section of clients, ones that one of the Nepenthe Doctors did memory removals on, sort of “on the side” as in they “didn’t go through the books.” Which is going to make contacting them incredibly difficult as they do not have official Nepenthe records, meaning if they moved home etc, their records would not be updated. This presents a very complex problem for the Doctor who needs to contact all such cases, explain to then they had a procedure done in “unusual” circumstances, and then given the choice, and appropriate counselling to make a decision and finally either given the procedure to reinstate the memory or not. All this has to happen without anyone else finding out and informing the bosses of Nepenthe.

Nepenthe has various clinics but the one the book concentrates on is Crowshill. Dr Noor Ali is one of the doctors working at that clinic and she lives in the area, whereas Dr Louise Nightingale has a higher position in the company and is based at the London HQ but regularly visits the Crowshill clinic. Memory removals are temporarily put on hold and the attention is on finding those who are being offered the procedure to give them back their memory. It’s whilst the process of contacting these parties that Noor becomes suspicious of her colleague Louise. Certain practices in the clinic records need two employees to access them. Noor has become so used to performing this task for Louise that she puts in her password and leaves Louise to do whatever she needs when the company expectations are that this system means two people should be looking over whatever is being done. It is only when Noor begins to become suspicious about what exactly Louise is up to. Noor does some of her own digging around and then finds herself in a dilemma. Should she tell her superiors what she has found out about what Louise is/has been up to. Or should she just stay quiet, but then, she has the worry of if what Louise has been doing is discovered by the bosses of Nepenthe and they look at the computer logs her own name will be seen to. Noor soon comes to the conclusion that she will be implicated either way. She isn’t the most confident person and worries about upsetting her friend. Whilst at the same time thinking maybe her friend is “using her” and will put the blame on her if found out, making her some sort of scapegoat, something she isn’t willing to be for anyone.

The book follows the individuals being given this choice and the struggles coming to a decision about what to do. One such person, William, a policeman, only discovers he has had a memory removed when he is wanting something else removed. He needs special permission as he is a Policeman and it is illegal for them to undergo the procedure if the memory is anything to do with a criminal case. Life is already hard for William at the moment, his wife Annetta has moved out of their family home with their two children, Fiona and Milo and is living at her childhood home under the pretext of helping her mother for a while. When William reveals the fact, he had previously had a memory removed his wife thinks it’s a simple decision and, in her opinion, there is only one choice, he should have it back.

The book follows just four patients, William, Finn, Oscar, and Mei, but when you are reading it feels like so many more. You really don’t realise how having a specific memory removed could have a domino effect on the rest of your life and those around you too. There are so many different threads within the book from those that work at Nepenthe, those who sit outside the futuristic clinic protesting against it every day, and of course those who pay to use the clinic. You may think I have revealed a lot about the book in this review but truly I have only touched the surface of the book and it’s contents.

My immediate thoughts upon finishing reading the book were that I found the book a really interesting read and had really looked forward to reading more each evening. I regularly ended up pondering the book during the day, putting myself in the different positions of the characters.

Summing up, this book is a little slower paced than ones I usually read, but I’ll be totally honest when I say I ended up really enjoying the change of pace and the more in-depth mysterious plot. Along with the suspense of would the secrets of two of the doctors at the clinic be revealed and if they were, what would happen to them. In the end I really couldn’t have guessed at the final ending! I found the different clients memories people had removed or were considering removing and their reasons for wanting them removed very interesting. Reading about them was like “people watching” but much deeper. Also, these same people were then suddenly, out of the blue, being faced with the reality of perhaps not all the memory has been successfully removed, or perhaps too much memory has been removed. And finally, they had to face the dilemma of whether to have the memory "returned" or not. This book is certainly thought provoking, even after you have finished reading it all.

I was really looking forward to reading this book because I thought the idea of brain wipes sounded really interesting. However, I must admit that I struggled with it a little. It took me a while longer to read than most books and it seemed a bit too long. I just couldn't get into it in the same way, and for some reason I couldn't relate with some of the characters.
I do think that the story idea is a brilliant one, and it's scary to think that this technology could actually be real.
Any reader who is a fan of technology will love this book, but I'm afraid that it just wasn't for me.
Thank you for this ARC in return for a honest review.

What a debut! Such an interesting and original read. Highly recommend!
Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The synopsis for the book totally drew me in but I think it was a bit to high brow for me. I struggled with the structure, almost like lots of disjointed short stories, However I think that it was a really unique novel and I think it will be really well received by people with a broader mind that mine

3 Stars from me

Oh I so wanted to love this book. The premise is AMAZING, what a concept for a story!

I loved the complexity in the relationship between Noor and Louise and found it quite fascinating. 

Equally the lives of some of the 'night' clients were deeply engaging.

Unfortunately I found that the story dragged massively through the mid section and I found some of the characters quite hard to care about.

Such a shame as I was genuinely excited once I realised what the book was about.

Jo Harkin brings Nepenthe to life by dropping the reader straight into a new world on page 1. We begin with Noor, who interviews customers for Nepenthe to gather information after their memory deletions, and Louise, a doctor who performs the initial psychological assessments. The story also follows four main characters who have been impacted by memory deletions.

The reader gets to know more about each character, but crucially not their reasons for deletion. This brings a better understanding of the complexity surrounding their choices when they are offered the opportunity to restore a memory that had been deleted. On a very basic level this appears to be a simple yes or no choice, but as we learn each character’s fate we realise how complex the moral dilemma really is. The procedure they opted for meant that even the deletion itself was kept a secret from their future selves, so the choice of yes or no could impact the rest of their life, and those closest to them in unknown ways. Exploring the importance of memory in identity, grief, and relationships; Tell Me An Ending brings some big themes to an accessible sci-fi thriller.

On the surface the premise of Nepenthe may seem appealing; helping people to delete the memories that are harmful to them. But dig a little deeper and Jo Harkin exposes the reality of the dystopian world that comes with it.

Nepenthe edits out 'wrong notes' in your memory and removes all its traces, so many seize the opportunity to wipe out the things that haunt them. Now however, after law suits, many are offered the chance to have their memories restored. Can you imagine the impact and dilemma this will bring? This could blow up lives. The novel focuses on five individuals, there's Irish architect Finn who lives in Arizona and is very concerned when his wife Mirande gets the memory restoral message which he knew nothing about. Mei, a troubled university dropout currently living in Kuala Lumpur with her father. A young man called Oscar who just keeps running but he knows not what from and who has no memories before the age of 16. William who is a former police officer and is struggling with PTSD and the breakdown of his marriage. Finally, Noor, a psychologist who works at Nepenthe in London.

This has a very complex, clever and disturbing plot which makes you ponder which of your own memories you might erase! It's not an easy read because at times it goes deep into philosophy and morality which has me floundering a bit and it slows the pace of the storytelling too. However, the author soon pulls you back into the characters lives. I find Noor's story and dilemma and Oscar's situation the most fascinating and the ones I'm most invested in. You feel William's pain and his wife's frustration and though I do understand the purpose of Mei's story that's the one that works least well for me.

This is a very original and unique novel that takes you on a thought provoking and at times emotional journey with these characters and there's everything from anger to suspicion to sadness. At times there's suspense, there is definitely tension, some fear, anger and sadness. The ending is excellent with the story fragments being wrapped up cleverly and well and this pushes the books rating firmly into four stars in my opinion. I guess there is no eternal sunshine or spotless mind. This is a very impressive debut novel about the power of memory and I look forward to reading what the author creates next.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Cornerstone for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Loved the idea but this book just wasn’t for me. I did come back to it several times hoping that the storyline would pick up pace and interest but have now given up. From the reviews some people do love it so perhaps I missed something.

1.5 stars
An awful book on one of the most interesting ideas rooted in reality - Are we summation of our memories/ experience or is there a deep-rooted core that will define us even if we lose our memories?

The premise of the book is simple - the world now has the technology that allows people to remove their bad memories and move on. People who have gone through traumatic experiences can simply have their memory of the same go poof! And then comes along an email offering the clients to have their memory restored. It's a story of 4 characters faced with the uncertainty of what might lie beyond the haze of removed memory.

The concept is thought-provoking and good food for thought and that's where all the good things with the book end. The characters are shallow and live too much in their heads. There is nothing much to move the plot, too long and uninteresting characters, and the prose is absurd, Add on to that the cliched trope of new technology corrupts in favor of making money! rolling my eyes! However, my biggest issue with the book is the supposed 'exploration' of characters. The thought experiments on memory are gray areas with different viewpoints. But it felt the author was leaning towards one viewpoint and chose to reinforce the same through each of the characters. The independent thoughts and viewpoints were simply not there. I do like when seemingly unrelated characters come together like different pieces of the puzzle but even that was missing here.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this to be an impressive debut novel and the idea of technology being able to erase memories gives food for thought. I enjoyed the story which was written from different characters' perspectives. However, for me, there was too much introspection, characters worrying about their motives and decisions.

Still, three stars for a good debut novel.