review
An action-packed debut novel, Remember tells the story of four British teenagers who find themselves in a psychiatric hospital in the summer of 1969. They do not know how or why they came to be there, and seeking answers to these questions, the foursome embark on a kind of treasure hunt which is also a journey of hope and disappointment. After following a series of cryptic clues and completing various challenges, their quest eventually leads them back to their old neighbourhood in Richmond, London.
The adventure story is interwoven with an interview from the year 2019 in which a scientist discusses his research project on the human brain. The project is called ‘Remember’ and has heralded extraordinary technological advances. Only in the final part of the interview is the truth behind the main story revealed: it turns out to be a game, but one with real-world implications. When specific regions of their brain are stimulated, the ‘players’ perceive a different kind of reality which they take to be their real life. Their fate is watched by people all over the world in an unsettling version of ‘Big Brother’.
An intriguing book which draws readers in and keeps them guessing until the end.
All recommendations from Autumn 2012