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Mnevermind #1
The Persistence of Memory
Every day, Daniel Schroeder breaks his father's heart.
The two of them have always been close, which makes it all the more difficult to break the daily news: the last five years were nothing like Big Dan remembers.
They're both professionals in the memory field--they even run their own memory palace. So shouldn't they be able to figure out a way to overwrite the persistent false memory that's wreaking havoc on both of their lives? Daniel thought he was holding it together, but the situation is sliding out of control. Now even his own equipment has turned against him, reminding him he hasn't had a date in ages by taunting him with flashes of an elusive man in black that only he can see.
The Elijah character makes no sense. Not only does he claim to be straight--which has never piqued Daniel's interest--but he's appearing in manufactured memories in which he's never been programmed. Is it some quirk of the circuitry, or is Daniel's desire to connect with someone clouding his own memory?
The two of them have always been close, which makes it all the more difficult to break the daily news: the last five years were nothing like Big Dan remembers.
They're both professionals in the memory field--they even run their own memory palace. So shouldn't they be able to figure out a way to overwrite the persistent false memory that's wreaking havoc on both of their lives? Daniel thought he was holding it together, but the situation is sliding out of control. Now even his own equipment has turned against him, reminding him he hasn't had a date in ages by taunting him with flashes of an elusive man in black that only he can see.
The Elijah character makes no sense. Not only does he claim to be straight--which has never piqued Daniel's interest--but he's appearing in manufactured memories in which he's never been programmed. Is it some quirk of the circuitry, or is Daniel's desire to connect with someone clouding his own memory?
158 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 2, 2012
37 people are currently reading
1221 people want to read
About the author
Jordan Castillo Price
139 books2,133 followersAuthor and artist Jordan Castillo Price writes paranormal sci-fi thrillers colored by her time in the Midwest, from inner city Chicago, to various cities across southern Wisconsin. She’s settled in a 1910 Cape Cod near Lake Michigan with tons of character and a plethora of bizarre spiders. Any disembodied noises, she’s decided, will be blamed on the ice maker.
Jordan is best known as the author of the PsyCop series, an unfolding tale of paranormal mystery and suspense starring Victor Bayne, a gay medium who's plagued by ghostly visitations.
Jordan is best known as the author of the PsyCop series, an unfolding tale of paranormal mystery and suspense starring Victor Bayne, a gay medium who's plagued by ghostly visitations.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 300 reviews
February 19, 2016
**WOAH, now FREE at Amazon US! 2/19/16**
A new, awesome Jordan Castillo Price series has arrived!!<--- (Were sweeter words ever spoken?)
I adore JCP. Her Psycop series is a huge favorite of mine, and I've liked each of her stand-alones that I've read, so I had a pretty good feeling going into this one. I was not disappointed. JCP keeps delivering on these interesting, out of the box concepts in M/M, and she kills it every time.
Though this book was a little Total Recall meets Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, it was unlike anything that I've read in romance before. And though this book had almost no heat whatsoever (WHAT???), had a cliffhanger-esk ending, and felt like a truncation of a larger novel, I still really dug it.
I think these characters grew on me over time. I liked how the MC, Daniel, was 45 (love to see older MCs), and I connected more and more with him as the book progressed. I loved the relationship between Daniel and his dad, and it broke my heart a little, witnessing what both of these men have to go through every day. Larry also grew to be one of my favorite characters. He provided some nice comic relief when things got a little too intense. I also loved the character of Elijah. I like out-of-the-box characters, and Elijah really brought something different to the table. I'm also getting a vibe that is leaving me positively HUMMING with excitement.
Can't wait to devour the other books in the series this weekend!
A new, awesome Jordan Castillo Price series has arrived!!<--- (Were sweeter words ever spoken?)
I adore JCP. Her Psycop series is a huge favorite of mine, and I've liked each of her stand-alones that I've read, so I had a pretty good feeling going into this one. I was not disappointed. JCP keeps delivering on these interesting, out of the box concepts in M/M, and she kills it every time.
Though this book was a little Total Recall meets Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, it was unlike anything that I've read in romance before. And though this book had almost no heat whatsoever (WHAT???), had a cliffhanger-esk ending, and felt like a truncation of a larger novel, I still really dug it.
I think these characters grew on me over time. I liked how the MC, Daniel, was 45 (love to see older MCs), and I connected more and more with him as the book progressed. I loved the relationship between Daniel and his dad, and it broke my heart a little, witnessing what both of these men have to go through every day. Larry also grew to be one of my favorite characters. He provided some nice comic relief when things got a little too intense. I also loved the character of Elijah. I like out-of-the-box characters, and Elijah really brought something different to the table. I'm also getting a vibe that is leaving me positively HUMMING with excitement.
Can't wait to devour the other books in the series this weekend!
August 20, 2018
Re-read August 2018
The audio for this is just amazing.
---------------------------------
I loved this. Quite surprising since this book isn't heavy on the romance at all (at first).
But the whole mnemography thing was just so intriguing!
I loved it every time Daniel was questioning whether something was real or not. It was confusing yet not.
Mnemes are a sort of daydreams, where people can have a good time in a sort of virtual reality kind of environment and create a happy feeling. Not a memory, since the mneme will fade within a few hours, or people would go around thinking they really did win the lottery.
Daniel is a 45 year old Mnemographer who moved in with his father, Big Dan, ever since Big Dan had a mneme that went persistent. Daniel feels it is his fault, since it happened in a mneme he wrote. Big Dan is convinced Daniel's mother never left him and they are still happily married. Daniel breaks the news to him every single day.
When Daniel is pegging people into their mnemes at Adventuretech, his and Big Dan's business, he keeps seeing a man that's not supposed to be there. He can't figure out how someone else would be able to get into these people's mnemes..
But eventually he finds out that this person is in fact real, and not a figment of his imagination. When he learns where this guy, Elijah, works, he drops by for an unexpected visit. But he didn't count on Elijah being this.... different.
There is a reason Elijah liked to talk in mneme and not in person though. And that is that Elijah has autism and he doesn't do as well in the real world as he does in mneme. But of course now that Daniel has found him, he has to explain himself and hope for the best...
I think one of the main reasons for me to like this book was how much I liked Daniel. The first half of this story we get a good feel for him and his work as a mnemographer. I loved the concept of giving people a ‘memory’ to make them feel happy for a while.
And even though there was almost no romance in the first 65%, it made up for that in the last 35%.
I was wondering what kind of person would eventually get Daniel's attention. And I was so happy it was a person like Elijah. Autistic Elijah, who was awkward, honest, blunt, and so sweet. I LOVED him. And I loved that he first showed up in Daniel's mnemes as a crow.
Oh, I’m almost forgetting Larry! Larry was priceless. Socially awkward with his heart in the right place. What an awesome character.
Calling in sick, according to Larry, was something the guys on the day shift did all the time. He even offered to do it for both of us so I didn’t feel bad. This was a big relief, until I heard the excuse Larry gave the girl at the desk: explosive diarrhea. Both of us.
The writing in this was exquisite and I enjoyed everything about it.
The audio for this is just amazing.
---------------------------------
I loved this. Quite surprising since this book isn't heavy on the romance at all (at first).
But the whole mnemography thing was just so intriguing!
I loved it every time Daniel was questioning whether something was real or not. It was confusing yet not.
Mnemes are a sort of daydreams, where people can have a good time in a sort of virtual reality kind of environment and create a happy feeling. Not a memory, since the mneme will fade within a few hours, or people would go around thinking they really did win the lottery.
Daniel is a 45 year old Mnemographer who moved in with his father, Big Dan, ever since Big Dan had a mneme that went persistent. Daniel feels it is his fault, since it happened in a mneme he wrote. Big Dan is convinced Daniel's mother never left him and they are still happily married. Daniel breaks the news to him every single day.
When Daniel is pegging people into their mnemes at Adventuretech, his and Big Dan's business, he keeps seeing a man that's not supposed to be there. He can't figure out how someone else would be able to get into these people's mnemes..
But eventually he finds out that this person is in fact real, and not a figment of his imagination. When he learns where this guy, Elijah, works, he drops by for an unexpected visit. But he didn't count on Elijah being this.... different.
There is a reason Elijah liked to talk in mneme and not in person though. And that is that Elijah has autism and he doesn't do as well in the real world as he does in mneme. But of course now that Daniel has found him, he has to explain himself and hope for the best...
I think one of the main reasons for me to like this book was how much I liked Daniel. The first half of this story we get a good feel for him and his work as a mnemographer. I loved the concept of giving people a ‘memory’ to make them feel happy for a while.
And even though there was almost no romance in the first 65%, it made up for that in the last 35%.
I was wondering what kind of person would eventually get Daniel's attention. And I was so happy it was a person like Elijah. Autistic Elijah, who was awkward, honest, blunt, and so sweet. I LOVED him. And I loved that he first showed up in Daniel's mnemes as a crow.
Oh, I’m almost forgetting Larry! Larry was priceless. Socially awkward with his heart in the right place. What an awesome character.
Calling in sick, according to Larry, was something the guys on the day shift did all the time. He even offered to do it for both of us so I didn’t feel bad. This was a big relief, until I heard the excuse Larry gave the girl at the desk: explosive diarrhea. Both of us.
The writing in this was exquisite and I enjoyed everything about it.
February 19, 2016
Cross-posted at Outlaw Reviews and at Shelf Inflicted
45-year-old Daniel Schroeder and his father, Big Dan, own Adventuretech, a business that specializes in implanting fabricated memories based on a client’s needs. While the memories are temporary, the feelings of confidence, happiness, or inner peace that result are lasting.
Daniel developed Life is Awesome, a mnem intended to make his business rich. Instead, the mnem has altered his father’s past, seemingly permanently. And just who is that hot guy in black who keeps popping up in Daniel’s own mnems?
I liked Daniel a lot and appreciated his struggles as he works a part-time job to help keep his business afloat and maintains a close relationship with his family, particularly his father, who believes that he and Daniel’s mom are still together.
I also loved the way memories and actual experiences flowed and overlapped to a point where it was often difficult to tell which was which.
Some mysteries are solved, but there are lots of loose ends and the conclusion is a bit too untidy for my liking.
This is written by Jordan Castillo Price, so I expect fantastic writing, impeccable editing, mesmerizing plots, imaginative ideas, fully realized worlds, and believable, engaging characters.
I’m happy to say the story met all my expectations, and I very much look forward to the next installment!
*Book provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
45-year-old Daniel Schroeder and his father, Big Dan, own Adventuretech, a business that specializes in implanting fabricated memories based on a client’s needs. While the memories are temporary, the feelings of confidence, happiness, or inner peace that result are lasting.
Daniel developed Life is Awesome, a mnem intended to make his business rich. Instead, the mnem has altered his father’s past, seemingly permanently. And just who is that hot guy in black who keeps popping up in Daniel’s own mnems?
I liked Daniel a lot and appreciated his struggles as he works a part-time job to help keep his business afloat and maintains a close relationship with his family, particularly his father, who believes that he and Daniel’s mom are still together.
I also loved the way memories and actual experiences flowed and overlapped to a point where it was often difficult to tell which was which.
Some mysteries are solved, but there are lots of loose ends and the conclusion is a bit too untidy for my liking.
This is written by Jordan Castillo Price, so I expect fantastic writing, impeccable editing, mesmerizing plots, imaginative ideas, fully realized worlds, and believable, engaging characters.
I’m happy to say the story met all my expectations, and I very much look forward to the next installment!
*Book provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
January 5, 2016
Written December 29, 2015
3.8 Stars - Tricky to understand at first but addictive interesting - part one of three and this will be great
Book #1
The Persistence of Memory didn't feel like a complete ended novel, so my rating may not be really accurate until all three Mnevermind parts are read. So far intriguing good.
I don't know if this is to be called paranormal, a bit Sci Fi, or just 201x M/M contemporary with a nowaday (quite gray, non glamorous and ordinary) North American world with some characters with minor future (job) skills. ... — It took time but finally I was convinced; this is another good series by Ms. Price. I can not wait to start the next ( #2-Forget Me Not).
************************************************
Madison, Wisconsin US
It is snowy winter time (as almost always in JCP's books) and a week before Christmas. Our main character, Daniel Schroeder, is struggling with an old father who doesn't remember everything "right" and a pretty poorly managed "mnem"-business. Things went as bad that Daniel had to move back to his fathers house a year ago. Sad, depressing sad.
I will not even try to explain this (a bit paranormal/ future technology) storyline, the important Mnem technology stuff here or even the main plot. It is just too complicated and I don't want to make it more inexplicably weird or diffusing. Read and be sincerely surprised instead. — But the M/M romance part? Honestly you had to wait a while but it turned up in the end.
Then what was all this about?
The Persistence of Memory is mostly about the Daniel character and a bunch of truly fun and odd second characters. As I wrote, it didn't feel like a complete full novel just as a start of a three-part book. Anyway... — Daniel (past 40) is a slightly 'disappointing', sad and angsty, not very impressive, but a bit unique romance hero. A poor male MC you can't but love and truly care for. Yeah, I felt for sweet Daniel at once. He really needed some happiness and personal victories ... as so often in JCP's books.
************************************************
In the middle of all those gray days starts strange (or actually more strange than usual) things to happens. A mystique goodlooking guy in a long black coat (‘..flapping in the wind’) turnes up in middle of some mnem sessions. — The guy feels very real but he can't be. Or?
Ended up happy and glad, this is another different and addictive series by Jordan Castillo Price. Yay!!
************************************************
I LIKE - JCP's crazy M/M fiction worlds
****
A new (for us) JCP series, a holiday buddy with Sofia (start 26/12).
3.8 Stars - Tricky to understand at first but addictive interesting - part one of three and this will be great
Book #1
The Persistence of Memory didn't feel like a complete ended novel, so my rating may not be really accurate until all three Mnevermind parts are read. So far intriguing good.
I don't know if this is to be called paranormal, a bit Sci Fi, or just 201x M/M contemporary with a nowaday (quite gray, non glamorous and ordinary) North American world with some characters with minor future (job) skills. ... — It took time but finally I was convinced; this is another good series by Ms. Price. I can not wait to start the next ( #2-Forget Me Not).
************************************************
Madison, Wisconsin US
It is snowy winter time (as almost always in JCP's books) and a week before Christmas. Our main character, Daniel Schroeder, is struggling with an old father who doesn't remember everything "right" and a pretty poorly managed "mnem"-business. Things went as bad that Daniel had to move back to his fathers house a year ago. Sad, depressing sad.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Mnem [neem]
1. a temporary, artificially induced memory
2. the subjective internal experience in which a mnem is implanted
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
I will not even try to explain this (a bit paranormal/ future technology) storyline, the important Mnem technology stuff here or even the main plot. It is just too complicated and I don't want to make it more inexplicably weird or diffusing. Read and be sincerely surprised instead. — But the M/M romance part? Honestly you had to wait a while but it turned up in the end.
‘Gee, was my love life exciting, or what?
Next page.
Did you find the man in black?
No.’
Then what was all this about?
The Persistence of Memory is mostly about the Daniel character and a bunch of truly fun and odd second characters. As I wrote, it didn't feel like a complete full novel just as a start of a three-part book. Anyway... — Daniel (past 40) is a slightly 'disappointing', sad and angsty, not very impressive, but a bit unique romance hero. A poor male MC you can't but love and truly care for. Yeah, I felt for sweet Daniel at once. He really needed some happiness and personal victories ... as so often in JCP's books.
************************************************
In the middle of all those gray days starts strange (or actually more strange than usual) things to happens. A mystique goodlooking guy in a long black coat (‘..flapping in the wind’) turnes up in middle of some mnem sessions. — The guy feels very real but he can't be. Or?
“I figured.” He crossed his arms and looked me up and down, easy as you please and drop-dead, sizzlingly hot—and, really, did I have any right to feel sorry for myself when the grinding machinations of fate had somehow robbed him of his normalcy, when all my woes had been brought on by no one but myself?’
Ended up happy and glad, this is another different and addictive series by Jordan Castillo Price. Yay!!
************************************************
I LIKE - JCP's crazy M/M fiction worlds
****
A new (for us) JCP series, a holiday buddy with Sofia (start 26/12).
February 26, 2019
Audio - 4.5 stars
Story - 3 stars
Excellent world building, but it is more world building than romance. Looking forward to the next two books, and hoping for more romance.
Story - 3 stars
Excellent world building, but it is more world building than romance. Looking forward to the next two books, and hoping for more romance.
August 16, 2016
2,5 stars rounded up to 3 stars
I understand now why Jordan Castillo Price is so popular.
And even if I had a hard time with this book, the writing doesn't belong to my issues.
I'd like to read something less focused on the technical aspect. Where I have more fiction and less of manuals.
This book was simply mnemoverloaded. I finished it totally exhausted, and I know for sure, I'm not going to read more of this series.
There were too many technical details that spoiled a fluent pace of the story for me, that distracted and irritated me. To read long passages filled with the mnem was extremely tiresome.
The most distraught things about it - I still don't know how it works, and - I beg your pardon - I stopped to care. I'm simply glad it is over.
I always knew that people who read or write science fiction have totally different way of imagination. To bind a high-quality top technology's topic, that could be very dry, and a thrilling plot without letting readers feel themselves like uneducated idiots is the most delicate and probably difficult task. I don't know what did you feel reading a long mnem- passage, but I felt myself like an idiot.
**Copy provided by the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
February 7, 2017
This review sucks because I'm too sick to write a good one.
This was freaky-deaky and I don't think it was just the Sudafed and Benadryl I've been sucking down. The whole is this reality? when you're medicated makes for tricky reading. That said, totally solid read, not really a romance, but definitely entertaining. Continuing on with the series.
This was freaky-deaky and I don't think it was just the Sudafed and Benadryl I've been sucking down. The whole is this reality? when you're medicated makes for tricky reading. That said, totally solid read, not really a romance, but definitely entertaining. Continuing on with the series.
February 13, 2017
3.5
I discovered Jordan Castillo Price's creative writing through her PsyCop series and have been curious on reading of her stuff even since. In 'The Persistence of Memory', Daniel operates a run-down false memory stimulator facility called Adventuretech. Daniel runs into a mysterious man while running some of the mnem's, and the two eventually figure out what is real and what isn't between them. Kind-of. Meanwhile Daniel has to deal with breaking bad news to his father every day because his life has been ruined by a false memory permanence.
The world-building is both far reaching and creative. I definitely haven't read something like this before - but I will say I was confused for at least half of it. There's made up tech stuff involved with the memory/dreams, and this takes up a large portion of the book. There's not much devoted to the romance angle really, other than a potent moment at the end, but the author introduced an unusual Autistic character as a love interest, which I give kudos to.
I liked Daniel and the writing, although the story didn't grab me much yet. The mnem stuff is artistic but it's not something I find fascinating. It took up more of the book than plot development for the main characters, but they seem come through real and interesting enough. I'll read the next book eventually, that has even higher ratings.
I discovered Jordan Castillo Price's creative writing through her PsyCop series and have been curious on reading of her stuff even since. In 'The Persistence of Memory', Daniel operates a run-down false memory stimulator facility called Adventuretech. Daniel runs into a mysterious man while running some of the mnem's, and the two eventually figure out what is real and what isn't between them. Kind-of. Meanwhile Daniel has to deal with breaking bad news to his father every day because his life has been ruined by a false memory permanence.
The world-building is both far reaching and creative. I definitely haven't read something like this before - but I will say I was confused for at least half of it. There's made up tech stuff involved with the memory/dreams, and this takes up a large portion of the book. There's not much devoted to the romance angle really, other than a potent moment at the end, but the author introduced an unusual Autistic character as a love interest, which I give kudos to.
I liked Daniel and the writing, although the story didn't grab me much yet. The mnem stuff is artistic but it's not something I find fascinating. It took up more of the book than plot development for the main characters, but they seem come through real and interesting enough. I'll read the next book eventually, that has even higher ratings.
December 29, 2015
Definitely on with the next one. After a confusing part JCP did not leave me floudering in the dark, things are way more clearer now, I do need to continue with the story as I was to see, I want to know.
Present rating after reading only the first part of the trilogy 3.5 stars - subject to change later.
Read with Ingela.
June 30, 2014
Fabulous. Lovely premise, great atmosphere - I am a sucker for shabby-junk sci-fi - and the author is ruthless in repeatedly pulling the rug from under the narrator's feet. Off to get the next one. Highly recommended
December 3, 2014
Compelling writing, fascinating and vividly-drawn world.
Daniel's attraction to and interactions with Elijah make me uncomfortable. It feels like Daniel's not treating Elijah like an actual person.
It's difficult to rate a book when it cuts off so abruptly; I'm looking forward to book 2
Daniel's attraction to and interactions with Elijah make me uncomfortable. It feels like Daniel's not treating Elijah like an actual person.
It's difficult to rate a book when it cuts off so abruptly; I'm looking forward to book 2
May 20, 2012
Once again, JCP has given us a wonderful main character in a believable setting with just enough near or alternate future contextual background to be complete but not overdone. And as always, I can't wait for the next installment. The idea of a main character who is capable of two different types of interaction in two different settings sets up a wonderful tension here. The way the narrator faces the difficult task every morning of reminding his father that the man has been divorced from his mother for five years, a fact his father forgets over and over, is just one poignant and fascinating detail in this unique book. The end is not a cliff-hanger exactly, but it's not even close to a HFN yet. Waiting is not going to be easy...
December 28, 2012
I chose this after being blown away by
and it didn't disappoint. I found it to be utterly unique, thoughtful, surreal and heartbreaking. Poor Daniel is so defeated and sad... I can't wait to see how his relationship with mysterious Elijah will change this.
Book two cannot come fast enough!
and it didn't disappoint. I found it to be utterly unique, thoughtful, surreal and heartbreaking. Poor Daniel is so defeated and sad... I can't wait to see how his relationship with mysterious Elijah will change this. Book two cannot come fast enough!
March 30, 2015
I had to sleep on this one before rating and reviewing. I was torn between a 4 and a 5, but I just can’t get this book out of my head. JCP is a sci-fi master as far as I’m concerned. The world building and level of detail is amazing. The concept of mnemography is very cool. Throw in Daniel, Big Dan, Larry and Elijah and you have a 5-star read. I can’t wait to start the next book.
May 5, 2012
Excellent alternate reality m/m romance about a mneomographer who's lost his confidence after accidentally changing his dad's reality... permanently. And then he runs into something inexplicable during an mneming session... Totally sucked into this, and impatiently waiting for the next segment. *taps fingers*
March 11, 2015
4.5 rounded to 5 because JCP is amaze.
February 19, 2015
First read: November 2014
Reread: February 2015
Is it possible JC Price is getting even better! She's already my most favourite m/m writer UF/sci-fi/horror/ whatever else she decides to write author!
Our character Daniel is in the business of selling fake short-term memories, or mnems. He's stopped creating his own memories since the last one he created stayed with his father permanently. Daniel is a loner and not really ready for a relationship. Yet when he meets a strange man in his clients' mnems he gets quite intrigued.
I'm not going to spoil you with any more plot details. The story was so gripping I couldn't put the book down! I loved Daniel and the rest of the cast of characters were real and fun. As for the mystery man, he was so sweet!
I can't wait to read the next installment! Starting tonight!
Well deserved bright and shiny five stars:)
Reread: February 2015
Is it possible JC Price is getting even better! She's already my most favourite m/m writer UF/sci-fi/horror/ whatever else she decides to write author!
Our character Daniel is in the business of selling fake short-term memories, or mnems. He's stopped creating his own memories since the last one he created stayed with his father permanently. Daniel is a loner and not really ready for a relationship. Yet when he meets a strange man in his clients' mnems he gets quite intrigued.
I'm not going to spoil you with any more plot details. The story was so gripping I couldn't put the book down! I loved Daniel and the rest of the cast of characters were real and fun. As for the mystery man, he was so sweet!
I can't wait to read the next installment! Starting tonight!
Well deserved bright and shiny five stars:)
wrote
May 3, 2012This new series is set in an alternate reality Madison, WI. It focuses on families and work and normal day-to-day stuff...with a dreamy twist. Daniel Schroeder is in the business of implanting recreational memories, and between guiding his clients and testing out his own equipment, his reality isn't always what it seems.
Goes on sale 5/4/12
Goes on sale 5/4/12
February 17, 2017
Awesome story. Awesome characters. Awesome narrator. Just so much awesome!
August 16, 2016
I’m writing this after I’ve read the Mnevermind trilogy, and this one is my favorite of the three.
I liked Daniel from the start - he is troubled and stuck in one place because of an accident that happened to his father - Big Dan. To love your job so much, to be confident that you are great at it, and then to end up hurting the person you love the most by doing that same job – how does one recover from this?
And it’s not just guilt that’s crushing him - it’s his and his father’s dream that has been destroyed. So Daniel is punishing himself in every possible way while still trying to do the best he can for the people close to him. I couldn’t help but root for him.
But it was only when Daniel met Elijah that I saw how broken hearted he really was:
Instead of answering, he raised a hand…and he brushed my lips with his cool fingertips.
Well.
My heartbeat stuttered. It’d been a long time since anyone touched me.
This was the moment when I truly fell in love with this story and knew I was going to read entire trilogy - I wanted to see Daniel in a better place, and I felt Elijah was the key to that.
4.5 stars
December 11, 2016
I liked this one, found it intriguing and different, much like the Psycop series. Unfortunately, it also lacks a little emotional depth, and the romance is somewhat off-putting. This is a trilogy, and I've read all three...the conclusion is rather disappointing, especially considering it leaves loose ends from the second. Price's imagination is top-notch, and she riddled this trilogy with words I love (packet, pixel, stacking, to name a few), so my mental voice was happy as a pig in shit. But the lack of cohesion from beginning to end let me down.
March 7, 2015
This was wonderful, although i will admit I found it difficult to get into in the beginning. but when i did, i was totally in!
January 5, 2017
I have to admit that there were several parts of this book when I had absolutely no idea what was going on. Still liked it though!
May 18, 2012
Jordan Castillo Price has done it again. It is no secret I am a huge fan of her Psycop series, my fanship is such that I am purposely holding back from reading the last published book in that series, GhosTV, until the next in the series is published. I am that fearful of being without a Jordan Castillo Price book in my favorite series. Well, I now have a new series of hers to follow. The Persistence of Memory, is a richly written story told from the first person point of view of the main character Daniel. Daniel is 45, single and living with his father, and he owns and runs a business with his father in the memory business. The memory business is where fantasy meets urban in the Mnevermind seriers.
Similar to Psycop, Price has constructed a storyline set in a world identical to ours with one small tweak. She is an expert at crafting believable and unique urban fantasy worlds. Maybe it is her incredibly constructed characters, but I think it has to do with how she weaves in her fantasy elements. The fantasy of the Mnevermind world is that technology has developed a new means of psychological escape called "Mnem". People plug into machines run at shops and experience situations they wish could happen. Myabe a person would like to experience a taboo love connection or just simple a love connection; maybe a person wants to confront their boss and vent all of their anger -- the memory escape allows this. The experiences are similar to dreams; the experience will not imprint on a person's permanent memory but the experience will effect a person's mood and general impressions of the world. People who have mnemed, come out of the experience remembering what happens, but like most dreams the experience fades after a few days or hours. Daniel is a "memory smith" and has the skill and degree to write dream packages but something odd happens while he is guiding a customer through a dream experience - he spots a man who interacts with him and not his customer. And that man is not written into the dream package. This man begins appearing and re-appearing in every memory dream sequence that Daniel assists customers with. There is no huge crisis or mystery to be solved, unlike other urban fantasy books -- the world will not end if Daniel is unable to figure out why this man keeps re-appearing. But, he is experiencing a personal crisis and that is what makes the book interesting.
The story starts off in a way that the readers are allowed to get to know Daniel and gradually know the people he interacts with on a daily basis - his aunt, his secretary, his father, and a co-worker. These characters are funny and add a lot to the storyline. The Persistence of Memory is not a plot driven book and the overall story arc is not completely evidence, but it is what I love -- it is character driven and a character centric story. I cannot put my finger on why I love Price's characters so much, but I do. They feel real, they feel like I know them or maybe I want to know them. I cannot wait to read the next in this series, so until then I will be searching out Price's other books that I haven't read yet.
To read this review and more, check out www.badassbookreviews.com
Similar to Psycop, Price has constructed a storyline set in a world identical to ours with one small tweak. She is an expert at crafting believable and unique urban fantasy worlds. Maybe it is her incredibly constructed characters, but I think it has to do with how she weaves in her fantasy elements. The fantasy of the Mnevermind world is that technology has developed a new means of psychological escape called "Mnem". People plug into machines run at shops and experience situations they wish could happen. Myabe a person would like to experience a taboo love connection or just simple a love connection; maybe a person wants to confront their boss and vent all of their anger -- the memory escape allows this. The experiences are similar to dreams; the experience will not imprint on a person's permanent memory but the experience will effect a person's mood and general impressions of the world. People who have mnemed, come out of the experience remembering what happens, but like most dreams the experience fades after a few days or hours. Daniel is a "memory smith" and has the skill and degree to write dream packages but something odd happens while he is guiding a customer through a dream experience - he spots a man who interacts with him and not his customer. And that man is not written into the dream package. This man begins appearing and re-appearing in every memory dream sequence that Daniel assists customers with. There is no huge crisis or mystery to be solved, unlike other urban fantasy books -- the world will not end if Daniel is unable to figure out why this man keeps re-appearing. But, he is experiencing a personal crisis and that is what makes the book interesting.
The story starts off in a way that the readers are allowed to get to know Daniel and gradually know the people he interacts with on a daily basis - his aunt, his secretary, his father, and a co-worker. These characters are funny and add a lot to the storyline. The Persistence of Memory is not a plot driven book and the overall story arc is not completely evidence, but it is what I love -- it is character driven and a character centric story. I cannot put my finger on why I love Price's characters so much, but I do. They feel real, they feel like I know them or maybe I want to know them. I cannot wait to read the next in this series, so until then I will be searching out Price's other books that I haven't read yet.
To read this review and more, check out www.badassbookreviews.com
March 25, 2022
I have very mixed feelings.
On the one hand, it is such a captivating story. The author had a great idea and created a truly unique world that fascinated me. I wanted to know more about it. I'm not sure if I understood everything, but for once it didn't stop me from fully immersing myself in this world.
Daniel Schroeder, our main character, leads us through this world. His life is at a rather dark point where his loved ones say something is wrong with him, but he doesn't seem to be fully aware of it yet. Daniel faces many problems, which unfortunately include breaking his father's heart every day. Daniel moves perfectly in the world created by the author. He has a really good talent for mnems, which he hasn't used for some time after what happened with his father. This makes him really interesting.
I also see great potential in Elijah. He's also kind of a genius with mnems, and I'm really curious to see what the two can achieve together. His social dysfunction is very part of this story. As it, of course, affects Elijah’s relationship with Daniel.
And that's why I was disappointed that I couldn't fully feel the passion that was born between them. I'm not entirely sure if it was anything more than loneliness on Daniel's side, and sometimes I felt that Daniel was moving much faster than Elijah wanted. Which is not really comfortable for the other guy. And I'm completely disappointed with the ending. The whole story was suddenly cut off, as if the final chapter had been torn out in my book. It's not even a full-fledged cliffhanger. This story was simply interrupted at some point.
I will probably read another book in this series, but I am disappointed with the ending.
On the one hand, it is such a captivating story. The author had a great idea and created a truly unique world that fascinated me. I wanted to know more about it. I'm not sure if I understood everything, but for once it didn't stop me from fully immersing myself in this world.
Daniel Schroeder, our main character, leads us through this world. His life is at a rather dark point where his loved ones say something is wrong with him, but he doesn't seem to be fully aware of it yet. Daniel faces many problems, which unfortunately include breaking his father's heart every day. Daniel moves perfectly in the world created by the author. He has a really good talent for mnems, which he hasn't used for some time after what happened with his father. This makes him really interesting.
I also see great potential in Elijah. He's also kind of a genius with mnems, and I'm really curious to see what the two can achieve together. His social dysfunction is very part of this story. As it, of course, affects Elijah’s relationship with Daniel.
And that's why I was disappointed that I couldn't fully feel the passion that was born between them. I'm not entirely sure if it was anything more than loneliness on Daniel's side, and sometimes I felt that Daniel was moving much faster than Elijah wanted. Which is not really comfortable for the other guy. And I'm completely disappointed with the ending. The whole story was suddenly cut off, as if the final chapter had been torn out in my book. It's not even a full-fledged cliffhanger. This story was simply interrupted at some point.
I will probably read another book in this series, but I am disappointed with the ending.
April 2, 2015
BR with Susan, Bucletina & Elsbeth
If there's something that I don't think anyone can dispute, is that JCP writes wonderful stories taking the most unusual topics as part of her main plot, and incorporates brilliant and completely original characters that end up together in relationships that are kind of "out of the box". None of her characters are ever dull, boring, flat, uninteresting, paper-thin. EVER. There is always so much more to them than what is seen on the surface, and she explores them, constantly. It's the complexity of her creations that will always call me, and the reason why I will always answer to that calling - Confession: I always answer but lord knows that I'm always scared of what I'll find out.. Good scared, of course.-
When I picked up Mnevermind I really wasn't sure what to expect (which ususally happens with JCP books.. haha) - Anyway, as I was saying, when I started reading, two movies came to mind, one of them was "Vanilla Sky" and the other one was "Inception", later on my husband said that another movie that sort of works/reflects the main topic of the plot is "Minority Report" (I don't remember that movie, btw, which almost got me a divorce). I'd say that the book has certain elements of those movies, or rather, that it explores the base idea of working with memories. In this case it's creating temporal memories called Mnems, that will eventually fade once you're out of that Mnem. It gives the person living the Mnem an opportunity to live/find/explore different things according to the Mnem program they choose (there are several).. Oh, Personal note: if I got something wrong (my husband has that of confusing me instead of clearing my mind, please let me know). So, in the end, the memory fades, but the emotion/feeling while experiencing it remains.
In this book we meet Daniel. Daniel is a forty-something year old man, who now leaves with his Dad. About a year ago Daniel came up with a Mnem program and when he tested it on his Dad something went wrong, and his father modified certain aspects of his life while on that Mnem and wasn't able to come back, so this became a kind of permanent damage, and now he can't remember divorcing his wife and her leaving them for good. In the world he created for himself they are still together, and it's Daniel who has to deal with his father's memory modification.
A bit later in the book we meet Elijah. I found him so interesting and intriguing. You see, Elijah is autistic. I think this is the first time ever that I've come across an autistic character in this genre, (I'm sure there are more), and because of that I got overtly excited. I am an English Teacher, but also a Psychologist, so seeing that a wonderful writer such as JCP decided to incorporate a character with a neurodevelopmental disorder was a great plus. In this installment we don't see as much of Elijah as I would have liked, but we get enough to form an idea of him. I definitely expect to get to know him better in the next book. I'm dying to get to his POV, and see him as a fully developed character.
This story is not your typical romance in any way. Actually, I can safely say that most of the book is quite romance-less, but what little we get gives us a good, strong base for an epic romance. I enjoyed the chemistry, and I enjoyed that Daniel just wouldn't give up until he found the man in black. I also liked that once he found said man in black (Elijah), and he found out about his disorder he didn't treat him like someone who would break immediately, or started parenting him, or freaked out and ran away to never come back. I enjoyed the curiosity and the doubt and the slow build up. Actually, the fact that the author managed to create some sort of chemistry between two MC's that don't spend much time on page together is brilliant.
One of the things that Bucletina and I talked about this morning in relation to the book is that we enjoy the worlds that JCP creates for her books, and that the worlds are not really explained, but rather showed, and you, as a reader, get involved so much with what you're reading that you end up understanding it before you even realize you did. That speaks to us of a great writer. Also, her word building is delicious.
Another thing I loved was the 40-something year old character. As much as I love reading about hot guys in their 20's, I really LOVE and look for books that feature older men. I honestly think we need more books like these in that sense.
I also enjoyed the secondary characters a lot. I liked Aunt Pipsie, and amazing she was. I enjoyed Larry, too, even if he sometimes was a bit weird, god knows he made me laughed a lot, and I absolutely loved Big Dan... Not because he was particularly lovely (though he is a great character and looks like a good dad), but because he is different from most of the Dads that I've read in books. Again, JCP broke the mold.
Can't wait to start the next book next Monday! :)
If there's something that I don't think anyone can dispute, is that JCP writes wonderful stories taking the most unusual topics as part of her main plot, and incorporates brilliant and completely original characters that end up together in relationships that are kind of "out of the box". None of her characters are ever dull, boring, flat, uninteresting, paper-thin. EVER. There is always so much more to them than what is seen on the surface, and she explores them, constantly. It's the complexity of her creations that will always call me, and the reason why I will always answer to that calling - Confession: I always answer but lord knows that I'm always scared of what I'll find out.. Good scared, of course.-
When I picked up Mnevermind I really wasn't sure what to expect (which ususally happens with JCP books.. haha) - Anyway, as I was saying, when I started reading, two movies came to mind, one of them was "Vanilla Sky" and the other one was "Inception", later on my husband said that another movie that sort of works/reflects the main topic of the plot is "Minority Report" (I don't remember that movie, btw, which almost got me a divorce). I'd say that the book has certain elements of those movies, or rather, that it explores the base idea of working with memories. In this case it's creating temporal memories called Mnems, that will eventually fade once you're out of that Mnem. It gives the person living the Mnem an opportunity to live/find/explore different things according to the Mnem program they choose (there are several).. Oh, Personal note: if I got something wrong (my husband has that of confusing me instead of clearing my mind, please let me know). So, in the end, the memory fades, but the emotion/feeling while experiencing it remains.
In this book we meet Daniel. Daniel is a forty-something year old man, who now leaves with his Dad. About a year ago Daniel came up with a Mnem program and when he tested it on his Dad something went wrong, and his father modified certain aspects of his life while on that Mnem and wasn't able to come back, so this became a kind of permanent damage, and now he can't remember divorcing his wife and her leaving them for good. In the world he created for himself they are still together, and it's Daniel who has to deal with his father's memory modification.
A bit later in the book we meet Elijah. I found him so interesting and intriguing. You see, Elijah is autistic. I think this is the first time ever that I've come across an autistic character in this genre, (I'm sure there are more), and because of that I got overtly excited. I am an English Teacher, but also a Psychologist, so seeing that a wonderful writer such as JCP decided to incorporate a character with a neurodevelopmental disorder was a great plus. In this installment we don't see as much of Elijah as I would have liked, but we get enough to form an idea of him. I definitely expect to get to know him better in the next book. I'm dying to get to his POV, and see him as a fully developed character.
This story is not your typical romance in any way. Actually, I can safely say that most of the book is quite romance-less, but what little we get gives us a good, strong base for an epic romance. I enjoyed the chemistry, and I enjoyed that Daniel just wouldn't give up until he found the man in black. I also liked that once he found said man in black (Elijah), and he found out about his disorder he didn't treat him like someone who would break immediately, or started parenting him, or freaked out and ran away to never come back. I enjoyed the curiosity and the doubt and the slow build up. Actually, the fact that the author managed to create some sort of chemistry between two MC's that don't spend much time on page together is brilliant.
One of the things that Bucletina and I talked about this morning in relation to the book is that we enjoy the worlds that JCP creates for her books, and that the worlds are not really explained, but rather showed, and you, as a reader, get involved so much with what you're reading that you end up understanding it before you even realize you did. That speaks to us of a great writer. Also, her word building is delicious.
Another thing I loved was the 40-something year old character. As much as I love reading about hot guys in their 20's, I really LOVE and look for books that feature older men. I honestly think we need more books like these in that sense.
I also enjoyed the secondary characters a lot. I liked Aunt Pipsie, and amazing she was. I enjoyed Larry, too, even if he sometimes was a bit weird, god knows he made me laughed a lot, and I absolutely loved Big Dan... Not because he was particularly lovely (though he is a great character and looks like a good dad), but because he is different from most of the Dads that I've read in books. Again, JCP broke the mold.
Can't wait to start the next book next Monday! :)
July 28, 2018
Song for Daniel Schroeder Kate Nash - Dickhead
1.5
rounding down b/c the book ended without resolution
The writing & world building is good but I loathed Daniel so much that I actually ended up hating not only him but disliking the book as well. I'm going to read the next book because I own it already but most importantly it's from Elijah's pov. If it would have been again from Dickhead's pov I wouldn't bother.
I didn't like Daniel from the beginning when he witnesses his client's "memory", he seemed smarmy and his comments about Sophia who is 54 came across a bit ageist. Daniel's self centered prick- it shows in his interactions with Elijah and Larry. We also learn, that Daniel was abusive in his previous relationship I threw a shot of tequilla at him and the shotglass bounced off the side of his shaved head. And then wft was this:
Elijah grabbed a handful of my shirt and stopped me from going down. “Wait.” I looked up at him to see what the problem was. He wouldn’t meet my eye. “It’s too…much. Too soon.” “It’s okay.” I attempted to plow ahead—because who wouldn’t want their dick sucked? But he balled his fist in my collar and hauled me back upright before I even got a lick in. “Relax.” I skimmed my fingertips across the crown instead. He was so hard it was damp at the slit. “I thought you liked me.”
1.5
rounding down b/c the book ended without resolution
The writing & world building is good but I loathed Daniel so much that I actually ended up hating not only him but disliking the book as well. I'm going to read the next book because I own it already but most importantly it's from Elijah's pov. If it would have been again from Dickhead's pov I wouldn't bother.
I didn't like Daniel from the beginning when he witnesses his client's "memory", he seemed smarmy and his comments about Sophia who is 54 came across a bit ageist. Daniel's self centered prick- it shows in his interactions with Elijah and Larry. We also learn, that Daniel was abusive in his previous relationship I threw a shot of tequilla at him and the shotglass bounced off the side of his shaved head. And then wft was this:
Elijah grabbed a handful of my shirt and stopped me from going down. “Wait.” I looked up at him to see what the problem was. He wouldn’t meet my eye. “It’s too…much. Too soon.” “It’s okay.” I attempted to plow ahead—because who wouldn’t want their dick sucked? But he balled his fist in my collar and hauled me back upright before I even got a lick in. “Relax.” I skimmed my fingertips across the crown instead. He was so hard it was damp at the slit. “I thought you liked me.”
March 5, 2017
This is a cool story. It's science fiction. People now go in to undergo these lifelike dreams. It's common place and after awhile they fade. Some trippy things happen. It's interesting and definitely not the end of the story arc. I'll continue for sure.
Read
April 4, 2015I am quite fascinated by this world. I must continue.
May 24, 2023
Total recall
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