What do you think?
Memory Storm
Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darkness’s of other people. -Carl Jung
Young and beautiful yet old school, Enya is walking down memory lane.
Her past is like a storm in her mind, haunting her every step of the way. Her life is a mystery, that unfolds as she relives her darkest moments. Her childhood is spent living with a darkness, a dragon trying to break her inside but a single moment’s revelation reveals to her that this darkness is actually her super power, her strength! And, this power comes with a cost; it is irrepressible. To contain it, she forms an impenetrable fortress around it, to gives it a home to live in, her heart. She gives this darkness a voice and a body. Misery becomes her addiction. It becomes the food for her darkness.
Her psychological control especially over her lovers destroys their lives but it only leaves her temporarily satisfied...
This darkness is not her fault.
Is she right to do this?
Will she ever set herself free?
Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win. -Stephen King
The story deals with sensitive subjects so caution is advised.
Young and beautiful yet old school, Enya is walking down memory lane.
Her past is like a storm in her mind, haunting her every step of the way. Her life is a mystery, that unfolds as she relives her darkest moments. Her childhood is spent living with a darkness, a dragon trying to break her inside but a single moment’s revelation reveals to her that this darkness is actually her super power, her strength! And, this power comes with a cost; it is irrepressible. To contain it, she forms an impenetrable fortress around it, to gives it a home to live in, her heart. She gives this darkness a voice and a body. Misery becomes her addiction. It becomes the food for her darkness.
Her psychological control especially over her lovers destroys their lives but it only leaves her temporarily satisfied...
This darkness is not her fault.
Is she right to do this?
Will she ever set herself free?
Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win. -Stephen King
The story deals with sensitive subjects so caution is advised.
127 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 29, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 17, 2017
For me, this book was a bit confusing and hard to understand everything. I wondered if that was the authors intent because the book was called Memory Storm. I did enjoy it but was let a little mixed feelings about the characters. * I received this book from the author and this is my honest review*
November 28, 2017
While I do not know the author, she did ask me to review this book. I obtained my copy as a member of Kindle Unlimited.
This is the author’s first book and she couldn’t have chosen a more challenging genre or storyline. It is, as you know by now, a psychological thriller with a heavy dose of evil, revenge, and, of course, abuse, although there are no graphic details. None of which are easy to pull off as a writer. Taken together, it’s ambitious to say the least; perhaps just a little naïve for an author just setting out.
Ensari, however, writes with a boldness that suggests a pretty courageous character and she does, in the end, pull it off. It’s a legitimate story that will ultimately pull you in. The literary coup de grace is that the protagonist is in no way likeable. Great protagonists, however, don’t have to be likeable. They just have to be relatable. But pulling off an unlikable but relatable protagonist in a psychological thriller is among the most difficult challenges in creative writing.
It requires, at a minimum, the ability of the author to move around nimbly in a very dark neighborhood of the human psyche. And Ensari clearly has that gift. For people who like to escape to such a place in their reading, this is definitely a book to read and an author to watch. It is admittedly not my favorite genre but there is a raw realism to such places that can be quite thought provoking (Koontz always takes me there.), and thought, in general, is my favorite genre by far.
There is a small literary elephant in the room, however, and I’ve saved it until now because I personally believe that many readers and critics allow shortcomings in this area to overshadow an otherwise good story. It is a very real issue, but one, I think, that must be evaluated by degrees.
To wit, the book could use the hand of a good copy editor. While I suspect some of the grammar and spelling may be intentional, if all of it is I think the author went too far and it ultimately disrupts the flow of the story. Worse than that for me was the fact that in the Kindle version of the book that I read there is virtually no visual identity to the paragraph structure. An indented first sentence or proper spacing would give the book a much more polished feel, particularly since the setting and the timing bounce around a lot within a single chapter. It’s confusing, for sure, but the prose is crisp enough to make do without a total collapse of clarity.
I don’t think that should be the sole criterion by which the book is judged, however. At the price of a popular book of fiction, the editorial shortcomings would be completely unacceptable. The author, however, has priced the book as an introductory work and deserves some recognition and support for her self-awareness.
Which is why I ultimately rated the book as I did. Without the value and the promise this rating is too high. I really sense, however, that the author’s promise is there and she appears to have the passion and the stamina to grow as a writer. I, for one, will be watching her development with hopeful anticipation. The writing, after all, is easier to develop than the ability to imagine a powerful theme and storyline. And in this latter regard, I do sense there is plenty of outstanding content yet to be put to paper by R.T. Ensari.
This is the author’s first book and she couldn’t have chosen a more challenging genre or storyline. It is, as you know by now, a psychological thriller with a heavy dose of evil, revenge, and, of course, abuse, although there are no graphic details. None of which are easy to pull off as a writer. Taken together, it’s ambitious to say the least; perhaps just a little naïve for an author just setting out.
Ensari, however, writes with a boldness that suggests a pretty courageous character and she does, in the end, pull it off. It’s a legitimate story that will ultimately pull you in. The literary coup de grace is that the protagonist is in no way likeable. Great protagonists, however, don’t have to be likeable. They just have to be relatable. But pulling off an unlikable but relatable protagonist in a psychological thriller is among the most difficult challenges in creative writing.
It requires, at a minimum, the ability of the author to move around nimbly in a very dark neighborhood of the human psyche. And Ensari clearly has that gift. For people who like to escape to such a place in their reading, this is definitely a book to read and an author to watch. It is admittedly not my favorite genre but there is a raw realism to such places that can be quite thought provoking (Koontz always takes me there.), and thought, in general, is my favorite genre by far.
There is a small literary elephant in the room, however, and I’ve saved it until now because I personally believe that many readers and critics allow shortcomings in this area to overshadow an otherwise good story. It is a very real issue, but one, I think, that must be evaluated by degrees.
To wit, the book could use the hand of a good copy editor. While I suspect some of the grammar and spelling may be intentional, if all of it is I think the author went too far and it ultimately disrupts the flow of the story. Worse than that for me was the fact that in the Kindle version of the book that I read there is virtually no visual identity to the paragraph structure. An indented first sentence or proper spacing would give the book a much more polished feel, particularly since the setting and the timing bounce around a lot within a single chapter. It’s confusing, for sure, but the prose is crisp enough to make do without a total collapse of clarity.
I don’t think that should be the sole criterion by which the book is judged, however. At the price of a popular book of fiction, the editorial shortcomings would be completely unacceptable. The author, however, has priced the book as an introductory work and deserves some recognition and support for her self-awareness.
Which is why I ultimately rated the book as I did. Without the value and the promise this rating is too high. I really sense, however, that the author’s promise is there and she appears to have the passion and the stamina to grow as a writer. I, for one, will be watching her development with hopeful anticipation. The writing, after all, is easier to develop than the ability to imagine a powerful theme and storyline. And in this latter regard, I do sense there is plenty of outstanding content yet to be put to paper by R.T. Ensari.
August 4, 2017
The author contacted me asking me if I would give her debut novel a read. Sure why not it sounded interesting. It does need some editing (I have to say I am really the last person to judge on editing since my reviews needs an editor), at times it can be a little confusing, each chapter needs a conclusion the author leaves you hanging and never comes back and tells you just what happens. Which isn’t really bad but I would have liked to have know what happen to her friend and the boy who wanted to get to know her better. What about the teacher did he follow through as we are lead to believe? What about the little boy and his father? The story does get very interesting a little over half way through when she leaves her boyfriend and starts her life over. There are some twists that I really didn’t see coming and added a lot to the story. There is even one or two shockers that will leave you with your mouth hung open.
The author takes you for a walk in Enya past that made her who she is today. It is a dark story that does hold some mystery. I think the first chapter should have been the Prologue which fills the pages with the mystery of her father and kind of what it was like to live with him. Him being the first person to start her on her path of evil. As for her mother later on you are given a few details of what happen but it isn’t followed through and you are kind of left guessing to her outcome. There is little doubt that Enya has become a predator, a psychopath that lives off others fears which gives her a natural high as well as living off what she can get out of them. She loves to feel in control and gets high seeing them in pain. Revenge is coming as the dragon raises its evil head let the chips fall where they may. She sees the world owing her something and those who have used and abused her owes her more. She is on a race to find peace and happiness only to find what she thinks will bring this will not.
The story does a good plot and does start slow. If the author would change a few words and leave others out, going into more detail as she leave old places for new one. I would rate this as 3 or 4 star. I could never get into the dragon part of it. I felt what was inside her was more a monster. With a little help and learning I can see this author becoming a good author. I do not know if she would ever become a bestseller but I can see her having a fan following. As the book is now I see people leaving a lot of one and two stars. I do feel it is a 2 1/1 star with a good plot and some very entertaining reading once it takes off. For a debut novel it isn’t too bad just needs some fixing up. This is my point of view but I am no editor. Give it a try and see what you think. It is free at the time of this posting….you don’t have much to lose but a few hours your time in reading.
Note: There is abuse and dark but it is a clean read with no sexual content.
The author takes you for a walk in Enya past that made her who she is today. It is a dark story that does hold some mystery. I think the first chapter should have been the Prologue which fills the pages with the mystery of her father and kind of what it was like to live with him. Him being the first person to start her on her path of evil. As for her mother later on you are given a few details of what happen but it isn’t followed through and you are kind of left guessing to her outcome. There is little doubt that Enya has become a predator, a psychopath that lives off others fears which gives her a natural high as well as living off what she can get out of them. She loves to feel in control and gets high seeing them in pain. Revenge is coming as the dragon raises its evil head let the chips fall where they may. She sees the world owing her something and those who have used and abused her owes her more. She is on a race to find peace and happiness only to find what she thinks will bring this will not.
The story does a good plot and does start slow. If the author would change a few words and leave others out, going into more detail as she leave old places for new one. I would rate this as 3 or 4 star. I could never get into the dragon part of it. I felt what was inside her was more a monster. With a little help and learning I can see this author becoming a good author. I do not know if she would ever become a bestseller but I can see her having a fan following. As the book is now I see people leaving a lot of one and two stars. I do feel it is a 2 1/1 star with a good plot and some very entertaining reading once it takes off. For a debut novel it isn’t too bad just needs some fixing up. This is my point of view but I am no editor. Give it a try and see what you think. It is free at the time of this posting….you don’t have much to lose but a few hours your time in reading.
Note: There is abuse and dark but it is a clean read with no sexual content.
November 30, 2017
A glimpse into darkness - includes spoilers
Enya is the lead character, an abused girl who grows into a troubled, manipulative, abusing woman. The psychological evolution is troubling and rings true.
The early part of the novel is a scattered, nonlinear description of key moments in forming Enya's personality (and PTSD). While it can seem confusing, it matches the title's memory storm, an overwhelming flood of traumatic memories to set the character.
The linear part of the story shows Enya's chameleon-like ways of blending in to get what benefits her most. She's manipulative, cruel, and yet it's still not enough for her to be happy. I can't find enough sympathy for the character for the ending to be tragic, though it is plausible.
While the idea of the story is decent, the execution could use some help. A proofreader or editor would make it a cleaner read, as some of the errors and tense changes jar you out of the narrative. The writing style seems factual, but not in a way that made me feel empathy or sympathy for any of the characters - it's more of a clinical telling of a patient's inevitable tumble towards self destruction.
The author gave me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and it's also available through Kindle Unlimited.
Enya is the lead character, an abused girl who grows into a troubled, manipulative, abusing woman. The psychological evolution is troubling and rings true.
The early part of the novel is a scattered, nonlinear description of key moments in forming Enya's personality (and PTSD). While it can seem confusing, it matches the title's memory storm, an overwhelming flood of traumatic memories to set the character.
The linear part of the story shows Enya's chameleon-like ways of blending in to get what benefits her most. She's manipulative, cruel, and yet it's still not enough for her to be happy. I can't find enough sympathy for the character for the ending to be tragic, though it is plausible.
While the idea of the story is decent, the execution could use some help. A proofreader or editor would make it a cleaner read, as some of the errors and tense changes jar you out of the narrative. The writing style seems factual, but not in a way that made me feel empathy or sympathy for any of the characters - it's more of a clinical telling of a patient's inevitable tumble towards self destruction.
The author gave me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and it's also available through Kindle Unlimited.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews