What do you think?
Rate this book
Reclaimed
In this claustrophobic science fiction thriller, a woman begins to doubt her own sanity and reality itself when she undergoes a dangerous experiment.
The Ganymede compound is a fresh start. At least that's what Senna tells herself when she arrives to take part in a cutting-edge scientific treatment, where participants have traumatic memories erased.
And Senna has reasons for wanting to escape her past.
But almost as soon as the treatment begins, Senna finds more than just her traumatic memories disappearing. She hardly recognizes her new life or herself. Even though the symptoms for the process might justify the cure, Senna knows that something isn't right. As her symptoms worsen, Senna will need to band together with the other participants to unravel the mystery of her present, and save her future.
The Ganymede compound is a fresh start. At least that's what Senna tells herself when she arrives to take part in a cutting-edge scientific treatment, where participants have traumatic memories erased.
And Senna has reasons for wanting to escape her past.
But almost as soon as the treatment begins, Senna finds more than just her traumatic memories disappearing. She hardly recognizes her new life or herself. Even though the symptoms for the process might justify the cure, Senna knows that something isn't right. As her symptoms worsen, Senna will need to band together with the other participants to unravel the mystery of her present, and save her future.
368 pages, Paperback
First published August 17, 2021
19 people are currently reading
2077 people want to read
About the author
Madeleine Roux
50 books4,868 followersNew York Times Bestselling Author of the ASYLUM series, Allison Hewitt Is Trapped, Sadie Walker Is Stranded and the upcoming House of Furies series.
MADELEINE ROUX received her BA in Creative Writing and Acting from Beloit College in 2008. In the spring of 2009, Madeleine completed an Honors Term at Beloit College, proposing, writing and presenting a full-length historical fiction novel. Shortly after, she began the experimental fiction blog Allison Hewitt Is Trapped. Allison Hewitt Is Trapped quickly spread throughout the blogosphere, bringing a unique serial fiction experience to readers.
Born in Minnesota, she now lives and works in Seattle, Washington.
MADELEINE ROUX received her BA in Creative Writing and Acting from Beloit College in 2008. In the spring of 2009, Madeleine completed an Honors Term at Beloit College, proposing, writing and presenting a full-length historical fiction novel. Shortly after, she began the experimental fiction blog Allison Hewitt Is Trapped. Allison Hewitt Is Trapped quickly spread throughout the blogosphere, bringing a unique serial fiction experience to readers.
Born in Minnesota, she now lives and works in Seattle, Washington.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
July 9, 2021
Welcome to the worst kind of dystopian future at Tokyo station! Everything is sterile, your every move is watched by VIT monitors, SecDivs and your very personal chips!
Senna is the only survivor of terrible tragedy who turned into a scapegoat. People are looking for her. She is sick of hiding at her friend Marin’s place. She needs to get her matters into her own hands and Paxton Dunn’s brand new program at Genymade could give her the opportunity she’s looking for! She can get rid of those tragic memories which hold her back to live her life.
Just like famous model Zurri recently witnessed her stalker’s suicide at the studio and Han who needs to forget only one significant memory which needs to erased.
Those suffering people apply the program. But what if not only their tragic memories disappear but also they lose their entire memories and cannot find who they are. All those participants should cooperate to find a way what they did to them at Genymade. But things they may find out can be more dangerous to face their memories they hardly live with.
It was solid, flat story needs a little more world building and character development but the story line was still promising and interesting. I honestly have hard times to connect with the characters and their struggles.
Overall : at least it wasn’t boring. Some ideas are still brilliant so I’m giving solid, it didn’t woe me but it was not below the average reading three stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing/Ace for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
Senna is the only survivor of terrible tragedy who turned into a scapegoat. People are looking for her. She is sick of hiding at her friend Marin’s place. She needs to get her matters into her own hands and Paxton Dunn’s brand new program at Genymade could give her the opportunity she’s looking for! She can get rid of those tragic memories which hold her back to live her life.
Just like famous model Zurri recently witnessed her stalker’s suicide at the studio and Han who needs to forget only one significant memory which needs to erased.
Those suffering people apply the program. But what if not only their tragic memories disappear but also they lose their entire memories and cannot find who they are. All those participants should cooperate to find a way what they did to them at Genymade. But things they may find out can be more dangerous to face their memories they hardly live with.
It was solid, flat story needs a little more world building and character development but the story line was still promising and interesting. I honestly have hard times to connect with the characters and their struggles.
Overall : at least it wasn’t boring. Some ideas are still brilliant so I’m giving solid, it didn’t woe me but it was not below the average reading three stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing/Ace for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
February 15, 2023
If someone told you they could take away your worst memories, would you let them?
Plot: While I think this book had all of the makings of an interesting read (developed sci-fi world, new and interesting technology, different and intriguing characters) something about it fell flat, and I think that's on me. I've discovered I just don't mesh with super techy utopian futuristic space societies, which isn't this book's fault! Be sure to check out some other reviews to get a fuller picture.
Characters: for the first half I disliked pretty much all of them. However as the story progressed, I think most of them got nicely developed, and appeared much more human. I do wish we got some of that complexity earlier on though.
Overall: I very much got the sense that this book was a metaphor for the ways that women’s voices are frequently erased by powerful men and their vast resources. In that capacity, I really appreciated its message, even if I didn't quite jive with the setting. For my own enjoyment I have to give it a 3/5, but if any of this sounds like something you enjoy, please give it a shot!
Content warnings: sexual assault, assault, cults, stalking, manipulation
Click here for the full review on my blog!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my review copy
----------------------------
9/2/21: It’s been so long since I read a good dystopia, so here’s hoping
*ARC received in exchange for honest review
Plot: While I think this book had all of the makings of an interesting read (developed sci-fi world, new and interesting technology, different and intriguing characters) something about it fell flat, and I think that's on me. I've discovered I just don't mesh with super techy utopian futuristic space societies, which isn't this book's fault! Be sure to check out some other reviews to get a fuller picture.
Characters: for the first half I disliked pretty much all of them. However as the story progressed, I think most of them got nicely developed, and appeared much more human. I do wish we got some of that complexity earlier on though.
Overall: I very much got the sense that this book was a metaphor for the ways that women’s voices are frequently erased by powerful men and their vast resources. In that capacity, I really appreciated its message, even if I didn't quite jive with the setting. For my own enjoyment I have to give it a 3/5, but if any of this sounds like something you enjoy, please give it a shot!
Content warnings: sexual assault, assault, cults, stalking, manipulation
Click here for the full review on my blog!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my review copy
----------------------------
9/2/21: It’s been so long since I read a good dystopia, so here’s hoping
*ARC received in exchange for honest review
October 24, 2022
Stars: 3.5 out of 5
This was an interesting read and it went in a different direction than I expected. What would you do to get rid of the memories of the most traumatic events that haunt you? What would you do to never have to remember then again? Would that make your life easier? Better? Would that help you start over? Or would you realize that those events are also part of who you are, and by erasing them, you erase an important part of yourself as well?
This was the most interesting aspect of the story for me. I understand that people can be so damaged and haunted by something horrible in their past that they would do anything to get rid of the memory. Even accepting to be part of an experimental treatment offered by a person whose face nobody has ever seen. Even accepting to go to a remote and desolate location where they would basically be at the mercy of that same person. I understand that the desire to forget can overwhelm the instinct of self-preservation. And when you get to the place and things don't seem quite right, or when the man in charge makes the hairs on your back stand up, you still try to make excuses, because you want so bad for this to work...
This book also raises an interesting question of whether our memories and experiences shape us as a person. That we are the sum of all the experiences we had - both good and bad. If we erase the bad, would we still be the same person? Also, how can we be certain that someone who has absolute access to your memories didn't modify something else? How can you be sure that you are still you, and that your desires are really yours, instead of implanted by a machine?
So I loved all those concepts and questions raised by this book. Unfortunately, the characters we followed through the story felt a bit flat to me. Though, I must admit that they improved by the end of the story, but for most of the book, I wasn't really engaged in their stories or their well-being. I felt slightly more engaged with Senna than the other two, but even then, it was more mild curiosity than concern.
Plus, the villain's motivations didn't particularly stand to scrutiny. What was his end-game there? Keep these people prisoners on his nice little ice world forever? Edit their memories so badly that they become no better than androids who obey his every whim? That's not viable on the long run.
Also, the technology itself was more in the realm of fantasy than science fiction. So that was a bit of a let down. And I also found that the ending was wrapped up a little bit too neatly. There would have been a lot more fallout for the survivors after they basically accused the most influential man in the system of kidnapping and illegal experimentation. I mean, look what happens to those who go against rich and influential figures in our times - most times those lawsuits go nowhere and we never hear from the accuser again... yet the accused are still rich and thriving.
All in all though, it was an entertaining story that I would certainly recommend.
PS: I received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was an interesting read and it went in a different direction than I expected. What would you do to get rid of the memories of the most traumatic events that haunt you? What would you do to never have to remember then again? Would that make your life easier? Better? Would that help you start over? Or would you realize that those events are also part of who you are, and by erasing them, you erase an important part of yourself as well?
This was the most interesting aspect of the story for me. I understand that people can be so damaged and haunted by something horrible in their past that they would do anything to get rid of the memory. Even accepting to be part of an experimental treatment offered by a person whose face nobody has ever seen. Even accepting to go to a remote and desolate location where they would basically be at the mercy of that same person. I understand that the desire to forget can overwhelm the instinct of self-preservation. And when you get to the place and things don't seem quite right, or when the man in charge makes the hairs on your back stand up, you still try to make excuses, because you want so bad for this to work...
This book also raises an interesting question of whether our memories and experiences shape us as a person. That we are the sum of all the experiences we had - both good and bad. If we erase the bad, would we still be the same person? Also, how can we be certain that someone who has absolute access to your memories didn't modify something else? How can you be sure that you are still you, and that your desires are really yours, instead of implanted by a machine?
So I loved all those concepts and questions raised by this book. Unfortunately, the characters we followed through the story felt a bit flat to me. Though, I must admit that they improved by the end of the story, but for most of the book, I wasn't really engaged in their stories or their well-being. I felt slightly more engaged with Senna than the other two, but even then, it was more mild curiosity than concern.
Plus, the villain's motivations didn't particularly stand to scrutiny. What was his end-game there? Keep these people prisoners on his nice little ice world forever? Edit their memories so badly that they become no better than androids who obey his every whim? That's not viable on the long run.
Also, the technology itself was more in the realm of fantasy than science fiction. So that was a bit of a let down. And I also found that the ending was wrapped up a little bit too neatly. There would have been a lot more fallout for the survivors after they basically accused the most influential man in the system of kidnapping and illegal experimentation. I mean, look what happens to those who go against rich and influential figures in our times - most times those lawsuits go nowhere and we never hear from the accuser again... yet the accused are still rich and thriving.
All in all though, it was an entertaining story that I would certainly recommend.
PS: I received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 26, 2021
Futuristic dystopian science fiction starts off with an excellent premise but unlikable characters, predictable outcomes, and the usual tropes made it a disappointment after all.
Want to get rid of some nasty memories? If you're lucky, you might be selected for an experimental memory erasing technology on Ganymede. The three who arrive to get the special treatment have trauma they want to forget. Senna, Zurri, and Han meet the brilliant founder and developer when they journey to the isolated, icy outpost to begin their sessions. Paxton Dunn talks a good game and his staff attempts to meet expectations while everything starts to fall apart almost immediately.
The first half of the book, told in alternating points of view, was decent world building but then the narrative falls into the typical realization and rebellion pattern familiar to readers. The Sci-Fi elements regarding black holes, etc. were a bit out there and I found the scenario way too difficult to buy into even when trying to suspend disbelief. Since I didn't like any of the characters, I really didn't care much or worry that all wasn't going to turn out OK. I love good science fiction that contains references to colonization of other planets and cutting edge tech, but this fell flat way too soon. The bad guy is a total stereotype and the rest of the characters one dimensional. Oh well. Honestly, it read more like YA/teen fiction than adult fare.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Ace for this e-book ARC to read and review.
Want to get rid of some nasty memories? If you're lucky, you might be selected for an experimental memory erasing technology on Ganymede. The three who arrive to get the special treatment have trauma they want to forget. Senna, Zurri, and Han meet the brilliant founder and developer when they journey to the isolated, icy outpost to begin their sessions. Paxton Dunn talks a good game and his staff attempts to meet expectations while everything starts to fall apart almost immediately.
The first half of the book, told in alternating points of view, was decent world building but then the narrative falls into the typical realization and rebellion pattern familiar to readers. The Sci-Fi elements regarding black holes, etc. were a bit out there and I found the scenario way too difficult to buy into even when trying to suspend disbelief. Since I didn't like any of the characters, I really didn't care much or worry that all wasn't going to turn out OK. I love good science fiction that contains references to colonization of other planets and cutting edge tech, but this fell flat way too soon. The bad guy is a total stereotype and the rest of the characters one dimensional. Oh well. Honestly, it read more like YA/teen fiction than adult fare.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Ace for this e-book ARC to read and review.
August 17, 2021
The second I finished this book, I wanted to start my reread to pick up on the clues I'd missed, because you know in any good thriller, there will be loads. This is the kind of science fiction I love: take three divergent personalities from three starkly different backgrounds and throw them together in a claustrophobic station out in space--this time, Ganymede--and watch as they all discover, one after another, what a horrifying mistake they made by going there.
Senna believes she is going to the Ganymede facility to have her painful past erased, a second chance at a new and better life. Literally. Memory removal is now possible, claims Paxton Dunn, the quote smartest man in the universe unquote. But from the moment she arrives, she senses something is *off*. Cue a suspenseful mystery full of mind-fuckery™ and sinister intentions, making our characters (and this reader, let's be real) question their realities. Claustrophobic and thrilling, RECLAIMED is a deeply satisfying sci-fi follow up to SALVAGED.
Senna believes she is going to the Ganymede facility to have her painful past erased, a second chance at a new and better life. Literally. Memory removal is now possible, claims Paxton Dunn, the quote smartest man in the universe unquote. But from the moment she arrives, she senses something is *off*. Cue a suspenseful mystery full of mind-fuckery™ and sinister intentions, making our characters (and this reader, let's be real) question their realities. Claustrophobic and thrilling, RECLAIMED is a deeply satisfying sci-fi follow up to SALVAGED.
September 26, 2021
This book should have been a movie; my rating probably would have doubled. My imagination can't grasp floating lilac and lavender with soft white hues of half orbs propelled in the air...but I did read the whole thing. Meh.
September 23, 2021
Too juvenile. Disagreeable characters, chaos, what a mess!
September 23, 2021
Reclaimed is a science fiction novel that takes place far into the future where almost everyone lives in space. When a rich, reclusive genius offers the opportunity to take memories away Senna, Zurri, and Han jump at the chance. They all have something they're desperate to forget, but is it really that simple?
Despite not reading a lot of science fiction I had a pretty easy time imagining everything. The world these characters live in is very interesting and there is a lot of potential for more stories.
I liked all of the characters. They are all quite different from one another but still manage to connect with each other. I enjoyed reading from their different points of view.
There were several truly creepy moments in Reclaimed. I really enjoyed the writing and wouldn't have minded the book being longer. There is just something about the flow and choice of words that was very pleasant.
Despite not reading a lot of science fiction I had a pretty easy time imagining everything. The world these characters live in is very interesting and there is a lot of potential for more stories.
I liked all of the characters. They are all quite different from one another but still manage to connect with each other. I enjoyed reading from their different points of view.
There were several truly creepy moments in Reclaimed. I really enjoyed the writing and wouldn't have minded the book being longer. There is just something about the flow and choice of words that was very pleasant.
May 27, 2025
this is about acknowledging life is painful. You will have trauma. Live love laugh is not realistic. It is Bullshit. I want to erase my pain and live a mediocre life, pain free, or I did for a long time. I still do sometimes. But life would be colorless and that’s not living. I’m not a corpse yet. My pain is terrible but it is mine. I’m not okay but I will be. I live with color.
Read
August 30, 2021Great sci-fi mindfuckery
February 22, 2025
I thought the premise of this book was really interesting but the writing was so so
August 14, 2021
RECLAIMED by Madeleine Roux is a futuristic, sci-fi, dystopian story line focusing on three humans who have suffered extraordinary personal tragedies, and have been offered a once in a lifetime chance to erase the specific memories from their pasts.
Told from several third person perspectives including Senna, Zurri and Han, RECLAIMED is set in the middle of the twenty-third century, when space travel, AI servitors, VIT, and VR are the norm. Wealthy entrepreneur and self-proclaimed genius Paxton Dunn has set up an experimental lab, at the Ganymede compound, on one of the moons of Jupiter, and has contacted our three leading characters for his inaugural test subjects and specific memory erasure. All three subjects have suffered through horrific experiences, and Paxton has targeted each for who they are, and what they know but the ‘treatment’ sessions begin to reveal that something is not quite right with Paxton and his crew, and the subjects begin to lose a little more of themselves with each progressive session.
Senna is a young woman who has spent most of her life controlled by a charismatic leader, a leader who dominated and restricted every aspect of her life but like many of his type, the need for power and control outweighed the safety of his followers, and in the end Senna is the only one to survive. Loneliness and innocence ooze through her broken façade.
Zurri is a super model with an ego to match but a stalker demanded Zurri’s attention. A televised promotion for Zurri’s new line of cosmetics ensured the world watched as her stalker appealed his final challenge. No amount of facial cream will heal the pain or memories of what happened and why.
Han is a fourteen year old, computer IT wizard, but he too, lost everything to a man man whose need to control destroyed many lives. On the fast track to genius, Han may become Paxton’s protégé, but a protégé that is about to take down a man he once considered his hero.
Madeleine Roux pulls the reader into a story of what ifs and hows? What if someone or something could erase the bad memories leaving only the good ones intact? …but therein lies the problem when memories are erased, what is left behind is a gaping ‘black hole’ of nothing, and in its’ place is darkness and pain. As our three ‘test subjects’ begin to breakdown both physically and emotionally, each will come to realize that their lives are no longer under their control.
RECLAIMED is a thought-provoking and aptly cautionary tale of desperation and loneliness, power and obsession, arrogance and egomania, suffering and pain. The premise is twisted and haunting, complex yet equally easy to read.
www.thereadingcafe.com
Told from several third person perspectives including Senna, Zurri and Han, RECLAIMED is set in the middle of the twenty-third century, when space travel, AI servitors, VIT, and VR are the norm. Wealthy entrepreneur and self-proclaimed genius Paxton Dunn has set up an experimental lab, at the Ganymede compound, on one of the moons of Jupiter, and has contacted our three leading characters for his inaugural test subjects and specific memory erasure. All three subjects have suffered through horrific experiences, and Paxton has targeted each for who they are, and what they know but the ‘treatment’ sessions begin to reveal that something is not quite right with Paxton and his crew, and the subjects begin to lose a little more of themselves with each progressive session.
Senna is a young woman who has spent most of her life controlled by a charismatic leader, a leader who dominated and restricted every aspect of her life but like many of his type, the need for power and control outweighed the safety of his followers, and in the end Senna is the only one to survive. Loneliness and innocence ooze through her broken façade.
Zurri is a super model with an ego to match but a stalker demanded Zurri’s attention. A televised promotion for Zurri’s new line of cosmetics ensured the world watched as her stalker appealed his final challenge. No amount of facial cream will heal the pain or memories of what happened and why.
Han is a fourteen year old, computer IT wizard, but he too, lost everything to a man man whose need to control destroyed many lives. On the fast track to genius, Han may become Paxton’s protégé, but a protégé that is about to take down a man he once considered his hero.
Madeleine Roux pulls the reader into a story of what ifs and hows? What if someone or something could erase the bad memories leaving only the good ones intact? …but therein lies the problem when memories are erased, what is left behind is a gaping ‘black hole’ of nothing, and in its’ place is darkness and pain. As our three ‘test subjects’ begin to breakdown both physically and emotionally, each will come to realize that their lives are no longer under their control.
RECLAIMED is a thought-provoking and aptly cautionary tale of desperation and loneliness, power and obsession, arrogance and egomania, suffering and pain. The premise is twisted and haunting, complex yet equally easy to read.
www.thereadingcafe.com
August 25, 2021
Madeleine Roux’s science fiction/horror novel Reclaimed takes place a couple hundred years in the future. Earth is in bad shape, and Senna lives on a space station. She has a lot of trauma from a horrible event that left her as the sole survivor, and a reclusive, wealthy, brilliant technologist, Paxton Dunn, offers her a way out: he can erase the traumatic memories, and leave the rest of her intact. Along with her are two other participants. Han, a brilliant 14-year-old boy who idolizes Paxton, wants to forget details surrounding his mother’s death. Zurri, a supermodel, wants to forget the horrific death of her stalker. Paxton promises the LENG program can help all of them, but there are unexpected side effects, and the participants start to wonder if more memories aren’t being taken away from them than just the ones they expected.
The characters are wonderful. Paxton is not the stereotypical reclusive genius. While he surrounds himself with beautiful women, that’s a detail that becomes much more interesting as we learn more about those women. Senna is shy and easily overwhelmed, but she has a great deal of strength inside. Zurri is the very definition of fierce; while she comes across as a demanding diva, she too has that inner strength, and has some very firm moral convictions. Han seems like an arrogant kid, yet he has his own sort of brilliance and his own emotional needs. Not a single character in here disappointed me or felt too one-sided. Senna is the closest we get to a traditionally “likable” character, but they’re all absolutely engaging. They make a particularly intriguing whole as a group–not at all three characters I would have thought to throw together.
Most of the book takes place on the barely-inhabited Ganymede. The place is dangerous, and Paxton lives there with just a skeleton crew. There’s intriguing use of some technologies, not always in expected ways. We do eventually see how LENG works, getting a bit more information with each person who’s subjected to the method. The LENG program is very beautifully handled in how it’s revealed to us a bit at a time, via both its effects and the experiences of the three participants. The theme of how our traumas inform who we are, and what might happen if we try to curate our memories, is riveting.
This is my second Madeleine Roux book, and I love both of them. I hope she writes more books that take place in this universe, as the combination of horror and science fiction is a favorite of mine!
Original review posted on my blog: https://www.errantdreams.com/2021/08/...
The characters are wonderful. Paxton is not the stereotypical reclusive genius. While he surrounds himself with beautiful women, that’s a detail that becomes much more interesting as we learn more about those women. Senna is shy and easily overwhelmed, but she has a great deal of strength inside. Zurri is the very definition of fierce; while she comes across as a demanding diva, she too has that inner strength, and has some very firm moral convictions. Han seems like an arrogant kid, yet he has his own sort of brilliance and his own emotional needs. Not a single character in here disappointed me or felt too one-sided. Senna is the closest we get to a traditionally “likable” character, but they’re all absolutely engaging. They make a particularly intriguing whole as a group–not at all three characters I would have thought to throw together.
Most of the book takes place on the barely-inhabited Ganymede. The place is dangerous, and Paxton lives there with just a skeleton crew. There’s intriguing use of some technologies, not always in expected ways. We do eventually see how LENG works, getting a bit more information with each person who’s subjected to the method. The LENG program is very beautifully handled in how it’s revealed to us a bit at a time, via both its effects and the experiences of the three participants. The theme of how our traumas inform who we are, and what might happen if we try to curate our memories, is riveting.
This is my second Madeleine Roux book, and I love both of them. I hope she writes more books that take place in this universe, as the combination of horror and science fiction is a favorite of mine!
Original review posted on my blog: https://www.errantdreams.com/2021/08/...
Read
August 23, 2021What do an ex-cult member who was the sole survivor of a horrendous accident, a model with galaxy-wide fame and a stalker who goes up in literal flames, and a teenage boy genius with complex familial grief have in common? They all have memories they want to get rid of—forever. In Madeleine Roux’s Reclaimed, three individuals stories interweave in a claustrophobic, unsettling thriller set on the icy moon of Ganymede.
After a bit of necessary setup, Reclaimed takes off running and doesn’t let up until the end. The alternating POVs of Senna, Zurri, and Han are used to great effect, as each of them have vastly different life experiences and reasons for agreeing to the cutting edge project of tech giant Paxton Dunn. Complications are introduced early and continue to snowball into a heart-pounding, page turning thriller, with some cool (if a touch predictable) sci-fi twists. Roux leans on the unreliable nature of memory, on its own and as a result of Paxton Dunn’s project, and combined with the distortion of repeated trauma, it makes for a genuinely and deeply disturbing read.
Multiple protagonists are LGBTQIA+, which is always a bonus to me. Aside from some minor complaints about the ending and misogyny as a plot device—though really, what thriller doesn’t lean heavily on misogyny as driving force (at least in my experience)—Reclaimed was an anxiety inducing, engaging, thought provoking read. Though it’s listed as a follow up to Salvaged, this novel can be read on its own. I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great blend of science fiction elements with the traditional beats of a thriller.
Thank you to Ace and NetGalley for an advance reading copy. All opinions are my own.
After a bit of necessary setup, Reclaimed takes off running and doesn’t let up until the end. The alternating POVs of Senna, Zurri, and Han are used to great effect, as each of them have vastly different life experiences and reasons for agreeing to the cutting edge project of tech giant Paxton Dunn. Complications are introduced early and continue to snowball into a heart-pounding, page turning thriller, with some cool (if a touch predictable) sci-fi twists. Roux leans on the unreliable nature of memory, on its own and as a result of Paxton Dunn’s project, and combined with the distortion of repeated trauma, it makes for a genuinely and deeply disturbing read.
Multiple protagonists are LGBTQIA+, which is always a bonus to me. Aside from some minor complaints about the ending and misogyny as a plot device—though really, what thriller doesn’t lean heavily on misogyny as driving force (at least in my experience)—Reclaimed was an anxiety inducing, engaging, thought provoking read. Though it’s listed as a follow up to Salvaged, this novel can be read on its own. I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great blend of science fiction elements with the traditional beats of a thriller.
Thank you to Ace and NetGalley for an advance reading copy. All opinions are my own.
July 24, 2021
Imagine if you could have that one memory that pains you the most removed? Would you do it?
Senna was the lone survivor of a tragedy, everyone she knew, dead. The memories haunt her, but when the promise of these memories being removed for good crosses her path, she can't say no. But is it too good to be true?
Janky things start happening, and of course as the reader we can see bits and pieces, almost more than the character can, but the author has a wonderful way of holding back just enough information to keep you guessing and making you want more. Senna's intuition kicks in pretty early on, but as more and more of her memories are erased, things become harder to clarify.
The ending lays all of the questions asked in the story out until everything makes sense. A wonderful wrap up to a mind trip of a book. I really enjoyed reading Senna's story.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Sara | Book Confessions of an ExBallerina
Senna was the lone survivor of a tragedy, everyone she knew, dead. The memories haunt her, but when the promise of these memories being removed for good crosses her path, she can't say no. But is it too good to be true?
Janky things start happening, and of course as the reader we can see bits and pieces, almost more than the character can, but the author has a wonderful way of holding back just enough information to keep you guessing and making you want more. Senna's intuition kicks in pretty early on, but as more and more of her memories are erased, things become harder to clarify.
The ending lays all of the questions asked in the story out until everything makes sense. A wonderful wrap up to a mind trip of a book. I really enjoyed reading Senna's story.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Sara | Book Confessions of an ExBallerina
September 8, 2021
More people should be reading this book!!!
This story was told in a really unique way, I was super interested in what was going to happen with these characters the whole way! It's very heavy sci-fi, but it's also a spooky thriller and it's awesome!
I think the ending got a bit confusing, there were too many things at once and a few of the "twists" or "explanations" were unnecessary for me, because the important part for me was to know how the characters were going to handle it all.
I definitely recommend this to everyone who likes sci-fi thrillers!!
This story was told in a really unique way, I was super interested in what was going to happen with these characters the whole way! It's very heavy sci-fi, but it's also a spooky thriller and it's awesome!
I think the ending got a bit confusing, there were too many things at once and a few of the "twists" or "explanations" were unnecessary for me, because the important part for me was to know how the characters were going to handle it all.
I definitely recommend this to everyone who likes sci-fi thrillers!!
July 1, 2021
In RECLAIMED Roux’s angular prose and vivid protagonists lure you down the echoing hallways of station Ganymede, each spiral turn and throat slashing twist taking you closer to what lurks at the heart of this story. Page by page you will become unsure that you are ready to know what is really behind that final sealed mag door but your hands much like the wounded minds of the protagonists will betray you and find themselves reaching with fevered anticipation to turn the next page and the next and the next….
May 15, 2021
If you could have the worst days of your life, the worst memories you ever had, removed from your mind completely, would you do it? Reclaimed is a sci-fi thriller about the three people that choose to undergo this experimental treatment and recluse billionaire who developed the cure to removing those memories or traumatic events.
Senna was the surviving member of a large cult died en masse during a ship takeover. Zenna’s a model who was stalked by her former manager and watched him die in front of her, on live tv. Han’s mother died during a crash and he missed all of her phone calls before her death. These three test subjects arrived on the isolated planet, to the Dome, where Paxton, the billionaire and creator of the memory removal treatment is there to greet them, along with his sparse staff.
Within the 5 days, Reclaimed takes the reader on a journey through the main characters memories as well as their current plights. This gripping thriller is intriguing and well thought out. I enjoyed each character and their journeys through the novel. 4.5 stars.
Senna was the surviving member of a large cult died en masse during a ship takeover. Zenna’s a model who was stalked by her former manager and watched him die in front of her, on live tv. Han’s mother died during a crash and he missed all of her phone calls before her death. These three test subjects arrived on the isolated planet, to the Dome, where Paxton, the billionaire and creator of the memory removal treatment is there to greet them, along with his sparse staff.
Within the 5 days, Reclaimed takes the reader on a journey through the main characters memories as well as their current plights. This gripping thriller is intriguing and well thought out. I enjoyed each character and their journeys through the novel. 4.5 stars.
August 2, 2021
I liked this book! With the MC Senna being scapegoated for something that was not her fault, she hides for a year with a friend. Lonely and feeling like a burden, she applies to be part of a cutting edge program designed to delete your worst memories. As soon as she and two other patients go to the remote treatment location on one of Jupiter’s moons, things start to get really weird!
Listen, I love me a bananas book and this totally qualifies. Senna knows something is wrong pretty early on but she’s there for a reason and she’s determined to finish this thing out. She’s super vulnerable and I felt like reaching in the book and grabbing her out a few times. It’s like watching a trapped bird and dying to open the window for her.
Once you start getting the awesome model and fellow patient Zurri involved though, things really get interesting. Zurri takes no shit from anyone, I seriously loved her. Sure, she’s kind of meant to be brash and spoiled but I liked her the best, a strong woman will always get my vote.
The third patient, Han is just a teenage boy and I didn’t connect with him as much but he’s still an important part of the triad.
I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll just say that this books is creepy as hell, atmospheric, maddening and entertaining. If you are a fan of movies like Annihilation or Ex Machina you’ll like this.
Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for my gifted copy of Reclaimed!
Listen, I love me a bananas book and this totally qualifies. Senna knows something is wrong pretty early on but she’s there for a reason and she’s determined to finish this thing out. She’s super vulnerable and I felt like reaching in the book and grabbing her out a few times. It’s like watching a trapped bird and dying to open the window for her.
Once you start getting the awesome model and fellow patient Zurri involved though, things really get interesting. Zurri takes no shit from anyone, I seriously loved her. Sure, she’s kind of meant to be brash and spoiled but I liked her the best, a strong woman will always get my vote.
The third patient, Han is just a teenage boy and I didn’t connect with him as much but he’s still an important part of the triad.
I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll just say that this books is creepy as hell, atmospheric, maddening and entertaining. If you are a fan of movies like Annihilation or Ex Machina you’ll like this.
Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for my gifted copy of Reclaimed!
July 13, 2023
Oof, the characters just were so unlikable, hard to relate to, felt a bit unrealistic and empty. Ugh, I just couldn't get past the bad character writing. It was so hard to stay invested when nothing about the characters is interesting enough to keep going.
I DNF'd at 60%, got farther then what I should have and honestly by 30% into this book I recognized I really wasn't going to like this story.
I really didn't get a good feel on the world either, world building could have either used more emphasis, built into more or more descriptions to be able to get a feel for it all. Overall I definetly got the futurism being portrayed but not nearly enough details to 'see' what's going on. I dunno, maybe hating the characters so much distracted me but I struggled with the world too.
The plot/premise also starts off just clunky too. It just doesn't feel believable enough. It goes to quick and doesn't build up enough with this supposed trauma the characters are trying to get wiped. It's too convenient and too quick to latch on to. They needed more build up or emphasis on their experience to care about their issues and then once you care then it's make more sense to introduce the premise more slowly and get into the plot. It just felt too clunky honestly and like it was trying to be formulaic but comes off as a little amateur.
I DNF'd at 60%, got farther then what I should have and honestly by 30% into this book I recognized I really wasn't going to like this story.
I really didn't get a good feel on the world either, world building could have either used more emphasis, built into more or more descriptions to be able to get a feel for it all. Overall I definetly got the futurism being portrayed but not nearly enough details to 'see' what's going on. I dunno, maybe hating the characters so much distracted me but I struggled with the world too.
The plot/premise also starts off just clunky too. It just doesn't feel believable enough. It goes to quick and doesn't build up enough with this supposed trauma the characters are trying to get wiped. It's too convenient and too quick to latch on to. They needed more build up or emphasis on their experience to care about their issues and then once you care then it's make more sense to introduce the premise more slowly and get into the plot. It just felt too clunky honestly and like it was trying to be formulaic but comes off as a little amateur.
August 16, 2021
One Sentence Summary: Senna, Han, and Zurri join an experimental program on an isolated moon to erase painful memories, but things stop adding up, and there’s no way out.
Overall
Reclaimed tells a fascinating story of how our memories impact us and what might happen if they suddenly become hazy and vanish. Described as a claustrophobic science fiction thriller, I felt it delivered on every front. The world was fascinating and definitely sci-fi and it, and the story made me claustrophobic. There were so many weird things going on in the dome on Ganymede that I couldn’t shake the creepy feeling and the twists and turns had me madly flipping the pages. Despite a slow start to the story, it was a quick read, though I did love the characters enough that I couldn’t read fast enough to find out what happened to them.
Extended Thoughts
Senna is the sole survivor of a deadly crash on Mars. But, more than that, she’s the sole survivor of the cult that hijacked the spaceship that was used to crash into Mars. Once, she lived completely off the grid, with no implant and no VIT device that literally keeps track of one’s life and offers endless entertainment. Now she’s infamous, and desperate to get rid of the trauma and horrendous memories.
Han is a fourteen-year-old boy with a high IQ who worships reclusive genius and billionaire Paxton Dunn. Ever since his mom tragically died, he’s been desperate to forget the last message she ever left for him. And Paxton Dunn might have just the thing to help him.
Zurri is a successful model everyone knows, though that doesn’t mean she’s immune to trauma. On her rise to fame, she neglected to form certain boundaries, boundaries that will come back to haunt her in a most horrific and public display.
Targeted by Paxton as potential test subjects who can benefit from his unique invention, he invites them for tests before finally inviting them to the distant and dangerous moon Ganymede, where they will live in close quarters with just a handful of other people. There, they will undergo a procedure to remove the traumatic memories, but, no matter how desperate Senna, Han, and Zurri are, they can’t shake the feeling something is very off.
Reclaimed starts off slowly, with most of the first half being not much beyond set up and getting the characters into one place. But, once they’re all in the dome on Ganymede, the claustrophobic part of the book description comes into play right away. From there, the story spins away wildly. The distrust was almost palpable to me. Right away, I started to get suspicious, but part of my mind was afraid to speculate. Still, I found some threads kind of frayed and others kind of forgotten. At the end, I felt only one character really got any closure, leaving me wondering about the others and how the experience really impacted them.
The characters were the big standouts for me. Even though how the reader is supposed to perceive them is set up right away, I still found them fascinating. Senna, Han, Zurri, and Paxton were so different from each other and had some interesting connections to each other that I felt drawn into their web. I loved the diversity from the mousy blond girl to the black supermodel to the Asian teenager who all held a piece of the puzzle and formed a close trio no matter how Paxton tried to change them, though I wish there had been more focus on the impact of the truth of how some of them were connected. It was fascinating, though, to see how they seemed kind of jerked around as they underwent their treatments to remove unwanted memories. I liked how they retained the core of their characters despite all the things being done to their brains, but I do think the edges could have been softened a little so it didn’t feel like it stuck out so much.
Reclaimed tells an interesting story of three people desperate to have certain memories removed, until they are and suddenly something feels like it’s missing. I loved the strange push and pull of them wanting to remove memories and freaking out about the empty spaces. It seems to want to shine a light on how our memories make us who we are and how, no matter what, we’ll still want to hold on to them no matter how painful. I’m fascinated by memories and how our past experiences shape us, so I really enjoyed how the story played out, despite feeling there were maybe a few too many loose ends.
The one thing that really disappointed me, though, was how the memory removal science-y, tech-y stuff worked and what powered it. I am not a science-inclined person, so my forays into science fiction are carefully plotted. I expected some explanation I could barely follow, but ended up disappointed with how, well, kind of out there it was. There is some science basis to it, but I haven’t the first idea to how it actually works. The whole mechanism ended up feeling kind of like a cop out to me. A suitable explanation that did add an interesting layer, but overall felt a little too simple. Though I did like the creepy edge to it.
And Reclaimed is creepy without being too creepy. There’s something odd about the dome and the reader is introduced to it right away. The words are carefully put on the page and the characters lead the readers on, hinting without overtly saying. There’s a very eerie feeling, though not enough to keep me awake at night. Just creepy enough for me, I suppose, and I scare easily. I loved how the dome immediately made me feel claustrophobic and isolated. There’s more weirdness the longer the characters stay, but the dome itself was fascinating. It felt both entirely mechanized and somehow also breathing on its own. It definitely takes all needs into account, but I also couldn’t shake a watched feeling.
Despite a slow start, Reclaimed does tell an interesting story that does offer some food for thought for readers. Once the story got going, the pace picked up and I found myself flying through the pages. I wish more of the story had been focused on it, though it was also interesting to get the backstories of Senna, Han, and Zurri. Overall, a fast science fiction thriller with really interesting characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Overall
Reclaimed tells a fascinating story of how our memories impact us and what might happen if they suddenly become hazy and vanish. Described as a claustrophobic science fiction thriller, I felt it delivered on every front. The world was fascinating and definitely sci-fi and it, and the story made me claustrophobic. There were so many weird things going on in the dome on Ganymede that I couldn’t shake the creepy feeling and the twists and turns had me madly flipping the pages. Despite a slow start to the story, it was a quick read, though I did love the characters enough that I couldn’t read fast enough to find out what happened to them.
Extended Thoughts
Senna is the sole survivor of a deadly crash on Mars. But, more than that, she’s the sole survivor of the cult that hijacked the spaceship that was used to crash into Mars. Once, she lived completely off the grid, with no implant and no VIT device that literally keeps track of one’s life and offers endless entertainment. Now she’s infamous, and desperate to get rid of the trauma and horrendous memories.
Han is a fourteen-year-old boy with a high IQ who worships reclusive genius and billionaire Paxton Dunn. Ever since his mom tragically died, he’s been desperate to forget the last message she ever left for him. And Paxton Dunn might have just the thing to help him.
Zurri is a successful model everyone knows, though that doesn’t mean she’s immune to trauma. On her rise to fame, she neglected to form certain boundaries, boundaries that will come back to haunt her in a most horrific and public display.
Targeted by Paxton as potential test subjects who can benefit from his unique invention, he invites them for tests before finally inviting them to the distant and dangerous moon Ganymede, where they will live in close quarters with just a handful of other people. There, they will undergo a procedure to remove the traumatic memories, but, no matter how desperate Senna, Han, and Zurri are, they can’t shake the feeling something is very off.
Reclaimed starts off slowly, with most of the first half being not much beyond set up and getting the characters into one place. But, once they’re all in the dome on Ganymede, the claustrophobic part of the book description comes into play right away. From there, the story spins away wildly. The distrust was almost palpable to me. Right away, I started to get suspicious, but part of my mind was afraid to speculate. Still, I found some threads kind of frayed and others kind of forgotten. At the end, I felt only one character really got any closure, leaving me wondering about the others and how the experience really impacted them.
The characters were the big standouts for me. Even though how the reader is supposed to perceive them is set up right away, I still found them fascinating. Senna, Han, Zurri, and Paxton were so different from each other and had some interesting connections to each other that I felt drawn into their web. I loved the diversity from the mousy blond girl to the black supermodel to the Asian teenager who all held a piece of the puzzle and formed a close trio no matter how Paxton tried to change them, though I wish there had been more focus on the impact of the truth of how some of them were connected. It was fascinating, though, to see how they seemed kind of jerked around as they underwent their treatments to remove unwanted memories. I liked how they retained the core of their characters despite all the things being done to their brains, but I do think the edges could have been softened a little so it didn’t feel like it stuck out so much.
Reclaimed tells an interesting story of three people desperate to have certain memories removed, until they are and suddenly something feels like it’s missing. I loved the strange push and pull of them wanting to remove memories and freaking out about the empty spaces. It seems to want to shine a light on how our memories make us who we are and how, no matter what, we’ll still want to hold on to them no matter how painful. I’m fascinated by memories and how our past experiences shape us, so I really enjoyed how the story played out, despite feeling there were maybe a few too many loose ends.
The one thing that really disappointed me, though, was how the memory removal science-y, tech-y stuff worked and what powered it. I am not a science-inclined person, so my forays into science fiction are carefully plotted. I expected some explanation I could barely follow, but ended up disappointed with how, well, kind of out there it was. There is some science basis to it, but I haven’t the first idea to how it actually works. The whole mechanism ended up feeling kind of like a cop out to me. A suitable explanation that did add an interesting layer, but overall felt a little too simple. Though I did like the creepy edge to it.
And Reclaimed is creepy without being too creepy. There’s something odd about the dome and the reader is introduced to it right away. The words are carefully put on the page and the characters lead the readers on, hinting without overtly saying. There’s a very eerie feeling, though not enough to keep me awake at night. Just creepy enough for me, I suppose, and I scare easily. I loved how the dome immediately made me feel claustrophobic and isolated. There’s more weirdness the longer the characters stay, but the dome itself was fascinating. It felt both entirely mechanized and somehow also breathing on its own. It definitely takes all needs into account, but I also couldn’t shake a watched feeling.
Despite a slow start, Reclaimed does tell an interesting story that does offer some food for thought for readers. Once the story got going, the pace picked up and I found myself flying through the pages. I wish more of the story had been focused on it, though it was also interesting to get the backstories of Senna, Han, and Zurri. Overall, a fast science fiction thriller with really interesting characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
August 27, 2021
I finished this book this morning and forgot to breathe for the last twenty minutes. My phone died and I scrambled for a charger so I could rewind 30 seconds and not miss a beat. It was an agonizing 5 minutes while I waited for my poor phone to hit 5% battery on the charger so I could turn it back on and listen to the end.
I immediately wanted to start it over again and pick out all the little details I may have missed the first time through.
It's ... SO ... GOOD!?
Madeleine is so good at making characters feel real and multi-dimensional. She also has an uncanny ability to make me fall in love with an antagonist right before they do something atrocious.
THIS IS A BOOK. I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE DEEP THOUGHTS OVER THIS BOOK. WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN? HOW?
Anyway, I loved every minute of it. The setting was fantastic, the pacing was excellent, the story was top notch. A near-future adventure from start to finish.
Absolutely stellar.
I immediately wanted to start it over again and pick out all the little details I may have missed the first time through.
It's ... SO ... GOOD!?
Madeleine is so good at making characters feel real and multi-dimensional. She also has an uncanny ability to make me fall in love with an antagonist right before they do something atrocious.
THIS IS A BOOK. I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE DEEP THOUGHTS OVER THIS BOOK. WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN? HOW?
Anyway, I loved every minute of it. The setting was fantastic, the pacing was excellent, the story was top notch. A near-future adventure from start to finish.
Absolutely stellar.
August 4, 2022
This is my first read from this author.
Meh, it was just okay. It was very slow, and I had to force myself to finish it. Two-thirds in and things got a little bit weird. I still have no idea what the point of that scene was on Page 212, other than maybe for shock value.
I do have other books from this author on my bookshelf, so I will try her again at some point.
Meh, it was just okay. It was very slow, and I had to force myself to finish it. Two-thirds in and things got a little bit weird. I still have no idea what the point of that scene was on Page 212, other than maybe for shock value.
I do have other books from this author on my bookshelf, so I will try her again at some point.
June 18, 2022
I couldn’t finish this book. Characters seemed flat with very little dimension to them, veering toward caricature. Most of the tropes in the book were variations of other things we’ve seen before and the “reveals” had me thinking, “Yup, I figured as much.”
August 26, 2021
This book had a great concept but got pretty weird. Just wasn't for me.
October 7, 2021
Do not waste your time! Boring, anticlimactic, and stupid ending
February 16, 2023
What! ... Why was this book so bad I'm about to freak out and start throwing things!!! cat_freak_out.gif
July 15, 2023
Oh my gods.
This book is simply brilliant.
Brilliant. Abso-bloody-lutely brilliant.
We have one ex-cult member, the sole survivor of a fatal crash that killed hundreds.
One teenage and genius hacker boy whose familial relations were strained.
One galaxy-famous model who's stalked by a man that goes up in flames.
They all have traumatic memories to get rid of.
And this is when they hear of Ganymede. Specifically, Ganymede by the Paxton Dunn, basically universe-wide famous, designed to remove traumatic memories and help you heal, and move on. It's perfect; it's Eden. No one needs the traumatic memories, so why must they stay? Nothing to worry about; Ganymede's LENG technology will remove it for you. There will be a few minor side effects, but don't worry, nothing will go wrong.
. . . right?
These characters are the most iconic trio I think I've ever encountered, besides the Golden Trio from Harry Potter. Senna is pure, untouched, but she has a streak of determination and she has damn good instincts. Zurri takes no bullcrap from anyone—what a badass!—and while she might be a liiiittle bit spoiled she's a really strong female lead. (YES!) Han is genius, kind of a mix between Senna's bubble-like existence (if you get what I mean, you know, isolation and all that) and Zurri's brash attitude. They're so different and yet they fit together so well.
Cheers!
I'll be looking forward to reading from of Madeleine Roux's other books!
⇒ 5 stars
This book is simply brilliant.
Brilliant. Abso-bloody-lutely brilliant.
We have one ex-cult member, the sole survivor of a fatal crash that killed hundreds.
One teenage and genius hacker boy whose familial relations were strained.
One galaxy-famous model who's stalked by a man that goes up in flames.
They all have traumatic memories to get rid of.
And this is when they hear of Ganymede. Specifically, Ganymede by the Paxton Dunn, basically universe-wide famous, designed to remove traumatic memories and help you heal, and move on. It's perfect; it's Eden. No one needs the traumatic memories, so why must they stay? Nothing to worry about; Ganymede's LENG technology will remove it for you. There will be a few minor side effects, but don't worry, nothing will go wrong.
. . . right?
The shadow.
...
I saw is the minute I arrived. It's always been here. Senna considered its presence in her bedroom, the yawning pit of fear that had opened up under her as she watched it watching her from the doorway, darkness living outside of darkness, formless and yet with its own intrinsic density.
She amended her thought. No, it hasn't just always been here. It's always been.
These characters are the most iconic trio I think I've ever encountered, besides the Golden Trio from Harry Potter. Senna is pure, untouched, but she has a streak of determination and she has damn good instincts. Zurri takes no bullcrap from anyone—what a badass!—and while she might be a liiiittle bit spoiled she's a really strong female lead. (YES!) Han is genius, kind of a mix between Senna's bubble-like existence (if you get what I mean, you know, isolation and all that) and Zurri's brash attitude. They're so different and yet they fit together so well.
"What about your friends?" Zurri replied without thinking. "And your family?"
She winced. Shit. One of the forbidden topics. [She was ordered not to discuss close family associations with Han.] She decided not to fumble more by trying to cover up what she had said or blurt out an apology; that might only make it worse. Hopefully he just wouldn't notice. But Han did notice, and he paused, gazing up at her with dark and distance eyes. Then he gave her a lopsided grin, the consternation vanishing in a blink. "Stupid. What family?"
Cheers!
I'll be looking forward to reading from of Madeleine Roux's other books!
⇒ 5 stars
October 9, 2025
I do not think I missed anything important or anything the author was trying to convey but I was consistently unimpressed with the execution. I get the core concept of reclaiming painful memories rather than forgetting them, but I have seen that theme done much better elsewhere. I do not mean to sound insulting here. No judgment to the author; some books just don't hit the way others do, and she might have some great stuff. I like, for example, the characters. With some extra time to shine and less time spent in a state of helpless confusion they could be very fun to follow. I liked them well enough as is and I didn't even like how they were used.
What I most disliked, aside from "Roomie" where "Roomy" should have been, was the ending which reminded me vividly of The Three Body Problem. Spoiler-free, the problem is a gish gallop of Star Trek nonsense jargon to hurry the plot along. Suspension of disbelief is fine for one or two things, but when I am suddenly asked to believe a dozen new things, each stranger than the last, without any explanation for how or why something might be possible, even throwing in some metaphysics for fun, I get annoyed and entirely un-immersed, thinking about the strangeness of what I am reading rather than just reading. It also made the obvious conclusion of the story less compelling. It would have been fine if the characters figured out some way to undo the procedure with a few bits of jargon. The actual conclusion was so wrapped up in unbelievable things that it felt less like a solution to the problems of the book than a solution to the problems of an entirely new book, a short and confusing one. It also feels unearned because the characters did not do anything except get magicked into the epilogue by a mysterious power. I would like for a resolution to be the inevitable consequence of what comes before, the product of many actions throughout the course of a book, rather than a sudden event that fixes everything heretofore unresolved.
I also thought the overt girl power feminist unity messages, particularly from Zurri, while obviously good morally, were a bit clunky, clumsy, like the way a PSA script doesn't sound like an ordinary person speaking. I'd rather have a clunky good thing than a smooth bad thing, so it's not too much of a complaint.
Overall not a huge fan, but whatevs.
What I most disliked, aside from "Roomie" where "Roomy" should have been, was the ending which reminded me vividly of The Three Body Problem. Spoiler-free, the problem is a gish gallop of Star Trek nonsense jargon to hurry the plot along. Suspension of disbelief is fine for one or two things, but when I am suddenly asked to believe a dozen new things, each stranger than the last, without any explanation for how or why something might be possible, even throwing in some metaphysics for fun, I get annoyed and entirely un-immersed, thinking about the strangeness of what I am reading rather than just reading. It also made the obvious conclusion of the story less compelling. It would have been fine if the characters figured out some way to undo the procedure with a few bits of jargon. The actual conclusion was so wrapped up in unbelievable things that it felt less like a solution to the problems of the book than a solution to the problems of an entirely new book, a short and confusing one. It also feels unearned because the characters did not do anything except get magicked into the epilogue by a mysterious power. I would like for a resolution to be the inevitable consequence of what comes before, the product of many actions throughout the course of a book, rather than a sudden event that fixes everything heretofore unresolved.
I also thought the overt girl power feminist unity messages, particularly from Zurri, while obviously good morally, were a bit clunky, clumsy, like the way a PSA script doesn't sound like an ordinary person speaking. I'd rather have a clunky good thing than a smooth bad thing, so it's not too much of a complaint.
Overall not a huge fan, but whatevs.
August 30, 2021
I originally fell in love with Madeleine Roux's writing back when Salvaged came out (not that long ago, actually). And now she's bringing readers another science fiction thriller, Reclaimed, and I am all sorts of here for it.
The Ganymede compound is offering what seems to be too good to be true. They're offering a fresh start – a total erasure of all the bad memories, leaving one feeling finally and totally free. As the saying goes, what often looks too good to be true...
Yet, some cannot look away from this opportunity. Take Senna; she's gone through hell and back and still to this day faces public outcry whenever her face is recognized. It feels like the only way forward is to remove the person she used to be. To remove the nightmares of her past.
“It means we can help you,” Patron told him, offering what smile they could given their strange, alien face. “It means the technology can take it all away.”
Wow. Once again, Madeleine Roux has managed to create a novel that simultaneously punches you in the face and the feels. Reclaimed is a tense science fiction novel that raises questions of self, identity, trauma, and the limits of technology.
In other words, this book is going to make you think. It's also going to work hard to make you feel something towards the three leading perspectives, all of whom have different reasons for wanting specific memories erased.
I'll admit that I didn't like all three characters at first. It took me quite a while to appreciate their complexity. That changed before the book was done, though I'll admit the harsher and sadder parts of their story still hurt to think about. That's how you know a character was written well, I suppose.
Overall, I really enjoyed this read and found myself quickly devouring the contents. I think the thing I love the most is that it blended science fiction with horror and thriller elements, thanks mainly to how human beings process trauma. It was fascinating.
Thanks to Ace and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
The Ganymede compound is offering what seems to be too good to be true. They're offering a fresh start – a total erasure of all the bad memories, leaving one feeling finally and totally free. As the saying goes, what often looks too good to be true...
Yet, some cannot look away from this opportunity. Take Senna; she's gone through hell and back and still to this day faces public outcry whenever her face is recognized. It feels like the only way forward is to remove the person she used to be. To remove the nightmares of her past.
“It means we can help you,” Patron told him, offering what smile they could given their strange, alien face. “It means the technology can take it all away.”
Wow. Once again, Madeleine Roux has managed to create a novel that simultaneously punches you in the face and the feels. Reclaimed is a tense science fiction novel that raises questions of self, identity, trauma, and the limits of technology.
In other words, this book is going to make you think. It's also going to work hard to make you feel something towards the three leading perspectives, all of whom have different reasons for wanting specific memories erased.
I'll admit that I didn't like all three characters at first. It took me quite a while to appreciate their complexity. That changed before the book was done, though I'll admit the harsher and sadder parts of their story still hurt to think about. That's how you know a character was written well, I suppose.
Overall, I really enjoyed this read and found myself quickly devouring the contents. I think the thing I love the most is that it blended science fiction with horror and thriller elements, thanks mainly to how human beings process trauma. It was fascinating.
Thanks to Ace and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews