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Memory Index #1
The Memory Index
In a world where memories are like currency, dreams can be a complicated business.
In an alternative 1987, a disease ravages human memories. There is no cure, only artificial recall. The lucky ones--the recollectors--need the treatment only once a day.
Freya Izquierdo isn't lucky. The high school senior is a "degen" who needs artificial recall several times a day. Plagued by blinding half-memories that take her to her knees, she's desperate to remember everything that will help her investigate her father's violent death. When her sleuthing almost lands her in jail, a shadowy school dean selects her to attend his Foxtail Academy, where five hundred students will trial a new tech said to make artificial recall obsolete.
She's the only degen on campus. Why was she chosen? Freya is nothing like the other students, not even her new friends Ollie, Chase, and the alluring Fletcher Cohen. Definitely not at all like the students who start to vanish, one by one. And nothing like the mysterious Dean Mendelsohn, who has a bunker deep in the woods behind the school.
Nothing can prepare Freya and her friends for the truth of what that bunker holds. And what kind of memories she'll have to access to survive it.
In an alternative 1987, a disease ravages human memories. There is no cure, only artificial recall. The lucky ones--the recollectors--need the treatment only once a day.
Freya Izquierdo isn't lucky. The high school senior is a "degen" who needs artificial recall several times a day. Plagued by blinding half-memories that take her to her knees, she's desperate to remember everything that will help her investigate her father's violent death. When her sleuthing almost lands her in jail, a shadowy school dean selects her to attend his Foxtail Academy, where five hundred students will trial a new tech said to make artificial recall obsolete.
She's the only degen on campus. Why was she chosen? Freya is nothing like the other students, not even her new friends Ollie, Chase, and the alluring Fletcher Cohen. Definitely not at all like the students who start to vanish, one by one. And nothing like the mysterious Dean Mendelsohn, who has a bunker deep in the woods behind the school.
Nothing can prepare Freya and her friends for the truth of what that bunker holds. And what kind of memories she'll have to access to survive it.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 9, 2022
49 people are currently reading
3979 people want to read
About the author
Julian R. Vaca
8 books92 followersJulian R. Vaca is a Daytime Emmy Award–winning writer, Telly Award–winning director, and the author of the critically-acclaimed THE MEMORY INDEX. Its sequel THE RECALL PARADOX published in 2023. The details around his next novel are being kept under wraps.
Connect with Julian at JulianRayVaca.com and on Instagram @JulianRayVaca.
Connect with Julian at JulianRayVaca.com and on Instagram @JulianRayVaca.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
July 22, 2022
Julian R. Vaca what great book. The Memory Index is one of those books that hooks you from the very page. Julian Vaca’s sentences are expertly crafted, and his prose flows so artfully that you’ll find yourself wrapped up in the story, unaware that you’re turning the pages. This book not only transports us back in time to the 80s, but also depicts a world where a plague-like phenomenon called the Memory Killer is wreaking havoc. Freya and Fletcher are discerning, engaging characters who’ve captured my attention and my heart. Excellent character development. Chapters ended in that suspenseful way that kept me turning pages. Plot twists and turns kept me interested in the story, about mind control and who’s controlling it. I loved this book ad highly recommend it.
August 7, 2022
3.5*
The Memory Index was certainly a unique concept, and I really enjoyed it for the most part! Let us break it down!
What I Liked:
►I loved the whole concept and the connection to memories. It was so thought provoking, because how important are our memories, right? Imagine if yours could simply be stolen out of thin air, how much of a panic that would induce. Well, it's no different in this book, but since society is more or less used to this happening, they have been able to develop some work-arounds.
►I liked the characters. I really enjoyed Freya and her newfound group of friends. Freya's story was the most compelling at first, but we're then introduced to their stories as well, and they were all quite well developed.
►The story takes some very exciting turns. It isn't simply about memory loss, but about what this new program is trying to accomplish. Without giving too much away, everyone's intentions may not be as innocent as they claim them to be. And when classmates begin to vanish from the campus, Freya and her friends want to make sure they are not next.
What I Had Trouble With:
►Kind of felt "easy" at times. Like- yes, the stakes were high at times, but a lot of the ways that things were resolved felt a bit easy to me, without giving away too much. Even the relationships that the characters formed almost felt a little easy. Maybe that is a boarding school thing, but the fact that they all found each other and fell into a group dynamic immediately and without issue made me unable to suspend my disbelief.
►This may very well be a personal gripe, but the songs felt really randomly placed and like, too much. It was sort of like they were screaming at me every few pages "Look! It's 80s music because we are in the 80s!!!" Maybe some kind of alternative would have worked better, like maybe making the songs a chapter title or something? That way they could have been infused into the story without seeming out of place. Idk about you, but my inner thought process doesn't do a full stop when some random song starts playing somewhere, so it just seemed to take me out of the story a bit.
Bottom Line: Very cool premise, and a lot of intrigue, though sometimes it felt resolved too quickly.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
The Memory Index was certainly a unique concept, and I really enjoyed it for the most part! Let us break it down!
What I Liked:
►I loved the whole concept and the connection to memories. It was so thought provoking, because how important are our memories, right? Imagine if yours could simply be stolen out of thin air, how much of a panic that would induce. Well, it's no different in this book, but since society is more or less used to this happening, they have been able to develop some work-arounds.
►I liked the characters. I really enjoyed Freya and her newfound group of friends. Freya's story was the most compelling at first, but we're then introduced to their stories as well, and they were all quite well developed.
►The story takes some very exciting turns. It isn't simply about memory loss, but about what this new program is trying to accomplish. Without giving too much away, everyone's intentions may not be as innocent as they claim them to be. And when classmates begin to vanish from the campus, Freya and her friends want to make sure they are not next.
What I Had Trouble With:
►Kind of felt "easy" at times. Like- yes, the stakes were high at times, but a lot of the ways that things were resolved felt a bit easy to me, without giving away too much. Even the relationships that the characters formed almost felt a little easy. Maybe that is a boarding school thing, but the fact that they all found each other and fell into a group dynamic immediately and without issue made me unable to suspend my disbelief.
►This may very well be a personal gripe, but the songs felt really randomly placed and like, too much. It was sort of like they were screaming at me every few pages "Look! It's 80s music because we are in the 80s!!!" Maybe some kind of alternative would have worked better, like maybe making the songs a chapter title or something? That way they could have been infused into the story without seeming out of place. Idk about you, but my inner thought process doesn't do a full stop when some random song starts playing somewhere, so it just seemed to take me out of the story a bit.
Bottom Line: Very cool premise, and a lot of intrigue, though sometimes it felt resolved too quickly.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
April 10, 2022
An interesting premise for a story! I like something a little different now and then. It was a bit confusing at times, but overall good. The ending definitely leaves a possibility for a second book!
There is some swearing in this book., which is not my favorite thing.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance e-copy of this book! All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
There is some swearing in this book., which is not my favorite thing.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance e-copy of this book! All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
July 28, 2022
This was a unique read! It felt a bit like a thriller at times. The questions this brought up was fascinating, really makes you appreciate memory but also wish you could forget some of it. We can't pick and choose like the characters. I loved the four main characters and their relationships. My only complaint is so much went unanswered and it was a bit slow at times.
December 18, 2023
3.5⭐️
Super intrigued for the first half, but the developments of the mystery had me feeling a bit of divergent dejavu….🤷🏼♀️
YA dystopian, 2 POV, First person
So many musician references and a few movie references…
An unhealthy view on forgiveness….
Content: 2 a, 6 abuses of God’s name, 5 h, teenagers who openly do a fair amount of smoking & drinking
Super intrigued for the first half, but the developments of the mystery had me feeling a bit of divergent dejavu….🤷🏼♀️
YA dystopian, 2 POV, First person
So many musician references and a few movie references…
An unhealthy view on forgiveness….
Content: 2 a, 6 abuses of God’s name, 5 h, teenagers who openly do a fair amount of smoking & drinking
August 16, 2022
The Memory Index is something different. I loved it. I loved that I hadn't read anything like it before.
August 12, 2022
A very … fine book. Not bad, but not amazing either. The last quarter or so was the most fun—an Inception-esque journey into the memories of a terrorist (or so we think).
Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC.
Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC.
January 6, 2023
Despite its great and enigmatic opening, I was having trouble focusing on this story. My attention kept wandering, and I could not get any further that 10% into this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Thomas Nelson--Fiction for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Thomas Nelson--Fiction for this ARC in exchange for my review.
May 12, 2022
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
What I liked about this book was that it's so steeped in the pop culture of the 80s - it's set in '87, and the author's well versed in the music that was popular back then. So much so that song names are constantly mentioned, and me being an oldie fan, it gave me a really good atmosphere. You can feel the book was really going for that older movies senior high kind of feel, I don't know how to describe it, do you know what I mean? Basically, I think it nailed the mood really well. That's probably most of the charm for this story.
But for a while I couldn't figure out if it's actually set in '87 or if it's just an alternative future or something (I'm not a fan of reading blurbs too closely and ruin all the fun for myself), cause while all the cultural detail is there and they use tapes (as opposed to other media) for their memory devices, it's still a lot more advanced than the 80s really were. For some reason I thought this was going to be a dystopian future, but it's more like a dystopian alternative past. Really ties in to us being through a two year pandemic as well, cause while they're not ill in the same sense, Memory Killer is something that plagues the entire population of the planet, and it's not hard to imagine people coping as they do, cause we've been through that now.
Apart from the setting, it's pretty much a traditional action/mystery dystopian YA novel. The prose is definitely 'rushy' in that sense that thrillers always are, and the characters are very specific archetypes of teens you always get in YA books. But I'm also not sure I liked the writing all that much because it somehow felt superficial at times. The characters weren't always believable, and it felt like there wasn't always enough depth to them, or what was going on. It's just like they were doing what they're supposed to be doing to follow the YA formula. And that's fine too, I guess, a lot of readers will enjoy that, but I wanted a little more.
I also found that the setting failed to suspend my disbelief. Apparently, this is a society that is falling apart - but all social systems seem to be working fine, supply chain has no issues, schools and government offices also work fine. Everyone clearly follows protocol, even when it doesn't make sense or seems harsh. Nobody's protesting anything (remember how it actually works? The riots about things as small as mask wearing..?) Also, how do things work outside of the US where a single company seems to be holding everyone's memories in their hands? Certainly other countries, at least some of them, haven't adopted the same technology by the same single company from US? And if they haven't, why isn't everything crashing and burning? There's only so much crash and burn that can happen elsewhere in the world before it starts reflecting on the US, and I just don't see it in the book. The world seemed normal despite all the mentions of "this horrible reality we're living in". It just seemed relatively calm and normal. (Or maybe I need to start worrying about the new normal of 2022 or something.)
I also didn't really like the mechanic that happens later in the book (that I'm not eager to spoil). Like... It just doesn't make sense. I can maybe believe artificial recall, but that other thing that they all do? Nope. A little bit too far fetched. Just as Freya's 'half memory dreams'.
I don't know, I think the book is great in terms of atmosphere, but it just fell short for me everywhere else. If it was released all at once and I was able to finish all three parts (that the book is clearly set to have) in one go, perhaps things would make sense. As it is though, by the time the next one comes out, I won't remember anything that happened in this one, nor will I want to reread it. I hope others will have liked it more than I have.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
What I liked about this book was that it's so steeped in the pop culture of the 80s - it's set in '87, and the author's well versed in the music that was popular back then. So much so that song names are constantly mentioned, and me being an oldie fan, it gave me a really good atmosphere. You can feel the book was really going for that older movies senior high kind of feel, I don't know how to describe it, do you know what I mean? Basically, I think it nailed the mood really well. That's probably most of the charm for this story.
But for a while I couldn't figure out if it's actually set in '87 or if it's just an alternative future or something (I'm not a fan of reading blurbs too closely and ruin all the fun for myself), cause while all the cultural detail is there and they use tapes (as opposed to other media) for their memory devices, it's still a lot more advanced than the 80s really were. For some reason I thought this was going to be a dystopian future, but it's more like a dystopian alternative past. Really ties in to us being through a two year pandemic as well, cause while they're not ill in the same sense, Memory Killer is something that plagues the entire population of the planet, and it's not hard to imagine people coping as they do, cause we've been through that now.
Apart from the setting, it's pretty much a traditional action/mystery dystopian YA novel. The prose is definitely 'rushy' in that sense that thrillers always are, and the characters are very specific archetypes of teens you always get in YA books. But I'm also not sure I liked the writing all that much because it somehow felt superficial at times. The characters weren't always believable, and it felt like there wasn't always enough depth to them, or what was going on. It's just like they were doing what they're supposed to be doing to follow the YA formula. And that's fine too, I guess, a lot of readers will enjoy that, but I wanted a little more.
I also found that the setting failed to suspend my disbelief. Apparently, this is a society that is falling apart - but all social systems seem to be working fine, supply chain has no issues, schools and government offices also work fine. Everyone clearly follows protocol, even when it doesn't make sense or seems harsh. Nobody's protesting anything (remember how it actually works? The riots about things as small as mask wearing..?) Also, how do things work outside of the US where a single company seems to be holding everyone's memories in their hands? Certainly other countries, at least some of them, haven't adopted the same technology by the same single company from US? And if they haven't, why isn't everything crashing and burning? There's only so much crash and burn that can happen elsewhere in the world before it starts reflecting on the US, and I just don't see it in the book. The world seemed normal despite all the mentions of "this horrible reality we're living in". It just seemed relatively calm and normal. (Or maybe I need to start worrying about the new normal of 2022 or something.)
I also didn't really like the mechanic that happens later in the book (that I'm not eager to spoil). Like... It just doesn't make sense. I can maybe believe artificial recall, but that other thing that they all do? Nope. A little bit too far fetched. Just as Freya's 'half memory dreams'.
I don't know, I think the book is great in terms of atmosphere, but it just fell short for me everywhere else. If it was released all at once and I was able to finish all three parts (that the book is clearly set to have) in one go, perhaps things would make sense. As it is though, by the time the next one comes out, I won't remember anything that happened in this one, nor will I want to reread it. I hope others will have liked it more than I have.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
August 26, 2022
The cover first grabbed my attention, then the first line, “Emilia Vanguard hadn’t considered that she might die until Mr. Lear said so.” What??
I was captivated by this and the action, and adventure that followed. I couldn’t put this book down because of the author’s creative way of storytelling, and world building, It was amazing as I learned more about the “Memory Killer “that was wreaking havoc on the world. It was intriguing to learn how people relied on these tapes to hook up to their minds and upload memories daily. It was interesting to learn why some people had to do it more than others.
This was a riveting story and a captivating concept for a book. I was thrilled to learn that there will be a book two released on April 11, 2023. The title is The Recall Paradox. I’ve marked my calendar and look forward to reading the sequel to this imaginative story. This will be a wonderful escape and one that will be great for your book club to discuss. This is the first book I’ve read by this author; it won’t be the last.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher/NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/
I was captivated by this and the action, and adventure that followed. I couldn’t put this book down because of the author’s creative way of storytelling, and world building, It was amazing as I learned more about the “Memory Killer “that was wreaking havoc on the world. It was intriguing to learn how people relied on these tapes to hook up to their minds and upload memories daily. It was interesting to learn why some people had to do it more than others.
This was a riveting story and a captivating concept for a book. I was thrilled to learn that there will be a book two released on April 11, 2023. The title is The Recall Paradox. I’ve marked my calendar and look forward to reading the sequel to this imaginative story. This will be a wonderful escape and one that will be great for your book club to discuss. This is the first book I’ve read by this author; it won’t be the last.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher/NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/
July 19, 2022
Absolutely amazing! Couldn’t put it down! I’m a geriatric nurse who’s passion is Alzheimer’s disease so this book had me hooked instantly! Will definitely be checking out more books by this author!
August 22, 2022
This was a truly unique story, very different from anything I had read before. It starts with several different characters doing different things and that throws me sometimes. I am glad I stuck with it though because there was a big payoff with this intriguing novel. The only things that would have improved it though is expanding a bit on the prologue and epilogue. I almost forget about that by the time I reached the ending. Maybe they could have checked in with those events a little throughout the book as well. This is definitely setting us up for a sequel and I can't wait to read it and see what else is in store. I really recommend this book. It is great for teens on up!
Thanks to the publisher for a free copy, I was not required to leave a review.
Thanks to the publisher for a free copy, I was not required to leave a review.
May 29, 2023
BRO I NEED THE NEXT ONE IN MY HANDS RIGHT NOW. I didn’t realize there was a sequel until I started reading this on the airplane. FUCK ME. This is incredible and with all the trauma/emotional abuse stuff I’ve been going through recently it really hit. READ ITTTT.
January 27, 2023
two disclaimers: 1. The length of time it took me to read this book is in no way a reflection of it, rather of what happens when you commit to reading something out loud with someone else and then move and live out of boxes and have to find said book all over again. 2. Also, this review is not unbiased; I know Julian and he's awesome, and I probably spent at least half the book being blown away that the person I know could create this whole world!
That said, The Memory Index is this wonderful story set in a fictionalized version of the 1980s where memory loss is a very real part of the landscape. You get categorized based on how much you're able to remember, and if you're one of the degens who has less recall, for example, you have to hookup to a memory-restoring version of a walkman every day to stay normal. A group of California teens in this reality all go to a boarding school in Tennessee, become fast friends and then get caught up in a plot that involves new memory technology, finding out how to break into other people's memories and more. What I enjoyed most about the book is how it made me think about memory: what we remember is seldom what *exactly* happened, it's always colored by our own perspectives and ability to recall. Especially fascinating reading alongside a book about neuroscience!
Recommended for anyone who is drawn to dystopian novels, sci-fi, teen lit or fantasy.
That said, The Memory Index is this wonderful story set in a fictionalized version of the 1980s where memory loss is a very real part of the landscape. You get categorized based on how much you're able to remember, and if you're one of the degens who has less recall, for example, you have to hookup to a memory-restoring version of a walkman every day to stay normal. A group of California teens in this reality all go to a boarding school in Tennessee, become fast friends and then get caught up in a plot that involves new memory technology, finding out how to break into other people's memories and more. What I enjoyed most about the book is how it made me think about memory: what we remember is seldom what *exactly* happened, it's always colored by our own perspectives and ability to recall. Especially fascinating reading alongside a book about neuroscience!
Recommended for anyone who is drawn to dystopian novels, sci-fi, teen lit or fantasy.
May 28, 2022
Dystopian YA fiction? You know the way to my heart! Brings me back to the days of the Hunger Games, Maze Runner, and Divergent series. I really enjoyed the concepts and theories of memory and dreams that were explored. I'm not sure I would have had this take place in the 80's, but I think that this would be a fun movie adaptation. And did we get set up for a sequel!? I'd be interested, especially if we find out about what happened with Freya's dad since we didn't get to see that at the end. I also thought that the playlist at the end was a nice touch. And I'm always in for multiple POV chapters.
(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.)
(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.)
May 11, 2022
Brace yourselves for mullets and mayhem! If Philip K. Dick, Neal Stephenson, and John Green were assigned a group project, they might turn in something like THE MEMORY INDEX. Vaca has developed his terrifying premise into a suspenseful, quirky tale filled with friendships, intrigue, and plenty of eighties references. Freya and Fletcher are discerning, engaging characters who’ve captured my attention and my heart. The wait for the sequel will be a tough one!
April 15, 2022
Excellent character development. Chapters ended in that suspenseful way that kept me turning pages when I should have turned out the light and gone to sleep. Plot twists and turns kept me interested in the story, about mind control and who’s controlling it. Not my usual genre, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
October 10, 2022
This book was amazing. It kept my mind working through endless theories throughout from page one. I am assuming it's a first in a series, and I can't wait for the sequel.
The book delves into mysteries surrounding memory, dreams, and visions. It's science fiction at its best. It introduces the topic of memory in a fresh new way. It's clear the topic's been researched well because it's hard to spot any plot holes.
I loved the pacing of this book, something that's been bothering me in books I have been reading lately. It's on point. The events surprised me and didn't drag on.
The characters were sweet, flawed and realistic. They helped the story develop into a mysterious puzzle of conspiracy theories of a cognitive nature.
I can't wait to find out more about the villains/anti-heroes of this world.
The book delves into mysteries surrounding memory, dreams, and visions. It's science fiction at its best. It introduces the topic of memory in a fresh new way. It's clear the topic's been researched well because it's hard to spot any plot holes.
I loved the pacing of this book, something that's been bothering me in books I have been reading lately. It's on point. The events surprised me and didn't drag on.
The characters were sweet, flawed and realistic. They helped the story develop into a mysterious puzzle of conspiracy theories of a cognitive nature.
I can't wait to find out more about the villains/anti-heroes of this world.
January 3, 2023
I failed to pay attention to the chapter heading in the beginning and spent a good chunk of the book wondering why cassettes and VHS were such a thing...oops!
The sci-fi aspects in The Memory Index were great! The horrifying aspects of dementia afflicting the entire population coupled with a mystery of who can you and can't you trust?! The ending leaves a lot of loose ends, just ready for book two to pick up.
Read if you're in the mood for a memory twisting sci-fi with a group of young adults who come together to form their own kind of family.
The sci-fi aspects in The Memory Index were great! The horrifying aspects of dementia afflicting the entire population coupled with a mystery of who can you and can't you trust?! The ending leaves a lot of loose ends, just ready for book two to pick up.
Read if you're in the mood for a memory twisting sci-fi with a group of young adults who come together to form their own kind of family.
August 15, 2025
Fans of Stranger Things (and 80s nostalgia) will adore this exciting and thoughtful YA dystopian novel! As someone with several family members with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, I was drawn in by the richly imagined world of memory restoration and stuck around for the mystery and relatable characters. Can’t wait for book 2!
October 28, 2022
The Memory Index is outside my normal reading genres, but once I got into it I really enjoyed it! Would recommend.
November 29, 2022
review to come but I haven’t read such original and well constructed world building in a long time
April 24, 2023
The Memory Index is one of those books that hooks you from the very page. Julian Vaca’s sentences are expertly crafted, and his prose flows so artfully that you’ll find yourself wrapped up in the story, unaware that you’re turning the pages.
The novel transports you to a reimagined 1987, where things may look different than the 1980s we know, but the vibrancy of the scene-setting and the relatability of the characters make the dystopian reality feel extremely real. The references to the music and movies of that era help the story to slip right into the past we do know so that the dystopian elements feel alive and plausible.
I absolutely loved Freya and Fletcher and found myself invested in their experiences. The way Vaca tells the story from both of their perspectives allowed me to feel invested in and connected to both of them and also created elements of tension and anticipation that would have been hard to achieve from the perspective of solely one character. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves YA fiction and dystopian worlds but also for anyone who is just looking for a solid, well-written book that will transport you to another reality. I cannot wait to read the sequel.
The novel transports you to a reimagined 1987, where things may look different than the 1980s we know, but the vibrancy of the scene-setting and the relatability of the characters make the dystopian reality feel extremely real. The references to the music and movies of that era help the story to slip right into the past we do know so that the dystopian elements feel alive and plausible.
I absolutely loved Freya and Fletcher and found myself invested in their experiences. The way Vaca tells the story from both of their perspectives allowed me to feel invested in and connected to both of them and also created elements of tension and anticipation that would have been hard to achieve from the perspective of solely one character. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves YA fiction and dystopian worlds but also for anyone who is just looking for a solid, well-written book that will transport you to another reality. I cannot wait to read the sequel.
June 8, 2022
Wow. Where do I begin with this? The memory index is written in a way that makes me feel like im watching a movie, and I love that. I would describe it as a science fiction- mystery-comedy set in a dystopia past. The characters are so well thought out and I found that I have a lot of favorites. There is a balance of intensity and humor spread out the entire book.
I had my usual slow start as I learned a new story and new people, but after getting a few chapters in, I was reading in massive chunks, sacrificing sleep to get answers. I would compare the feeling of this book to divergent, but with its own creative plot. I cant imagine being in this world, having to rely on government and devices to keep parts of my mind from disappearing! As an early 90’s kid, i don't think I knew a single song mentioned in the book, but the 80’s atmosphere and book playlist are a vibe.
Putting my vote in now, for this to become a motion picture.
I had my usual slow start as I learned a new story and new people, but after getting a few chapters in, I was reading in massive chunks, sacrificing sleep to get answers. I would compare the feeling of this book to divergent, but with its own creative plot. I cant imagine being in this world, having to rely on government and devices to keep parts of my mind from disappearing! As an early 90’s kid, i don't think I knew a single song mentioned in the book, but the 80’s atmosphere and book playlist are a vibe.
Putting my vote in now, for this to become a motion picture.
October 27, 2022
There is an interesting intersection of story and memories. For many, story is a kind of memory preservation—an exercise in safeguarding one's past. When I began writing the early drafts of The Memory Index, I considered a terrifying reality in which our memories, our stories, were threatened. Indeed, many who are impacted by dementia and Alzheimer's must navigate this trauma. As the story grew and took shape, I found myself asking a question: What's more unsettling—losing our memories, or confronting the difficult ones?
My debut is equal parts mystery, coming-of-age, and sci-fi, and my hope is that you—the reader—might reflect on your own questions surrounding memory and identity. I think many of us have asked the same question posed by one of the characters in the book: Are we more than the sum of our memories?
Let's seek to answer that—together.
My debut is equal parts mystery, coming-of-age, and sci-fi, and my hope is that you—the reader—might reflect on your own questions surrounding memory and identity. I think many of us have asked the same question posed by one of the characters in the book: Are we more than the sum of our memories?
Let's seek to answer that—together.
Read
October 19, 2025I loved the concept of how memory works in this book, and enjoyed the story, but was slightly underwhelmed with the ending, as I didn't realise it's going to be part of a series.
That being said, however, I am more than excited to read the second book and find out more. The small disappointment came from my expectation that I found find all the answers at the end of the book which I didn't - but will gladly read more to find out.
That being said, however, I am more than excited to read the second book and find out more. The small disappointment came from my expectation that I found find all the answers at the end of the book which I didn't - but will gladly read more to find out.
May 8, 2022
Book received for free through NetGalley
I loved how unique this book and, once I fell in love with the characters, couldn’t put it down. Can’t wait to read more as it ended on a cliffhanger.
I loved how unique this book and, once I fell in love with the characters, couldn’t put it down. Can’t wait to read more as it ended on a cliffhanger.
May 9, 2022
A coming-of-age, sci-fi masterpiece. So creative and nostalgic. Dynamic characters you really feel like you know with a plot that keeps on turning. Absolutely loved it, couldn't put it down!
June 29, 2023
When I attended Lauren Thoman's release party for
I'll Stop the World
, I wanted to support the authors who were supporting her, and Julian R. Vaca's The Memory Index sounded like my jam! But ugh, it was the first book in a duology and—HOLY CRAP I WON THE SEQUEL IN THE RAFFLE so here we are. And I'm definitely looking forward to reading the sequel/conclusion because this first book sets up a lot of really fascinating ideas but ends up feeling like one of those Netflix shows where the first season feels like a really long pilot.
In his debut novel, Vaca introduces an alternate 1987 plagued by a mysterious disease known as Memory Killer, which ravages humanity's brains and, well, kills memories at random, which means people must use artificial recall to preserve their memories to avoid losing them permanently. It's a terrifying idea, and Vaca complicates things by separating the populations into recollectors, who only need artificial recall once a day, and degens, who need to use it multiple times a day. Being a degen comes with a clear stigma, so naturally our main character, Freya Izquierdo—I love that her last name is basically "left," as in..."not right"—is one. Well, one of our two main characters, but Freya is our first-person present marginalized female POV, whereas Fletcher Cohen is our third-person past privileged male POV. I don't quite know why Vaca didn't do them the same, but it does have the effect of making us feel closer to Freya, since her narration speaks to us and explains how this world works in a way that's surprisingly. I also don't quite know why Vaca chose to set the book in 1987 rather than a terrifying alternate present, but it does get around the presence of cell phones and the Internet and there's also a clear nostalgia value here in how Vaca gets to have his teenagers drop pop culture references that adult writers would want their current teenagers to often unrealistically make because in this book, the references are contemporary! And by references, I mean that the book clunkily identifies every single song that plays by artist and song title ("'Don't You (Forget About Me)' by Simple Minds started to play through the loudspeakers, and this was met with scattered cheers"). There have to be more elegant ways to get your playlist into your book!
Both Freya and Fletcher end up at Foxtail Academy, where they're supposed to participate in a trial for a new Memory Frontier technology that will revolutionize artificial recall, but...something smells fishy! Oh yeah, gimme all your young adult dystopia tropes, baby. Sneak around that school. Make friends with your roommates. Mistrust authority. Especially when, uh, students start disappearing.
Vaca assembles a likable and diverse group of characters, adding Ollie and Chase into the mix. Chase acts exactly like you'd expect a character named Chase to act, and Ollie is the Enid to Freya's Wednesday. Will there be romance? You bet there will be romance. But also sneaking around! Most of the book is kinda low-key investigative work, but Vaca also spends a lot of time allowing the characters to open up in vulnerable ways about what's troubling them, from Freya's half-memory dreams and her dead dad to Fletcher's misgivings about his living dad.
Characters are cool and all, but you know what I want? COOL SCI-FI SHIT, and that's where the book really shines for me, as I loved learning about the world Vaca had created and wondered about the same mysteries the characters did, like...what WOULD happen if Memory Killer struck in the middle of artificial recall? The fact that no one seems to actually know anything about Memory Killer and the method of artificial recall is created by one specific tech company seems PRETTY SKETCHY if you ask me. So I liked all the questions Vaca brought up about this world and what it might mean for people's memories. Could they even trust their own memories if part of their recall was artificial? Were they sure that no one was able to access their memories? How much of our identity is comprised of our memories, and if we can't remember something anymore, does it still play a part in who we are, to ourselves and others? There's a nice ominous paranoia running throughout the book, and then in the last quarter, it gets Inception-y and VERY FUCKING COOL. That's the kind of mindbending shit I'm here for!
The book kinda has a climax but because the real action of the book starts so late, it doesn't feel like the culmination of a whole novel, just a high point in a specific episode. There are some other character moments that offer some payoff here, but this is definitely only half the story, and I'm very curious to see how it all pays off in The Recall Paradox!
In his debut novel, Vaca introduces an alternate 1987 plagued by a mysterious disease known as Memory Killer, which ravages humanity's brains and, well, kills memories at random, which means people must use artificial recall to preserve their memories to avoid losing them permanently. It's a terrifying idea, and Vaca complicates things by separating the populations into recollectors, who only need artificial recall once a day, and degens, who need to use it multiple times a day. Being a degen comes with a clear stigma, so naturally our main character, Freya Izquierdo—I love that her last name is basically "left," as in..."not right"—is one. Well, one of our two main characters, but Freya is our first-person present marginalized female POV, whereas Fletcher Cohen is our third-person past privileged male POV. I don't quite know why Vaca didn't do them the same, but it does have the effect of making us feel closer to Freya, since her narration speaks to us and explains how this world works in a way that's surprisingly. I also don't quite know why Vaca chose to set the book in 1987 rather than a terrifying alternate present, but it does get around the presence of cell phones and the Internet and there's also a clear nostalgia value here in how Vaca gets to have his teenagers drop pop culture references that adult writers would want their current teenagers to often unrealistically make because in this book, the references are contemporary! And by references, I mean that the book clunkily identifies every single song that plays by artist and song title ("'Don't You (Forget About Me)' by Simple Minds started to play through the loudspeakers, and this was met with scattered cheers"). There have to be more elegant ways to get your playlist into your book!
Both Freya and Fletcher end up at Foxtail Academy, where they're supposed to participate in a trial for a new Memory Frontier technology that will revolutionize artificial recall, but...something smells fishy! Oh yeah, gimme all your young adult dystopia tropes, baby. Sneak around that school. Make friends with your roommates. Mistrust authority. Especially when, uh, students start disappearing.
Vaca assembles a likable and diverse group of characters, adding Ollie and Chase into the mix. Chase acts exactly like you'd expect a character named Chase to act, and Ollie is the Enid to Freya's Wednesday. Will there be romance? You bet there will be romance. But also sneaking around! Most of the book is kinda low-key investigative work, but Vaca also spends a lot of time allowing the characters to open up in vulnerable ways about what's troubling them, from Freya's half-memory dreams and her dead dad to Fletcher's misgivings about his living dad.
Characters are cool and all, but you know what I want? COOL SCI-FI SHIT, and that's where the book really shines for me, as I loved learning about the world Vaca had created and wondered about the same mysteries the characters did, like...what WOULD happen if Memory Killer struck in the middle of artificial recall? The fact that no one seems to actually know anything about Memory Killer and the method of artificial recall is created by one specific tech company seems PRETTY SKETCHY if you ask me. So I liked all the questions Vaca brought up about this world and what it might mean for people's memories. Could they even trust their own memories if part of their recall was artificial? Were they sure that no one was able to access their memories? How much of our identity is comprised of our memories, and if we can't remember something anymore, does it still play a part in who we are, to ourselves and others? There's a nice ominous paranoia running throughout the book, and then in the last quarter, it gets Inception-y and VERY FUCKING COOL. That's the kind of mindbending shit I'm here for!
The book kinda has a climax but because the real action of the book starts so late, it doesn't feel like the culmination of a whole novel, just a high point in a specific episode. There are some other character moments that offer some payoff here, but this is definitely only half the story, and I'm very curious to see how it all pays off in The Recall Paradox!
August 13, 2024
The premise sounded interesting, and there were a couple of aspects that felt original, but mostly, this book felt like a cheap knockoff of movies like Inception and The Island as well as books like the Divergent trilogy and The Mysterious Benedict Society series.
One aspect that felt original was that the main character was Mexican. I don’t see that ethnicity featured a lot in young adult books nor in science fiction. I would have loved to see more of the culture woven into the story to make it even more atmospheric in the leading POV. I enjoyed the leading young lady overall despite the immaturity inherent in today’s young adult genre, which was especially present in this book.
I liked the play on memory, but at times, it felt like an imitation of an X-Men movie and Professor X’s abilities combined with aspects of the Wuhan Virus plandemic as well as aspects of the movies Total Recall and the world-building skills of Inception. I had hoped this story would bring something new to the table, but it felt like a replication of a million things I’ve already experienced.
The biggest disappointment to me was that the publisher (Thomas Nelson) is supposed to be Christian, but this book was worldly all the way around. Bad language throughout by teens, profanity in English and Spanish, male and female teens sharing a bathroom for showers at the same time (different stalls, same bathroom), crude sexual terms, suggestive material, crude talk, teen alcohol and tobacco usage, etc., inundated the book. That isn’t the type of content the website for Thomas Nelson indicated they publish. The first sentence on their “About > Company Profile” page says: “Thomas Nelson is a world leading publisher and provider of Christian content.” I didn’t see much, if any, Christian content in this book. I’m highly dissatisfied.
Content: tattoos, expletives (excessive), tobacco, prostitutes mentioned, alcoholics mentioned, crude talk, suggestive material, profanity in English and Spanish, alcohol, teen drinking, teen smoking (excessive), crude sexual terms, male and female teens sharing the same bathroom (different stalls) at the same time for showers, child sexual abuse by a parent mentioned
One aspect that felt original was that the main character was Mexican. I don’t see that ethnicity featured a lot in young adult books nor in science fiction. I would have loved to see more of the culture woven into the story to make it even more atmospheric in the leading POV. I enjoyed the leading young lady overall despite the immaturity inherent in today’s young adult genre, which was especially present in this book.
I liked the play on memory, but at times, it felt like an imitation of an X-Men movie and Professor X’s abilities combined with aspects of the Wuhan Virus plandemic as well as aspects of the movies Total Recall and the world-building skills of Inception. I had hoped this story would bring something new to the table, but it felt like a replication of a million things I’ve already experienced.
The biggest disappointment to me was that the publisher (Thomas Nelson) is supposed to be Christian, but this book was worldly all the way around. Bad language throughout by teens, profanity in English and Spanish, male and female teens sharing a bathroom for showers at the same time (different stalls, same bathroom), crude sexual terms, suggestive material, crude talk, teen alcohol and tobacco usage, etc., inundated the book. That isn’t the type of content the website for Thomas Nelson indicated they publish. The first sentence on their “About > Company Profile” page says: “Thomas Nelson is a world leading publisher and provider of Christian content.” I didn’t see much, if any, Christian content in this book. I’m highly dissatisfied.
Content: tattoos, expletives (excessive), tobacco, prostitutes mentioned, alcoholics mentioned, crude talk, suggestive material, profanity in English and Spanish, alcohol, teen drinking, teen smoking (excessive), crude sexual terms, male and female teens sharing the same bathroom (different stalls) at the same time for showers, child sexual abuse by a parent mentioned
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