I really enjoyed this book, although it wasn’t my favorite. It was a nice story and the characters were interesting. I’d say it was a bit slow for me, but I think other readers would enjoy it more. Overall, I’d still recommend for others.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and NetGalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Memory Collectors is a wonderfully written story. It touches on some very emotional topics without melodrama or parody. Beautifully written with relatable characters, this is a must read!

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

All her life Ev has had an unexplainable connection to objects, one that she shared with her father but after what it did to destroy him she has done everything in her power to learn to control her ability, to harness it. When Evelyn comes in contact with an object she can immediately sense the emotions attached to it, some good that can brighten its owner's mood and the negative that need to be handled carefully and even at times destroyed. Never having come across another person who shares her gift, Ev believes she is the only one remaining, until she meets Harriet. When the two women have a chance encounter in an alley Ev's first reaction is to run but Harriet knows that she has finally found the person who can help curate her collection, to finally help her sort her life in order. What's soon to be revealed is that the women have more than their gift in common and its secrets are lying in wait for the past to be unearthed. Though the fantasy genre isn't what I normally gravitate towards, I found "The Memory Collectors" holding my interest for the most part. Some of the scenes were difficult to picture, especially in Harriet's house, and I'm not sure I missed it but not sure if Owen's/Harriet's ages were ever explained? I'm still not sure if I can be convinced to enjoy this genre more often but once in a while it's fun to step outside of your norm and give something new a try. If fantasy/magical realism is your thing then I would recommend adding "The Memory Collectors" to your TBR list. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I will not be giving feedback on this title. It was not one I was interested in. I did not get into it or finish the book

The Memory Collectors was a story set in Canada, which I love, but also a story of family, abilities/gifts that feel like a curse and new beginnings. Ev has a mysterious ability, where she can feel the emotions people leave behind on objects and believes that most of them need to be handled extremely carefully, and/or destroyed. She sells the harmless ones at Vancouver’s Chinatown Night Market to scrape together a living, stores the other ones where she can. In another part of town, Harriet hoards thousands of these treasures and is starting to make her neighbors sick as the overabundance of heightened emotions start seeping through her apartment walls. When Ev and her stumble upon each other, a partnership is formed. Harriet hires Ev to organize her treasures into a museum of memory that not only feels warm and inviting but can heal the emotional wounds many people unknowingly carry around. But Harriet also has secrets she is keeping from Ev that might be their downfall.

Ev has led a sad life. She has lost both her parents and her younger sister disappears for long periods of time. She has a friend, Owen, that works with her on the museum, someone who could be more than a friend. He is also an artist and creates things from found items, including Harriet;s treasures. There is evil in some of the objects and they have to fight that to bring some order to the items, but is is difficult. There are secrets involving Ev's family and her past that Harriet is keeping from her. Memories can often take over our lives, things we cannot change, but can overwhelm us. This story brings that to life in a sad, but wonderful story. The characters are interesting with mystery around them, and although not very likable at the beginning, become people I am wishing the best for. With magical realism, hope, and growth in the characters, this was a very interesting and enjoyable story. If you enjoy a book about memories, family relationships, and friendships, one with magical realism and lots of atmosphere, I recommend you pick up The Memory Collectors in whichever format you prefer.

This book was really good. It is a story of two women, Harriet and Ev, that can sense emotions or memories from objects that they call stains. Some are pleasant and some are not. Ev doesn't want to keep the objects that contain the bad memories, she believes they should be destroyed. However, Harriet is hoarding all of the objects that she finds and they are making her neighbors sick. This book was intriguing and original. I was hooked from the beginning. As someone who loves stories that have some magic in them, this was a wonderful read!

I apprecitate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found this a really interesting read and the characters are quite engaging. it kept me reading until the end. I highly recommend.

I liked this book but it went on a bit longer than necessary some things were repeated. I loved the magical realism

This was a very interesting tale, with a variety of well-developed characters of different backgrounds.

The Memory Collectors by Kim Neville

399 Pages
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: March 16, 2021

Fiction (Adult), Fantasy, Sci Fi, Metaphysical, Hoarding

Harriet is returning home to her apartment and sees piles of her boxes out on the street. A neighbor must have complained about her stuff again. She knows she has a problem that is out of control but does not know how to deal with it. Ev is an intuitive woman with the ability to feel the emotions associated with items. She lives in a minimalist apartment and sells things she finds at the Chinatown Night Market. This book is how the two women’s worlds meet and how they help each other overcome their fears.

The book has a steady pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. If you enjoy Paula Brackston’s Found Things series, you will like reading this book.

This book helps us who collect certain things that were drawn too! It’s like a validation of why we do those things.

I loved every bit of this book!

I wanted to read this because it sounded unique and unusual. It sounds like it could be something magical yet realistic at the same time. I loved the thought of leaving memories behind on objects but I didn't feel too invested in the characters.

This whimsical novel started out really strong but started to lag halfway through. I would have enjoyed more magic in this one.

I’m not sure if it was just me and my mood or the book but I had to DNF this one. Will update my review if I ever try again.

This has to be one of the most beautiful cover's for a novel. Author # Kim Neville will delight you with # The Memory Collectors. Perfect for fans of #The Keeper of Lost Things. A debut novel about two women haunted by buried secrets. 💜🐾🐾
Thank you for the advance copy,
#Netgalley, # Kim Neville, and # Atria Books

I really liked the concept of this book. The main character can feel others emotions. It’s such an interesting idea. It was nothing like I had read before, but I enjoyed it. If you like magical realism, I recommend checking it out!

I loved this story. 5 star read for me and a few of my friends picked it up recently. Brilliant writing style. Can't wait to read more from this author.

Compared to The Scent Keeper, which I loved, I was excited to read The Memory Collectors, a story about having a special gift.

Harriet Langdon is a book hoarder who lives in Vancouver, Canada who meets Owen, an artist who discovers “found” items and creates using those materials.

It’s here that they create a museum of memories for her collection. They were both wonderful characters and I really enjoyed this one!

*many thanks to Atria/Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to review this book.

A little magical realism is something I truly enjoy and this book did not disappoint!
I enjoyed it very much.

I was impressed by Neville’s writing, and it appeared as if it would get the hype it deserved because I was immediately intrigued by this story and by Ev. However, as the story progressed I found myself getting bored over the lack of anything happening. It started off so strong, and then by about 40%, I lost interest.

I wanted to love this book, it had a lot of promise and potential, but I was let down - I felt as if something was missing. Maybe this was the case of the right book at the wrong time, which seems to be a frequent occurrence in my reading.

This story did have a unique magical realism element to it, but I think the author relied too heavily on that and didn’t develop the plot or the characters well enough for it to fully work.