Loved this book and the premise behind it. This is a story of two women, Ev and Harriet, who both possess the gift of feeling the emotions embedded in objects. Parts of the book seemed to drag, and yes, there were some dark and depressing parts, but overall I enjoyed the relationship between Ev and Harriet and I loved the way the author brought everything together in the end. Magical realism is not my typical genre but this book has me interested in reading more.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

"Ev can feel the emotions people leave behind on objects. Meanwhile, in another part of town, Harriet hoards thousands of these treasures and is starting to make her neighbors sick."

An okay read, kind of magical steampunk with a dash of reality thrown in for the hoarding problems. This was not an enchanting read for me but I would still recommend to others who enjoy this genre.

2.75☆

Kim Neville has created a magical concept within the world we already know and live in. This story weaves different real life issues- anxiety, obsessiveness, and even hoarder. It addresses them within their magical context, and gives life to something you didn’t know needed it. The characters in this book are so incredibly different from one another, and unique. These individual characters were very realistic, which added to the depth of this story. Discussing the plot without spoiling everything is tricky. There is the inherent mystery of Ev and Noemi’s parents, and what actually happened to them. This gave the book an aspect of a dark and thriller feel at times, and I think it’s what made the book so fantastic for me.

I listened to this book via VoiceView on my Kindle. The timeframes switch back and forth between current state and their previous life with their mother and father. Since the chapter headings are not designated with a date or place it always took a few minutes to catch up on where I was.
I would not compare this book to The Keeper of Lost Things, it does not have the depth nor the quality storyline to be in that category. (I loved that entire series). Hence my anticipation for possibly another time traveling singing object story, this was not it.
Yes, Ev and her sister have a gift for feeling “stains” but the story would get mired down in making a living, Hangdog, old boyfriends, etc. and would go off track. I also got weird feelings about hoarding. All and all this was just not my type of story that drew me in or made me care for the characters.
I do thank Atria Books and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC. 3 stars is the best I can do.

THE MEMORY COLLECTORS
BY KIM NEVILLE

I really love the premise of this story and think that the cover is just beautiful. We all have attachments and feel sentimental about certain things that we display in our homes. I have many things that hold memories for me gathered at different phases of my life. I love photographs of my children and family. When I look at them I feel emotions about them so I can really relate to the theme of this book to a certain extent. There are things that my deceased father made that hold sentimental value. Along with books and other items that are meaningful to me that I will never part with. This was a lovely debut novel but near the end two words came to mind: Horror Hoarding.

I felt that the book took on an eery feeling towards the last thirty percent. Harriet was definitely a hoarder as I discovered her childhood home that her mother left her. I thought that Harriet was introduced having noble intentions when she was cleaning out her apartment of things that she collected and was sorting through the items with Evelyn that could bring joy, peace and happiness in the bank that she purchased. The former bank was a space that Harriet and Owen and Evelyn were displaying beautiful things that Harriet hoped to be a museum that other people could enjoy.

Evelyn comes with a dark past but is a kind and sophisticated young woman who can feel the emotions that certain items held. Harriet hires Evelyn to sort through her collection of things and they had agreed that if Evelyn had bad vibrations or dangerous emotions connected to an item it would go in the vault to be locked away. I thought as the novel went forward that Harriet was a hoarder and collected many things that weren't sentimental but just things that she was driven to collect out of greed. The book started to lose its appeal for me when it seemed to get darker.

Noemi, Evelyn's sister was sneaky and although I felt touched by the sister's relationship for quite some time, that it eventually veered off into darker territory. I can understand Noemi's longing to learn more about her family. I thought that she was greedy like Harriet but I could forgive them because I sensed those two couldn't help their compulsions. The two of them had more in common with each other than Evelyn and Owen. Evelyn and Owen seemed to have more noble aspirations.

I started out really loving this novel but felt it got dark which I wasn't expecting. Still it is a worthy debut for Kim Neville. If reader's don't mind the story going into darker, hoarding territory then they will probably enjoy it more. I did enjoy it for the most part. It contains magical realism that succeeds, just not in a comforting sort of way for me personally. I do believe that things do hold emotions that belong to me that I have owned that have special meaning to me. My things hold a special memory so I feel good about them. I wish that this book explored sentimental value to things and I guess it sort of did for Harriet and Noemi. Evelyn on the other hand could pick up an item that wasn't hers and feel the positive or negative emotions attached of miscellaneous items that didn't belong to her and feel anger or other destructive emotions sometimes as well as the positive. A very thought provoking novel that I am sure will appeal to many who don't mind hoarding or other dark vibrations.

Publication Date: March 16, 2021

Thank you to Net Galley, Kim Neville and Simon & Schuster-Atria Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheMemoryCollectors #KimNeville #Simon&SchusterAtriaPublishing #NetGalley

I thought the “gift” these two women had was really unique and a cool concept. How there were definite positives and negatives to it.
I liked hearing from both women and how this gift affected them because their perspectives were so different. And I always love stories of women coming together.
It’s really about letting go of the past and using that knowledge to move forward to better things. Being stuck in the past isn’t healthy for anyone
It was definitely intriguing
It drags a little at times, and it took me a minute to get into. It was also a lot darker than I was expecting going into it. I think the ending was fantastic and it was all worth it.
It’s a bit heavy at times, but overall, a great debut novel!

Advance copy received from the Publisher for my honest review. I loved the premise of The Memory Collectors--people leave impressions of their emotions on objects and certain people have the ability to interpret those stains. Those of us that can't interpret the stains can still feel the emotions radiating from the objects. Ev is one of those people that can see and interpret stains. It's part of who she is and it's part of her family's tragic story. Harriet can also feel these stains and has been building up (to the level of hoarding) a collection. When Harriet and Ev connect, there's a lot to unpack emotionally and physically. Parts of this book felt a bit drawn out to me and other parts not completed enough, but overall this was an original concept and will likely be a hit for fans of magical realism or those who have always felt special connections to objects and their stories.

What drew me to this book was definitely the title and beautiful cover. It gave off the ‘intrigue’ vibes, and it did live up to its title, in the first half of the book. Overall, the writing was brilliant, but personally, I thought the storytelling fell short. It wasn’t cohesive enough and it went it all different directions towards the end. Before I get to that, first, the story.

The memory collectors were Evelyn (Ev) and Harriet, who collected objects. Not any objects but those that had strong emotions attached to them. Evelyn called them ‘stained goods’ while Harriet called them ‘bright things’. What set Evelyn and Harriet apart from other people who ‘collect’ items or object, was their ability to feel the emotions attached to them, although Evelyn’s ability was much stronger than Harriet’s. What differentiated the two of them besides their strength, was that Harriet hoards those items, while Ev sold them to pay for rent and food.

Their paths crossed one day, and they were surprised to know that there was another ‘collector’ who shared the same gift. Ev didn’t get good vibes from Harriet, and referred to her her a ‘Stain Hag’, while Harriet was intrigued by Ev and determined to know her better. Ev knew that Harriet wouldn’t let her go that easily and Harriet knew too, that as much as Ev detested her, she would one day come back to her. Ev then found out about Harriet’s plan to build a ‘museum of memory’, which they called the Dragon, turning her ‘bright things’ that had been causing pain and hurt into those that would heal and bring peace. She had only one person in mind to help her – Ev, who of course was reluctant at first, until Ev’s younger sister, Noemi, walked back into her life again. She convinced Ev to help Harriet, after knowing that Harriet can help Ev to learn to take control of her power, instead of fearing it, and using it to benefit others.

But Ev and Harriet had their own dark secrets, and it was eating them up. What were they hiding? And why was Ev always so evasive whenever Noemi tried to find out about their family? And how much will their lives be affected by their gifts? How will it affect those around them? And will the museum of memory, which they later call the Dragon come to fruition?

First, what I enjoyed. The writing was good, and the mystery of Ev and Harriet’s gifts got me intrigued and made me what to know more about them. But it got dragged further and further, and it kept coming back to their gifts and objects, and snapshots of their past, sometimes repeatedly the same scene. Gradually, my interest began to wane. And there was Owen, Eve’s friend who eventually became Harriet’s too, and started helping her with creating the Dragon. He seemed to be an integral part of the story from the very beginning, a man with an interesting story to tell. I was expecting some sort of a big reveal towards the end, but back story was summed up in just a paragraph. Another character was Brett, who I didn’t think added anything to the story. What was his role? And the ending veered to many different directions. Personally, it wasn’t satisfying. And the Dragon (the vault too) was so much part of the story, it held so much promise, but towards the end, it simmered out, hardly leaving an impact, almost like it had no significance at all.

As much as I enjoyed reading the relationship between Ev and Noemi, it wasn’t enough for me to like the story in its entirety. Overall, I thought the story was too focused on the objects and how they affected the characters rather than spending time to give its characters more life and dimension.

However, do not let my opinion deter you from reading this book. Maybe it just wasn’t for me. Other readers might enjoy it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

I know this is a serious niche, but I LOVE books about people who can feel energy or emotion from inanimate objects. Can you believe they are a bit hard to to find? :) But that's exactly what this book is about and I am so pleased to have read it.

What if you could touch an object and know its memories? Sense those feelings without even picking it up? You would feel joy and love, sadness, anger, or worse. Evelyn has spent a long time building up her walls to defend herself against the angry memories. When she meets Harriet, she avoids her at all costs. She doesn’t want to get to know another memory collector, especially one like Harriet, who takes collecting to hoarding levels. But Harriet comes with a promise, and it might just help Ev with her defenses.

Ev and her sister Noemi had an idyllic childhood, for a time. But now it’s just her and Noemi, and she doesn’t know how to let hold of the tight control she keeps. This journey is as much about her relationship with Noemi as it is about the relationship between Ev and Harriet. The book is incredibly descriptive, to the point that it dragged at times for me and when things felt repetitive. The book left me wanting more when we got to the ending.

The way Neville wrote makes it a believable skill that people could have. It was a bit of whimsy, especially when things got heavy. I loved the storyline, and the characters, even Noemi, whom I didn’t much care for. I loved watching the relationship between Harriet and Ev develop. Evelyn had spent so much time being afraid it was a pleasure watching her grow. There are a lot of emotions in this book. It is an enjoyable read from start to finish. Thank you, Atria Books, for sending this along.

I really loved the premise of this book, but for some reason, I just really struggled to connect to it. I love the idea of memory tied to objects and the strength and nostalgia that has and meaning it can hold to a person and the both the main characters in this book, felt that much strongly than most of us do. I cant imagine having to carry the weight of all objects around like that. Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

This debut author has built her characters and relationships so well. Interesting and empathetic. Add to that a a poignant absorbing storyline and touch of magical realism. A great read.

I loved the premise of this story, with a person having the ability to sense other people’s emotions within the objects they leave behind.

The writing has a beautiful literary quality, sparking the senses and painting a vivid portrait. I felt the breathless claustrophobia and the slow slide into madness as other people’s emotions flooded the senses.

Pacing, for me, was problematic. Very little actually happens within the first half of the book. We have a lot of buildup and foreshadowing mixed with bits of backstory, but not much forward motion. The second half picks up, and by the final third I was riveted.

For the right reader, The Memory Collectors is an engaging blend of contemporary fiction and magical realism, touching upon topics such as hoarding and our attachment to objects, familial bonds, depression, and the healing power of friendship.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the gift of this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever touched an object and had a fleeting feeling? One that did not belong to you, but rather belonged to the object itself? They say a home is filled with the ghosts of its past residents, the echoes of their memories etched in the walls. We all leave our marks on the world, why not the items that come to mean something to us?

The Memory Collectors weaves an intriguing tale of magical realism; a story of trauma, perseverance, courage, and forgiveness. The story of two collectors, Evelyn and Harriet, who each uniquely experience their gift of feeling the energy left behind on an object by its previous owners. Ev often views her gift as a curse, merely utilizing it as a way to sell “stained”objects in the market, and hoping she is not leaving too much destruction in her wake. Harriet hoards the treasures she associates with being “bright,” drastically depicting the difference in which each character has come to view their experiences. But while Harriet wants to share her bright treasures with the world, Evelyn has learned there can a terrible price to pay to hold onto objects that have been so stained by others.

The Memory Collectors is a phenomenal debut by Kim Neville and will release on 16 Mar 21.

When I walk through my house, scattered throughout are items that are attached to memories: the table that I helped my father make (although I’m not sure how much help I really was, since I was four) and that was in every house they lived in after, is now in my house along with the chairs that went with the table, as well. Several of my grandfather’s old railroad lamps that he had from his days working for B&O Railroad. Quilts that my grandmother made. The huge copper kettle - wider than my fireplace - that was used for making apple butter and made my grandmother’s father or her grandfather, and the 6 foot wooden spoon carved from a singular piece of wood to stir it. A cracked glass bottle made by a much older man in my old neighborhood who used to do odd jobs in our neighborhood.

When I touch these things, most often it’s to wipe the dust off, and any feelings I have related to them are fond - but I don’t envision feelings as though they are being sent from the former owners. But that ability - whether they want it or not - is what Harriet and Evelyn have in common, they ‘feel’ the emotions of the former owners through touching the object. Sometimes positively, sometime overwhelmingly negatively, sometimes it brings an insightful change. They meet when Harriet’s collection has overflowed into the hallways of her apartment building, and neighbors have it left in an alleyway, and several people have begun to help themselves to her collection, among them, Evelyn. Harriet sees something in her that lets her know that Evelyn also has this gift.
Through a light sprinkling of magical realism, this story unfolds slowly, shared through the thoughts of Harriet and Eve, which I enjoyed, as well as Eve’s sister Noemi, and Owen, a man that adds an artistic element to their world using these found collections.

A light slowly building tension adds to this engaging exploration of objects from the past and the power of the memories they hold.

Pub Date: 16 Feb 2021

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Atria Books

4 stars / This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com on 2 March 2021.


Objects hold memories and feelings. At least that is what Ev experiences. Just like some people can see sounds, Ev can pick up an object and feel whatever the previous owner felt. For Ev these objects are “stained” with memories. There are good stains and bad stains, but all affect her. With the good stains, Ev tries to sell these objects. She has success, because though others don’t feel the full impact of the stain, they still are drawn to them. With the badly stained objects, Ev tries to get rid of them. Because they can make people angry or violent.

Then Ev meets Harriet. Harriet is an older lady who has amassed quite a collection of stained objects. Unlike Ev, though, Harriet is not adversely affected by the stained objects. She feels them, but it doesn’t make her physically ill. Harriet decides that she needs to teach Ev how to live with this unusual sense that she has.

Harriet wants to turn her collection into a museum of emotions. A place where people can gather to feel and sense the happiness that other people’s objects can bring. Ev’s friend Owen gets involved helping Harriet sort and bring the objects to the museum building. He also is going to create art from some of the objects. However, Harriet’s collection is not always clean. Some of these objects are dirty and will cause pain.

What an unusual concept! Ev’s and Harriet’s special gift is something to ponder. Neville has handed us a brilliant story about feelings and emotions and the impact they can have. While the gift that these women possess is quite empathic, it can also be destructive. The story shows us the relationships between people and how their personal gifts can bless or ruin them. I really enjoyed the story of the growth of Ev and her evolution. Harriet’s ability to help Ev and create a small family of the three.

I LOVE adult books that have a touch of magic and this one doesn’t disappoint! You really get drawn into Ev’s world, even with her deadbeat sister. Lots of lessons here - trust, responsibility, caring for others. Would love to read more of Ev’s story! More please?

𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐞, 𝐚 𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐳𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐲 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤.

The Memory Collectors is a novel about two women both haunted by objects. Ev has a peculiar gift, the ability to feel emotions people have left on objects. This makes the world a loud, painful place to live, one full of energies that overwhelm her. Digging through garbage to find things she can sell, she always reach for objects that don’t radiate too much of a sour feeling. Stuff she can clean up and sell at Vancouver’s Chinatown Night Market without weighing the guilt about the energy she is passing over to the buyer. It’s enough to maintain her life, even if it effects her health being around the bad stains. Unlike Ev, Harriet is the keeper (hoarder) who feels threatened by her neighbors trying to remove her treasures. A woman who despises the vacancy of new objects and finds it unbearable to part with her bright, shining treasures. It wouldn’t be so terrible if her stuff wasn’t spilling out of her apartment into her neighbors lives. People are sickened by the clutter, her mountains of junk. To them, Harriet is a crazy old woman to be well rid of, if only they could have her evicted. By chance, Harriet and Ev’s paths cross, and so begins the tale.

Harriet feels stunned when she first becomes aware of Evelyn “Ev” , a girl who shares her gift, a fantastic, unexpected find indeed! Ev rushes off, before the two can speak, terrified of the feelings she picks up from the woman, a stain hoarder. She panics, reminded of another person who was as obsessed with objects and their energies as much as the old hag. She knows too well how such obsessions can ruin lives, but what is most frightening is that she knows the hag will seek her out. What Harriet feels is a gift, Ev has always felt as a curse, a sickness she if forced to bear! Only one person could help her when the energies infiltrated every cell of her being, her sister Noemi. Noemi is the only living person who knows her secret, that objects speak to her in a special way but Noemi is no longer speaking to Ev.

Harriet has a delicious idea, a solution to all her problems. She will create a “museum of memory” and who better to help her than Ev. She envisions her beloved collection safely sorted out, the harmful from the positive, becoming a safe space that can heal people who are suffering. She just has to convince Ev that she isn’t dangerous, and with their combined power the two can learn how to control the phenomenal gift they share. But the man who spiraled down a dark path still haunts Ev to her core. What good could possibly come of this magic? Her very existence, her memories of what happened to the man who had their ‘curse’ is evidence that nothing good comes of collecting. Her family was left in ruins and what little living she has accustomed herself to, what small security she has, may be the price she will have to pay. Wouldn’t destroying the objects be better? Harriet believes together they can conquer every threat, use their strengths to help others and maybe even themselves in the process. The past isn’t ready to lie dead, and darkness must be confronted. Evelyn isn’t the only one who has to learn to navigate her own feelings, Harriet too has lived so long with the stains (emotions) left behind on objects that she has neglected the state of her own. It is a story about the encroaching darkness of the past and how we have to learn to differentiate between what to hold unto and what to let go. It is an interesting, magical realism novel, although it is general fiction it certainly crosses into magical realism. I am picky about the genre, as I have read fantastic authors, but this story engaged me enough to keep reading. I particularly enjoyed the story between Ev and Noemi, everything that happened to their family.

Publication Date: March 16, 2021

Atria Books

This was a wonderfully thought out story that weaved magic with the real world seamlessly. This book was just so magical. It swept me off my feet and I could not put it down. I mystery and how everything weaved together. It really makes you think about how powerful memories are and the power they hold over us. I will never think about the things I keep in a more powerful light.

The Memory Collectors is a gentle, touching read. It deals with two people who are affected differently by things. One can feel, the energy resonating from items and the other collects items so they have a place to reside. It is an interesting concept the author focuses on in a modern setting. I love thst it was set in Vancouver, a fabulous city. The book was also a little sad with the situations the characters go through. Can inanimate objects emanate an energy and feelings? Do they feel abandoned when discarded? Read this book and discover for yourself.