Shattered Memories

Susan
Harris
Genre: 
Young Adult

DYSTOPIAN:  In the near future…

Alana McCarthy has lost a year's worth of memories, her family and her freedom – the latter as a consequence of being accused of murdering her family. She is now a teenager waiting on death row, hoping to recover her memories and prove her innocence. Helping her with that is the prison psychiatrist, Daniel Costello.

Daniel hasn’t forgotten Alana – and hasn’t stopped loving her either. He’s going to do everything in his power to make her remember and liberate her. He has his suspicions about who might be framing her – and how it all connects to Alana’s father being the former prison warden.

Readers following this haunting journey will laugh, worry, investigate, and most definitely cry with Alana as she unravels the mystery of the murders. The grim reality of this futuristic world and the prison make a perfect backdrop for Alana’s internal struggle. Daniel’s memories make a sharp contrast to the present, making everything more intense. All characters are interesting and well-developed. Really, the only big problem is that the mystery is way too transparent. Making readers doubt and wonder more would kick everything up a notch. All in all, a gripping tale with an ending that fits the dark tones of this novel well. Recommended!

Mimi Smith