Memento Nora by Angie Smibert

Nora lives in a world of startling contrasts - the places she lives and the things she buys when she is shopping with her mother are pretty glossy, but one day she witnesses one of the horrendous terror attacks that seem to be happening more and more often. Waking from nightmares of one of the victims pushes Nora's mother to take her to the TFC for the first time - the Therapeutic Forgetting Clinic.  Through technological advances (and a magic little pill) Nora will be able to forgot the horrors of what she has seen, but at the clinic she sees a boy who encourages her to remember rather than forget, and Nora makes a decision that will change her life forever. 

Rather than swallowing the pill, she chooses to live with the memory, and the devastating memory that her mother shares as part of the process of visiting a TFC for the first time.  Now Nora is finding herself drawn towards Micah, the boy who told her not to swallow the pill, and his friend Winter.  Together the three of them come up with an idea that will change the lives and views of people around them - and place them at risk from the highest levels of the "terror organisation" that is wrecking havoc on their city.

This is yet another dystopian novel, and yet again this could easily have gone either way - either onto the discard pile after a few pages, or giving it a chance to get good.  I chose to keep going, even though I found the beginning and the format a little ho-hum, and I am glad I did because it very quickly turned into an interesting read.  It was not particularly in-depth, and it didn't have hugely fleshed out supporting characters, but given the way the story unfolds (as a confession of sorts from three young people) that makes sense and stays true to the story. 

It was a fun little read, and a made a nice change from some of the more intense things that I have been reading lately.  A sequel is promised and there is a website so readers can fall more deeply into the world of Nora and her family and friends.  Don't expect too much from this story and you won't be disappointed. Expect it to be detailed and indepth and meaningful and you will be disappointed.

If you like this book then try:

• The walls have eyes by Clare B. Dunkle
• The tunnels of Ferdinand by James Moloney
• Fearless by Tim Lott
• The declaration by Gemma Malley

Reviewed by Brilla