Remember by Eileen Cook

On the surface Harper Bryne appears to have it all - she has loving yet distracted parents who give her everything she could want or need, a best friend who is a perfect fit and balance to her own personality and strengths, and a boyfriend that her father just adores.  She also has Harry (Hermes of Caelum) the perfect show jumper who is helping her prepare for a bright future as a potential Olympic equestrian.  The only burr under her saddle, so to speak, are the protesters who track her fathers every move, determined to bring down his company with bad publicity because of the alleged dangers of the Memtex treatment.  It has never really bothered Harper, and she has never been tempted to try Memtex before because she has never had a memory painful enough to make it seem worthwhile - until she suffers a great and unexpected loss.

Determined to try and move forward she asks her parents if she can have the Memtex procedure - and is beyond shocked when her father forbids her to have the treatment.  His absolute refusal is completely out of character, and Harper finds a way to get the treatment anyway.  The result seems to be good at first, but then she starts to have weird dreams and experiences weird smells and sensations - and she appears to be having memories that are not her own.  Driven to discover what is happening, Harper starts investigating and what she discovers is more than a little alarming.  With no idea of what is real and what isn't Harper feels her life spinning slowly out of control, and with each new discovery she finds her old life slipping more and more out of focus - and she begins to lose touch with the most important people in her life.  Someone is lying to Harper, but who?

The human mind is a wonder, a tricky wonder, but a wonder and it is always amazing to find a book that takes what you think you know and twists and turns things so you no longer know which way is up and which way is down - or what is real and what is what you think is real.  Remember was almost impossible to put down and I am very glad that I could read it in one session because it kept everything fresh in my mind as I tried to untangle the truths and half-truths and the little clues about what was really happening.  Cook has created a tangled little web of deceit that is not easy to untangle - partly because she seeds little false clues and little false trails to see if you really are paying attention.  

The story lines are strong, the character development is spot on, and there are plenty of moments that will keep you wondering if things are really as they appear.  Without wanting to ruin the twists and turns that make this book so fascinating, I can say that the journey Harper goes on is a true coming of age story as she leaves her childhood behind and starts making decisions for herself.  This was a great read, a thriller that keeps you guessing right to the end.

If you like this book then try:

• I hunt killers by Barry Lyga
• The book of blood and shadow by Robin Wasserman
• Looking for JJ by Anne Cassidy
• Acceleration by Graham McNamee
• Death cloud by Andrew Lane
• Crime seen by Jenny Pausacker
• Slated by Teri Terry
• The Christopher killer by Alane Ferguson
• The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Guy Langman, crime scene procrastinator by Josh Berk
• Dead to you by Lisa McMann
• The limit by Kristin Landon

Reviewed by Brilla