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fakeppy's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this, I really did... It just never GRABBED me. I finished it, and it ended as I expected, just something seemed unfinished.
katiesdoolin's review against another edition
2.0
This book is very hard to review without spoiling it. With that said, there was a lot of emotion and I could see this being a little better for someone who is a mother. There is basically nothing that happens in the whole book, which makes it hard for me to like.
It walks Diane through the process of going back to work after having the baby, her husband being out of town for work and her relationship with her sister and late mother.
I really have mixed feelings about this book....
It walks Diane through the process of going back to work after having the baby, her husband being out of town for work and her relationship with her sister and late mother.
I really have mixed feelings about this book....
purplesky02's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book. It was definitely a page turner. The alternating points of view worked well, though I'd figured things out pretty early on. I am looking forward to reading more by Steena Holmes.
kayleajayne's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book was so heavily foreshadowed that it was easy to see what was going to happen in the book. The reading level is lower and it was a let down for me.
novabird's review against another edition
2.0
The obvious foreshadowing, repeatedly reinforced in, "The Memory Child," greatly undermined a sense of psychological tension that was necessary to the plot. Holmes did write well enough that the sense of 'confusion,' apparent in Diane pulls the reader along and sustains the middle. However the quickness of the turnaround in the ending felt quite forced. 2.5 for the attempt at difficult material.
juliardye's review against another edition
3.0
Quick read (mostly - there were a few parts that dragged) and kept me interested, but it was a sad story. Oh, and I wanted to strangle Nina. SO annoying. But that's beside the point. I borrowed this from the Kindle Lending Library, if I hadn't seen it there, I'm not sure I would have picked.
kdurham2's review against another edition
4.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Diane had a horrific childhood and is still recovering and because of the events that occurred she has feared becoming a mother and becoming like her mother. She becomes pregnant at a time where her and her husband are both seeing positive changes in their professional lives, but she still continues with the pregnancy.
Diane had a horrific childhood and is still recovering and because of the events that occurred she has feared becoming a mother and becoming like her mother. She becomes pregnant at a time where her and her husband are both seeing positive changes in their professional lives, but she still continues with the pregnancy.
lindsey_bda's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this story. Essentially it is thw story of how one woman deals with tragedy.
I would have given it four stars but the ending seemed rushed and quite abrubt.
I would have given it four stars but the ending seemed rushed and quite abrubt.
jaxyway's review against another edition
4.0
The Memory Child by Steena Holmes is a very well-written women’s fiction suspense novel dealing with postpartum psychosis, the rare illness that can include rapid mood swings, delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, strange beliefs, and sometimes, infanticide.
This is a topic that is quite difficult for me to write about. My mother has a variety of mental problems, and it is believed that she experienced postpartum psychosis following my birth. Note: There is a difference between postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis, and although my mother was never diagnosed by a doctor, she is believed to have experienced the latter. My mother was not depressed, she was bat-shit crazy. It is undetermined whether postpartum psychosis is hormonal or hereditary; my mother had hormonal problems (including Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder), and is also bipolar. I have inherited PMDD from my mother; this is something that has developed over recently years, starting in my mid to late twenties. PMDD is basically very terrible PMS that includes symptoms such as mood swings, irrationality, severe irritability, and depression. As someone that wants to have children, the possibility of experiencing postpartum depression or psychosis absolutely terrifies me, especially since I have already inherited other hormonal problems from the mother.
So yeah – this book.
Diane and Brian are going to have a baby, but Diane is terrified; her mother smothered her infant brother and committed suicide as a result of postpartum psychosis. Brian is an amazing, loving husband, extremely excited for the birth of his first child, while Diane is more than a little hesitant, and actually considers an abortion. Fast-forward one year: Diane has had her baby, is completely enamored of her child like most normal mothers, but… why hasn’t Brian returned from his business trip?
The story is told in alternative perspectives between Brian, during Diane’s pregnancy, and Diane, following the birth of her baby, Claire. Supporting characters include a nanny that Brian hired for Diane prior to his business trip, as well as Diane’s younger sister.
It is clear very early on that something is seriously fucked up, and we do not know what could have happened. I had ideas early on – in fact, I was almost convinced at one point that I had guessed the ending, and I was fairly confident because I read a lot – but I am happy to report that I was wrong. Why does everyone act so off around Diane? Where is Brian, the husband-of-the-year?
The writing was very good. I have never read anything by Steena Holmes, and did not know what to expect. She gives the reader a good mind-fuck with this one. Highly recommended, with an ending I did not see coming. The pacing was perfect, and the end satisfying.
Unfortunately, I am more apprehensive than ever to have a child. But I knew that that would occur going in. I just couldn’t resist.
Only four stars, because there is something at the end I personally wanted done a little differently, but that didn’t affect the readability of this novel at all. Fast-paced and hard to put down, The Memory Child is a must-read for anyone that likes a little bit of mind-fuckery with their family drama.
This is a topic that is quite difficult for me to write about. My mother has a variety of mental problems, and it is believed that she experienced postpartum psychosis following my birth. Note: There is a difference between postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis, and although my mother was never diagnosed by a doctor, she is believed to have experienced the latter. My mother was not depressed, she was bat-shit crazy. It is undetermined whether postpartum psychosis is hormonal or hereditary; my mother had hormonal problems (including Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder), and is also bipolar. I have inherited PMDD from my mother; this is something that has developed over recently years, starting in my mid to late twenties. PMDD is basically very terrible PMS that includes symptoms such as mood swings, irrationality, severe irritability, and depression. As someone that wants to have children, the possibility of experiencing postpartum depression or psychosis absolutely terrifies me, especially since I have already inherited other hormonal problems from the mother.
So yeah – this book.
Diane and Brian are going to have a baby, but Diane is terrified; her mother smothered her infant brother and committed suicide as a result of postpartum psychosis. Brian is an amazing, loving husband, extremely excited for the birth of his first child, while Diane is more than a little hesitant, and actually considers an abortion. Fast-forward one year: Diane has had her baby, is completely enamored of her child like most normal mothers, but… why hasn’t Brian returned from his business trip?
The story is told in alternative perspectives between Brian, during Diane’s pregnancy, and Diane, following the birth of her baby, Claire. Supporting characters include a nanny that Brian hired for Diane prior to his business trip, as well as Diane’s younger sister.
It is clear very early on that something is seriously fucked up, and we do not know what could have happened. I had ideas early on – in fact, I was almost convinced at one point that I had guessed the ending, and I was fairly confident because I read a lot – but I am happy to report that I was wrong. Why does everyone act so off around Diane? Where is Brian, the husband-of-the-year?
The writing was very good. I have never read anything by Steena Holmes, and did not know what to expect. She gives the reader a good mind-fuck with this one. Highly recommended, with an ending I did not see coming. The pacing was perfect, and the end satisfying.
Unfortunately, I am more apprehensive than ever to have a child. But I knew that that would occur going in. I just couldn’t resist.
Only four stars, because there is something at the end I personally wanted done a little differently, but that didn’t affect the readability of this novel at all. Fast-paced and hard to put down, The Memory Child is a must-read for anyone that likes a little bit of mind-fuckery with their family drama.
momlovesbooks17's review against another edition
2.0
This was kind of a weird story. It was somewhat suspenseful and I was interested enough to want to know how it ended. I guessed something that the author didn't tell us until the end. Not sure that I would recommend this one.