The Memory Bookshop- ARC Book Review

Overall review–a bittersweet and emotional book that will bring you a wave of emotions

Overall rating:- 4 stars

-Depression

-Death of a parent

-Cancer

-Suicide

Perfect for lovers of The Midnight Library and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, this is an unforgettable novel about the power of books – and a mysterious bookshop that gives you the chance to rewrite your story…

If you could relive the past with the time you have left – what would you choose?

Jiwon’s life has been slowly disintegrating since her mum died. Until one day, caught in a downpour, Jiwon comes across a mysterious bookstore. Uneasy, she turns to leave when a voice calls ‘If you open that door—You can leave, but you can never come back here.’

The Memory Bookshop stores all of one’s memories within an infinite number of books and appears to those who are looking for a reason to live. Its manager, ‘K’, offers visitors the chance to travel back three times, in exchange for part of their futures.

Browsing the shelves, Jiwon must choose whether to revisit three chapters of her life. But will changing the past really rewrite her future? Only The Memory Bookshop has the answers – and it’ll teach Jiwon about what it really means to live…

Ever since her mother had died, Ji Won is riddled with guilt wishing that she had saved her mother. She is overcome with depression and was contemplating on committing suicide, thinking that she has nothing to live for. While walking back , she comes across a unique bookshop and curious, she enters into the bookshop. She was surprised to find that the bookshop is covered entirely with her past memories–books of beloved memories. she shared with her mother. The manager of the bookshop–Manager K makes a deal with Ji Won–she can visit three chapters of her life in exchange for her future. Ji Won agrees, in the hopes of reuniting with her mother and preventing her death and at the same time giving hope and a will to carry on the living.

This is actually a very short book. I wish the author had made the book a little longer. The concept and plot of the book is not that original as I have seen similar tropes in most Asian fiction novels but I did like the story as it gave a cozier feelings. The language used in the book is poetic although the writing wasn’t that great in my opinion only using short sentences. Despite that, one of the things I learned from this book is cherish as much as you can about your loved ones and keep those cherished memories intact.

Overall worth 4 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

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