Book Review: You Will Remember Me by Hannah Mary McKinnon
The Details
Media Type: Print Book
Title: You Will Remember Me
Author: Hannah Mary McKinnon
Publisher: MIRA Books
Pages/Length: Paperback; 352
Release Date: May 25, 2021
Source: Publisher
Add it on: Goodreads | Amazon | Bookshop | Harlequin
He wakes up on a deserted beach in Maryland, wearing only swim trunks and a gash on his head. He can’t remember who he is. Everything—his identity, his life, his loved ones—has been replaced by a dizzying fog of uncertainty. But returning to his Maine hometown in search of the truth raises more questions than answers.
Lily Reid thinks she knows her boyfriend, Jack. Until he goes missing one night, and her frantic search reveals that he’s been lying to her since they met, desperate to escape a dark past he’d purposely left behind.
Maya Scott has been trying to find her estranged stepbrother, Asher, since he disappeared without a trace. Having him back, missing memory and all, feels like a miracle. But with a mutual history full of devastating secrets, how far will Maya go to ensure she alone takes them to the grave?
The Review
I started You Will Remember Me two evenings ago, and devoured it from beginning to end. As you know, dear readers, I’ve been trying my best to get further and further into the psychological thriller genre. It has been a delight to slowly uncover new stories, and wind my way through the twisty minds of the authors who pen them. I’m happy to report that Hannah Mary McKinnon has written a book that is a quick and enjoyable read.
The characters here aren’t necessarily likable, but I did find them to be realistic which is almost more important. As a character, Ash became more and more gruff as the story progressed. His frustration made sense to me, as he was basically relying on everyone around him to tell him what was real. Which made Maya’s character even more terrifying, as she was the one responsible for taking care of Ash as he was recovering. It begs the question as to whether you can ever truly trust your memories. Whether they are the ones that you think you remember on your own, or they are the ones that others have fed you. The dynamic between Ash and Maya was uncomfortable, but in a way that made this story compulsively readable.
Now, I will say honestly that I did mostly figure out the ending before it arrived. This is the type of story that hints rather heavily at what is to come, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Instead, McKinnon uses this as a way to keep the reader engaged so see if they’re being tempted off course. As Ash regains his memories, bit by bit, the reader is treated to more pieces of the puzzle. I had a lot of fun slowly putting them together to see if I actually knew what the picture would ultimately be. You may be just as surprised as I was, that what emerges is not quite what you expected it to be.
I can attest that this is one of those books that you will absolutely fly through. The quick moving plot will pull you in, and tug you along without mercy. Trust me when I say that you probably don’t want to start this right before bed, or you may not sleep at all. You Will Remember Me is a solid, if not completely standout, entry in the psychological thriller genre. I look forward to what Hannah Mary McKinnon has in store next!
Hannah Mary McKinnon was born in the UK, grew up in Switzerland and moved to Canada in 2010. After a successful career in recruitment, she quit the corporate world in favor of writing, and is now the author of The Neighbors, Her Secret Son, and Sister Dear. She lives in Oakville, Ontario, with her husband and three sons, and is delighted by her twenty-second commute.
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