Genre Fiction
![Jo Harkin - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B098P8BNV5.jpg)
Tell Me an Ending: A Novel
Never Let Me Go meets Black Mirror in this thrilling dystopian debut about a tech company that deletes unwanted memories, the consequences for those forced to contend with what they tried to forget, and the dissenting doctor who seeks to protect her patients from further harm.
What if you once had a painful memory removed? And what if you were offered the chance to get it back?
Tell Me an Ending follows four characters grappling with the question of what to remember-and what they hoped to forget forever.
Finn, an Irish architect living in the Arizona desert, begins to suspect his charming wife of having an affair. Mei, a troubled grad school drop-out in Kuala Lumpur, wonders why she remembers a city she's never visited. William, a former police inspector in England, struggles with PTSD, the breakdown of his marriage, and his own secret family history. Oscar, a handsome young man with almost no memories at all, travels the world in a constant state of fear.
Into these characters lives comes Noor, an emotionally closed-off psychologist at the memory removal clinic in London, who begins to suspect her glamorous boss Louise of serious wrongdoing.
Clever and propulsive, Tell Me an Ending is a speculative novel exploring what the world would be like if we were able to wipe away our worst moments. In this polyphonic tale, author Jo Harkin raises provocative questions about the nature of memory, through characters who confront new knowledge about themselves and a need for answers, meaning, connection, and story.
What if you once had a painful memory removed? And what if you were offered the chance to get it back?
Tell Me an Ending follows four characters grappling with the question of what to remember-and what they hoped to forget forever.
Finn, an Irish architect living in the Arizona desert, begins to suspect his charming wife of having an affair. Mei, a troubled grad school drop-out in Kuala Lumpur, wonders why she remembers a city she's never visited. William, a former police inspector in England, struggles with PTSD, the breakdown of his marriage, and his own secret family history. Oscar, a handsome young man with almost no memories at all, travels the world in a constant state of fear.
Into these characters lives comes Noor, an emotionally closed-off psychologist at the memory removal clinic in London, who begins to suspect her glamorous boss Louise of serious wrongdoing.
Clever and propulsive, Tell Me an Ending is a speculative novel exploring what the world would be like if we were able to wipe away our worst moments. In this polyphonic tale, author Jo Harkin raises provocative questions about the nature of memory, through characters who confront new knowledge about themselves and a need for answers, meaning, connection, and story.
Editorial Reviews
"As thought-provoking as it is suspenseful." -CrimeReads
"Thrilling. . . . Harkin masterfully probes her characters, questioning whether deleted memories translate into altered narratives that fundamentally transform who a person is." -Shelf Awareness Pro
"This high-concept debut asks an interesting question: What if we could edit our memories? . . . Harkin builds a picture of a world radically altered by a controversial technology and of people who are learning that you can't change the past without impacting the present. An intellectually and emotionally satisfying thriller." -Booklist
"A richly imagined debut. Harkin keeps the plot tight and times her reveals effectively. It adds up to a smart speculative outing." -Publishers Weekly
"Intriguing and compelling. . . . Interconnected storylines all arrive at the same conclusion: Messing with memory is messy business." -Kirkus Reviews
"Clever and imaginative, Tell Me an Ending is a riveting and thought-provoking exploration of one of our most precious and fragile powers: the ability to remember the moments of our lives." -Karen Thompson Walker, author of The Dreamers
"An extraordinary novel-intelligent and searching, with deep questions about humanity, history and self. Expansive in its scope and themes, but never losing touch with its characters' hearts and minds, Tell Me an Ending is gripping, inventive, and a memory I'll never forget." -Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters
"A twisting, electric debut exploring the potential for a life without our most painful or regretful memories. Tell Me an Ending examines the intersection of self and memory-when chosen memories can be removed-and how what we attempt to leave behind eventually catches up with us." -Meredith Westgate, author of The Shimmering State
"A cautionary tale about technology making its way into the very depths of our personal lives, Tell Me an Ending is thought-provoking and utterly compulsive." -Tahmima Anam, author of The Startup Wife
"Suspenseful, richly imagined, and brimming with compassion, Jo Harkin's Tell Me an Ending poses tantalizing questions about technology, ethics, capitalism, memory, trauma, and fate. How far would we go to live a happier life? Who are we without the memories that have shaped us? A feat of ingenious, intricate world-building. I finished the last page desperate to discuss this brilliant novel with everyone I know." -Jessamine Chan, author of The School for Good Mothers...
"Thrilling. . . . Harkin masterfully probes her characters, questioning whether deleted memories translate into altered narratives that fundamentally transform who a person is." -Shelf Awareness Pro
"This high-concept debut asks an interesting question: What if we could edit our memories? . . . Harkin builds a picture of a world radically altered by a controversial technology and of people who are learning that you can't change the past without impacting the present. An intellectually and emotionally satisfying thriller." -Booklist
"A richly imagined debut. Harkin keeps the plot tight and times her reveals effectively. It adds up to a smart speculative outing." -Publishers Weekly
"Intriguing and compelling. . . . Interconnected storylines all arrive at the same conclusion: Messing with memory is messy business." -Kirkus Reviews
"Clever and imaginative, Tell Me an Ending is a riveting and thought-provoking exploration of one of our most precious and fragile powers: the ability to remember the moments of our lives." -Karen Thompson Walker, author of The Dreamers
"An extraordinary novel-intelligent and searching, with deep questions about humanity, history and self. Expansive in its scope and themes, but never losing touch with its characters' hearts and minds, Tell Me an Ending is gripping, inventive, and a memory I'll never forget." -Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters
"A twisting, electric debut exploring the potential for a life without our most painful or regretful memories. Tell Me an Ending examines the intersection of self and memory-when chosen memories can be removed-and how what we attempt to leave behind eventually catches up with us." -Meredith Westgate, author of The Shimmering State
"A cautionary tale about technology making its way into the very depths of our personal lives, Tell Me an Ending is thought-provoking and utterly compulsive." -Tahmima Anam, author of The Startup Wife
"Suspenseful, richly imagined, and brimming with compassion, Jo Harkin's Tell Me an Ending poses tantalizing questions about technology, ethics, capitalism, memory, trauma, and fate. How far would we go to live a happier life? Who are we without the memories that have shaped us? A feat of ingenious, intricate world-building. I finished the last page desperate to discuss this brilliant novel with everyone I know." -Jessamine Chan, author of The School for Good Mothers...
Readers Top Reviews
Ashley Hardman
This book was slightly a struggle for me to get through...there were a lot of words but not much happening. I'm still getting the jargon down but I would describe this as a character-driven futuristic/sci-fi book. The sci-fi part of it is woven in but isn't the main character. It's just how this world is. But! I appreciate the whole point of the story (what I took from it was life isn't always black and white...a lot of situations are grey and things don't always have a "rainbows and butterflies" happy ending) and the writing. I really enjoyed reading from Noor's, William's, and Oscar's point-of-view....couldn't stand Finn, though. When the description says it's similar to Black Mirror, that is spot on.
JB
ell Me An Ending was provided as an advanced reader copy by #scribner in exchange for an honest review. It has a pub date of March 1. This book made me think “what if” – as a human, and as a therapist who focuses on trauma treatment. Tell Me An Ending was a slow burn, so if you expect a fast pace, this may not be what you are looking for, but it absolutely is a provocative storyline. The characters manage to be both likable and sometimes not, which goes a long way toward them being relatedly human. Jo Harkin does an excellent job of writing the thoughts and feelings of the characters in a way that feels natural to read. Although a slow burn and a slow-at-times read, this is a story that will stay with me and always have me wondering, “What if?”. #NetGalley #TellMeAnEnding #JennReviews
I am confident this book will explode in popularity once it's released, and I can easily picture this as an incredible, binge-worthy Netflix adaptation (think: "The One" vibes). Tell Me An Ending revolves around Nepenthe, an organization that will remove painful, often traumatic memories using a quick, painless procedure. The book follows five characters, each connected to Nepenthe in some way. There's Noor, a somewhat mysterious scientist that continually questions the morality of the work she and her coworkers are doing. Finn, an easygoing architect that begins to question his wife's loyalty. Mei, an insecure college student that has snippets of memories from a country she's positive she's never been. William, a police officer, husband, and father that struggles with PTSD. And Oscar, a handsome man in his late twenties that doesn't remember anything at all. I enjoyed following these characters along on their journeys. It was an exciting book to read, even though we learn of some heartbreaking moments in their lives. Most of the sections ended on cliffhangers, so it was an easy book to keep reading and get lost in.
