I Remember You by Brian Freeman

​I really enjoyed Freeman’s Infinite. It stood out well above the usual thriller noise. So I remembered the name and made sure to look out for his future releases and when this came to Netgalley, I requested it right away.
And sure enough, Freeman does a good job again. Throwing in a slight science fiction premise (or more like an advanced science premise) really elevates what otherwise would have been yet another all-in-the-family sort of tale of love and revenge.
The book begins on a 4th of July. Some people wave flags and some people get wasted…and so people die. The protagonist is of the latter variety, She tops off a series of sh*tty life events with some booze and some coke and dies. Once she’s revived, she finds she is no longer alone in her mind. There’s another conscience, another person, another set of memories.
So she crosses the country from Vegas to the East Coast and begins to put her allegedly genius level IQ to the test by trying to sort out what’s going on with her.
She meets man after man who desire her…or the woman inside her. And woman after woman who have murkier intentions.
And yes, in some respects it is a very prototypical thriller, meaning that, for instance, all the women are model-gorgeous…and only one of them is actually a model.
Also, here’s a small thing…recently a hyperwoke millennial pal of mine told me that it is now considered racism when African-American characters’ skin is compared to food in writing. Is that true? Cause if so, the author is certainly guilty. Every single dark-skinned character is described as something delicious. Mocha or chocolate. I mean, seriously. Is it offensive or fetishizing or just plain descriptive? Weigh in in the comments below, please. The inquiring minds want to know.
Anyway, back to the book…the book is fun. Fun enough to rise above its clichés and fun enough to twist what might have bene a pretty plain plot into something genuinely unpredictable so that the prerequisite plot twist in the end is actually mostly a surprise.
I enjoyed reading it and it went by very quickly for all its bulk. Great pacing, great dynamics, great energy. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.