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The Memory Eater: A teen must save her town from a memory-devouring monster

Chris Well

Author photo by Carolyn Davis

“An unexpected twist moves the novel from light horror to a contemplative, heartbreaking exploration of family and the ways in which we heal and hurt each other...” (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books)

Coming to book shelves in March is The Memory Eater by Rebecca Mahoney. A teenage girl must save her town from a memory-devouring monster in this piercing exploration of grief, trauma, and memory.

“An eerie tale offering equal measures of fright, angst, and emotional catharsis.”—Kirkus, starred review

“Mahoney movingly addresses themes of atoning for past mistakes, confronting intergenerational trauma, and overcoming grief in this unforgettable read.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Mahoney combines a touch of magic with a story of grief, loss, and growing up...”–Booklist

“An unexpected twist moves the novel from light horror to a contemplative, heartbreaking exploration of family and the ways in which we heal and hurt each other... Alana’s story will leave readers with much to consider about the inescapable yet sometimes unbearable weight of memories.” – The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Rebecca Mahoney, author of the critically acclaimed The Valley and the Flood, returns with a haunting and wholly original new novel, The Memory Eater (Razorbill), about a young woman who must save her town from a memory-devouring monster, and in doing so, uncover long-buried family secrets.

For generations, a monster called the Memory Eater has lived in the caves of Whistler Beach, Maine, surviving off the unhappy memories of those who want to forget. And for generations, the Harlows have been in charge of keeping her locked up—and keeping her fed.

After her grandmother dies, 17-year-old Alana Harlow inherits the family business. But there’s something Alana doesn’t know: the strange gaps in her memory aren’t from an accident. Her memories have been taken—eaten. And with them, she’s lost the knowledge of how to keep the monster contained.

Now the Memory Eater is loose. Alana’s mistake could cost Whistler Beach everything—unless she can figure out how to retrieve her memories and recapture the monster. But as Alana delves deeper into her family’s magic and the history of her town, she discovers a shocking secret at the center of the Harlow family business and learns that tampering with memories always comes at a price.

The book’s author, Rebecca Mahoney, is a young adult and middle grade writer, and the co-creator of audio drama serial The Bridge Podcast. She's a strong believer in the cathartic power of all things fantastical and creepy in children's literature—and she knows firsthand that ghosts, monsters, and the unknown can give you the language you need to understand yourself.

The Memory Eater
By Rebecca Mahoney
Razorbill
Categories: Teen & Young Adult Magical Realism Fiction, Teen & Young Adult Monster Fiction
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“I’ve been such a voracious horror fan since I was a kid, and I still consume everything I can get my hands on,” Mahoney told Second Hand Pages. “Aside from just being naturally drawn to it, I also think horror is a great tool for metabolizing my frequent and not always predictable anxiety. Horror naturally has this build and release of tension (whereas anxiety, of course, is just that build!) so especially after I got to know the tropes really well, it’s almost calming for me to watch a good horror movie. Which isn’t to say I no longer get scared, it’s just much harder!”

The author continued, saying that she tends to watch different kinds of horror all across the board, as long as it’s not torture porn or shock value horror. “I gravitate the most strongly toward horror movies geared toward catharsis—or reckoning—for their characters’ trauma. Some all-time favorites include The Babadook, The Haunting of Hill House season one, Us, Under the Shadow, and my two comfort movies, The Conjuring 1 and 2. Two recent ones I’ve loved have been La Llorona (the 2020 Guatemalan version) and The Vigil.”

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