I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Glass Woman by Alice McIlroy Published by Datura on January 2 2024
Genres: Adult, Psychological thriller, Science fiction
Pages: 296
Format: Finished paperback
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: A woman is thrust into a disturbing mystery when she loses all her memories, in this solid but sometimes confusing debut.
“My name is Iris and I am thirty-five years old. My husband is called Marcus. I was born in Suffolk, England. I work at the London Research Institute. It is Wednesday, the first of May. This is what I have just been told.”
Stories about memory loss can go either way for me, but I’m happy to say The Glass Woman offered some unique ideas that made this trope feel different and fresh. This is a tense, emotional thriller, heavy on “emotion” and light on “thriller,” so if you enjoy slower stories that focus more on character development, this book might be a good fit. There were a few things that didn’t quite work for me, but I’ll explain more below.
Iris wakes up in a hospital bed with no memories of who or where she is. She’s surrounded by strangers, and one of them is a man named Marcus who claims to be her husband. The doctor says she’s recovering from a “procedure,” but he won’t give her any details about what that procedure was. Eventually she learns that she’s had an experimental AI device implanted in her brain, a device that will help monitor her past trauma and depression. The doctor also explains that she chose to have a traumatic memory removed permanently, and that eventually her other memories will return.
As Iris returns home and begins the process of getting to know her husband again, as flashes of her past start to surface. She also has to figure out how to live with Ariel, the AI that is now a part of her. But the more Iris remembers, the stranger things seem. Why won’t Ariel let her leave the house? What is behind the bookcase upstairs? And what happened to Teo, a disturbed man she meets in the hospital? Iris wants to remember everything, but she might not like the truth.
One of my favorite things about this book is the way the author handled interpersonal relationships. Because Iris has lost her memories and doesn’t even recognize the people around her, it was fun to watch her interact with these “strangers” and see their relationships unfold. The best example is, of course, her husband Marcus. She’s stuck in a house with a stranger and has to figure out how to live with him, and I felt her pain and confusion as she tried to be the Iris Marcus remembered, but struggling because she doesn’t remember anything about their relationship. Even when Marcus shows her wedding photos, Iris doesn’t know whether to believe her eyes or not. Could the photos be faked? Certainly. But Iris just doesn’t know, so the reader feels unsettled right along with her.
The Glass Woman is full of vibes: creepy vibes, mystery vibes, and most of all, an underlying sense that everything in Iris’s life in wrong. From the first paragraph, the reader is thrown into this mystery of what happened to Iris, the horrible thing in her past she wanted to forget, and whether or not the strangers around her are telling the truth or not. In a nutshell, this book made me very uncomfortable, and I suspect that’s what the author was going for. I felt terrible for Iris, because not only has she lost all her memories, she’s being controlled by Ariel, who does awful things to her at times. For example, if Iris tries to leave the house, Ariel causes her to lose consciousness or become nauseous so she’s forced to stop. One scene in particular was extremely dark, at least in my opinion. Without revealing too many details, it involves a sex scene between Iris and Marcus (and Ariel), and let’s just say it crossed the line in regards to consent. As hard as it was to read, I applaud the author for pulling off such a well done scene.
So yes, the vibes are strong, and McIlroy’s writing is top notch. But for me, the story was more “vibe” than plot, and I struggled to make sense of what was happening at times. Some of the reveals were way too vague, as the author uses broad strokes to explain things. When you’re reading a mystery and dying to find out what’s really going on, the answers—when you finally get them—need to be clear. A lot of the answers are implied rather than explained, which lessened the impact for me.
I also wanted to mention that I immediately guessed the “horrible memory” that was taken away from Iris, and I was disappointed that the other didn’t choose something less obvious. As for the final twist at the end, it felt a bit overly complicated to me as a lot of things had to be explained.
Having said that, though, I loved the way McIlroy ended her story. After everything is revealed, Iris has some ethical decisions to make, and I loved the way that played out. There’s an emotional punch at the end that relates to the freedom to make your own choices, and it resonated nicely with earlier parts of the story. I’m glad I had the chance to read The Glass Woman, and I’ll be curious to read Alice McIlroy’s next book.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
Very intriguing – even though you mentioned some predictable outcomes: from your description I had strong “Gaslight” vibes, which make this book one I might enjoy reading. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…HOLLY, by Stephen King
Yes, I didn’t mention gaslighting specifically, but it’s definitely there.
I don’t think this would be a great fit for me, but all the same, it sounds intriguing and I am glad that, even if it is not perfect, you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!!
I did enjoy it, and she’s a very talented author.
Stories about memory loss give me anxiety but I love them anyway, if that makes sense? 😛 It’s just too bad that the answers in the story weren’t too clear and that the final twists was too complicated.
Ha ha me too! They are fun but uncomfortable to read.
Sounds interesting, but perhaps too similar to other books about women waking up with no memories, a mystery to solve, creepy situation, etc for me to want to pick it up.
It did have that familiarity for sure, memory loss is a very popular trope!
That reminds me somehow of Before I Go to Sleep that was creepy as hell too!
I haven’t read that one but yep, love the creepy vibes:-)
Feeling uncomfortable makes perfect sense. Putting oneself in her position I suspect that’s how most of us would feel, not to mention scared at the uncertainty, of not knowing what’s real.
That uncomfortable feeling was strong! And very well done.
hmm, I’m curious about why it can be considered scifi
Emma @ Words And Peace recently posted…Throwback Thursday: November 2013
Because she had an AI device implanted in her brain. But honestly, a lot of the story didn’t feel sci fi, it has a contemporary feel to it with sci fi elements.
Not sure that this one is for me atm. But, you never know.
Lynn 😀
It’s definitely one you should be in the mood for.
That’s definitely a solid premise to create a very mysterious and engaging story! I hope the next book by this author will be as good as this one! 😀
Lashaan Balasingam recently posted…The 96th Academy Awards Animated Feature Film Oscars Prediction
I’m very excited to see what she writes next:-)
I have been looking forward to this one, but man I do not love being confused! That said, it seemed like the good outweighed the bad, so I may still get to it- just with more appropriate expectations, so thanks for that!
Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight recently posted…Reviews in a Minute: February Meets March
Yes, the good did outweigh the bad. I’m glad I read it, but there was some confusion…
A superb review, Tammy – thank you! This is an intriguing premise – especially with the AI element in the mix. But I think I’ll stay away from it right now. I need a bit more sunshine in my life than this read, I think:).
Thanks Sarah! Yes, it’s definitely light on sunshine;-)
I’m not sure this one is for me but it does sound interesting even with its flaws.
Hmm, this kind of sounds like a Robin Cook story. I used to devour all those books! Great review!
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