The Memory Keeper: The 2nd Freak House Trilogy, Book 1

August 26, 2018

I read the first Freak House trilogy some time ago, after reading the Emily Chambers books. Archer has started a new storyline, focusing on the point of view of a pair of minor characters in the first trilogy, and still managed to deepen and broaden the reader's understanding of plotlines from the earlier books. In The Memory Keeper, the themes of memory, personality and emotional development are prominent and woven together with the supernatural through the medium of hypnotism, which seems to...

October 1, 2018

It is true that one does not need to read the first series in order to enjoy the new one. But it helps a little if one did. Also I found first series just a tad bit better than the second. All C.J. Archer books that I read so far are a little similar to each other and they essentially describe the same kind of very likable heroine; a young underprivileged but very perky girl with high spirits. She gets in trouble, has a lot of interesting adventures and is usually saved by a strong and...

January 1, 2016

C. J. Archer writes the most beautiful stories that encompass everything you need for a great read! Mystery, romance, the supernatural and truly well developed characters. This 2nd Freak House Trilogy, Book 1, focuses on the building relationship between Charity, an orphan that grew up on the streets of London with Jack and Tommy (from 1st Trilogy) and the handsome and charismatic Samuel. Samuel is living at Frankinham Estate helping Jack's uncle in some aspect of his research which is all...

January 20, 2025

I will first say, I like this author in her favored genre of Victorian paranormal mysteries and also her ability to write a compelling story with characters you grow to feel connected to/ feel affection for. My issues have been with what has consistently been a weak heroine (not just in this series but also the Palace of Lost Memories-which was one of the only series in 20 years of my reading 5+ books a week that I had to stop reading - 4 books into it), as this series as well was just too...

November 29, 2015

I enjoyed this book as much as I did the entire Freak House Trilogy 1; however, I felt the main characters, (Samuel and Charity) sounded and behaved more like Jack and Hannah the deeper I went into the story. Speaking of which, I don't understand why Hannah, in the beginning of this book, was winking every three minutes and for everything if she NEVER did in all three of her books. Simple changes like this can destroy a character. At least to me. Now, going back to Charity and Samuel... I can't...