The Memory Eater [Hardcover]

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 Reviews, starred review

“Tender and unsettling and endlessly inventive, The Memory Eater is a book unlike any I've read before.”—Courtney Gould, award-winning author of The Dead And The Dark

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, seventeen-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.“Via poetic prose, darkly ominous ambiance, and Alana’s witty, undeniably teen voice, Mahoney movingly addresses themes of atoning for past mistakes, confronting intergenerational trauma, and overcoming grief in this unforgettable read.”—Publishers Weekly