The Book of M: A Novel

Imagine you live in Boston where suddenly most people begin losing their shadows (aka ‘Shadowless’, which inexplicably leads to the erasure of all memory and loss of mind (aka ‘Forgetting’). After a couple days holed up in an apartment building you lose power and water. Weeks go by. For four or five months you remain and do not go outside as society collapses around you – yet somehow you still see police lights at night. You are running out of food and consider suicide as you begin to starve. Then one day, your sister arrives from Iran with airline peanuts. Mysteriously, airlines aren’t flying to Boston but to Providence, Rhode Island because it is ‘empty of people’.This is where I stopped reading The Book of M (about 20% in). Full disclosure – I like post-apocalyptic fiction in the vein of the The Road, The Dog Stars and Station Eleven, so this is not a question of content. I even like the central premise of the book whereby people lose their shadows as a first sign they begin to lose their minds (aka ‘Forgetting’. Where this book really falls down is in two key areas: 1.) Logical consistency in the world the writer creates and 2.) the quality of the writing itself. I am perplexed as to how this book has received so many positive reviews.Expanding on my initial paragraph, in a world where people are losing their shadows and their minds and society breaks down, you would not see police lights 4-5 months later (where are the police cars getting fuel if there isn’t electricity or running water?). Yet most unbelievable is that an airline would fly to a city ‘empty of people’. Airlines would not be flying at all as all impacted countries would be quarantined until a cause for the ‘outbreak’ was determined, to say nothing of all of the human being afflicted by the Forgetting that operate said airports and airplanes.Other logical inconsistencies:1.) An Iranian student in Boston seems to know less about the shadowless crisis in Boston than her family does living in Iran. The student, Naz, hears people ‘screaming in the night’ on the first night of the outbreak, but spends her time debating whether to call her boyfriend because ‘what did two and a half months [of dating] mean, really?’ (Later we find she has a key to his studio). In the meantime, Boston is quarantined and the airport closed without her seeming knowledge - but her family in Iran knows.2.) Naz’s sister leaves her university (and research and studies) in Iran so she can go home to her mother’s house to talk with Naz on the phone as the crisis unfolds in Boston (why not just call your sister from the university?)3.) The building Naz is holed up in does not seem to have one television, conveniently forcing Naz to remain on the phone with her mother and sister to get news (instead of using her phone to get news…?). In Iran, Naz’s sister is trying to pinpoint Naz’s location by asking her questions like the street she is on, what the building looks like, etc. (Why not just ask the address and plop it into Google?). Keep in mind - Iran has not been impacted by the 'epidemic'4.) Within a half hour of most everyone in Boston becoming shadowless, the National Guard ‘encircled the metropolis and blocked all exits in and out’. Impossible given the sheer size of Boston, to say nothing of the chaos likely ensuing as nearly all citizens – including those in the National Guard – grapple at the same time with their impending ‘Forgetting’.5.) Within a half hour, conveniently a Bostonian has already lost his mind (even though countless other examples earlier in the book show a gradual ‘Forgetting’ taking days but more typically weeks) so that said National Guard can kill him on live TV.6.) For another party holed up at a report in Virginia, the next day after the outbreak in Boston begins, the staff at the resort gladly arm their guests so they can walk down the hillside to a grocery store (why not drive, why do they need to be armed?). When they arrive at the town where the grocery is located, the scene is described as chaos (but with unarmed families present). Yet the grocery is still well stocked enough that their group of five can purchase a month’s worth of food.7.) This group of people watch Boston unfold on TV which is described by them as follows: "I braced for the eerie, deserted silence of Boston...' yet Naz describes Boston as loud and out of control.It goes on and on and on like this. And I have not even broached the subject of bad writing in this book. Don’t waste your time – stop reading this review, go buy and read Station Eleven instead. Or The Dog Stars. Or The Road.

The Book of M is a brilliant story about a world where for some unknown reason people's shadows start to disappear. It's discovered that shortly after someone loses their shadow, they start losing memories. Memories like how letters make words, or how a doorknob opens a door, or that eating food keeps you alive. The world spins into chaos and we follow a cast of honest, grounded characters who try to navigate it the best they can while keeping an eye on their own shadow, or a grip on their fading memories.The Book of M is hard to put down. Peng Shepard's writing and storytelling style is captivating and encompassing. Some of the chapters are very short, and I kept finding myself saying "I'll read one more and then I'll go to sleep," again and again until I was deep into the night. The dedication of the characters in the story stem from Shepard's dedication to tell a story worth reading.The novel is peppered with magical realism that would make Haruki Murakami proud, fantasy that Neil Gaiman would enjoy, and on a solid foundation of storytelling that Peng Shepard proudly owns herself.

Engaging, with appropriate characterization and intriguing setting. The new take on an apocalyptic state-of-things lends itself to interesting emotional dynamics.But - the rules for engaging the world change. There is no consistency in how magic works. There is also no satisfying final explanation of all the mysterious happenings. There is also no satisfying conclusion for the most empathized-with characters. All the threads are suddenly severed with a catch-all surprise twist that feels inconsistent with the implied/foreshadowed promises about the kind of world the characters live in and the hoped-for reconciliation most of the book led up to.So, I loved some scenes. But days after finishing, I don’t know what the book was about. I have no meaningful takeaway. I have no satisfaction of the characters’ stories being thoroughly extracted.It’s as though the writer gets bored, or writes her way into a corner, so the story just ends.Still, many redemptive qualities and quite entertaining and fun. Better than most of what’s out there. But if I forgot I already read it, I’d hope my forgetful self would skip it for something else.

I just couldn’t make myself finish this book, and I ALWAYS finish books, no matter how painful. So this is a first for me. I bought this book because of all the favorable reviews and the premise of the story, a post apocalyptic world where memories are tied to shadows and people begin to lose both. I was promised a book that would grab me right away, but this one never did. I never got hooked or even remotely into the story or the characters. When the One Who Gathers started to make an appearance, things seemed to get more interesting, but when Ory encountered the Red Kind in DC I simply could not stomach it anymore. All I could think about at that point was Steven King and The Dark Tower series, and how much this book just fell off the rails for me. It’s not an issue with suspending disbelief for the magic that comes into play, but rather with even caring about the characters or where this is all going. And I appreciate how the author brings in a diverse set of characters, but it got to a point where she seemed to be trying too hard, look at me and how many different things I can bring into one setting. Rather than being cohesive it made everything more disjointed and unbelievable for me.The premise to this book is very interesting and I was very much drawn to it, but for me it boils down to poor execution. Please note, I WANTED to like this book. Post apocalyptic stories are some of my favorites. But this one always rubbed me wrong and never got off the ground for me. I don’t even care how it ends at this point, I can’t force myself to read any more.

For a debut novel, Book of M avoids many of the traps of first time writers and delivers a unique world and story. It does fall into one debut trap though - not knowing what is better left on the editing room floor. There's a looong section in the middle of the book where things are happening but nothing is really progressing. The book would perhaps have worked better if it was structured in 3 or 4 parts, each focussing on one character/group/location, rather than having all the different perspectives inter-cut throughout.The characters are generally a well written bunch, though like so many novels these days it does feel a bit like the author had a diversity checklist they were following to make sure nobody could claim they weren't represented.The story is not quite like anything else I can think of, though perhaps some of Brian Aldiss' novels are a relevant reference point. The internal logic of the events that drive the novel is sometimes unclear, it doesn't necessarily feel like the rules are consistent. That does mean that things aren't overly predictable, either, which is not necessarily a bad thing.Well worth a read despite a few quibbles, and recommended for those that are looking for something a bit different.

I started out liking this a lot, the strong points being an original plot, and the concentration on the human relationships and reactions to the situation. What also came across strongly was the day to day hardships experienced by the people affected. So far so good, but where it failed, to me, was in the lack of adequate explanation of how/why the situation came about in the first place(unless I've missed something fundamental). The reliance on instances of "magic" to explain certain events, was, I thought, a bit lazy. And why would one person's forgetting something then affect other people's perceptions? If this is accepted, then I would have thought far more weird things would be happening, probably too many to allow anyone to survive for very long. Finally, the ending, with its somewhat unexpected twist, I found unsatisfying. I can't say any more without it being a spoiler, so I'll leave it there. At least I finished the book, but I was starting to wilt by the final couple of chapters.

I read this in 5 days, I just couldn't put it down! This book is endlessly imaginative. The plot sounds a bit ridiculous but it's so well written that it feels completely believable. There's so many twists and turns as well, each time I thought I knew what direction it was going in something completely unexpected would happen. It uses the trope of 'mysterious illness causes the end of the world' combined with a quest for a mysterious holy grail that may or may not help with The Forgetting. It raises lots of really interesting questions about what makes us who we are, how we affect the world around us and how important memory is for survival. It's really gripping and yet also magical in places. And the twist at the end caught me completely off guard, and made question everything I thought I had understood when reading the rest of the book. Would absolutely recommend!

The Book of M is a thought-provoking, interesting and original debut. I enjoyed reading it but feel that it could have been shorter and still packed a punch.It is a book with 4 storylines/protagonists . Ory, Max, Naz and The Amnesiac.People around the world have lost their shadows and along with them their memories of their lives and what makes them, them.Ory and Max are married and the story really starts with them. When Ory goes out for a supply run, Max disappears.I found that I wasn’t a big fan of Ory as a character/person as he seemed more concerned with himself and how he felt about his wife disappearing than with how his wife must be feeling at losing her shadow.Don’t get me wrong the characters were all well written Ory included but he was also annoying.I don’t want to write much more as I don’t want to spoil anything.Read this book, it is a very powerful story and will stay with you for a while.

This is a beautifully-written, intriguing story whose mysteries keep you turning pages until the very end. A compelling cast of characters faces an uncertain future in a world where human memory can affect reality, and nothing remains as it seems. In a tale equal parts unsettling and riveting, The Book Of M explores themes of survival, loss and identity.

Enjoyed this book, an unusual take on an apocalyptic world.Apocalyptic, urban fantasy if you will.Good characters and good build to the story.A compelling read that I have already recommended to several friends.

What a great book! Impossible to categorise. A love story, or is it love lost. Adventures and fights for survival. So many different strands. Intriguing, exciting and well written.

this book is 200 pages too long. a good idea to start, but then it drifts into fantasy. the author ought to get a good editor next time. KG

I just love stories like this one. Only on page 60 but don't want to put it away. Well written, pleasure to read, plot well planned so reader doesn't get confused what when how, really captivating. Highly recommending this book. I look forward to more work of Peng Shepherd! 😁

A few mind blowing ideas in this book, also quite a page turner, enjoyed it immensely.

Very gripping! Original plot, well written, definitely recommended.

Beautifully written book that I didn’t want to end! Can’t recommend highly enough - especially if you’re a fan of post-apocalyptic stories. Reminded me slightly of Station Eleven but more epic in scale.

An incredible story that grips you from the start. Other reviews go into the details so I will not. Well worth the time. I look forward to this authors next story.

It's the end of the world, but it's a slow and mostly quiet apocalypse - you lose your shadow, you lose your memories, you lose your self. It's unpredictable, and it's not a disease or any kind of rational thing at all, so it's also inexplicable. It's just something that happens, beyond anyone's control.This is the story of Max and Ory, a couple where one loses her shadow and the other keeps his. We watch Max as her memories fade away until all she remembers is her love for Ory, told in the first person so we feel the full horror of experiencing the slow and unstoppable loss of self. Though there is plenty of action in the story, this book is really a deep exploration of what makes us who we are, and what is left when we can no longer remember who we were.The reality the author brings to this process is stunning. The writing is amazingly good, each word seemingly precisely chosen for the greatest impact. It is unbelievable that this is the author's first novel, the writing is so assured and compelling. This is definitely a book I will remember for a long time.Very highly recommended!

In the not so distant future, a man in India loses his shadow. At first people think its a trick, but then others start losing their shadows. The plague of shadowlessness sweeps the world, defying scientific explanation.More disturbingly, they start losing their memories. They become a form of zombies that roam the world without purpose or understanding, often acting violent. More disturbingly is that the shadowless obtain magical powers - in their efforts to remember who they are, their world, their fragments of memory become real - a twisted Dali-esque landscape of misshapened houses, grotesque creatures, inexplicable weather patterns... The story focuses on a few central characters, namely Orlando Zhang and his wife Max who are attending a friend's wedding at a mountain resort in Virginia when they hear news of the "plague" has reached the US. They opt to stay put and 2 years later civilization no longer exists. Then one day Max loses her shadow. Fearful of what might happen if she mis-remembers Orlando, she leaves without telling him, which sends Orlando on a search for his wife.And so begins their separate journeys, and the people, shadowless and shadowed, they meet along their way. Unknownst to each other, they are both drawn south, to New Orleans where rumors of a man that exists, who goes by different names, "The One with a Middle but No Beginning", "The One with No Eyes", "The Stillmind" - A Saviour? or something else?Its a mesmermizing tale, a surreal, post-appocolpytic horror story that touches deeply on what it means to human, and surprisingly, ends on an optimistic note.One of the best books I've read in a long time.