This was a good read with an interesting, dystopian-style premise. The book describes a world where memories are preserved from people while they are alive, under an overarching body called The Archive. Strange things begin to happen with the memories, and the protagonist, Mira, and her friends have to fight back against The Archive for ‘memory freedom’.

The plot of the book was definitely interesting and a novel type of idea, for me at least. The writing was also good - relationships between characters were well-written and believable. However, there were multiple points throughout the book where specific quotes were repeated. An example of this is “Clerical oversight. Quite regrettable.” which was repeated under very similar circumstances by the same character on 2 different pages. This example was the most exact copy (it was word for word the same quote), but a similar thing happened throughout the book. I found this quite noticeable so would maybe be something to look at.

Towards the end of the book, when Mira and Callum are trying to find Elena, things did get a little confusing. It was hard to understand what was real and what wasn’t, but I understand this was probably to make you feel the way Mira was feeling in that moment.

Overall, I thought the book was good, and I’d definitely be interested in reading a sequel since this book was left on a cliffhanger.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The premise was interesting, the characters were intriguing and the descriptions were beautiful. That being said, some things were a little vague - the characters appearances weren't completely described and some of the backstory details were a little vague? There were also several paragraphs that repeated the same thing (separated only by a paragraph or two) leading me to believe this could have used a little more editing.

This book was such a new and unique read and I found it thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable.
The FMC Mira was my favorite part of this book she is brave and strong and I really enjoyed her memory collection training storyline!
The world building was a little unclear to me, there were a few plot holes or just things that weren’t described as well as they could have been.
But overall I enjoyed this read and I thank you for giving me the opportunity to get an ARC!

Preservation had a very good premise. It really iterates the importance of memories and I found it sweet. And I’m sure it’s the perfect book for many people. However, that’s not me. The pace was very slow, I felt like people were talking but nothing was being said or occurring. The synopsis mentions “fleeing” and I thought it would be a book about people on the run, but until 37%, the characters are in the exact same place as they always were. Some things were mentioned that hinted at the plot but nothing was actually done or examined. Other things were mentioned that I believed could have been questioned more and they were just ignored. I’m sad I didn’t enjoy this book because I did like some of the characters, but the book felt like it was going no where. Big ideas with little carry through.

Preservation was a very captivating read. A fantasy set in a dystopian world where the “preservation” of memories becomes, for an authoritarian social elite known as the Archive, a way to control people and manipulate their thoughts and behaviors.

Mira, the protagonist, is an apprentice memory collector. During one of her assignments, she encounters something unusual that challenges everything she’s been taught. She begins to understand that the Archive’s method of collecting and preserving memories isn’t the only way—and that memories are not isolated snapshots, but interconnected threads of experience. 
When the Archive targets Elena—Mira’s mentor—for her unauthorized research into memory preservation, Elena entrusts Mira with a vital task: to protect one of her memories and deliver it to a fellow master collector in another city. This sets Mira on a journey that becomes not just a mission of escape, but one of self-discovery and growth. Alongside her are two loyal friends and Callum, Elena’s son and a former Archive officer who turned his back on their methods.
Callum is a key figure in the story—his knowledge of the Archive allows Mira and her companions to better understand its manipulation and control. However, he also unknowingly leads them to be discovered and captured, as he is still under the Archive’s influence without realizing it.
The pacing of the story was initially gripping, drawing me in from the first pages, but it somewhat stalled in the middle with many repetitive dialogues and descriptions. The final part then picked up almost too quickly making the conclusion feel a bit rushed.

The central theme of mass control through the manipulation of memory felt both very interesting and highly relevant. It serves as a powerful metaphor for the risks we face in today’s world: the corruptibility of human nature, and how the widespread use of communication and information tools and the misunderstanding of precious memory of the past, can be weaponized in the wrong hands to influence thoughts, actions, and even beliefs.
I also appreciated the open-ended conclusion, which sets up the next installment in a compelling way. What will happen to Mira and her friends? Will they continue to flee? Can they defeat Loire and her oppressive regime? And what about Callum—has he truly fallen back under the Archive’s control, or will he manage to break free and reunite with Mira? 
One of my favorite elements of the book was Callum’s quiet admiration for Mira—how his respect grows into attraction, and ultimately into love. Though never openly confessed, and despite them spending just one night together, it’s clear from his actions—especially his fierce resistance against Loire to protect Mira—that his feelings run deep. But will love be enough to save him?

What I appreciated less was how Mira’s character was developed. She’s brave, loyal, and tireless, but at times she seemed to lack initiative and a well-defined personality. Strangely, her friend Tess felt more vividly drawn, with all the makings of a compelling FMC (at one point I even thought, “Tess deserves her own book—maybe with Red as the MMC!”). We know Mira is 17, but there’s little physical description of her, which made it harder to visualize her clearly. The same goes for Callum—we don’t know his age (How old is he? He’s supposed to be older than Mira, but by how much?) or much about his appearance, which made him a bit harder to fully picture as well.

If you’re into books that blend adventure, heart, and powerful themes… add this to your TBR.
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Thanks to NetGalley, author Lea Haney, and the publisher for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

✨ARC Review✨

Preservation by Lea Haney

Preservation is such an interesting read because the premise is unique. The story revolves around memory preservation and how it is used by the authorities (Archive) to control and manipulate people.

Mira, the FMC, is loyal, intelligent, and brave. These are characteristics that I love in FMCs because they’re not just damsels in distress. We find Mira in the middle of the chaos as she discovers distortions in a memory she preserved. This leads to adventure, betrayal, and heartache.

Callum, the MMC, is complicated because we don’t know where his loyalty lies. Is it with the Archive or Mira? Throughout the story, we are kept on a guessing game about Callum.

I love Ren and Tess. Ren is like a walking book of policy and procedures yet absolutely loyal to his friends. Meanwhile, Tess provides witty banter and comic relief. She is also smart and cunning.

Although the premise of the book is interesting, there are some things that I would have liked to happen. The description of the characters was very vague. I had an idea of what Mira and the characters looked like, but it was not clear. At some point, I questioned how old Mira and the other characters were supposed to be.

Likewise, the world building was unclear. We know of the two cities heavily emphasized in the novel, but not exactly where and when the world is set. Are we in classical or futuristic Earth? Is it another planet? Another timeline?

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It made me think about how important memories are and how they can be used to change us for the better or worse. Also, the cliffhanger made me look forward to reading the sequel.

3.5 stars *SPOILER FREE*
Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

I liked this book, but I really enjoyed the first half. The premise felt new and interesting. I could have read a full book on Mira’s memory collecting training and the day to day operations of Elena’s workshop.

Mira, in general, is a good narrator, but I felt that her personality was lacking. Her character traits besides the usual (loyal, smart, kind, & hardworking) there wasn’t much to her, and I couldn’t even tell you what she looks like. There was a scene where she looks in a mirror and absolutely no descriptions on her appearance.

I liked her dynamic and relationship with Callum, however, by the end of the book I did in fact forget that she is supposed to be 17. I think a lot of the book would make more sense if she was older, because how old is Callum??

Mira una aprendiz preservadora de recuerdos, se ve envuelta en una intriga peligrosa al recibir de su mentora Elena una esfera misteriosa que podría desestabilizar el orden impuesto por el temido Archivo.

Mientras huye con este objeto cargado de secretos, Mira se une a Callum, un inspector con lealtades divididas y un pasado entrelazado con el de ella. Juntos, enfrentan una red de engaños donde los recuerdos pueden ser manipulados, el amor está condicionado, y la verdad se oculta tras el vidrio.


Me pareció interesante el tema de guardar los recuerdos para poder atesorarlos eternamente y como el Archivo (el gobierno), vio su oportunidad de tener todo el poder con dichos recuerdos ya que al modificarlos, la gente olvidaría la realidad y viviría en una burbuja artificial.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest.