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Colors Like Memories

by Meradeth Houston (Goodreads Author)

4.35 of 5 stars 4.35 · rating details · 31 ratings · 22 reviews

Julia has a secret: she killed the guy she loved. It was an accident—sort of.

Julia is a Sary, the soul of a child who died before taking her first breath. Without this 'breath of life' she and others like her must help those on the verge of suicide. It's a job Julia used to enjoy, until the accident that claimed her boyfriend’s life—an accident she knows was her fault. If...more

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Published May 11th 2012 by MuseItUp Publishing

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Sep 28, 2012 Cecilia Robert rated it 4 of 5 stars

Colors Like Memories is a story which follows Julia's life and switched from present to past.

Julia is a Sary, and such she has a purpose in this world.In the present, her charge is Marcy, a teenage girl dealing with a drunk father, and ridden with guilt. Feels responsible for her mom's death. Her father doesn't help much in regards to easing that guilty.
Julia on the other side is dealing with her own loss, a companion she lost years ago and since then has never felt whole again.
Enter Edison, a...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Andra rated it 4 of 5 stars

What a beautiful book! It's not like I am surprised...Per Se...but I have to tell you that I'm always extremely cautious when I find out that a book I've been asked to review has those feathery beacons of hope and love: Angels...One of my biggest issues with the whole Angels and Demons aspect of Paranormal literature is that I struggle greatly with religious themes. I find it very difficult for authors to approach such a topic without sounding like they are on their soap box and striving to conv...more What a beautiful book! It's not like I am surprised...Per Se...but I have to tell you that I'm always extremely cautious when I find out that a book I've been asked to review has those feathery beacons of hope and love: Angels...One of my biggest issues with the whole Angels and Demons aspect of Paranormal literature is that I struggle greatly with religious themes. I find it very difficult for authors to approach such a topic without sounding like they are on their soap box and striving to convert the world. I've spent entirely too much of my life being preached at (usually by people who should NOT be role models for anyone) and reading about religious themes tends to leave a bad taste in my mouth that taints the rest of the novel, no matter how well written it is or how much I would have liked it otherwise. That being said, I absolutely ADORED the way that Houston approached angels.

The Sary are basically everything you've ever thought you knew about angels. Particularly guardian angels. They've got wings, they have missions to save lost souls on earth, and they strive to protect their charges at all costs. The only additions here was that if people find out about them, they lose their wings and immortality forever and die among humans. Also, there was no religious identity. No god, no devil. These angels are fighting the good fight because that was their choice. They could have gone into the light when they died, or they could stay on earth to protect people from war, famine, revolution, and suicide. It was actually quite beautiful really. Made even more ethereal because the only way you can become a Sary is if you never experienced real life on earth. I.E. Sarys are children who died before taking a single breath of life. Totally fascinating concept and I could have used a bit more depth when dealing with that. How did Sarys come about? Who gives these people the choice of living or dying? I said I didn't want religion to be a huge part of it, but maybe I do want SOME kind of explanation into the Saries pasts and purpose in life.

Julia was an interesting character to say the least. I didn't really get a true sense of her personality and character because she was so tied up in the pain and grief of losing her lover and best friend Derek. She kind of hid behind her own pain so that you never got to hear her true voice...only a sort of miserable cry of heartbreak and loss. She tried to do her job the best she could and the times when she was talking with Marci were when she truly seemed to come to life as a character, but when she was left alone with just her own thoughts for company she became a bit sad and kind of boring. It's a good thing that she was almost never alone after the first few pages. If she's not with Marci, she's going toe to toe with Edison, a Sary from her past who brings with him more than memories and old hurts. In fact, if it weren't for Edison, I don't think I would have found the characters quite so awesome. He just brings a whole new level of depth because of how he's dealt with his own pain and trauma, and I loved how he helped both Julia and Marcy with their respective issues.

The storyline alternates between the past and the present as we experience Julia and Derek's relationship and then her pain at losing him. Though there was a lot of time spent on the emotional turbulence from Julia's past, the bigger story now revolves around Julia's new charge Marcy, and how Julia has been working to keep her from committing suicide. I really enjoyed Marcy's story. She has had a rough life and still keeps her spirits up for the most part, and she is pretty damn hilarious. Her abusive relationship with her boyfriend and her alcoholic father was a really fascinating story line and I wished that there would have been some more time spent on it. There's a lot of complexity involved as Houston weaves the past together with the present, but I have to say what kept me thinking about the book after I put it down, and then had me coming back to read minutes later, was the past flashbacks. You just wanted to experience more of Derek, more of their companionship, and more of the love that they felt for one another, even as the story progresses and you know that tragedy is about to strike.

I couldn't really decide what to rate Colors Like Memories. Though I enjoyed it and found myself becoming emotionally invested into the characters and the plot, I also felt like something was missing. There was just too little information on the background of the Sary, and on Julia's life in general. Her character wasn't one that I could see myself being friends with in real life so it was hard for me to be inside her head. Also, the ending felt very rushed. I could have used another 50, even 100 pages more information and plot. I mean...that was a HUGE twist that was thrown into the book. It deserved a lot LOT more time being in the spotlight and I feel like, had we experienced more of the life on Sary Island, we could have ended the book feeling much more stable. As it was, I kind of felt like I had the rug pulled out from under me and then I was left there lying on the floor wondering what had happened. Also...I have not heard that there will be any sequels, so if that was how the story will be left like forever, I do NOT approve...lol...Still, I think Colors Like Memories is definitely worth a read, just from an emotional stand point. You feel all snuggly and sweet on the inside and it's surprisingly touching when you get down to it. Four out of Five Keys!
(less)

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Oct 11, 2012 Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-tour, oct-book-tour, owned-e-books, giveaway

Visit my blog for the Book tour for this, with a giveaway. My stop is 10/12 Also, you can read an expert to there. Michelle’s Paranormal Vault of Books

Wow, this was one of the most interesting reads I have read in awhile. From the moment I fell in love with the beautiful cover, until I started the first page. I was captivated right from the start.
I never read a book quite like this one either. I never heard of the Sary, they are like guardian Angels I guess, but mostly their assignments are to...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Once Upon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Colors like Memories was a book with a message. Meradeth Houston's story, which at one point brought tears to my eyes, was a story of love. Love shared by families, love shared between friends and the unbreakable love between soul-mates along with the thrilled of romantic love to be discovered.

The beginning of the book explains the world of the Sary which is made up of souls of a lost child who died before taking his or her first breath. It is a Sary's job to help humans who are hovering on the...more Colors like Memories was a book with a message. Meradeth Houston's story, which at one point brought tears to my eyes, was a story of love. Love shared by families, love shared between friends and the unbreakable love between soul-mates along with the thrilled of romantic love to be discovered.

The beginning of the book explains the world of the Sary which is made up of souls of a lost child who died before taking his or her first breath. It is a Sary's job to help humans who are hovering on the verge of suicide. But the Sary rules have no flexibility and even an accidental sighting of a Sary's true form means that that Sary is released from the Sary world. To be released is to die a mortal death.

We are introduced to this world through Julia's eyes. Julia enjoyed the life of a Sary until an accident took the life of her soul-mate and companion, Frederick. Julia and Derek came to choose the life of the Sary together on the same day. They were together through their education and after petitioning the Sary leaders were given permission to remain together as companions in their future assignments.

After centuries together as immortals helping humans through dark times they are given an assignment in The Americas in 1862. This meant that Derek would be stepping into one of the infantry units and going to war while Julia would become a nurse trying to heal the wounds of the soldiers on the front line.

As we leave the past we are introduced to Julia's present day assignment, Marcy, a young teenager who has lost her mother to a drunk driver and her father as he retreats from the loss into bottle after bottle of alcohol. Her relationship with her boyfriend, John, is abusive and dysfunctional. She is truly lost and Julia ( who in this assignment is a teenager attending school with Marcy and has become Marcy's best friend) is struggling to bring her out of her depression and grief. As Julia tries to show Marcy reasons to live, she struggles herself with the unbearable loss of Derek even a hundred and fifty years after his mortal death.

When Julia meets Edison, a new boy in school, she is shaken by a deep feeling of "knowing" him. Edison reaches out to Julia and soon she realizes that he is also Sary but his assignment is her. As she tries to deal with the guilt she feels because of her attraction to Edison she also battles with resenting his help.

As the story swings back and forth between the past and present Julia and Edisons lives have converged in the past as well as the present and it will take the two of them together to help save Marcy.(less)

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Jul 02, 2012 Jeanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Two love stories in one! This book weaves the past and present for Julia, a Sary, who earns the price of her immortality by helping humans resist suicide. But what's a Sary to do when her own heart is broken?

Colors Like Memories alternates between the love that might destroy Julia and the love that might save her, building to a satisfying, yet unpredicable, ending.

I look forward to reading Meradeth Houston's next book.

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Sep 30, 2012 Sandra "Jeanz" rated it 4 of 5 stars

MY REVIEW
I received this e-copy direct from the author, in exchange for my honest review and opinion.
I like the cover, the floating feather and how the scene is in a red hue does make the book cover look appealing. Does the cover go with the story? That's where the lone feather is relevant and after reading the book I imagine the scene being of Paradise Island.
The plot is quite different in that the "beings" are called The Sary. A Sary is the soul of a child that never took his or her first brea...more MY REVIEW
I received this e-copy direct from the author, in exchange for my honest review and opinion.
I like the cover, the floating feather and how the scene is in a red hue does make the book cover look appealing. Does the cover go with the story? That's where the lone feather is relevant and after reading the book I imagine the scene being of Paradise Island.
The plot is quite different in that the "beings" are called The Sary. A Sary is the soul of a child that never took his or her first breath. The soul is given a choice to go "into the light" or become a Sary. So what's a Sary do? A Sary is assigned to a human who is suicidal. It is the Sary's job to try and help the human and prevent them from committing suicide.
So Julia is a Sary and is assigned to Marcy. Marcy has family and boyfriend issues. But then Julia also has problems too, se is depressed herself over the death of her companion Sary Derek. So can Julia overcome her sadness and depression enough to actually help Marcy.
I don't want to say a great deal more for the sake of revealing spoilers.
I really liked this book as I thought it's quite a different concept. I haven't read any others with "The Sary" in them so that appealed to me. There's quite a lot going on too, there's Marcy's story, then Julia's past, then a new guy arrives in town called Edison and it's a case of what or who is he. There's things going on with Marcy's violent ex-boyfriend. Marcy has no one else to turn to but Julia as her mother recently died and since then her father has taken to drinking excessively There is also the consequence of if Julia fails her assignment she may even lose her position of Sary, which would then break the last promise she ever made to her Sary companion Derek.
I really got into this book straight away and it kept my interest all the way through to the end. It didn't end as I had thought, but I did like the ending it had. All the questions raised were answered, which is always good. Could there be a Bk#2? I think so yes and it could have all three main characters, Marcy, Edison and Julia as well as introducing more of the Sary too.
So did I enjoy the book?Yes Would I read more in this series? Yes would love to, in my opinion it has plenty of scope for more stories etc. Would I read more by Meradeth Houston? Yes I really enjoyed her writing style, it flowed so easily and had just enough details to envisage what she was describing without becoming bogged down with too much information or words as some books I have previously read have had.
Would I recommend? Yes I think it would appeal to quite a wide market, YA, Romance, Historical.....(less)

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May 30, 2012 Preet rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is one of those books that's sort of hard to review without giving things away. The story bounces between present life and the past as we learn more and more about the characters. While I enjoyed Julia's present life, it was her past that had me the most engaged in the book. By no means was her present life not interesting, but the relationship between Derek, Julia's first life companion, was so flawlessly written that any other relationships with Julia just didn't compete with it. What's i...more This is one of those books that's sort of hard to review without giving things away. The story bounces between present life and the past as we learn more and more about the characters. While I enjoyed Julia's present life, it was her past that had me the most engaged in the book. By no means was her present life not interesting, but the relationship between Derek, Julia's first life companion, was so flawlessly written that any other relationships with Julia just didn't compete with it. What's interesting about this is that Derek's part of the story wasn't even a big chunk of the book, but it's truly what made the most impact. His relationship with Julia is what carries the book without him really being present.

I appreciated that all the characters were working towards a common goal without the other truly knowing what they were going through. I really felt for Marcy and her struggle. Meradeth Houston wrote her character in a way that made me want her to get through her issues because she deserved better. My only true qualm about the story was her connection to Edison. Though they were sweet together and understood one another on a different level, I just didn't really care for them together. I'm not saying their relationship was bad by any means, but being introduced to Derek first kind of made me want his love more. It's as if Houston gave me this huge delicious piece of cake(Derek), took it away and then gave me a piece of chocolate(Edison). The chocolate is satisfying, but it just isn't as amazing as cake.

Julia's story through all of her struggle was really sweet and hopeful. My only wish was that I could've had a bit more information on the Sary. The world Houston created for them was really interesting and I kept wanting to know more about them. If more stories do release with the Sary, I'd definitely be interested in seeing where this story goes.

Soundtrack:

Make It Without You- Andrew Belle
There's A Light - Jay Malinowski
Swim - Jack's Mannequin
Under Control - Cary Brothers(less)

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Aug 22, 2012 Conda Douglas rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Colors Like Memories is a YA fantasy about a member of the Sari, which are angels made up of babies born who never breathed before death. Julie, the Sari, struggles with her own overwhelming grief as she tries to keep a teen from suicide.

Meradeth creates an excellent fantasy world with the right balance between the elements of the "real" world and the fantastic. Julie has abilities (and wings, I love wings) but she also has to eat and sleep--and has other human failings that are more important,...more

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May 02, 2013 T.W. Colvin rated it 5 of 5 stars

The setting of this story unfolds from the perspective of Julia, a Sary on assignment. A Sary is explained as the soul of a child that never took its first breath whose job is to help and in a sense protect humans that are considering suicide. As the different factors affecting Julia’s assignment are revealed the setting goes from her present to 1862 America further elaborating on her relationship with Derek and revealing the root of her own personal depression and turmoil. During the unraveling...more The setting of this story unfolds from the perspective of Julia, a Sary on assignment. A Sary is explained as the soul of a child that never took its first breath whose job is to help and in a sense protect humans that are considering suicide. As the different factors affecting Julia’s assignment are revealed the setting goes from her present to 1862 America further elaborating on her relationship with Derek and revealing the root of her own personal depression and turmoil. During the unraveling of the story we also learn more about the world of the Sary and its rules.

On this magnificent journey through different times and paranormal revelation, Meradeth Houston created characters that were instrumental in propelling the reader from beginning to end of the story. Julia is trying to balance heartache and obligation to her charge, Marcy is Julia’s troubled assignment and friend, John is Marcy’s Ex, Derek was Julia’s companion and Edison is Julia’s unexpected Sary back-up. With so many elements and working parts to this story, you might think that it could get confusing for the reader, but Houston’s story telling was both clear and precise. The author has a knack for knowing exactly when to transition, when to take the reader back in time and hot to carefully unwrap the connection of elements from a characters past to their present. The scene changes where as vivid and effective as watching movie for me. And I was intrigued with the happenings of the story throughout the reading.

Overall, this book is an extraordinary approach to addressing a sensitive subject. Coming from a generation where adults seemed to consider the challenges of their children to be insignificant or tripe, I applaud the author for providing a writing that has the power to encourage, inspire, help, heal and simply serve as a platform to stimulate communication for any reader (regardless of age), who is feeling hopeless.

If you are looking for an interesting read, this book is well written, interesting and has several positive messages that the reader can take away from the story. I would recommend this book to any reader.(less)

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Oct 13, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tour-review

Colors Like Memories was a book that there was never a moment something wasn't happening. The story started and hit the ground running. Most of the time I didn't want to put the book down even when I had to. At first I will say the cover was very odd, but the deeper I went the more I understood the red feather. Soon I was indeed knee deep in Julia's amazing world full of Sary and the human that was her assignment. From the very first sentence~
"I greeted his tombstone the way I always did— with...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Michelle Pickett rated it 5 of 5 stars

"I greeted his tombstone the way I always did-with a swift kick."

That line alone made me want to read more and I'm so glad I did. Colors like Memories was one of those guilty pleasures--the kind of book you can't put down until you read that last word. You let the kids watch television all day so you can read, you don't do chores and you order take-out for dinner--just so you can keep reading. Yeah, it was THAT good. So stop reading my review and start reading Colors like Memories! You'll be gla...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Star (The Bibliophilic Book Blog) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Julia had chosen to be a Sary many centuries ago. Sary are the souls of stillborn children who have chosen to help keep those close to suicide from going over the edge. Julia lost her companion Sary, Derek, during the Civil War and the pain is still fresh. It’s getting hard to keep her grief from interfering with her Sary duties which would ultimately lead to her being stripped of her Sary powers and thrust into a human existence. This is something she promised Derek she’d never let happen to he...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Faith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

The subject of teenage suicide is difficult to address. Adults feel uncomfortable talking about it. Many try to turn a blind eye and pretend it doesn't exist. They can't quite comprehend that a young person might take such a drastic step. Needless to say, they're shocked when it actually happens. It seems like a rude awakening when usually the warning signs are already there, but the dots aren't connected in time.

And that's why novels like COLORS LIKE MEMORIES are so important. They're able to r...more The subject of teenage suicide is difficult to address. Adults feel uncomfortable talking about it. Many try to turn a blind eye and pretend it doesn't exist. They can't quite comprehend that a young person might take such a drastic step. Needless to say, they're shocked when it actually happens. It seems like a rude awakening when usually the warning signs are already there, but the dots aren't connected in time.

And that's why novels like COLORS LIKE MEMORIES are so important. They're able to reach the kids who need them the most. They are a source of hope and understanding when the adults in their lives can't fully grasp the severity of what they are going through. They offer a lifeline when constant bullying, an abusive relationship or a troubled home environment get to be too much. They bring teens back from the brink and show them that someone realizes the pain they're in and wants to help.

That's why placing such a crucial topic in the hands of a capable author like Meradeth Houston is a godsend. She approaches her audience with sensitivity and compassion. Yes, she's telling a fictional story about angel-like beings and a mysterious Island, but she grounds her novel in reality by focusing on the character of Marcy. She's a young girl on the brink. Her mother died in a car accident. Her father is comatose drunk. Her ex-boyfriend harasses her. And saddest of all, she has a razor blade named Fred. The one she uses to try to kill herself on multiple occasions.

And that's where Houston's ability to connect with potential victims shines through. She shows them that no matter how bleak things may be, they are not alone. In the case of the novel, Julia literally serves as Marcy's guardian angel. She watches over her and intervenes when she tries to harm herself. Julia offers some semblance of support and stability in Marcy's fractured life, and she illustrates to teens that it's okay to confide in someone they trust. They don't have to bear their burdens alone. They don't have to give up. Help is out there, all they have to do is look for it. (less)

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Apr 28, 2013 Denice rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

Thank you to Ms. Houston for providing an ecopy of this book...

Cover: It's cute...

Julia:

I just want to rip her head off because she underestimates herself and the insults are from herself... But I feel so sad for her because she obviously loves Derek but due to their job she really can't do anything for him... And then when the rules changed, I pitied her...

Edison:

He's quite bland to me... As if he doesn't have any spices at all... For me, he was just there... Even though he's the main character...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Jacquelyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fever, r2r

4.5 stars

This was a very dark area that deal with the pain of loss.
Julia's job as Sary was to help other like Marcy handle bad times after a death to keep from killing herself.
The only problem with this is Julia is so deep in depression from the death of Derek that it's a struggle to keep going from day to day...

This whole time I was reading this story I was in tears.

This is a real problem with teen and I am glad that the author put it into words!!!

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Jan 04, 2013 Nora rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this novel a lot. Good hook at the beginning, a refreshing plot full of romance and suspense but centered on compelling personal issues (grief, self-acceptance), and an interesting world to explore! Hope to read more!

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Jun 05, 2012 Sharolyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Colors Like Memories" is a moving story of Life, the importance of living that life, and how we are connected with others. As a Navy Wife (Hubby retired now since 2006) I feel that I have a unique perspective about this story and it is especially touching. Over coming temendous loss, dealing with duty and responsibility despite that loss, and realizing that..."Purpose is Everything". I hope that reading this story will touch your life as it has touched mine. Looking forward to reading whatever...more

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May 25, 2012 Karen marked it as to-read

Marked To-Read
ncjeepster@aol.com

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Apr 22, 2013 Tammy Lowe rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a beautifully written book that held me captive from the very first page. It is a wonderful, very unique story.
I highly recommend it and can't wait to read Ms. Houston's next novel.

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Apr 29, 2013 Marva rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review coming soon.

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About Meradeth Houston

I've never been a big fan of talking about myself, but if you really want to know, here are some random tidbits about me:

>I'm a California girl. This generally means I talk too fast and use "like" a lot.

>I have my doctorate in molecular anthropology. Translation: I sequence dead people's DNA and spend a whole lot of time in a lab, which I love.

>I've been writing since I was 11 years old....more

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