3 for neutral, as this book was not for me, but I did feel it was well written with an original premise. I wasn’t able to finish, because it was just not grabbing me, but will update later if able to get into it and enjoy. I do think it seemed to be well written and I do think using memories for currency sounds completely intriguing, so hopefully it’s a mood I am in and I can update my review later,

I was so excited about The Memory Thief because it sounded like something that was right up my alley and it had a very interesting concept, and though the premise was so cool and intriguing, the book ended up being a bit of a mess to me, and I felt there were a lot of things that were so under developed an anti-climactic that it affected my enjoyment of the book.

One of the first issues that I had was there was barely any information about the magic system or the world building. The main focus of the story was the characters in the dialogs, and though there were a lot of cool elements introduced throughout the story since none of them were pretty much explain or delved into, it made that world so confusing and weird.

The plot also felt so flat to me. The beginning of the story was very interesting and I was quite invested in the novel, but I kept reading things started to turn into a bit of a mess and there were a lot of things happening that were in really relevant to the plot and just were done either for shocking value to the reader just to make the characters evolved.

Another thing that I noticed and that bugged me more as I kept reading was that everything happened so fast. There was an a lot of build up and most of the times the conflicts of the story were solved so quickly that it didn’t create that anticipation on the reader and made them become engaged in the story, and that happened to me.

When it comes to the characters, I have to say that I was pretty disappointed. Though they had very in depth backstories and at first they seemed very intriguing and unique, most of the time that information about their personalities or histories was glossed over by some dialogue that didn’t add anything to the story, and was made for the sake of making interactions between them.

There were times were certain characters appeared and the protagonist started to throw in a lot of information so suddenly about them and their previous relationships with her instead of showing us, and that constantly happened throughout the story till the point I kept wondering if certain characters were already introduced because I had no idea who they were but our protagonist seemed so familiar with them that I was left wondering, and it was just so weird.

Some of the problems that were introduced in the story and that can make the characters develop an evolved were solved so quickly and some of the things that happen are quite convenient to the story, and for the novel to be as short as it was, it was a bit anticlimactic and underdeveloped.

Overall, I feel The Memory Thief was more a draft than a first book in a series. It definitely needed more editing, and for a more constructed plot and characters to be. It was a bit of a lackluster, and though the premise seemed pretty cool and it had a very interesting concept, the way it was done was so flat and simple, and though there were some pretty cool elements, most of the time the reader was a bit confused with the world and the magic, and the lack of explanation behind them.

Actual rating: 1.5

I read the first few chapters of this book and didn't feel anything. I tried to see if it would get better, but it wasn't working for me. I could barely picture what was happening and couldn't focus. The images I saw were fleeting. I did like the thought of memories being taken as payment for a society though I did think it was a bothersome task.

“Once those memories are gone, scattered among the highest bidders, it’ll be as if my mother never existed.”

Seventeen year old Etta lives in the city Craewick, where there is a cruel power hungry ruler named Madame. Here, memories are currency. Etta wants no part of this world but cannot leave her mother behind who was placed in the city’s asylum because of an accident that has left her bedridden. Etta is forced to take action when she receives a notice that her mother is being put up for auction, a Craewick practice in which a "criminal's" memories are sold to the highest bidder before being killed. To save her mother’s life she sets out on a journey in which she faces startling attacks, unexpected romance, and, above all, her own past in order to set things right in her world.

I wanted to love this book so bad but it’s a 3.5 for me. The synopsis captivated me and the concept of memories being used as currency was so unique and really piqued my interest.

The first half of the book is great! The author does an excellent job at world building, almost to where you felt like you were right there standing next to Etta! There was a lot of anticipation of the crazy things Etta would have to go through and even the start of a slow burn romance.

However, I did get confused a few times. I think certain aspects needed to be explained more thoroughly to easier follow the story line. I later learned there was a glossary in the back of the book that would have helped tremendously. I now know that the glossary has been moved to the front of the book for the final print books, so this may prevent confusion for future readers.

Then the second half of the book lost all its momentum, while simultaneously rushing through the reframing story. These much anticipated events and struggles were resolved too quickly and easily, making the story too unbelievable. The one slow burn romance turned into love WAY before it should have. I don’t even remember the final battle because it was barely touched upon, and I still really don’t understand what happened.

This book had SO MUCH potential and I truly feel as if the author could have fulfilled it - and that maybe someone had her take chunks out...That’s what it feels like....Big chunks are missing. This book needed to be much longer to explain the backstory more and give the characters more depth.

Thank you to netgalley & Blink for the copy in exchange for the honest review! The Memory Thief publishes on October 1, 2019!

To me this book started off strong, but then it kind of....fell off at some mpoint?

“The Memory Thief” is a world where memories have the ability to be bought or stolen giving their new owners different skills and abilities without any care to the lifeless husks it leaves behind when Etta finds herself starting at her mother’s notice for auction and has to return to the Shadows and make a deal with her old crew and current enemies in order to ensure her family’s survival.

It started off amazingly with the initial world building, and then later on in the story, it seemed like the author got a little lost.p, maybe?

I didn’t particularly like the pacing of the story. It was one issue that seemed very obvious to me. The first half of the book was definitely a decent pacing. then half way through it felt as though the author was rushing a bit, and it was just very....obvious, it ruined the story for me a bit. The romance was rushed, the plot itself was rushed, and that brought down my rating a bit.

Overall, it was a good read but not a memorable one.

I'm the greatest fan of books written in the first-person perspective but this book wasn't that bad in spite of it. But I was a little confused at the ending.

The Memory Thief started out strong, however fell flat in terms of character development and plot. I was invested in the set up of these characters, however, as soon as the plot twist upon their arrival in Aravid, I felt things spun out of control. As a reader, I was told things rather than shown them. It was distracting from the story. I was not invested in the rushed relationships developed between the main character and her loved ones. I enjoyed the ending and think the author tied things up very well. I think that while an enjoyable read, this lacked a level of complexity that would have pushed it to a 4/5 starred review. I did like the world building and magic system. I just wanted more of it all! More backstory, more history, more of who these characters are.

*this review will be updated in 24 hours*

Thank you #netgalley for this copy of #thememorythief

3/5 stars

The Memory Thief was an engaging and emotional story full of twists, heartache, and hope.

Etta Lark lives in a world where the currency is a person’s memories. The Gifted have the ability to take memories for the purpose of people buying and selling them. There is a darker side to this world driven by greed where memories are stolen and used in ways to harm others. Madame, the ruler of Craewick, is one of the worst. Using her ability to strip the memories of criminals and selling them to the highest bidder helps to instill fear in her subjects and increase her power. Etta discovers her Mother is going to be taken to the auction block next if she cannot find a way to save her. Etta has to grapple with mistakes she’s made in the past and turn toward the Shadows for help, a rebellion group she left several years before. The only problem is the Shadows have little reason to help her given her history with the group and they expect her to prove herself by stealing a map from a bloodthirsty ruler. Etta agrees to the dangerous task even with little hope of surviving.

I adored Etta’s devotion to those she loves. She has so much to prove to herself and others that you cannot help but root for her. I also really enjoyed the interactions between her and Reid. The characters were well developed and the plot had some twists I didn’t see coming. The world was intriguing and different than anything I’ve read before with the concept of memories as currency. Parts of the story reminded me a bit of the Blackcoat rebellion series which I loved. After finishing this book I immediately wanted to read more about these characters. I inhaled this book and would highly recommend it to YA fantasy fans.

I was given a free copy of this book from the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.

Memories rule in Creawick, they are the preferred currency but all Etta wants to do is keep her head down and wait for her mom to wake up from the coma Etta is sure she caused. When the ruler of Creawick, Madame, threatens her mom Etta will do anything to protect her mom, even go back to the rebel group, Shadow, for help. First she must prove herself to Shadow by stealing a map, but that opens up a whole new set of issues for Etta.

This book was not what I thought it would be, it was better. There is a ton of suspense, non-stop action, and twists you just won't see coming. The characters are believable and work well with each other. This is just a really good book and it is the kind that will have you up past your bedtime.


This will appear on my blog 1 Oct

I really enjoyed this book. The story is about a girl named Juliette Lark who lives in a world divided into 4 Realms and the people divided into the gifted and the gifted. People exchange memories like coin and the Minders, a group of enforcers, take them as a tax to gain other people’s experiences. The plot of the book kept me on my toes the whole way through and I finished it wanting more. I loved reading the character dynamics, especially reading the interactions between Juliette and Reid. Overall this is a book I highly recommend and I hope to read more soon!

This wasn't for me. Ultimately, I loved the creativity of the concept and it started off great. But then I lost interest because it got too messy and too convoluted. Great concept, poor execution.

If you want to read a book about memories, I'd check out Book of M by Peng Shepherd instead.

I loved the concept of this book, however, the execution could use a bit of work. I enjoyed reading about Etta and Reid, There were lots of twists and turns, but in someways, the story felt rushed. I also would have liked a bit more world-building. I just feel like when any book has some sort of magic system in place, they need to explain it and well early on so that I’m not still asking questions halfway through the book.

I almost think this story would have been better told as two separate books instead of one. I think that would have given time for better world-building and helped with the tory pacing a little better.

In Craewick, memories are currency. They are exceptionally important. Gifted individuals can take memories from individuals as they'd pleases.There are 4 kingdoms, one of which is ruled by Madam. This is where the book takes place. Etta wants to leave the culture, but when Madame threatens to put her mom up for auction, Etta rejoins the shadow group she left after the accident years earlier. She must steal a map of the Maze in a rival kingdom.
Doesn't that premise sound great? The cover and the summary drew me righting. Unfortunately it just didn't work for me. I'm not sure if it was a case of me or the story just wasn't great. I think I expected more, but the book just didn't grab me and I was left wanting more the whole way. The writing itself was good, and I'd be interesting in reading more of Mansey's work as she matures as a writer. I think the first 50 pages were great, but after that I was left kind of bored. I found it a little forgettable now that I'm done too.
2/5 stars
I think it's worth checking out, I just personally didn't feel it. I think this will be a novel that some people absolutely love and other don't like. This sometimes causes a novel to be more successful though! If you like YA fantasy (especially on the younger side of it) I'd recommend this to. I can certainly see how other people would like it.

I have received an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher.

The Memory thief, takes us into a world where memories can be bought or stolen and can be used by the new owner. It was an intersting world building but I was a bit confused most of the time.

I'm so glad I was approved for this ARC of The Memory Thief through Netgalley. I read it as soon as I got my ecopy - a short book is exactly what I was in the mood for.

I was first drawn to this book because of the absolutely stunning cover. It's also a stand-alone fantasy (we all know how rare these are!) in a dystopian world where memories can be bought and stolen.

The beginning was confusing, I felt like there was a lot of information thrown at me in just a few pages. But all of that quickly got sorted out, and I rapidly started enjoying it. This book is very fast paced, and at one point, all the twists seemed to be resolved too quickly. That's when I started enjoying it a bit less. The romance felt predictable and a bit forced, the world building and timeline mixing together in a way that I couldn't make sense out of them anymore. I was also confused by the many characters, with similar names too 😅 When I finished the book, I realized there was a glossary at the end (which would've been very useful to understand the first few chapters), but being an ebook, I hadn't noticed it before.

Overall, it was a good book with interesting elements, but it fell a bit flat for me. 2.5⭐

The Memory Thief is set in a world where memories can be exchanged or bartered so to speak. It's an interesting idea for sure and I wish I could have loved it.

The book did a lot of things ok and very little actually good. While it was entertaining and quick, I can already feel myself forgetting the details of the story, as overall it was extremely shallow. This shallowness comes through most in the world building, where while we do get a lot of it, none of it is fully fleshed out (though it seems like the author is building up to a sequel?) It leads to a lot of ‘woah’ moments that never actually come back around, threads left dangling, and general vagueness about the world in general. I can’t actually continue to ponder the book and the world it’s set in and what the ending means for the characters but I don’t have any frame of reference to understand it, no setting to fully place that ending in.

The plot itself was another thing that intrigued me at first but slowly lost its luster.

I must say that the cover is gorgeous!! Well done to whoever designed it. This book has a very interesting premise but unfortunately it just didn't work for me. I do think, however, this book will appeal to the young adult crowd. The idea of the book is very creative and I think a lot of people will love it even though I didn't.

The Memory Thief
By: Lauren Mansy

4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis:

In the city of Craewick, memories reign. The power-obsessed ruler of the city, Madame, has cultivated a society in which memories are currency, citizens are divided by ability, and Gifted individuals can take memories from others through touch as they please.

Seventeen-year-old Etta Lark is desperate to live outside of the corrupt culture, but grapples with the guilt of an accident that has left her mother bedridden in the city’s asylum. When Madame threatens to put her mother up for Auction, a Craewick tradition in which a “worthless” person’s memories are sold to the highest bidder before she is killed, Etta will do whatever it takes to save her. Even if it means rejoining the Shadows, the rebel group she swore off in the wake of the accident years earlier.

To prove her allegiance to the Shadows and rescue her mother, Etta must steal a memorized map of the Maze, a formidable prison created by the bloodthirsty ruler of a neighboring realm. So she sets out on a journey in which she faces startling attacks, unexpected romance, and, above all, her own past in order to set things right in her world.

My Thoughts:
Darkly adventurous; Full of twists and turns, great character development, and world building. Easy to follow storyline, single POV. Creative and original magical system!! Everything you want in a YA fantasy book!! This book has it all, your heroine, your villain, your romance and best friends, etc. Etta is strong, resilient, and smart but will that be enough to save herself and her loved ones from the murderous madame?!
Ever wonder what it would be like to be trapped in a memory? Living in a groundhog day inside your mind? This story takes a dive into the psyche and just how touchy the memories we have are...

I cannot believe that this is Mansy's debut novel...it is way too good to be a debut novel! Through her engaging prose and vivid world that she creates, you cannot tell that she is not a seasoned author.

One of the things I loved most about this story is how well she sets the backdrop of this land with 4 different kingdoms where there are Gifted who may steal and transfermemories through touch, Ungifted who cannot, and Sifters who can steal and transfer memories through sight. Julietta lives as an Ungifted, though she is truly Gifted, to hide from those she betrayed to save a loved one. The theme fits well with dystopian but is also quite unique. I have not read any novels that play out quite like this or with the same setting and plotline.

I also really enjoyed the characters. I felt like there was a lot of character development and the dynamic characters really made them enjoyable and interesting. Julietta started out guilt-ridden, scared and defeated, but throughout the book, she begins to change and also helps change those around her. She has made many mistakes before the story begins, which really makes her an intriguing character, but the reader really gets to see the guilt they have brought and watch as she must learn to forgive herself as she seeks for forgiveness from others she has wronged. She is fiercely loyal and protects those she cares about at all costs and I loved Reid as I felt he did the same. Their personalities paired nicely together and I loved watching them get to know each other and become closer through the novel.

The writing was really superb. I love how Mansy worded things and I also thought the plot was spot on with plenty of engaging surprises along the way. I'm usually pretty picky about many authors' writing style rubbing me the wrong way but I could not find a fault here. I started the book and could not put it down. It absolutely absorbed me into the story and I could not let go until I found out what happened to the characters I began to love more and more. I am really excited to see what Mansy writes next and will definitely be keeping an eye out so I can snatch up her next book too! She's a new up and coming author that I would not want to miss!!

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. The r kept of buying and selling memories in this book was very unique. There was good world building in this fantasy novel but could have been even more developed. The slow romance of Etta and Reid was well done. Overall a good YA fantasy.