This novel had a very unusual premise. It was very fast-paced. However, it was hard to understand. The world-building was not elaborated on. I really liked Etta. I liked how she is very caring especially towards orphans. The romance seemed very instant and felt added on rather than being woven in. Still, I recommend this for fans of Amy Tintara, Marie Lu, and Richelle Mead. Full review to come!

For half of the book I thought this book was really boring and maybe confusing. The second half was a lot better but it doesn't help push the boringness of the first half up.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

I loved the premise of the book and really wanted to love the book...but it didn't work for me. The relationships were too rushed and perfect. The conflicts were too easily overcome, and I never got emotionally attached to the characters.

The Memory Thief was so interesting because I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like it before. This novel submerges the reader in a landscape so imaginative and detailed that the information of the world building/plot never feels forced, and is never difficult to understand or picture in one's mind. A wonderful debut!

The Memory Thief is a fascinating blend of fantasy dystopian fiction. I really wanted to love it as so many parts of it were really fantastic. The protagonist is a lovingly crafted character with equal parts guts, compassion, strength and guilt. The idea of four different realms, each with their different strengths, and the greedy ruler who wants to have them all is a classic foundation for a great story. Add in a little bit of love, a little bit of betrayal and an element of surprise and you should have the makings of a great book.

I did enjoy the storyline and the characters. The story was fast-paced without being overwhelming, cute without being kitschy and generally a good read. The main character was well-developed although the supporting cast was less so. I struggled with the number of different minor characters, quickly explained details and somewhat sudden jumps in time and place. It felt like a lot was alluded to at the beginning of the book that I was supposed to remember later in the book without reminders. While I did enjoy The Memory Thief, I think it could have been longer, allowing time to develop those minor details in more depth; this is a book that could really have benefited from alternating present time chapters with chapters that more deeply delved in to the past aka the memories, of the Memory Thief herself.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital copy of this book. I was not overly impressed by this book. The writing is unimaginative with simple word choice. The plot is not very original and didn’t hold my attention. It had interesting moments but overall this book does not stand out in the wave of YA fantasy.

Thank you Netgalley and Blink for sending me a digital arc of this wonderful novel.

Its been a while since I have read a book so good that I could not think of anything else. My "One more chapter' turned into 'reading the whole book in one sitting'. The Memory Thief is a captivating and fast paced novel filled with action and excitement. This book gave me everything I did not know I needed and kept me on edge the whole time. The world and the magic system is very fascinating and lush. I especially loved the authors detailed descriptions of the cities and the maze. Even the characters are so well written and developed that I could not help but fall in love with them. Reid's soft, sweet, witty and sensitive personality was like a breath of fresh air. With her skillful and impeccable writing style, the author succeeded to make a deep impact on me.I felt so many emotions right from the first page of the book - I smiled and cried with the characters, feared for their lives when they were in danger, grieved for their lost ones. While I loved every bit of this book, the ending felt a little anticlimactic to me but I am not complaining much about that.

Lastly, I loved Lauren Mansy's writing style. This was an outstanding debut novel and I can't wait to read more of her future works.

The book was very enjoyable! I feel like the characters were interesting, as well as the premise of the story (very unique!). I did feel like the story-telling was rushed at some times and could have been fleshed out more and spanned more than just this book, but it was a good read! I would recommend.

The Memory Thief had a good plot to begin with, and the intro to the book drew me in right away. It didn't completely keep my attention the whole time, which is what was frustrating. The author wrote a fine story, but didn't keep my attention the whole way through. The characters were good, just not a lot of depth, but overall it was a nice read, just not a favorite.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

This book grabbed me with its jaw-dropping cover and pulled me in with its intriguing and unique premise. But unfortunately, THE MEMORY THIEF is another YA fantasy that fell flat for me.

It started off with so much promise. We find Etta (or Jules, or Julietta—a switch that had me a little confused throughout the book depending on who she was interacting with) standing before an auction in her home realm of Craewick where citizens are bidding for criminals' memories. When she finds out that one of the "criminals" is her mom, she knows she has to save her from the asylum and her coma an accident put her in. I really enjoyed this set up and Etta's voice and agency.

But honestly, not long after, the book kind of fell apart for me. The world was too big for its legs. There were so many different types of people in this world that were poorly explained I was really confused about what everyone did and how their powers worked, even after I read their paragraphs of explanation in the included glossary. Still, these powers took up too much room for me to feel I was really immersed in this world. The plot was quick, but almost too quick in a way that I didn't feel like I had good grasp on anything that was happening before the next plot point came in. I had to reread pages many times because I didn't catch what was going on or another character was introduced even though the writing acted like I was already supposed to know who they were. Also, the insertion of memories into Etta's POV really threw me. I didn't understand fully how her power worked, and the memories as she thought of them never really meant anything to me. The romance and most of the other relationships honestly felt a little too surface level, the antagonistic force doesn't feel present throughout the story, the rising actions were a little too convenient, and I felt like the climax happened in such a blink I wasn't even sure it had happened/was over.

Unfortunately, THE MEMORY THIEF was one of those stories that sounded great but wasn't executed in a way that captured my interest.

I'm glad to say I really enjoyed this book. When I saw The Memory Thief had a 3.38 rating, I was a bit nervous but I ended up liking it more than I thought I would. I went into it without many expectations and right from the beginning, the story picked my interest (as well as the beautiful cover and synopsis, of course).

I didn't even check if it was a series or a standalone before starting but after finishing it, I'm just happy to know it will stand on its own. And not because it wasn't good. It's just ended in a really nice way and I don't think a sequel would have been necessary. I also tend to not read the sequel when too much time has passed and my memory isn't all that great when it comes to the books I read (unless I give them 5 stars).

Anyway, I felt like the beginning of this book was the strongest part when it comes to the writing and pacing. Even though I liked the reveals (which I didn't predict, except for one of them), I thought it could have been executed a little better (especially the battle at the end of the book).

Overall, if you'd like to read a YA Fantasy Standalone where the world created revolves around memories, I'd say try it and see if this is the book for you. I had a good time reading it and I hope you will too!

(Thank you to the publisher for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

This book starts with a great ideas but falls prey to having too many things happen by coincidence. Everything just falls into place with multiple instances of the right person showing up at just the right time, which actually seems like a little lazy storytelling.

I received an from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

TW: people in an asylum, violence, flashbacks

This book was basically everything I look for in a fantasy novel: well thought-out characters, lack of toxic masculinity, a plot that is a metaphor for bigger things, sassy dialogue, and not a lot of main characters dying. One of my favourite quotations is when the protagonist Etta says "Don't make a scene.," and her companion Ryder responds that "Not making a scene is what lead to this" (pg 22). This is such an important issue right now and I think Mansy addressed it wonderfully.

This book was so well-written that the only break I took in reading was to get myself a snack. The visuals are stunning and the power dynamics are so interesting. There is this thread running through the book that you are not your past but you can become a better person from it. However, this is also tied to the idea that you don't have to forgive people that have wronged you-- that it is your choice. Many characters are not what they seem and no one is wholly any one thing which I really appreciate.

For most of the story Etta is plagued with regret but she learns that it is not her fault for reacting to a situation that she did not choose to be in. She frequently has flashbacks and many of them are from four years ago-- when she was fourteen. She blames herself for her actions but the people around her help her realise that she was just a child and was doing what she could within limited options. I am quite passionate about this being a narrative that needs to be seen more often especially relating to childhood trauma.

As you can tell, I was deeply engrossed in this book and would have given it five stars except for one thing: the lack if diversity. This is something that I would not have noticed except that I have actively been looking for diversity when I read to better understand how to be an ally. I read this book very carefully and took notes, but there are no skin colours listed for anyone. While this may seem like it is so people can be interpreted any skin colour, stuff like this ends up being heavily white-washed since our society has been trained to believe that unless otherwise stated (and quite often even when it is stated) that everyone is white. Additionally, I did not notice any characters that were not heterosexual. The book was very nuanced, but it could have benefited from some diversity.

The author could improve her book by including more diverse characters (and being very careful when using terms like Tribes), but overall this is a smashing debut novel and I look forward to seeing what she writes in future!

Are your memories really your own? Seventeen-year-old, Etta lives in Craewick, where memories are used as currency. A gifted individual’s rank is determined by their Gifted abilities. Etta’s gift is unique and makes the corrupt, power-hungry ruler, Madame, jealous. Madame issues a formal letter to auction off Etta’s bedridden mother’s memories. Etta is willing to go to any lengths to save her mother, including embracing the past she has sworn off. Will she succeed? The main character is a strong female heroine. The plot is unique, fast-paced, and action-packed. Fans of Leigh Bardugo and other magical fantasy fiction will enjoy reading this book.

I massively enjoyed reading about the moral ambiguity of the novel's concept. The immediate double cross set up a fast pace, and it held strong with intriguing character development.

Etta is a former Memory Thief hiding in plain sight as an ungifted to try and protect her mother and escape her past. When she is double crossed by the corrupt ruler Madame she is forced to return to the Shadows she betrayed to try and save her family and possibly so much more...

The author had some great and unique ideas in this story and even threw a few greats twist and shockers at me. I love the idea of the memory trade and how it can be used for good or bad. I really think this book could have been taken from Ok, to good or really good by being broken out into more books or even just a duology. There was so much action packed into this one book that it made scenes and relationships feel rushed. There were several points where the book could have paused nicely (or left a cliff hanger) and went into a second book.

I was also really enjoying the characters and world, as well as the unique settings that were trekked through. Again I just wish more time had been taken to build out the characters and places, it left me with less attachment to the main characters than I would typically have. There was also some great opportunity for side characters that just got a little lost in the hustle.

Overall the story was still worth the read, the story was action packed and never slowed down. I finished the book in about 2 days...and let’s not forget to mention the absolutely gorgeous cover! I would recommend to someone who enjoys YA Fantasy and prefers a quick standalone to a long detailed series.

Thank you to Blink YA books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

** I was provided an electronic ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Lauren Mansy's novel, The Memory Thief, follows a teenaged girl, Julietta, in a world where memories are used as currency. Memories can be traded, stolen, sold, and more. The Gifted have varying types of abilities regarding the manipulation of memories, where the Ungifted have no such talents. Julietta, who is Gifted, has been given a date by the cruel ruler of Craewick, Madame, who will be auctioning Julietta's mother's memories. The auction will kill Julietta's mother. To save her mother, Julietta seeks assistance of the guild of thieves, The Shadows, that she once betrayed. Of course, a quest results and a whole mess begins.

I was very much intrigued with the world that Mansy built for this novel. I liked the set up of the four Realms, and the "power" system of the Gifted seemed to be very well-developed with lots of room for variation. I even liked the concepts of memories being traded, stolen, etc. and found the application to be something fresh and welcome.

I did have some struggles with the writing style of this novel. I understand the importance of memories to the content of the novel, but the constant insertion of memory information in flashback form created a disjointed narrative. I felt that with as much development went into the world, the power systems, and the ideas of the plot, relatively limited development went into the characters beyond surface level. As a reader who can overlook weak or commonplace plot points in favor of a well developed character, my reading experience for this book was very much detached and very surface-level rather than being drawn in.

I also found that each of the twists that were introduced were somewhat transparent, made things easier for the characters, and sometimes just confusing and unnecessary choices. I definitely thought the romantic interest was completely unnecessary and thought the book would have been better served by excluding it entirely.

Overall, while I enjoyed the world and power system, the novel fell solidly into "just okay" for me because of the aforementioned things. While I'm not upset at the novel in the slightest, I don't know that I will continue with the series that seems to be hinted to come.

I will be honest, after reading the synopsis I was intrigued but I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with the story like I did. I really enjoyed how fast paced the story was. The author weaves in world building and character development beautifully with a message that you can overcome your past mistakes and change for the better. If not for date night I would’ve devoured this book in one day. I hope there’s more to come from this author!

NetGalley Review

I absolutely loved the concept of this book. The thought of buying or stealing memories is so unique and frightening at the same time! I was hooked from the first page but something shifted near the middle of the book. I'm not sure if it was me or the book, but I suddenly wasn't quite as hyped for it as I was when I first began reading. I think the biggest issue for me and possibly the reason why I fell out of it was due to the pacing. I was immediately hooked from the start, but shortly afterward, I kept trying to find reasons to keep me reading.

But do not let this deter you from reading. The Memory Theif has so many great aspects to it. For the most part, the character's interactions with each other felt genuine. However, at some points, it did sound as if they were all one character rather than their own unique selves. I enjoyed Etta's character, but I felt like something was missing in the end. Though there was some growth to her character, I wish there had been more. There is a lot of action within this book, which I absolutely loved. The characters have their own abilities, which are and aren't explained at the end of the book. For some, I needed a little bit of a stronger definition and explanation.

Overall, I enjoyed The Memory Thief. Though I most likely won't pick this book up again, I do recommend if you enjoy action, instant connections, and the concept of the novel.

Thank you, NetGalley for giving me a chance to review this book!

The Memory Thief hooked me in when I first read the summary. I haven't read many books where memories were considered a currency and reading a book where "citizens are divided by ability" gave me a Red Queen sort of vibe (which I kinda enjoyed). I thought I might as well give it a chance.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book very much.

The beginning of the book was off to a good start, and I found myself wanting to read more. However, when I started to get almost halfway in the book, I began to lose interest and felt my eyes skimming over words while my mind was wandering around the place. Too many things were happening all at once seemingly out of nowhere and I was sometimes confused then exasperated by it.

The Memory Thief had a good summary, but that was all it had: a good summary. The premise of it was good, just the way it was written undid it all for me.