Thank you for the e-ARC of this book. This was a DNF for me. I could not get into the plot at all which I am really bummed about because I was so optimistic.

I like the Memory Thief is a standalone story, but I do think that it suffered from muddy worldbuilding and a romantic interest that felt rushed. It felt very YA in not the best of ways.

Thanks for the eARC! This book grabbed my attention from the very beginning. The prose was a bit predictable at times but overall it was an enjoyable experience.

In a perfect world, this book would have been one of my favorites. It has everything I like. An intriguing concept, an interesting world, captivating characters. But for some reason, it fell short for me. I found myself confused for a good part of the story trying to figure out what was a memory and what was supposed to be happening in real-time. Granted the book is called The Memory Thief, but I just had a hard time following along. I want to rate it as a 3.5 star read because I really liked the concept, but I am sad to not rate it higher because it is a great idea for a storyline. 3.5 stars. Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC.

While I'm a fan of and always looking for more standalone young adult fantasy, THE MEMORY THIEF suffered from a very common problem with these sorts of books. It had such an intriguing premise, but was ultimately marred in execution by both a rushed romantic plotline and a lack of world-building.

***I was provided with a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review and all thoughts or expressions are my own!***

I wantttted to really like this book. I read 59% of it but just had to stop. There was an information dump at every turn, topped with flack backs/POV changes. In short it was a tedious read and would not wish it upon anyone. I hope the rest of the work put forth from the author results in success. Thanks again.

I love the concept of The Memory Thief, but I think for it to really fulfill all of its potential, it would need to be a longer book, with lots more world-building. I also think that maybe it would have been better without the romance. I know that sentiment is sacrilegious in a YA Fantasy, but I really wanted more backstory and detail than I did a "love you instantly" addition. The book isn't bad, I just thought it could have been better.
2.5 stars

*I received a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to Blink Books and Netgalley.*

The Memory Thief is a short and sweet YA fantasy read!

I'm torn because, on the one hand, I really loved that this was a standalone fantasy story that I could read in one afternoon. Everything got right to the point and there was a clear goal/arc that was attainable in that short amount of time. Every now and then I would mix up a character or two, and of course, the insta-love was predictable. But the author managed to fit in so much; every other chapter it felt like another shoe was dropping and there was another twist or discovery! So for what it was I really enjoyed it!

On the other hand, I absolutely loved the concept of memories as currencies and the various abilities that people had, and the thought of this being a fully fleshed out adult fantasy series is so tempting! The story felt so unique and the author did manage to put so much into so few pages; but thinking of what could be done with more time and more books, amazing!

I think readers should keep in mind that this is a standalone YA fantasy and go in with the expectations of it being fast-paced and covering a lot of ground, and just roll with it!

The Memory Thief follows Etta, in a magical world where memories can be used like currency. I don't read a ton of fantasy, but the premise of this book had me extremely intrigued. The book had great world building and a fun magic system, but that is where the fun ended. I felt like the writing was a bit boring and rushed. Everything seemed to happen to fast and easy for my liking. The forbidden romance was a little rushed and the character building was lacking. I think this book would have been amazing if it was longer and not YA,

I like the concept of the story. It was slow in the beginning yet it kinda picked up at some parts. I feel like I was given quite a few information in one shot. Don't get me wrong but there's a huge potential in this story.

In the city of Craewick memories are worth a lot. They can also be stolen by some.  This was quite an interesting book. Started off a bit odd and slow, but really revved up after a while.  A really ended up enjoying it!

A great read. I loved the story.A great read. I loved the story.A great read. I loved the story.A great read. I loved the story.A great read. I loved the story.A great read. I loved the story.A great read. I loved the story.A great read. I loved the story.A great read. I loved the story.A great read. I loved the story.A great read. I loved the story.A great read. I loved the story.A great read. I loved the story.A great read. I loved the story.A great read. I loved the story.A great read. I loved the story.A great read. I loved the story.

The idea behind this book was brilliant, but I found the execution to be a little lacking. Many points felt rushed and glossed over. Frankly, it either needed to be longer or pared down to spread over a series.

Sadly this book didn't excited me into reading it. I attempted to but only made it a few chapters in and dnf this book. While written well this book was just not for me.

DNF. Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy! I decided to not keep reading this one, it was not for me. Thanks!

2.5 stars.

The concept of this book is so interesting. The Memory Thief takes place in a world where memories can be bought, sold, and stolen from people. This is especially an issue in the city of Craewick, where the leader (Madame) punishes people by putting them up for auction, an act that causes immense pain before the person dies.

Etta is a 17-year-old trying to stay on the sidelines of all of the unrest in the city. Four years before the story began, she caused an accident that left her mother in a coma. Etta struck a deal with Madame to keep her mother safe in the city's asylum. After Etta receives a notice stating that her mother will be part of the next round at the auction, she realizes that she must team up with the organization she betrayed years ago to save her mother's life.

As I said, the concept of the book interested me. Unfortunately, the author completely rushed the story. So many things happened out of convenience when the author could have added more details. Although the stakes were high for the character, I didn't feel the same urgency that the characters did. I'm not sure if another 50 pages would have sufficed, but at least then I would have had more time to care what happened to the characters.

I loved this book! I could not put it down! As someone who enjoys YA, it had a little bit of everything I look for— fantasy, adventure, action, and love. The main character fights for those she loves and I found myself connecting with her throughout the story (and yes, maybe even shed a tear). I highly recommend if you enjoy YA and fantasy! I feel a little late to the party with the write up but I am glad I finally read it!!!

For a book that has such a high focus on memory I found this, unfortunately, very hard to remember. 

I loved the premise of The Memory Thief. The idea that memories can be used not only as a bartering system but also as a form or reward or punishment was so intriguing to me. This magic system is what kept me reading - I wanted to know more. While memories kept me reading, though, what this book severely lacked and what ultimately made me lose interest was development. The characters came across as very bland and I had no connection to them at all. The same goes for the world building. It all felt very rushed to me, as though the author decided on the plot and added everything else in as a quick filler to get to the conclusion as fast as possible. It was unsatisfying. 

I think The Memory Thief had a TON of potential to be a fantastic and immersive book but the lack of detail and development turned it into a missed opportunity. 

Having a strong beginning and a good ending mean nothing if the journey is wasted. 

I will continue to keep an eye on this author, I feel like I can see what she's capable of and I really hope to see her get there in the future. 

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, I was not able to finish this book due to time constraints, although I hope to come back to it someday.

The concept of this book was very interesting but I felt the writing style wasn’t really for me. By that, I mean the pacing was a bit rushed. I liked the characters and their development but if this book was a series, the story line would have been so much more engaging. Despite that, I truly think the magic system was unique and I liked the author’s take on it.