I received an eARC of this from Net Galley in return for an honest review.

This book was painful to read. I wanted to DNF it so badly but I stuck it out to see if it got any better. It didn’t. The writing isn’t horrible, but it uses a LOT of colloquial sayings that made it boring and unoriginal. It was also somewhat confusing, we would suddenly have flashbacks or see memories and the transition was so jarring it took me out of the novel. It was also annoying when the author would repeat the same exact memory later on in the book, seriously just give us a quick reminder of the memory if you want us to recall it, don’t give it word for word again!

This book also didn’t have much of a plot, well much of an exciting one. I suppose the main character walking around a lot constitutes as a plot right? And can I mention how everything was just handed to her?! She literally did nothing. They call her a hero because she took someone’s Gift as they died and it merged with her own to make her unreadable which her unreadability (sort of) saved the day, but it was mostly her dad’s sacrifice and her grandpa’s army. Yeah so this book wasn’t really that exciting. I was so confused at what was going on in the final fight, it wasn’t very well described because as I understand this mind fighting Sifters can just drop people with a look while most Gifted can just touch you and steal/take memories. So the final battle shouldn’t have been that bloody would it? Apparently not because somehow all the buildings were destroyed except one but we saw none of it because our amazing main character was knocked out. 

Yeah sooooo I kinda didn’t enjoy this book and I basically tortured myself by pushing through. Should’ve saved myself the time and DNF’d at 40%...

"The Memory Thief" draws us into a world where memories can be bought or stolen giving their new owners different skills and abilities. The main character Etta receives a notice that her mother is up for auction and has to return to the Shadows to make a deal with her old crew and enemies.

This book drew me in with the memory auction and the desperate hunger. However, after the auction the book started to let me down and fall apart.

The biggest issue I had was the pacing. It becomes very clear where the plot needs to take us and for the first third of the book it does fine with things progressing at a steady rate. But once Etta reaches where she needs to go I felt that the pacing speeds up and doesn't make sense anymore. The romances did not make sense to me nor did the alliances. Once both of these happened the depth to the story and the characters was lost for me.

This book was average for me and I already have forgotten about it. Luckily I kept notes and I could follow them to remember exactly what happened in this book. I think the idea of this story was awesome but it just had pacing issues.


**thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

I really liked the premise of this book. It is a very unique and interesting concept. It was however, a bit hard to read and follow at times by the fast paced flow of the book- I feel like if some aspects of the story were more developed with further information and scenes, it would really help the reader to be follow along and get lost in this world.

Well, well, well...It’s the happiest, fairy tale-iest dystopian fantasy that you ever did see!

Seriously, it’s Disney dystopia. 

There’s plenty of mayhem along the way, and a few sad moments to remind you What We’re Fighting For in this particular realm, but I do believe this is the least bleak book I’ve encountered in the genre.

And I can’t decide if that makes it schmaltzy or refreshing. 

The basic concept regarding the theft and repurposing of the memories of others is actually pretty clever, and I have to admit it was nice not to have to feel as distressed as one normally does when reading dystopia. 

The book reads quickly and harbors some traditional fantasy elements which, as someone who isn’t all that fond of pure dystopia, I found pleasing. 

Thought the characters are largely common stock types and in many cases feel too good to be true, you’ll like them anyway, and the plot moves well enough and has decent enough twists that it’s still enjoyable even if the wins seem to come a bit too easily for our heroes. 

A light, easy read for those who prefer their dystopia with a hearty helping of Happily Ever After.

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.

A big shoutout of thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. 

Synopsis: 

In other kingdoms, gold is the standard currency, but in Craewick, and the surrounding realms, memories reign. This system was created by the mad, power-obsessed ruler of the city of Craewick, known by the title of: “Madame”. She and her followers have formed a society in which the powerful reign, and the ungifted are crushed. Those who are Gifted can easily swap, steal, or implant memories through touch as they please. Those Madam deems a criminal or her enemy are taken to the auction—where their memories are harvested and sold to the highest bidder, resulting in their deaths. 17-year-old Julietta Lark is tired of this corrupt system and yearns to leave Craewick far behind, but is wracked with the guilt of an accident that caused her mother’s coma—leaving her bedridden in the city’s asylum, and the deaths of her friends. When Etta receives her mother’s auction notice, Madame’s threat to kill her mother, she is determined to do whatever it takes to save her mother—even if it means facing the ones she betrayed years earlier, and rejoining the world of the Shadows, Craewick’s black market.  The ones who thought her dead. To show her loyalty to them and save her mother, Etta must steal a secret, memorized map of the Maze, a dark and horrid prison created by the bloodthirsty ruler of a neighboring kingdom. So she, along with an unexpected ally, set out on a perilous journey to steal a legendary map, knock a evil tyrant off of her throne, and right all the wrongs that have plagued the Realms before it’s too late. Once again, Etta Lark must become the Memory Thief. 

My opinion: 

Wow! This book was great! I really loved it. Lauren Mansy has a very authentic and gripping style of writing, and her world building skills are great! Each character had their own unique traits and personalities, and were very relatable. I really enjoyed Etta, as a character. She was strong, and resilient, but authentic. She had her weaknesses and was grappling with guilt and loss, but was able to find the strength to overcome those, which I really appreciated. Complete, with a sweet romance, this book was everything I wanted, since reading the summary on Amazon. The only thing that disappointed me, and this is completely a personal preference only, was that this is a standalone. I would have wanted this to be at least a duology. There was so much more I wanted to see. But who knows, maybe the author will write another book. Memory Thief-related or not, I’ll read anything that Lauren Mansy writes, as she is an amazing author!! 
I hope this review was helpful. 

I was granted permission to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

Interesting idea hook- the power to steal memories (seems to be a rising thread in YA. Well written narrative- doesn't seem forced or convoluted. Characters are likable and developed to an appropriate degree.

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.

I requested this book because I was really intrigued by the premise, memories being used in so many different ways, very unique!  I found Etta to be a very likable character along with some of the other secondary characters.  The plot builds up in an interesting way, but there's a lot of character introduction, terminology, and flashbacks that it makes it a little confusing to follow, it almost breaks the flow of the book for me.

There's lots of build up and action to the climax and when we finally get to that moment, it's over and done in like 2 pages and then the book ends with a nice bow and happy ending.  It was a bit of a let down.  This is a stand alone book so it didn't leave much room for a ton of expansion but there could have been a little bit more.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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.

Received NetGalley copy for honest review.

I enjoyed this book.  The story flowed well.  However, there was not enough world building in the book to truly envelope me into the story.  The climax scene could have been stretched out more.  All in all, good story.

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.