The Memory Thief offers an intriguing concept of stolen and manipulated memories, but readers seem divided on its execution. While the premise and world-building captivated some, others found the pacing rushed and the information overwhelming. Characters like Ryder and Reid stood out as bright spots, but many struggled to connect with Etta, the protagonist. Flashbacks and rapid transitions left some readers confused, and the insta-love element fell flat for others. However, fans of the book praised its twists, engaging moments, and unique exploration of power and memory. Overall, it’s a polarizing read with both potential and flaws.

I wanted to like "The Memory Thief," but unfortunately, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The premise is intriguing—people can steal and trade memories, and our main character is caught up in a plot to uncover a mysterious conspiracy—but I found the pacing a little uneven. Some parts dragged, especially when the action slowed down, and the characters didn’t feel as developed as I hoped. There were moments when I felt emotionally disconnected from the story, and I kept waiting for a deeper dive into the world-building that never really came.

The idea behind memory theft is fascinating, and I loved the potential it had to explore identity and loss, but the execution left me wanting more. It’s not a bad read, just not as gripping as I’d hoped. It didn’t quite live up to the hype for me.

I read this for the second time. I really enjoyed it the first time. I dont think it was as good the second time. However, I still enjoyed it.
I really love the characters abilities to forgive. The grandfather who realized his mistakes and was willing to change instead of continuing down the same path was great to read about. Then, a girl who would do all she could to save her mother. Also, the maze was rather interesting.
I didn’t like the Madam, but I wasn’t meant too. I didn’t find much I didn’t like about this story.

Unfortunately, this book was a DNF for me. I tried multiple times, but it just wasn't meant to be. But the cover is SO SO pretty.

This was a relatively quick and easy read with characters I felt drawn to. While there are some scenes that I think are a bit rushed, I enjoyed the book overall.

Etta, aka Julietta, is motivated solely by the desire to protect her mother. She has betrayed people she loved in order to do so, even though it eats at her every day. She is driven by both love and guilt to free her mother and keep her alive.

The adventure she takes in order to save her mother opens Etta’s eyes to many of the choices that she’s made and provides her with unexpected allies, healing and understanding.

I loved the relationship between Etta and Reid and felt like it was the only one that really took some time to delve into the issues between them and resolve them, somewhat. The other relationships all resolved very quickly and smoothly, especially with Porter and Greer.

I feel like there could be some more world building, but liked the breakdown of the different realms and was intrigued by the aspect of stealing and transferring memories- and even using them as currency. It made me think about my own memories and how they shape who I am.

All in all, it was a fun read that could have been fleshed out a bit more.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through Net Galley on behalf of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the premise of this story. This idea that memories hold such strong currency to this world was something that pulled me in and made me want to keep reading. It let this world create this very interesting system good and bad.
And the characters just really were well written and had a lot of depth. You could feel the emotions. And wanted to cheer or rage when things would happen.

I enjoyed the unique world building and appreciated the direction this story took

Overall I liked the story. Strong themes about family, regret and redemption. It took me a while to get into it but my curiosity spurred me on. There were a couple plot twists about halfway through I didn't see coming, which pleasantly surprised me. I liked the backstory told through memories. The climax could have been in deeper POV to feel it more acutely. The climax - ending felt a bit rushed. I would rate this PG, suitable for younger teens.

Lovveeedddd this book! The writing to me was utterly flawless and the world building sucked me in. Also that cover is *chefs kiss*

The concept of this story is cool and I did enjoy it as a whole. The main complaint I have is that the idea of memories didn’t fully seem completely thought out and I felt something was missing. I did like the connection of characters and how everyone was woven together in some way. All in all, I’d give it 3 stars…I enjoyed it, but didn’t love it, and I probably won’t read it again.

I was drawn to this book because of the cover. The synopsis was intriguing. The story had so much potential but it fell short for me.

DNF at 25%. It's been over three years since I received this ARC. I gave it a go and have decided it is not for me. It interested me then and no longer does now.

Sadly this book just didn’t grab as much as I hoped it would. I put it down and picked it up multiple times but I just couldn’t connect with it. Super bummed.

I love a good heist fantasy (thank you six of crows) and this is no exception! Beautiful cover, great title, lovely story

The idea of this book was great--but there were long sections that I found myself wondering if I should just stop reading. The world wasn't built enough and the character's thoughts and conversations were sometimes confusing.

I struggled to get into this book.

I downloaded this book and started it several times. I'm sorry to say I DNF. I just couldn't get into it.

I gave this a three out of five stars. I really enjoyed the story, the characters, friendships and the romance in this. I would be down if there was more from this world. It was very interesting.

This… was just not a good book for me. There were many times I considered DNFing before I finally just set it aside and didn’t pick it up again. I felt like there was a lot of potential and story hidden in this book but none of it had the chance to shine, as though it was glossed over. I couldn’t stand Etta as a protagonist, and I never really felt like she was in any real trouble because the moment there might be tension, things worked themselves out. From the actual story to the instalove side plot that was cringey at best, to how quickly things happened without providing any time for the characters (or reader) to actually get a handle on things — it wasn’t working. I finally gave up on this title and haven’t decided if I’ll read more by this author in the future or not.

I really enjoyed this book. This book is definity under rated and not talked about enough. I liked the main character Etta who is a strong character full of guilt over an accident that happens and ends up leaving her mother bedridden in the asylum. I also liked the concept of this book, where memories can be stolen, bought and sold. You do not see this type of plot anywhere else. It is very original and unique. I also enjoyed the characters and the writing was easy to follow. Overall I really liked this book and it was well done.

The premise of this book was intriguing, and representation matters. But unfortunately the book had a slow start and the interesting premise wasn’t Enough to finish. I had to dnf about a quarter of the way through.

The Memory Thief was not at all what I was expecting.
The description led me to believe there would be a heist, and maybe some action. I was let down, and the story was just meh.
The first half of this book really sucked me in, and I thought for sure it would be a five star read. Once I realized that there was so much more I wanted, and not enough pages to deliver, I stopped being invested.
The idea is terrific. I wish there would have been more descriptions about the world they live in, the art of memory stealing/giving, and the characters themselves.
My biggest issue with this story, was every time a problem came along, a very convenient solution just appeared out of nowhere. Need to steal a map.. no problem. The owner will just give it to you. Trapped in a cage.. no problem. An old friend immediately appears with the key. Need to get through a maze full of death traps.. no problem. You will be guided to safety. It all was so unreasonably easy. I needed more. More action, more critical thinking, and more storyline.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.