Full review will be updated on here and posted on CelticsLibrary.com by 9/3/2019.

I liked the idea of this book about sharing memories and being able to give or take them away. With anything that people like, it soon becomes a power struggle. People always want more and want to have the most of certain things. Memories are currency in this world where we get glimpses of what it looks like, but not in any great detail. I wish there had been more world building but there was a good amount of character growth and development. There could have been more explanation about the gifts, but overall it was good. I enjoyed the flashbacks (memories) happening throughout which really drives home how important memories are. You do not know the value of what you have until it is gone.

A world where memories can be sold as currency, and stolen just as easily.

Etta Lark made sacrifices to get her mother into an asylum where the city's cruel ruler "Madame" promised her safety. Going back on her word, Madame has now decided to sell Etta's mother at auction, selling all her memories to the highest bidder- a painful death. To save her mother Etta must join forces with those she betrayed.

The memory thief had a great premise that I have never seen in a book before.
Often times so many themes and plots are regurgitated over and over again, that it is so fresh and exciting to get a new idea.
I liked how incredibly flawed the characters were without being sappy.
There was one part in particular I thought for sure I knew what would happen... and the author went in a completely different direction, which I really liked.
This book kept me on my toes.

I loved the premise of this story - being able to pass on memories from one to another by either looking at them or touching them. And, I think the storyline was really good, but I felt like there needed to be more world building and explanation of the "gifts" that the characters had. Basically, I felt there needed to be more to the story. I was confused on more than one occasion about what was going on and why things were the way they were. Overall I enjoyed it though.

Thank you to NetGalley for supplying a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. "The Memory Thief" was enjoyable enough but really wasn't a standout. Fantasy YA is a crowded genre and I read a lot of it. Many of the elements have been done to death and "The Memory Thief" falls into some of that. There was the girl undertaking a mission to save a family member, poor and struggling. Oh but she is special (honestly that element has to pretty much be there). But there was also some insta-love which I don't mind but some readers really hate. The premise is intriguing. Etta Lark's mother is in a coma due to a corrupt government ran by Madame. Memories are the big currency. Basically Madame keeps the land so miserable that people are willing to do about anything to keep their good memories and/or buy happy ones from others. And if you are desperate enough you can sell yours. I'd go more into the world but honestly as intriguing as it was, it was also the main downfall in my eyes. The world is so complicated and there are so many different types of magical and regular people, plus other classifications of people that it became a huge info dump. I was confused and had to go back and re-read sections several times. At the end of my digital copy there was a glossary but I didn't know it was there until the book was finished. I suggest that in future editions, the glossary should be before the first chapter. That really could help. Anyway the rest of the story was fine if a little short. The world was awfully complex to be contained in such a short book. And the book does feel like a standalone which really is another benefit. There aren't enough stand alone YA Fantasy books out there.

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

Rounding to 3.5 stars.
This book has a fantastic story line! Memories being used as currency is an interesting read. People who are gifted can access memories in different ways. It was certainly interesting to read about.
I read this book fairly quick, which is always nice!
A few issues I have with the book is that most of the events that occur are almost too convenient to be true. I found myself scoffing and rolling my eyes a couple times when things just so happened to work out for the best AGAIN.
I think maybe the story could’ve been stretched into several books and more obstacles added and it could’ve been 5-stars!

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.

4/5
I really enjoyed The Memory Thief. Right away, you're dropped into the midst of the drama and action of this world. It was fast paced and had a really unique magic system/concept of memories being used as currency.
There were also lots of plot twists, one right after another, a rollercoaster of emotions for both Etta, the MC, and the reader.
I enjoyed all the characters. The MC can sometimes be a bit of an unreliable narrator because her judgement can be clouded by her own mental health issues and opinions. But ultimately I didn't mind that too much because it allowed the other characters to shine and prove themselves.
I do wish the villian was more grey and was a bit more complex/deep.
Overall, I would recommend this to friends and am really pleased I got to read this early thanks to net galley and the publisher!!!!

I received a copy of this from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Seventeen-year-old Etta Lark never imagined herself going back to The Shadows, a rebel group she betrayed years ago.
But when an envelope arrives on her doorstep from Craewick’s tyrannical ruler, Madame, she’s left with no choice.

Madame has threatened to put her mother up for auction, which means that her memories will be sold to the highest bidder and transferred to them, ultimately killing Etta’s mom.

The leader of The Shadows is not happy to see Etta again. Her betrayal had consequences that nobody could forget. So he tells her she must embark on a dangerous quest to steal a map of a jail called “The Maze”.

“The Maze” is a horrific place in a realm ruled by a ruthless and widely feared man. That map may hold the opportunity for Etta to right some of her wrongs.

He partners her up with one of his pledges, a young man named Reid, and they set off on a journey neither one of them were prepared for.

There are so many wonderful things I could say about this book! I actually read the majority of it in one day. I just couldn’t put it down!

What I loved:

1. The world building was gorgeous, especially as Etta and Reid travel through the realm on their quest. I actually wish we could’ve experienced MORE travels.
I would’ve loved to hear atmospheric descriptions of all of the 4 realms. Perhaps in a sequel?

2. The characters. I found the majority of the people to be relatable and super easy to picture in my head. Even those that weren’t actually there, but we only got glimpses of through memory flashbacks.

3. The flashbacks. Okay. I know that some people were bothered by the frequent flashbacks of memories, especially because they were used as a way to fill in the backstory. If this were a different book, maybe I’d be bothered, but in this case I thought they were appropriate. In fact, I actually really loved those little glimpses into her life before.
I also feel that it’s important to see the contrast between those special memories so that we can understand why she is the way she is now.

4. This got me actually really thinking a lot about my own relationship to my memories. How would I feel if at any moment, with a brush of a hand, I could lose one? What would I choose to give up? How would it change me in terms of who I am now if I erased the bad ones? There are so many possibilities. It’s like a rabbit hole.

Now, to what I didn’t love as much:

There are a couple things I wasn’t that fond of, but they weren’t enough to make me want to throw my kindle or regret those lost hours of my life.

1. (Kinda spoiler): Insta-love. I will give this one credit, as this was a SUPER mild case. It wasn’t over-the-top or blatant. Buutt, it was there, no doubt. I mean, they were only together for, like, a week.

2. There’s a point in the book where there’s a twist. At that point, it feels like the entire BOOK takes a twist with the pacing, intensity, and even the character personalities. I don’t really know how to explain it.

3. The ending. It might have been just me, but I was a bit confused and had to go back and make sure I hadn’t skipped some pages or something. It wasn’t bad after I realized it was meant to be that way. I was just a little thrown off for a minute.

That being said, I don’t want those things to dissuade anyone from reading this book. Even with the above things mentioned, this is a wonderful book with a captivating fantasy world you can easily find yourself getting lost in, enough twists and turns to keep you on you toes, and a main character whose journey will undoubtedly touch your heart.

I would absolutely still recommend this book, in fact I just told my husband yesterday that I wished it had been one that we has read together. I know he would have enjoyed it just as much as I did.

I will distribute this review amongst all platforms (links below) within the next couple days.

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.