A good premise, a kingdom where memories are sold for profit, skills purchased by the wealthy and desperate, leaving dying shells of their former owners and their embittered and rebellious family and friends. One girl fights for her mother and her right to claim her Gift while hiding her dark secret and then...it all falls apart. The book, the plotline, the reader's interest in anything but turning the pages to reach the end as they wade through a muddled grabag of some of the most tired YA tropes, most of all the white girl savior who everyone is obsessed by. Too many characters on too many sides and with way too many tattoes that need endless explaining argue their way through an increasingly confusing plot. The pacing is continually interrupted by flashbacks, dreams and very long conversations explaining just what exactly has happened, is happening and will happen. Eventually I was wishing my memory would be wiped and was looking for the highest bidder to take the book out of my hands. Next time give this author an editor who can help them build on their decent ideas with more explication, character development and world building. YA Lit is littered (ha!) with too many fantasy titles that promise much, only to fail to deliver.

Riveting.

That is probably the best way to describe this book. I was honestly riveted the entire time. I've been in a audiobook kick lately, and started this via that format--which I am so happy I did because, wow 10/10 would recommend--but as I was nearing the end, my phone died and I NEEDED to know what happens next, so I stayed late at work so I could use my work computer and finish reading the ARC copy I was so graciously given.

If that doesn't speak on how much I enjoyed this book, I don't know what else will. I fell in love with our main character Etta, her journey throughout her youth is one that hooked me and one that I instantly connected with. The author also does an impeccable job with her almost lyrical writing style and brilliantly done descriptions, where I almost felt like I was right in the thick of things along side our wayward group of rebels. What I didn't like, and this the only reason I couldn't give it 5 stars, is how easily things kind of came together in the end. Like it was too easy that I knew a plot twist was going to happen, and then after the plot twist it became easy again. For whatever reason, that unnerved me and left me desiring more.

But if you don't mind a little easy struggle towards the end, I HIGHLY recommend you grabbing a copy of this debut novel. Enchanting and spellbinding, The Memory Thief will have you on your seat wanting more.

I found the concept of this book incredibly intriguing and I could not wait to dive in. I believe that I was not in the right mindset of this book for when I chose to read it. I struggled to connect with the characters and therefore was not as invested in the ending of the book as I had originally hoped to be. Still intriguing and I believe a lot of people will still love this one!

The Memory Thief by Lauren Mansy is a debut novel. This novel takes the reader into a world where memories are important. They can be purchased or stolen. Many people's memories go up for sale at an auction. When Etta receives a notice that her mom's memories are going up for auction, she will do anything to save her mom. Etta lives among the ungifted hoping that she doesn't get caught. The gift can read people's minds and change their memories. Etta is trying to hide who she is after she made a deal with the enemy. She made a deal to try to save her mother but she had to betray her allies in order to do it.

This story grips the reader right away. Immediately I wanted to know what would happen next and where Etta's story was going to take her. Etta has lost so much in her life but she is trying so hard to overcome everything that she has been dealt with. I really liked how strong her character is. She was always moving forward even thought it seemed that she got dealt a really crappy hand in life.

The Memory Thief is a very interesting concept. I wish the story had a bit more umph to it. I found myself wanting more action from the characters. This book was a really fast read for me. I am kind of disappointed that there won't be more books in this world. I feel like there could be so much more in this world. I am looking forward to seeing what Mansy writes next.

I think this was a fast paced, quick read! I enjoyed it because it was an enemies to lovers type of relationship which I absolutely love. I think the story could have had a bit more substance but overall it was an enjoyable read.

Thanks so much to the publisher for providing an e-ARC!

I couldn't finish it. While the premise was good, the outcome was lacking. I had trouble staying interested and therefore was unable to finish the book.

A very rich story with some dynamic characters. Get story structure, wonderful world building. I really enjoyed this book!!!

The Memory Thief has an interesting magic system, but the beginning felt a little to abrupt. That is, even though the concept is interesting, the reader doesn't have enough time or information to really understand how the world and its magic works before being thrown into the middle of the action.

The Memory Thief had a lot of amazing concepts and ideas that piqued my interest throughout but it was hard to hold on to that interest because the story started off really dry, the middle sort of dragged for me and by the end, I found myself skimming more than not. There was a lot of information thrown out you from the get-go without that emotional pull that I needed from the MCs.

Would read more from the author but probably not this book again.

* ARC provided for an honest review *

Oh wow, this book. When I first read the synopsis, I honestly wasn't sure what to expect. I knew that it sounded intriguing and certainly like something that I would like, but of course, every book I pick up is going to sound like that at first.

The moment I started this book, however, it had me hooked. The worldbuilding is amazing. I don't think I've fallen in love like this with the concept of a world in a very long time! Even though it was complex, it wasn't difficult to catch on to, and the author made sure to include a glossary in the back of the book that explains the different terms (which I didn't discover until I finished the book, but still, super helpful! Always check the back of the book, kids!).

When it comes to the characters, I loved them so much! Etta was such an amazing, complex character and it was wonderful watching her grow throughout this book and learn to forgive and love herself again. Ryder was such an absolute sweetheart! I loved her from the moment she showed up, and the way her story ends just might be one of my favorite things about this book. Reid was so sweet, and his story was such a great one. I loved the way he and Etta's relationship developed; they were such an important part of each other's healing. The rest of the characters were just as amazing - Greer, Etta's mother, Penn, other characters whom I will not mention because of spoilers... As for the villain and the... morally grey characters, they were those characters you love to hate. They made me so mad and I loved it!

Plot-wise, I thought I knew where this book was going. Let me tell you, I did not. There is a major plot twist that threw me off so bad for a good chapter or two because I had no idea what to believe anymore. And usually I can guess plot twists, so this was a definite plus!

All-in-all, this book exceeded my expectations and I am so happy that I was allowed to read a review copy! I highly recommend this book!

The Memory thief was gifted to me in exchange for a review via netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A brand new fantasy novel where memories are your currency by a debut author. Ummm yes please! I truly loved this story! We meet Etta a strong, tormented, young girl who is doing everything she can to bring her mother back into this world even if that means going back to the people she once betrayed.

I read this story in two sittings and I cannot wait to reread this story and read more from this wonderful and talented author.

Full of twists, turns and action I was on the edge of my seat begging for more and more. I had no idea what was going to happen next and what did truly inspired me!

This is an amazing read that you need to get your hands on.

This one was even better than I thought it would be. Interesting plot with well crafted characters. I enjoyed the story.

Yikes. So I managed to finally sit down and read a book, debating on reading one of the author requests that I'm slowly getting through, especially since all my plans got ruined due to the snow (thanks Colorado for having this snow storm for Halloween and canceling plans entirely this week).

I couldn't really care less about this book. Literally, when I first started writing this I debated on giving this book 3 stars, but that isn't me. This book fell flat in many aspects and there was no way I would have been able to give this book three stars.

I couldn't really care about the characters. Call me heartless, but I really didn't like them. They were so flat, and boring that it made reading this book a disaster. Even at the end, the only thing I gathered from one character was Etta and she cared about her mother that was it. She had little to no personality, barely any backstory-yet we were expected to care for anyone (maybe it's because of my frustrations with my life that causes me to be bitter). 

I did like the writing. I could tell that the author was trying her best in the novel, and it did make the book particularly memorable-in terms of dealing with memories. I found that it was such a cool concept, but it wasn't explored well as much as I hope it would be.  There were things that would have made this book a lot better, but the writing was something I did like even if the book had a small problem with telling instead of showing. 

The plot probably could have been a bit better. I did like that Etta loved her mother, and that she wanted to protect her family and that she was willing to join the Shadows just to get her back. Unfortunately, anything past that part was non-existent and there was basically no urgency to get her mother back. And plus there was a slow-pace which did not help one bit.

AUTHOR Lauren Mansy brings a book of memories... to keep you guessing. Imagine people stealing the memory of the first time to tasted ice cream... Of snuggling kitty, playing catch with a dog... Of the birth of your child... You either chose to sell them to the highest bidder to get some money or it has been decided that these memories will be stolen from you and sold off at auction (but don't worry, you will be dead at the end of it so who cares?)...

In a story that wraps up betrayal with redemption, brings families together when they are not quite what they seem... Many found a way to tell an interesting story, weave in a downplayed romance and keep us interested in the plot.

Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC and I look forward to seeing more from this author.

The Memory Thief
By Lauren Mansy

4/5 🦄
Etta lives in Craewick, a place that values memory above all things. Traded, stolen, and sold, memories form the basis for the economy with dire consequences. Too few and you’ll lose your mind, too many and you’ll break just the same. Etta has a rare talent of unreadability—no one can steal her memories, but she is gifted enough to steal theirs, making her the perfect thief. When the leader of Craewick, Madame, threatens to auction off Etta’s sick mother’s memories and toss her out of the asylum where she has laid comatose for four years, Etta must return to those she has betrayed and hope they will help her save her mother from certain death.


This book was a very good and fast read! It has the grittiness of post apocalyptic ya without the urban fantasy elements placing it within a post modern America-a common trend. I enjoyed it immensely because it was quick and fast paced but had a lot of quality character development and an interesting plot. However, I found certain scenes almost too fast—major scenes (particularly at the end) seemed rushed and the overall effect was confusion, which could be useful in some respect it it felt more like it was deliberate and not more a sign of laziness on the part of the writing. Overall, it has everything you could want from a YA standalone novel, but it just doesn’t execute it quite right. Still, a very enjoyable read especially for someone with a short attention span—did I mention it’s a quick read?!?

The memory thief got a lot fanfare during BookCon, so I requested a copy to see what the hype was all about. This book took me 4 months to finish. It was a tedious read that I often put down to move on to something else. The writing was a middle of the road MG style, and it was not the kind I would rave about. I was really disappointed in this novel. The plot was slow paced and disorganized, at times leaving holes that were very obvious. For me, this novel landed at a 2/5 stars.

I’ll be honest, the first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. I know I can’t be the only one who judges a book by its cover. Oh well. The synopsis also pulled me in because I found the idea of buying and selling memories absolutely fascinating.

Etta lives in a society where corruption and political unrest is just another day. In this society, memories are bought and sold on the open market. The book opens with the auctioning off of a criminal’s memories by the cruel Madam prior to his execution. Unfortunately for Etta, a tragic accident has left her mother committed to the asylum. The catch is, when the asylum is too full, beds are opened up by selling off a patient’s memories before they are ultimately disposed of. Madame informs Etta that her mother is about to face that fate.

Etta is desperate to do whatever it takes to save her mom. She decides to rejoin a rebel force of Memory Thieves called the Shadows even after it cost her everything four years prior. To swear loyalty to the Shadows, she must memorize the map of the maze that was created by the neighboring realm’s vicious leader. On this mission, she’s joined by Reid who is desperately trying to save his brother who is trapped in the maze.

Lauren Mansy is able to carefully craft a deliciously dark fantasy that shows us things that we are capable of in times of desperation and grief. Etta is so incredibly broken and will do anything to save her mom. Reid is at his breaking point after the disappearance of his brother. I loved the fast paced adventure once Etta officially re-joined the Shadows and the twists and turns along the way. We do get a little brief romance between Etta and Reid which was a breath of fresh air amongst all of the violence, darkness, and grief.

Overall, this is great fantasy debut that tackles the tough themes of grief and despair and how to overcome them when faced with the most dire of situations.

Thank you to Blink and NetGalley for providing an eARC. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I loved the concept of this so much, but struggled with it. While the world's concept was fascinating, I didn't really feel immersed in the world or connect to the characters as much as I was hoping to, so the overall execution ended up falling a bit flat for me, especially considering the intriguing concept!

Ouch! I kind of can’t believe I finished this book and I never say that. It is so hard for me to finish a book that makes me just feel “eh” about it. This book wanted so bad to become a classic just like The Giver and it just fell so flat that it hurt. The character development was weak and the characters just seemed to inter-fight, having secrets from everyone around them, and it got tiring. I just could not continue to enjoy the characters at that point. They had nothing to give me the reader and they had nothing to give to each other which is always sad when the plot seems so, so good when you read it.

The only thing that was good or wholeheartedly great in this book was the romance for Etta—but even so I don’t need to write about it much here because we really didn’t get that much from it.

"The Shadows can help her.
I brush the memory of Ryder’s plan away as another replaces it.
They help people who can’t help themselves."

In a world where memories are transferred as money, we follow Etta, a 17-year-old girl living in the shadows and trying to keep her secret safe from those around her: she is a “Gifted” labeled as an “Ungifted”, but the catch is that people only see blankness when they look into her mind. Under a corrupt government, the “Gifted” have all of the power. Four years ago, Etta made a deal with Madame (her enemy at the time) and betrayed her allies in order to have a place for her mother to stay in the asylum. Now, with the Auction day upon her, she realizes that her mother is up for auction and all deals between herself and Madame are off. When a person is put up for auction, the memories are put up for sale until the person has nothing left of value and dies. In order to save her mother once again, Etta is forced to confront the people she betrayed to ask for her. But the only way to save her mother is to embark on a mission to save the “Shadows'” leader.

“Gifteds” can transfer memories between people by touch.
“Ungifteds” have no special powers.
“Sifters” can transfer memories without touch.
“Shadows” are the “protectors” of the realm, but are thieves and contribute to a black market of memories.
“Ghosts” give unpleasant memories in order to make people suffer.
“Hunters” take the memories of animals.

The idea of memories being a form of currency is a unique and intriguing idea. It slightly reminds me of the pensieve from Harry Potter. Ryder, Etta’s sidekick reminds me of Rue from The Hunger Games. She is comical, brave, and loyal to a fault. She looks up to Etta as an older sister. I wish we learned a little more about the backstory of the other people in Etta’s life, specifically the ones she has the leather bracelets of.

The one thing I had a hard time with was the instance romance. I thought I missed reading 100 pages all of a sudden. Also, I wish Etta wasn’t as gullible as she is made out to be. She wasn’t exactly the easiest to relate to. With a few tweaks to the story and the pacing, I think this novel has a real chance to be a star since the concept is so gripping.

The Memory Thief was a concept unlike anything else: memories being used as currency in a corrupt government, where the removal of memories can truly change someone’s life. The Memory Thief is a story of loss, grief, lies, deceit, and the ability to forgive oneself for mistakes.