In a Nutshell: This could have been outstanding. It went pretty well till the 80% mark. Then it just lost its way. Really disappointed.

Story Synopsis:
Eighteen-year-old Adelaide has spent her entire life in a basement room. Her only contact with the outside world is through Fawn, who, though just two years older than Adelaide, acts as a mother figure. An evil stepmother kind of mother, that is. The reason for the seclusion is that Adelaide is a Memory Jumper – a person with an innate ability to alter/create/destroy a person’s memories – but Memory Jumping is outlawed in their kingdom. To make a living, Fawn sells Memory Jumping services (through Adelaide) in the black market.
When a young inventor named Mason stumbles into her life, Adelaide realises how much she has missed in her life. Around the same time, a potentially high profile client comes into their contact, making some dangerous demands. These two events force Adelaide to wonder if she has made the right life choice by succumbing to Fawn’s demands.
The story comes to us in the first person perspective mostly of Adelaide, with a few chapters coming from the point of view of another key character.

I confess, even until the 75% mark, I was wondering why this book had such an abysmal rating on Goodreads. While it wouldn’t ever have been a 5 star for me, it was still safely within the 3.75-4 star zone. And then the finale hit me like a car coming out of nowhere. Sheesh.

Where the book worked for me:
😍 It is very quick-paced. I could complete this within about 3 hours.
😍 The concept is quite imaginative. I loved the intricate detailing of the memory world. Every detail related to memory jumping was amazing.
😍 The dynamic between Adelaide and Fawn makes for an interesting and unusual relationship. Fawn makes for a creepy villain, changing colours even faster than a chameleon and leaving us as confused as Adelaide. Seeing Fawn’s perspective in the novel would have been wonderful as the existing version lets us feel like we just don’t get to know her reasons.
😍 There are some random facts sprinkled throughout the story. Some are actual facts from Adelaide’s book of facts, and some are facts from Adelaide’s perspective. Both were fun to read and added much value to the plot.

Where the book created mixed feelings in me:
😑 The plot spotlights mental health issues, domestic abuse, and gaslighting. I realised this only when I read the author’s note. That’s not a good sign, is it? That said, it does do justice to the mental abuse and gaslighting themes.
😑 It covers a vague fantastical world that seems simultaneously historical (monarchy, castles, market fairs) and futuristic (amazing inventions, teleporting, communicators). The balance could have been chaotic, but it works okay for this story. However, I would have preferred a better and clearer world building, especially in terms of era.
😑 This is supposed to be a retelling of “Rapunzel”. While there are shades of the fairy tale, the connection is a bit farfetched. If I hadn’t seen this point mentioned in the blurb, I wouldn’t have thought of Rapunzel at all, despite the reference to Adelaide’s hair.
😑 The characters are somewhat flat while still being interesting. Except for Fawn, the rest of the characters are more-or-less unidimensional. Adelaide’s character has many inconsistencies.

Where the book could have worked better for me:
😟 The plot proceeded smoothly until the 80% mark. After that point though, it goes all over the place. The finale is rushed and sporadic , looking almost like a desperate scramble to provide a neat finish balanced with a lot of drama and self-discovery. The hasty epilogue coming from the perspective of a relatively minor character spoiled whatever little good memories I had of the main story.
😟 Mason’s actual identity should have come as a surprise. But the way the plot is written, the moment he reveals his name in his first interaction with Adelaide, we know who he is. Such a wasted chance to create more intrigue!
😟 There are so many things left unexplained. The story is set in a fictional country that is supposedly a future version of “America” after some coup. But what happened? How did “America” turn into “Frelsi”? What was the exact reason for Fawn to end up taking care (and subsequently, a pseudo-ownership) of Adelaide? Why didn’t Fawn earlier do what she revealed that she could do in the climax? Why did Buddy and Perkins suddenly turn antagonistic you-know-where-if-you-have-read-the-book? I could go on and on with questions that I had expected to be resolved by the end.

There’s no doubt that the author has potential. A little more plot finishing and a lot more character development and world-building will hopefully work wonders in her second attempt. In the meantime, this might work for older middle-graders/young adults who want to try out a low fantasy story and will accept things without asking too many questions.

2 stars.

My thanks to Lost Island Press, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Memory Jumper”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

🧠 The Memory Jumper🏺

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An ARC review? On a Saturday? Only if you’re reviewing a book from an indie publisher! This one is coming to you from @lostislandpress , a small publisher specializing in dark YA novels. This book is DEFINITELY that because it opens up a conversation on domestic abuse and gaslighting through a futuristic Rapunzel retelling.

Synopsis: Adelaide is a Memory Jumper, a person with the ability to go in someone’s memories and destroy, edit, or create them, living underground because her kind are illegal in Frelsi. Her adoptive mother, Fawn, sells her services to anyone wanting their memories adjusted and never lets her see the outside world. One day, Adelaide is finally allowed outside and meets a boy who causes her to question her loyalty to Fawn. Before long, Adelaide is tied up in a job that could upend the fate of her country and will force her to decide how far she is will go with her Memory Jumping abilities to satisfy Fawn.

This is a really neat take on the Rapunzel fairytale that leaves room for more exploration into the world and Memory Jumping. The description of navigating a person’s memories is compelling and has limitless possibilities for plot development. Adelaide’s narrative voice reads a little juvenile for an 18-year-old, but makes sense considering her complete isolation and the amount of gaslighting she endures from Fawn. I hope that there will be a sequel or a companion novel to this one because the few chapters from Colette’s perspective set up an interesting political landscape where Memory Jumping is simultaneously illegal, but also very much weaponized to gain power, and I really think this could set up a dark, mature series. Also, I have a lot of questions about Adelaide’s past that did not get explained and I’m wondering if this was deliberately withheld 🤷‍♀️

Anyway, go check this book out if you’re looking for a nontraditional YA fantasy/dystopian read. It is out today on most online book retailers in ebook, hardcover, and paperback.

Many thanks to @lostislandpress and @netgalley for making this ARC available to me! All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this review is not sponsored.

This was a different kind of read for me. It wasn't really my style of reading but I still liked it the writing was good it was just not for me

Title: The Memory Jumper
Series: -
Author: Amanda Michelle Brown
Genre: YA
Length: 292 pages
Platform: Netgalley

World Building: The world described is a semi dystopian world where memory jumpers are illegal. The world is described well in the eyes of the main character.

Characters: The book was told by the perspective of one character. There were four other main characters in the book as well.

Plot: The story moved at a good pace.

The story was an interesting one.

Spice: 0/5
Rating: 🌕🌕🌕 3/5

Finished Reading: October 2022

*This book was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a review. *

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Memory Jumper had a really intriguing concept but the execution left a lot to be desired. For me, the characterisation was way too flat to be able to get invested in their journies and because of that, the plot lacked tension. I'm sure it'll be a great read for many people, it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lost Island Press for the ARC!

This was a good debut novel and I enjoyed reading it. I thought it had a great concept and compelling plot, and isn't afraid to explore darker concerpts. The characters did feel a little one-dimensional and thin but I thought the author was pretty ambitious in what she wanted to do, and for a palette cleanser this was a solid read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lost Island Press for the advance reader copy.

Such a brilliant concept. A futuristic retelling of Rapunzel, who can jump into people's memories and alter or erase them. Started out really strong with a cast of interesting characters but was let down by a lack of depth in both the characters and the world building. The ending also felt a bit rushed which was a shame because I really was enjoying the story. Overall a quick, enjoyable read but just fell a bit flat.

For a debut novel, I really enjoyed the premise of this book and the style of writing suited the perspective of our protagonist. Saying that. I did feel that the plot and character lacked a little bit of depth, feeling one-dimensional at times. I would have liked to see more world-building and a deeper exploration into Memory Jumping and the magic system. However, the theme of abuse and the relationship between Adelaide and Fawn was navigated very successfully.

Adelaide is a Memory Jumper. She can alter and erase memories. Memory Jumpers have been outlawed. Adelaide has been in hiding with Fawn, who is her abusive caretaker. Fawn uses Adelaide's abilities to make money, and keeps Adelaide sequestered in their underground bunker. One day they get a client who can change the course of their whole life, but Adelaide has other plans.
Wow. This book is heavy for YA, but it is so good. My heart breaks for Adelaide for having to deal with Fawn's all-around abuse. The author did a fantastic job dealing with mental health and the toll that abusive relationships have on the psyche. The story also deals with the ethics of memory manipulation and the guilt that Adelaide feels because she is forced to do it on sometimes unwilling clients. Adelaide is such a ray of sunshine when she's left to her own devices, and her friends amplify that. This story was so immersive for me that my mood changed every time Fawn made an appearance. I even got some Yellow Wallpaper vibes toward the end. That is powerful writing.
Overall, I recommend this novel if you like psychological thrillers or dystopian fiction. Be aware that there are trigger warnings of mental and physical abuse.

The premise of this book was really interesting to me, and I thought it started out pretty strong. However, the ending felt a little rushed, and I wonder if some of the main action of the story could be moved up a bit in the narrative to get things moving a little more quickly. Otherwise, I just wish we got a little bit more detail in terms of the worldbuilding and exposition. As I already mentioned I thought the premise was really strong, I just wish the book gave more of a chance to really understand the parameters of the world; and there were certain questions about the characters' backgrounds that I didn't feel were really explored to their true potential. Overall though I think this would be a really good read for kids around middle school age!

A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and NetGalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely loved it!

My grandaughter and I both read this book as part of a mini book club activity. I think that she liked it a bit more than me. I found it all a bit confusing (maybe that was just me) and would have liked a bit more depth to the characters and setting. My grandaughter said that it was the sort of thing she likes to read on holiday.

Actually I didn't like The Memory Jumper. Don't get me wrong it had a lot of potential. But I couldn't connect with the characters, it didn't had a lot of world building for my taste. Adelaide was not memorable as a protagonist and sometimes I got really confused with her.

The Memory Jumper is a young-adult, future dystopian novel inspired by the fairy tale story of Rapunzel. It has an interesting concept, and I liked the overall story arc, but most other elements of the novel- namely the world-building and writing style- ultimately fell flat for me. The strength of this story lies in Adelaide's personal growth in recognizing the type of emotional and physical abuse she is experiencing from her guardian Fawn, and I appreciate the mental health resources included at the end. I also liked the concept of the Memory Jumper in this world, and the way Adelaide visualizes and navigates within a person's subconscious. I wish we had a little more exploration in this area, especially once we learn that there are still other memory jumpers operating out there who have had more experience and training.
My biggest critique is the worldbuilding. We are told that this is a future dystopian America that now has a Monarchy government- but we get little to no explanation as to what lead to this world and how this society seems to have regressed in social and political structures, but maintained some technological innovation and advancement. There are also tons of references to contemporary items, stories, food, language references, etc, that just adds to the vague world building- we are told this is the future but very little has actually changed (apart from teleporters)? We also get some worldbuilding details that leave a strong impression- and then end up having no impact to the larger story- such as the declaration from the King that people must wear neutral color clothing, and then nothing happens with that information. We have no rebellious group known for an identifying color, or consequences for Adelaide wearing colors when she leaves her home, etc.
I also struggled with the portrayal of Fawn as a villain. She is shown to be very abusive, manipulative, and self-serving, but I felt like we never had any explanation as to why. She has almost no backstory. And her big character reveal at the end really felt like it came out of nowhere and serves very little purpose. Some of this lack of information may be because Adelaide herself literally does not know, but it results in a very flat character that I never feel invested in.

The Memory Jumper is a futuristic, dystopian(?) retelling of the fairy tale Rapunzel. Going in, I wasn't even aware of the retelling, but thought that the story sounded familiar. I've read a few fairy tale retellings and have found that they aren't really my cup of tea because the ones I've read haven't been done that well. I had such high hopes when I started this one. It hooked me from the beginning and gave me Inception (movie) and Cinder (book) vibes. (Both of which I loved.) The story was very interesting and I couldn't put it down. Overall I enjoyed the book but there were a few things that really took away from the story for me.

First, I wish that there was more world building. The story is set in a futuristic post-America that also sounds dystopian and underdeveloped. The county is under monarch rule and appeared to have backtracked a few decades socially. However, there were a lot of technology advances that made it feel more futuristic. Due to the lack of detailed world building; however, I couldn't really imagine a setting. I just decided to picture the world from Disney's Descendants.

There were also a few plot holes that kind if bugged me:

1. Adelaide and Mason spent a hand full of days together and all of a sudden they were in love. This is on brand with typical, old school fairy tales, but I would have loved to see more relationship building for them, especially since Adelaide has been kept from the world her entire life. I didn't feel any chemistry apart from them being friends, so Mason telling Adelaide he was in love with her seemed to come out of left field.

2. Adam's story line after being revived was almost nonexistent. It seemed so odd that Queen Collette didn't include more about him in the epilogue. Speaking of the epilogue, Queen Collette mentions that she was able to meet her firstborn son for the first time. This was really confusing as Adam was her first born son and it seemed like she had many years with him before his brain damage. I was pretty sure that Mason was the son that was given up at birth. I actually went back to re-read Queen Collette's first chapter to make sure I was remembering correctly. I think this might have been an oversight, but it kind of takes away from the ending (which already felt a bit rushed).

3. It seemed odd for the epilogue to come from Queen Collette's POV when the book wasn't about her. I would have liked to see more about how Mason remembered Adelaide.

4. I felt like there was more backstory from Fawn that was missing. How did Adelaide really end up in her care? I found myself looking for more at the end that would have told us this since it seemed that Fawn's revelation (that didn't really tell us the full story) was a lie. What happened to her for her to end up so cruel?

I'm hoping that there will be a sequel for this book that gives us a few things:
1. More world building
2. More detail into Adelaide's background and how she ended up with Fawn
3. More detail surrounding how Mason was able to remember Adelaide

Thank you to Lost Island Press and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Memory Jumpers are people born with the ability to jump into people's memories and alter, edit, or erase the them entirely. They are also illegal, and most of them have been massacred.

This is a post-America futuristic retelling of Disney's Rapunzel. Only she is sequestered in a basement instead of a tower, and the two big bald guys are friendly.

I found it to be very fluffy easy reading without too many details. I can see myself having liked it as a teen, but it probably wouldn't have had any lasting impact. Kind of bland, and I wish the author would have taken time to explain her characters back stories and motives for their behavior. I think it's a shame because there was a great story idea that didn't quite play out to its potential.

I did happen to especially like the angle for getting out of domestic violence situations and recognizing that you maybe unintentionally be sitting to an abuser. These are important topics to be included in books written for teens for the reasoning of getting out of, and for guarding against getting into abusive relationships.

Thank you to Lotis Land Press for sending a free digital ARC for this book through Netgalley for review

Rating: 4/5
I was gifted this book for my honest review.

I went into this book not really knowing what to expect and I am so happy that I did that because after I finished the book, I saw on goodreads that the rating was so low.

This book is for anyone who likes to read books with references to fairy tales but also know that it's more of a darker concept of a retelling, there is romance, and fantasy all wrapped up in an amazing tale.

The MC is Adelaide and she has the ability to memory jump into people's memories and take memories away or change them around. This poor girl goes through so much in her short life, she has been hidden away from the outside world to protect her from being killed. However, the woman that has been in her life since she was little is nothing more than a villain. Fawn is a manipulating, abusive, narcissistic cow.

Adelaide finds out that everything she has ever known is all a lie when she meets Mason, and he helps her discover her own self-worth.

During this book I had a lot of emotions from anger to sadness, joy and heartbreak. I loved the plot of the book, but I do wish that we could have gotten more information about Adelaide pass like her parents and why memory jumpers are forbidden, maybe our author Brown will give us another book and have all those details.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves retellings and is okay if it's on the dark and twisted side of retellings.

I want to thank NetGalley & Lost Island Press for giving me this ARC for my honest review.

Fawns character was written very well. I wish the author could have kept that up woth the others. The other characters were very one dimensional.

The concept of this book was very creative but sadly did not keep my attention for too long.

I also do not like books that contain more then one POV even if it's not often. I find that these types of books disrupt the flow of what I am reading. Had.i know this book was told in more then 1 POV, I would have not read it.

loved the concept of this book but didn't enjoy reading it. I just never connected with the characters. Additionally, the plot needs editing to smooth out tge rough edges .

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. This is my honest review.

I'm not sure about this one; it seems to jump all around the place. I also wasn't too drawn to any of the characters, and found the mythology confusing. Great premise, but maybe needed some more work on the execution!