Reviews

The Memory Thief by Jodi Lynn Anderson

lisa_serenitynow's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

smorrison4's review against another edition

fast-paced

4.0

 I loved the ending of this part of the story, Rosie and Germ are awesome together, I love that their relationship grew with them and Rosie was able to make space for new people. Looking forward to reading book #2 right away, can't wait to see what they get into next. 

raccoonsinatrenchcoat's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

smiley7245's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

This was an interesting take on how evil is spread in the world; that the Moon is the creator of all good things and that there are 13 witches who are her opposite, they sow chaos, death, and destruction; basically all bad comes from these 13 witches. One of the 13 has already been destroyed so there are 12 left at the beginning of the story, but nobody knows how that witch was destroyed. The story starts with The Memory Thief showing up at a hospital and taking a baby, a boy, from Annabelle Oaks, she also takes all of her memories. But, Rosie was a quiet baby and the witch didn't know about her so she wasn't taken and she survived. But Annabelle was a terrible mother and it's literally never explained how Rosie survived as an infant because Annabelle was barely able to function, so that part doesn't make a lot of sense. Anyway, fast forward 11 years. Rosie is now 11 and raising herself and making sure her mom is fine. She has a best friend, Germ, who is better than the boys at everything (Germ is a nickname, a mean girl called her that and she embraced it and it stuck). This book does a great job of addressing how kids change as they grow up and the insecurity they face, particularly when it comes to wondering if your best friend isn't going to be your best friend anymore because you start developing new interests and drifting apart. That stood out the most to me from this book. Yes, it was a fun fantasy adventure. Yes, Rosie was able to help one of the Ghosts' haunting her house finish his unfinished business and cross over to the Beyond, yes Rosie was able to figure out her witch weapon and defeat the Memory Thief thus returning her mom's (and everyone else's) memories, but the friendship and the way friendship changes as you change was really at the core of this story. This sets up beautifully for a second book. And truly, it sets up beautifully to be a long series; like 11 more books, one for each remaining witch. I very much enjoyed this and am looking forward to the next one.

wicked_stardust's review

adventurous hopeful lighthearted mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

It was nice, but obviously I'm not the target audience and I almost feel like its knit-picky to say I had some issues with the writing. Yes, this book is for tweens/kids but I feel like the author has a few words that she can't help but use over and over (which was a little annoying once you catch on). There were some parts of the story that felt perfectly timed, and others where I felt like the author was just rushing through to the end. And, a few "McGuffins", but it's a kids' book, so can I really complain? I'll read the second in the series, and will probably pick up the third book once it exists. 

akstephenson14's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

priya_sankaran05's review against another edition

4.0

Entertaining read…

aprilthelibrarian's review against another edition

3.0

My biggest pet peeve about this book is that the best friend goes by Germ.

rknuttel's review against another edition

4.0

This was a SUPER FUN middle grade fantasy series starter. I can see kids LOVING this one. I really enjoyed it! It was an excellent mix of just a bit spooky, action packed, and mysterious. Very compelling and well paced. And of course I am a sucker for anything that praises the power of a good story. I adore the connection between Rosie and Germ, and that Germ got to go along for the ride because she and Rosie loved each other so much (even though she didn't have any powers). I'll read the next one for sure!

yapha's review against another edition

4.0

This is a great start to a new fantasy trilogy! Rosie doesn't know that she comes from a long line of witch hunters because a witch cursed her mother the night Rosie was born, and she wasn't able to tell her. There are 13 witches intent on destroying the world. The Memory Thief is the one who stole all of Rosie's mother's memories, leaving her a shell of her former self. When Rosie learns all of this, she sets out to avenge her mother and get her memories back. As her world becomes clearer, so does Rosie's determination. Recommended for grades 4 & up.

eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss