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3.01 AVERAGE
3.01 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Etta lives in a world where memories are bartered like currency. Memories are also used as torture and punishment. Some people, Minders, have the gift to pull memories from a person's head and pass them on to someone else. Some people, Hollows, have traded memories so much there is nothing left of the original person. There are also Sifters, these people can take memories by just looking in another person's eyes.
Etta's mother has been in a coma for four years since the day a Minder took her memories and then put them back too fast. Madame, the ruler Etta has pledged to, has notified her that her mother will be put on the auction block. This means Madame will sell off her mother's memories one by one, an incredibly painful process wich results in death.
The need to save her mother sends Etta to the last people she wants to ask for her. The Shadows are the group she betrayed to get her mother space in the asylum until she wakes up in a coma. The Shadows agree to help save her mother only if she embarks on a very dangerous mission. Etta is unique in that she is unreadable- Sifters and Minders cannot read her memories.
She needs to steal the map to the Maze, a tortorous prison, from the mind of a very twisted man. Reid, a Shadow Sifter, is sent to accompany her on her mission.
The Memory Theif is a wonderful stand-alone young adult fantasy. It is refreshing to get an entire story in one volume. The characters are well developed and real. Some are likeable, and some aren't. The world building is thorough. History relevant to the story is told through memories. These "flashbakcs" work because memories are such an important aspect of the story.
Etta is a strong and independent main character. She has a history that makes her weary of love. Her past regrets impact how she sees herself. The relationships built in the story help to show her that her past can be her biggest asset.
I would recommend The Memory Theif to anyone who is looking for a great YA fantasy without the commitment of an entire series. I also recommend it for people who have made mistakes that they can't get over. There is a little romance, but it stays very G rated.
My content warnings include- death, torture, fighting, and grief.
Etta's mother has been in a coma for four years since the day a Minder took her memories and then put them back too fast. Madame, the ruler Etta has pledged to, has notified her that her mother will be put on the auction block. This means Madame will sell off her mother's memories one by one, an incredibly painful process wich results in death.
The need to save her mother sends Etta to the last people she wants to ask for her. The Shadows are the group she betrayed to get her mother space in the asylum until she wakes up in a coma. The Shadows agree to help save her mother only if she embarks on a very dangerous mission. Etta is unique in that she is unreadable- Sifters and Minders cannot read her memories.
She needs to steal the map to the Maze, a tortorous prison, from the mind of a very twisted man. Reid, a Shadow Sifter, is sent to accompany her on her mission.
The Memory Theif is a wonderful stand-alone young adult fantasy. It is refreshing to get an entire story in one volume. The characters are well developed and real. Some are likeable, and some aren't. The world building is thorough. History relevant to the story is told through memories. These "flashbakcs" work because memories are such an important aspect of the story.
Etta is a strong and independent main character. She has a history that makes her weary of love. Her past regrets impact how she sees herself. The relationships built in the story help to show her that her past can be her biggest asset.
I would recommend The Memory Theif to anyone who is looking for a great YA fantasy without the commitment of an entire series. I also recommend it for people who have made mistakes that they can't get over. There is a little romance, but it stays very G rated.
My content warnings include- death, torture, fighting, and grief.
Content Warnings
Minor: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The concept of the book is really good, just the execution was not the best in my opinion. The storyline felt rushed and you couldn't get to know the characters that much. However, I guess that's usually the case with most standalone books. Might have been a bit better as a duology or trilogy 🤷🏻‍♀️
** review of the audiobook **
The concept and "magic system" of this book is unique and intriguing. However, I felt like it missed the mark in certain regards. Maybe it was that everything felt like an info dump in the beginning or that the realms/places/whatever weren't carved out enough.
As for the characters, I always have a hard time liking female protagonists. Julietta was no different. The typical "I don't need anyone because I don't want to hurt them" kinda one.
The pacing for me was a bit confusing. There were parts in the book where I felt dragged and then others went too quickly.
All of this might have also been a result of the narrator. Perhaps it's because the last audiobooks I listened to were so well done, this narrator made me sad. I was /bored/ listening to her. However, I pushed through.
In the end, it was not a terrible book. It had a lot of potential and is a quick read if you're looking for a fun YA fantasy to read in the car.
3/5 for me
The concept and "magic system" of this book is unique and intriguing. However, I felt like it missed the mark in certain regards. Maybe it was that everything felt like an info dump in the beginning or that the realms/places/whatever weren't carved out enough.
As for the characters, I always have a hard time liking female protagonists. Julietta was no different. The typical "I don't need anyone because I don't want to hurt them" kinda one.
The pacing for me was a bit confusing. There were parts in the book where I felt dragged and then others went too quickly.
All of this might have also been a result of the narrator. Perhaps it's because the last audiobooks I listened to were so well done, this narrator made me sad. I was /bored/ listening to her. However, I pushed through.
In the end, it was not a terrible book. It had a lot of potential and is a quick read if you're looking for a fun YA fantasy to read in the car.
3/5 for me
I feel bad writing a bad review for this because I know it's personal for the author, but I didn't like this and I was disappointed.
The title is a misnomer. Jules, the protagonist, steals ONE memory by accident the entire book. We're told that before the events of the book, she was a memory thief. However, there's little evidence that's actually the case aside from her reminiscing about it. The book should have been called Jules' Forgiveness Tour. It was just her running into someone she feels guilty towards, them forgiving her, rinse and repeat.
Additionally, all of the build-ups were big let downs when the time came for the pay off. For example, trying to steal the map from Porter was a big build-up. I was excited to see how she was going to get the memory from him. I don't want to spoil it, but the way she gets the map is so anticlimactic. The ending of the book is anticlimactic, as well. It's kind of like the author is good at hyping events up, but then gets worried she's written herself into a corner, so there's a Deus ex Machina at EVERY big event waiting to do the work for Jules.
Lastly, the romance felt forced. They've known each other four days, and they've "fallen in love" AND had a big falling out that will "never be forgiven" in that space of time. But she doesn't have a prior history with Reid and he doesn't have one with her. So it's just rushed and kind of unbelievable.
Parts of the book were entertaining, but overall, there were so many missteps, that I couldn't rate this higher than a 2.5. I wouldn't recommend it.
Popsugar reading prompt: A book with the same title as a movie or TV show but that's unrelated
Edit: I’ve since found out that this book was published under a Christian imprint that specializes in “clean books” for teens. I don’t have an issue with this, but I think that explains why literally nothing happens in this book. For a book with a Revolution and with a title character who is a “thief”, we are never shown that Jules steals or hurts people more than a temporary headache. I’m wondering if the author was hampered by the publisher (or maybe it was like this to begin with. I don’t know). Just saying that information explained a lot for me.
The title is a misnomer. Jules, the protagonist, steals ONE memory by accident the entire book. We're told that before the events of the book, she was a memory thief. However, there's little evidence that's actually the case aside from her reminiscing about it. The book should have been called Jules' Forgiveness Tour. It was just her running into someone she feels guilty towards, them forgiving her, rinse and repeat.
Additionally, all of the build-ups were big let downs when the time came for the pay off. For example, trying to steal the map from Porter was a big build-up. I was excited to see how she was going to get the memory from him. I don't want to spoil it, but the way she gets the map is so anticlimactic. The ending of the book is anticlimactic, as well. It's kind of like the author is good at hyping events up, but then gets worried she's written herself into a corner, so there's a Deus ex Machina at EVERY big event waiting to do the work for Jules.
Lastly, the romance felt forced. They've known each other four days, and they've "fallen in love" AND had a big falling out that will "never be forgiven" in that space of time. But she doesn't have a prior history with Reid and he doesn't have one with her. So it's just rushed and kind of unbelievable.
Parts of the book were entertaining, but overall, there were so many missteps, that I couldn't rate this higher than a 2.5. I wouldn't recommend it.
Popsugar reading prompt: A book with the same title as a movie or TV show but that's unrelated
Edit: I’ve since found out that this book was published under a Christian imprint that specializes in “clean books” for teens. I don’t have an issue with this, but I think that explains why literally nothing happens in this book. For a book with a Revolution and with a title character who is a “thief”, we are never shown that Jules steals or hurts people more than a temporary headache. I’m wondering if the author was hampered by the publisher (or maybe it was like this to begin with. I don’t know). Just saying that information explained a lot for me.
adventurous
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I went into this without knowing anything about it. It’s an interesting concept, this could have been a duology or even trilogy. It’s nice that everything is wrapped up in this single book though. I would enjoy a novella to see where the characters are after this ending. Be sure to read the author’s note.
Disjointed, badly edited and too complex. Should have been split into two books.