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3.02 AVERAGE
3.02 AVERAGE
This may have been the shortest book I dnf. BUT, I think it needed to be longer. Now you may be thinking, hold on, you didnt finish it and wanted it to be longer? I think it being longer would've made all the difference and possibly kept my attention.
For one, we deal with a very intricate world here, and the idea is strong times ten! But when it comes down to it, the world, plot, and characters feel really underdeveloped. I wasn't even made about the cliched insta-love because this is a book targeted to a lower age range, so I think in some instances those tropes (cringey as they are) can work. But what I did not like was that I never felt attached to Etta, did not root for her or any of the other characters, and the lack of development made the story feel boring. THAT SAID - the writing itself is good. It is the execution that left me disappointed. I was considering giving this 2 stars because yes, there are some good parts, but with the sheer lack of development, I was on the lower side of 1.5. meeehhh
For one, we deal with a very intricate world here, and the idea is strong times ten! But when it comes down to it, the world, plot, and characters feel really underdeveloped. I wasn't even made about the cliched insta-love because this is a book targeted to a lower age range, so I think in some instances those tropes (cringey as they are) can work. But what I did not like was that I never felt attached to Etta, did not root for her or any of the other characters, and the lack of development made the story feel boring. THAT SAID - the writing itself is good. It is the execution that left me disappointed. I was considering giving this 2 stars because yes, there are some good parts, but with the sheer lack of development, I was on the lower side of 1.5. meeehhh
Full review on my blog, Storied Adventures
*I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review!*
I thought this was a great debut for Mansy! It was fun, interesting, had a romance, had adventure, a crazed ruler who needs to be overthrown, and a great ending! I really liked reading about how memories are currency and how Etta has a unique memory gift, even on her world. It’s a bit terrifying to see how a world would be if someone could just touch you and take a memory! They could use it or give it to someone else.
Etta is a very FLAWED heroine. I really liked that. I also loved the forgiveness message in this story. I’m a sucker for those!
*I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review!*
I thought this was a great debut for Mansy! It was fun, interesting, had a romance, had adventure, a crazed ruler who needs to be overthrown, and a great ending! I really liked reading about how memories are currency and how Etta has a unique memory gift, even on her world. It’s a bit terrifying to see how a world would be if someone could just touch you and take a memory! They could use it or give it to someone else.
Etta is a very FLAWED heroine. I really liked that. I also loved the forgiveness message in this story. I’m a sucker for those!
I thought that this book had an interesting premise. Things were twisty and turny, and there were times that I was questioning what was going on, because what if their memories were taken and replaced with others??! WHO DO I TRUST!? Reid was precious, and I adored Etta's relationship with.. oh shoot, I am blanking on her name... Etta's little sister.
The timeline/pacing was a little hard for me to get with. I felt like everything happened in such a short amount of time. But other than that, it was a solid story
The timeline/pacing was a little hard for me to get with. I felt like everything happened in such a short amount of time. But other than that, it was a solid story
Thank you to NetGalley and Blink for my free copy in exchange for an honest review.
What I Did Like:
-The premise is awesome. Imagine a world where memories can be traded, bought, or sold just by touch! What a great idea.
-The maze was pretty cool (although anticlimactic if I’m honest).
-The cover is gorgeous.
Who Should Read This One:
-If you’re a YA reader who likes actions and doesn’t particularly love all the backstories and drama that can sometimes surround YA, this is your book!
My Rating: 2 stars. I wanted to move slower and get more of each character.
For Full Review: https://youtu.be/IBRycKr3SHY
What I Did Like:
-The premise is awesome. Imagine a world where memories can be traded, bought, or sold just by touch! What a great idea.
-The maze was pretty cool (although anticlimactic if I’m honest).
-The cover is gorgeous.
Who Should Read This One:
-If you’re a YA reader who likes actions and doesn’t particularly love all the backstories and drama that can sometimes surround YA, this is your book!
My Rating: 2 stars. I wanted to move slower and get more of each character.
For Full Review: https://youtu.be/IBRycKr3SHY
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
“Better things await me.”
I feel like I should’ve liked The Memory Thief more than I did. The premise was intriguing, and there were some really great themes in here: living for something greater than yourself, for example. Also, the Maze was pretty fascinating- probably my favorite part, as terrible as that sounds, just because of the thought that went into it. However, a few quibbles with this story made it tough to really enjoy it.
-Keeping track of people, places, etc. Although there was a nifty guide, I still found myself trying to remember as I read- okay, who is this person again? what is a Ghost? Even at the end I still had trouble keeping track of the places.
-I didn’t connect with Etta. It might be because she’s so consumed with the past. I felt a lot more connected with Reid, actually, who ended up becoming my favorite character of the whole book.
-The story is really depressing until about halfway-ish when she meets a certain family member. Then the story changes for the better and it has more of an upbeat tone.
Ultimately, I think my issue with this book is not because it’s a bad book- it’s because The Memory Thief never truly engaged me. I didn’t feel for Etta; I wasn’t emotionally invested in her. So should you read this? If you have it available, I’d say go ahead. It might end up becoming one of your favorites. But for me, it just didn’t click.
“Better things await me.”
I feel like I should’ve liked The Memory Thief more than I did. The premise was intriguing, and there were some really great themes in here: living for something greater than yourself, for example. Also, the Maze was pretty fascinating- probably my favorite part, as terrible as that sounds, just because of the thought that went into it. However, a few quibbles with this story made it tough to really enjoy it.
-Keeping track of people, places, etc. Although there was a nifty guide, I still found myself trying to remember as I read- okay, who is this person again? what is a Ghost? Even at the end I still had trouble keeping track of the places.
-I didn’t connect with Etta. It might be because she’s so consumed with the past. I felt a lot more connected with Reid, actually, who ended up becoming my favorite character of the whole book.
-The story is really depressing until about halfway-ish when she meets a certain family member. Then the story changes for the better and it has more of an upbeat tone.
Ultimately, I think my issue with this book is not because it’s a bad book- it’s because The Memory Thief never truly engaged me. I didn’t feel for Etta; I wasn’t emotionally invested in her. So should you read this? If you have it available, I’d say go ahead. It might end up becoming one of your favorites. But for me, it just didn’t click.
a fun read and quite an interesting world. i feel like the end was a bit much in terms of waxing poetic about what etta learnt from this whole thing but it's not unbearable ^^;
i liked that the romance wasn't to overwhelming either but i do feel like everything was resolved rather easily but that's to be expected in a standalone (?) fantasy i guess
recommend if you're looking for something easy to read but still in fantasy sort of mood (?)
i liked that the romance wasn't to overwhelming either but i do feel like everything was resolved rather easily but that's to be expected in a standalone (?) fantasy i guess
recommend if you're looking for something easy to read but still in fantasy sort of mood (?)
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Honestly this book was okay. It felt a little confusing and dragged out at some points, but I enjoyed reading it and the authors note helped me connect with the story a lot more! Definitely an interesting concept and a good novel for a debut.