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3.01 AVERAGE
3.01 AVERAGE
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The premise of this book sounded absolutely fascinating - the fact that memory was being used as currency seemed so unique and interesting. Unfortunately though, the book fell utterly flat for me. The timeline seemed so strange and off. It was very confusing as it seemed to jump from time to time and I felt very lost especially in the beginning.
The romance for this book felt so odd as well. It felt forced and not at all realistic. I actually buddy read this and this was an aspect that we both agreed upon because it was probably the most awkward romance in existence. And at first, we hoped that perhaps it was just a slow build but that wasn't the case either. It was just badly done.
I also felt that the world building was extremely confusing as there were multiple scenes when things were introduced but not explained well particularly the scene with the ghost and hunter. And so neither of us knew what was going on nor did we understand the importance of that scene. To be honest, I still don't fully get it.
My other big issue was the fact that there were a lot of random conveniences going on and the fact that things moved way too quickly. For example, there was going to be this huge situation but suddenly, things all worked out so well that this situation was no longer a situation. And so, a book with little conflict or anything was honestly quite boring.
Overall, I was severely disappointed with this book and this book had so much potential with such an unique concept. Unfortunately the characters were a miss, the romance subpar and the plot/world building confusing.
The premise of this book sounded absolutely fascinating - the fact that memory was being used as currency seemed so unique and interesting. Unfortunately though, the book fell utterly flat for me. The timeline seemed so strange and off. It was very confusing as it seemed to jump from time to time and I felt very lost especially in the beginning.
The romance for this book felt so odd as well. It felt forced and not at all realistic. I actually buddy read this and this was an aspect that we both agreed upon because it was probably the most awkward romance in existence. And at first, we hoped that perhaps it was just a slow build but that wasn't the case either. It was just badly done.
I also felt that the world building was extremely confusing as there were multiple scenes when things were introduced but not explained well particularly the scene with the ghost and hunter. And so neither of us knew what was going on nor did we understand the importance of that scene. To be honest, I still don't fully get it.
My other big issue was the fact that there were a lot of random conveniences going on and the fact that things moved way too quickly. For example, there was going to be this huge situation but suddenly, things all worked out so well that this situation was no longer a situation. And so, a book with little conflict or anything was honestly quite boring.
Overall, I was severely disappointed with this book and this book had so much potential with such an unique concept. Unfortunately the characters were a miss, the romance subpar and the plot/world building confusing.
*I received a review copy from Netgalley.*
This book was a big disappointment for me. I was so excited about its premise, and then it got a gorgeous cover, and then I got an arc, and everything seemed so perfect.
And then I started reading it.
I knew from practically the first moment that I disliked the writing, and I continued to dislike it to the end of the book. There's no subtlety here. The book doesn't trust you to get anything on your own. When the author wants you to get a message, the characters straight up say it. They practically turn to the reader and go, "Wow, it's so sad that this person died. However, I will put away my guilt and try to live a happy life anyway, because the only way I can move forward is by devoting myself to a higher purpose, which I learned from this other person just now, which you know because you were there. So, yeah. I'm gonna go do that now."
The plot happened too fast. I often feel that books like this try to rely on the fact you've read other books like it to make its arcs work -- like, you've read generic YA fantasy, so you know that when a girl and a boy go on a dangerous journey into the forest together, they're going to fall in love eventually. So maybe, the author thinks sneakily, this book can just skip the part where we pretend we don't know that, and maybe it doesn't have to put so much work into convincing you that these characters are in love. Except that then its character dynamics becomes flat and boring because there's so little to them. Nothing much original. And no excellent writing to add an animating spark to lifeless, stilted conversations.
I did eventually get into the plot, but it took until about 65% in and I still ended up skimming stilted dialogue because I didn't see the point in boring myself any more.
The magic system has some interest to it, which I would certainly hope given that the memory economy was what drew me to this book. But outside of that, the worldbuilding falls flat. The four realms are basic cookie cutter Fantasy Lands™ that are also weirdly small? Like is Craewick larger than one single city? I can't tell. How large is the maze? It might be the size of a house or the size of a city. Are the forests in between the realms larger than the realms themselves? I think they must be, but who knows! There is so much traveling in this book yet no sense of space! I implore this writer to read [b:The Thief|448873|The Thief (The Queen's Thief, #1)|Megan Whalen Turner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1427740839l/448873._SY75_.jpg|1069505] by Megan Whalen Turner to learn how to do a grounded Fantasy Road Trip where you understand and are rooted in the characters' landscape.
So like... it's fine. It's okay. There's nothing horrible in it besides mediocre writing. I wouldn't warn people away from this book, I'm just not recommending it.
This book was a big disappointment for me. I was so excited about its premise, and then it got a gorgeous cover, and then I got an arc, and everything seemed so perfect.
And then I started reading it.
I knew from practically the first moment that I disliked the writing, and I continued to dislike it to the end of the book. There's no subtlety here. The book doesn't trust you to get anything on your own. When the author wants you to get a message, the characters straight up say it. They practically turn to the reader and go, "Wow, it's so sad that this person died. However, I will put away my guilt and try to live a happy life anyway, because the only way I can move forward is by devoting myself to a higher purpose, which I learned from this other person just now, which you know because you were there. So, yeah. I'm gonna go do that now."
The plot happened too fast. I often feel that books like this try to rely on the fact you've read other books like it to make its arcs work -- like, you've read generic YA fantasy, so you know that when a girl and a boy go on a dangerous journey into the forest together, they're going to fall in love eventually. So maybe, the author thinks sneakily, this book can just skip the part where we pretend we don't know that, and maybe it doesn't have to put so much work into convincing you that these characters are in love. Except that then its character dynamics becomes flat and boring because there's so little to them. Nothing much original. And no excellent writing to add an animating spark to lifeless, stilted conversations.
I did eventually get into the plot, but it took until about 65% in and I still ended up skimming stilted dialogue because I didn't see the point in boring myself any more.
The magic system has some interest to it, which I would certainly hope given that the memory economy was what drew me to this book. But outside of that, the worldbuilding falls flat. The four realms are basic cookie cutter Fantasy Lands™ that are also weirdly small? Like is Craewick larger than one single city? I can't tell. How large is the maze? It might be the size of a house or the size of a city. Are the forests in between the realms larger than the realms themselves? I think they must be, but who knows! There is so much traveling in this book yet no sense of space! I implore this writer to read [b:The Thief|448873|The Thief (The Queen's Thief, #1)|Megan Whalen Turner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1427740839l/448873._SY75_.jpg|1069505] by Megan Whalen Turner to learn how to do a grounded Fantasy Road Trip where you understand and are rooted in the characters' landscape.
So like... it's fine. It's okay. There's nothing horrible in it besides mediocre writing. I wouldn't warn people away from this book, I'm just not recommending it.
3.5 stars.
I got this book in exchange for an honest review through Edelweiss!
This book was... okay. The idea was pretty good, and you can see that the writer but a lot of work into the inner workings of the magic in it, as well as the political aspects of it.
Unfortanely, while the idea of things, such as the twists, and turns, and relationship development were amazing, then felt a little bit flat on delivery.
Etta is supposed to be a fugitive of the rebels, someone who trusts no one and keeps it down low, because life has already hurt her too much. Unfortunately, while Etta tells me again and again that she is broken/struggles to trusts people, her actions point the other way. She is too trusting, too quickly.
The telling, not showing was the main reason I dunked stars from this book. Other than that, I really liked the characters and the world. If the pacing and arc construction were done a little bit better, it would definitely be 5 stars read!
I got this book in exchange for an honest review through Edelweiss!
This book was... okay. The idea was pretty good, and you can see that the writer but a lot of work into the inner workings of the magic in it, as well as the political aspects of it.
Unfortanely, while the idea of things, such as the twists, and turns, and relationship development were amazing, then felt a little bit flat on delivery.
Etta is supposed to be a fugitive of the rebels, someone who trusts no one and keeps it down low, because life has already hurt her too much. Unfortunately, while Etta tells me again and again that she is broken/struggles to trusts people, her actions point the other way. She is too trusting, too quickly.
The telling, not showing was the main reason I dunked stars from this book. Other than that, I really liked the characters and the world. If the pacing and arc construction were done a little bit better, it would definitely be 5 stars read!
*3.5 Stars*
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*
I truly enjoyed this book! It kept me entertained and I enjoyed the concept very much. The idea that memories are basically currency and some people have the ability to steal memories, give memories, etc., was really cool to me. The characters were very likable (except Madame of course, I want to throat punch her.) and I think the author did a great job of character backstories and developement. Man, the plot twists in this book were crazy. I did not see any of the twists coming and I thought they were fantastic. It actually is super hard for books to keep me entertained and I get bored in about 85% of the books I read. This one kept me entertained the entire time. I'm not sure if it's because the book is shorter than most and the author had to make things go quicker, but all I know is that I don't remember being bored one time.
Etta is a fiesty little thing and I'm just drawn to that lol. She has a dark past which... I'm also drawn to for some reason. At first, I didn't really want to like her but she grew on me over time. She has personality and emotion and I think she matured wonderfully as a character. She used the pain of her past to actually help her love again and cherish her family, and that's really beautiful to me.
Reid. Man, I tried to not like him too lol. Of course, he fell in love with Etta over a whopping expanse of four days. If you know me, you know I don't like "insta love", but I didn't mind this romance as much. It was actually very sweet. Reid himself is super mature and loving. He also has a really cool power and was an awesome warrior. In the end, there really wasn't anything to dislike about him.
This story was really cool and to me, really unique. To me, it seemed like the author left a possibility for a book 2? I definitely wouldn't mind reading more from this universe!
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*
I truly enjoyed this book! It kept me entertained and I enjoyed the concept very much. The idea that memories are basically currency and some people have the ability to steal memories, give memories, etc., was really cool to me. The characters were very likable (except Madame of course, I want to throat punch her.) and I think the author did a great job of character backstories and developement. Man, the plot twists in this book were crazy. I did not see any of the twists coming and I thought they were fantastic. It actually is super hard for books to keep me entertained and I get bored in about 85% of the books I read. This one kept me entertained the entire time. I'm not sure if it's because the book is shorter than most and the author had to make things go quicker, but all I know is that I don't remember being bored one time.
Etta is a fiesty little thing and I'm just drawn to that lol. She has a dark past which... I'm also drawn to for some reason. At first, I didn't really want to like her but she grew on me over time. She has personality and emotion and I think she matured wonderfully as a character. She used the pain of her past to actually help her love again and cherish her family, and that's really beautiful to me.
Reid. Man, I tried to not like him too lol. Of course, he fell in love with Etta over a whopping expanse of four days. If you know me, you know I don't like "insta love", but I didn't mind this romance as much. It was actually very sweet. Reid himself is super mature and loving. He also has a really cool power and was an awesome warrior. In the end, there really wasn't anything to dislike about him.
This story was really cool and to me, really unique. To me, it seemed like the author left a possibility for a book 2? I definitely wouldn't mind reading more from this universe!
the memory thief
In the city of Craewick, memories are currency, and those who can steal and share them are elevated above those who cannot. Etta Lark is determined to stay away from the system and it's corrupt leader, Madame, ever since her mother was put in a coma four years ago. But now Etta's mother is at risk again and she must put everything on the line to save her, meanwhile discovering things about herself she never knew and forging bonds she never thought she could have.
The concept of memories in this novel was one of my favourite things about it. In The Memory Thief, those with a Gift can read minds as well as steal memories and give them to others. Bad memories are used as torture methods, and good ones can be sold to those who want to experience the emotions in them. Those with a Gift can steal entire talents such as fighting or drawing from another person. I thought this idea was so unique and I've never seen it done before, so it definitely made the story more intriguing.
Etta is a fierce and brave heroine, haunted by her past and the actions she took. Her character arc was done quite well, as at first we see that she is a good person with a kind heart, but then we discover her darkest secrets. Etta is by no means innocent, and her journey to forgive herself was well explored, as she must come to terms with the things she has done and realise that she has changed for the better.
Reid was a soft, caring boy who was also badass, which I loved. It's obvious that he and Etta will end up together, but I didn't dislike their romance. It reads like a slow burn, despite taking place over the course of a week. Though they didn't actually kiss or anything, it's clear that their relationship is heading there, but it's quite cute and full of fun banter.
I also loved the relationship between Etta and her mother, one I feel isn't represented in YA enough. It was quite heart warming to see Etta's journey with losing and finding and losing different members of her family.
The Memory Thief wasn't without flaws and I did find it to be quite full of clichés. The final battle felt rather anticlimactic and rushed, despite an exciting beginning and middle. So whilst I did enjoy the book, I found it hard to get completely immersed in the storyline which was a bit of a setback for me.
Overall, The Memory Thief was an entertaining read perfect for fans of YA fantasy with memorable characters and world building. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on what Lauren Mansy does next!
In the city of Craewick, memories are currency, and those who can steal and share them are elevated above those who cannot. Etta Lark is determined to stay away from the system and it's corrupt leader, Madame, ever since her mother was put in a coma four years ago. But now Etta's mother is at risk again and she must put everything on the line to save her, meanwhile discovering things about herself she never knew and forging bonds she never thought she could have.
The concept of memories in this novel was one of my favourite things about it. In The Memory Thief, those with a Gift can read minds as well as steal memories and give them to others. Bad memories are used as torture methods, and good ones can be sold to those who want to experience the emotions in them. Those with a Gift can steal entire talents such as fighting or drawing from another person. I thought this idea was so unique and I've never seen it done before, so it definitely made the story more intriguing.
Etta is a fierce and brave heroine, haunted by her past and the actions she took. Her character arc was done quite well, as at first we see that she is a good person with a kind heart, but then we discover her darkest secrets. Etta is by no means innocent, and her journey to forgive herself was well explored, as she must come to terms with the things she has done and realise that she has changed for the better.
Reid was a soft, caring boy who was also badass, which I loved. It's obvious that he and Etta will end up together, but I didn't dislike their romance. It reads like a slow burn, despite taking place over the course of a week. Though they didn't actually kiss or anything, it's clear that their relationship is heading there, but it's quite cute and full of fun banter.
I also loved the relationship between Etta and her mother, one I feel isn't represented in YA enough. It was quite heart warming to see Etta's journey with losing and finding and losing different members of her family.
The Memory Thief wasn't without flaws and I did find it to be quite full of clichés. The final battle felt rather anticlimactic and rushed, despite an exciting beginning and middle. So whilst I did enjoy the book, I found it hard to get completely immersed in the storyline which was a bit of a setback for me.
Overall, The Memory Thief was an entertaining read perfect for fans of YA fantasy with memorable characters and world building. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on what Lauren Mansy does next!
Initial thoughts: the concept was interesting but the pacing was weird and i wasn’t blown away. However, it was still good enough for me to want to finish. Full review to come.