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diversify_your_shelf 's review for:
The Memory Thief
by Lauren Mansy
*This arc was given to me from Net Galley. Opinions are my own*
TW: people in an asylum, violence, flashbacks
This book was basically everything I look for in a fantasy novel: well thought-out characters, lack of toxic masculinity, a plot that is a metaphor for bigger things, sassy dialogue, and not a lot of main characters dying. One of my favourite quotations is when the protagonist Etta says "Don't make a scene.," and her companion Ryder responds that "Not making a scene is what lead to this" (pg 22). This is such an important issue right now and I think Mansy addressed it wonderfully.
This book was so well-written that the only break I took in reading was to get myself a snack. The visuals are stunning and the power dynamics are so interesting. There is this thread running through the book that you are not your past but you can become a better person from it. However, this is also tied to the idea that you don't have to forgive people that have wronged you-- that it is your choice. Many characters are not what they seem and no one is wholly any one thing which I really appreciate.
For most of the story Etta is plagued with regret but she learns that it is not her fault for reacting to a situation that she did not choose to be in. She frequently has flashbacks and many of them are from four years ago-- when she was fourteen. She blames herself for her actions but the people around her help her realise that she was just a child and was doing what she could within limited options. I am quite passionate about this being a narrative that needs to be seen more often especially relating to childhood trauma.
As you can tell, I was deeply engrossed in this book and would have given it five stars except for one thing: the lack if diversity. This is something that I would not have noticed except that I have actively been looking for diversity when I read to better understand how to be an ally. I read this book very carefully and took notes, but there are no skin colours listed for anyone. While this may seem like it is so people can be interpreted any skin colour, stuff like this ends up being heavily white-washed since our society has been trained to believe that unless otherwise stated (and quite often even when it is stated) that everyone is white. Additionally, I did not notice any characters that were not heterosexual. The book was very nuanced, but it could have benefited from some diversity.
The author could improve her book by including more diverse characters (and being very careful when using terms like Tribes), but overall this is a smashing debut novel and I look forward to seeing what she writes in future!
TW: people in an asylum, violence, flashbacks
This book was basically everything I look for in a fantasy novel: well thought-out characters, lack of toxic masculinity, a plot that is a metaphor for bigger things, sassy dialogue, and not a lot of main characters dying. One of my favourite quotations is when the protagonist Etta says "Don't make a scene.," and her companion Ryder responds that "Not making a scene is what lead to this" (pg 22). This is such an important issue right now and I think Mansy addressed it wonderfully.
This book was so well-written that the only break I took in reading was to get myself a snack. The visuals are stunning and the power dynamics are so interesting. There is this thread running through the book that you are not your past but you can become a better person from it. However, this is also tied to the idea that you don't have to forgive people that have wronged you-- that it is your choice. Many characters are not what they seem and no one is wholly any one thing which I really appreciate.
For most of the story Etta is plagued with regret but she learns that it is not her fault for reacting to a situation that she did not choose to be in. She frequently has flashbacks and many of them are from four years ago-- when she was fourteen. She blames herself for her actions but the people around her help her realise that she was just a child and was doing what she could within limited options. I am quite passionate about this being a narrative that needs to be seen more often especially relating to childhood trauma.
As you can tell, I was deeply engrossed in this book and would have given it five stars except for one thing: the lack if diversity. This is something that I would not have noticed except that I have actively been looking for diversity when I read to better understand how to be an ally. I read this book very carefully and took notes, but there are no skin colours listed for anyone. While this may seem like it is so people can be interpreted any skin colour, stuff like this ends up being heavily white-washed since our society has been trained to believe that unless otherwise stated (and quite often even when it is stated) that everyone is white. Additionally, I did not notice any characters that were not heterosexual. The book was very nuanced, but it could have benefited from some diversity.
The author could improve her book by including more diverse characters (and being very careful when using terms like Tribes), but overall this is a smashing debut novel and I look forward to seeing what she writes in future!