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A review by ellemnope
The Memory Thief by Lauren Mansy
3.0
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
3.5 stars
The Memory Thief by Lauren Mansy is a good freshman YA fantasy novel. It is based in a fairly well described society which is ruled by four Sifter leaders, of which Madame is the strongest. She rules viciously in a land where memories are currency to be bought, sold, and stolen.
Etta has made a deal with Madame that was meant to keep her mother safe. But Madame, it seems, is not going to keep her word. Upon notice that her mother is to be "auctioned" in a few days' time, Etta sets out to rejoin the Shadows and rescue her mother from the evil Sifter.
Mansy has some clear writing talent and the premise for this novel was interesting and fairly well constructed. The characters overall fell slightly flatter than I would have liked, but there was a decent development in Etta and maybe a hint beginning in Reid. Though no sequel is currently indicated, the writing for these characters did feel a bit like the typical "setup" novel for a fantasy trilogy.
The world building in this novel is decent and there is the creation of some atmospheric setting. The construction is coherent and mostly simple, while still staying unique and interesting. However, there is some info dumping in the beginning that creates a bit of confusion. The different "occupations" and sectors of the public got a little muddled for me and I had to slowly weed out the details of who was who and what powers were given to what factions.
I enjoy the fact that there is a fantastic setup for an unreliable narrator in this plot. When your memories can be taken, altered, or replaced/erased, how do you know what is real? This fact wasn't used to it's fullest, but it was definitely exploited to a degree...which I appreciated.
The ending was a bit of a whirlwind. The battle felt a little short compared to all the buildup. It wasn't bad, but somehow felt underwhelming. There also exists an epilogue, which does close up a few important matters, but still felt different from the writing in the rest of the book.
Overall, this was a good read and I liked the world that it was set in. It would make good sense for there to be a sequel to this book, but as a standalone it still lines up pretty okay. A stronger ending would have really helped it out, but I was still mostly content with what took place in the pages.
3.5 stars
The Memory Thief by Lauren Mansy is a good freshman YA fantasy novel. It is based in a fairly well described society which is ruled by four Sifter leaders, of which Madame is the strongest. She rules viciously in a land where memories are currency to be bought, sold, and stolen.
Etta has made a deal with Madame that was meant to keep her mother safe. But Madame, it seems, is not going to keep her word. Upon notice that her mother is to be "auctioned" in a few days' time, Etta sets out to rejoin the Shadows and rescue her mother from the evil Sifter.
Mansy has some clear writing talent and the premise for this novel was interesting and fairly well constructed. The characters overall fell slightly flatter than I would have liked, but there was a decent development in Etta and maybe a hint beginning in Reid. Though no sequel is currently indicated, the writing for these characters did feel a bit like the typical "setup" novel for a fantasy trilogy.
The world building in this novel is decent and there is the creation of some atmospheric setting. The construction is coherent and mostly simple, while still staying unique and interesting. However, there is some info dumping in the beginning that creates a bit of confusion. The different "occupations" and sectors of the public got a little muddled for me and I had to slowly weed out the details of who was who and what powers were given to what factions.
I enjoy the fact that there is a fantastic setup for an unreliable narrator in this plot. When your memories can be taken, altered, or replaced/erased, how do you know what is real? This fact wasn't used to it's fullest, but it was definitely exploited to a degree...which I appreciated.
The ending was a bit of a whirlwind. The battle felt a little short compared to all the buildup. It wasn't bad, but somehow felt underwhelming. There also exists an epilogue, which does close up a few important matters, but still felt different from the writing in the rest of the book.
Overall, this was a good read and I liked the world that it was set in. It would make good sense for there to be a sequel to this book, but as a standalone it still lines up pretty okay. A stronger ending would have really helped it out, but I was still mostly content with what took place in the pages.