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A review by lillyrb
The Memory Thief by Lauren Mansy
3.0
I have very mixed feelings about this book. It was definitely a fun quick read, I finished it in one sitting but that's just about it. It's fun, not more. The idea, the whole concept of the novel is amazing but the execution is only meh.
First off, I could not connect with Etta. She just seems flat? Although she is not supposed to be flat, her decisions and the way she acts just seem so disconnected to me.
Secondly, the romance? It all happens way too fast. The romance could have really pushed the novel forward but everything seems so rushed and ridiculous! The whole connection is so far fetched. Reid is way too interested from the beginning on and Etta doesn't even properly develop feelings. THEY DON'T KNOW EACH OTHER! The romance is so unrealistic. And Penn being Reid's brother? Just overdone.
Then, honestly, the whole thing with her mom being the daughter of Porter? Too much. It is all just too much. The heist idea, trying to free her dad reminded me of Six of Crows and, if well executed, could have been a major plot! Instead, dissolve the whole issue and suddenly make him the perfect grandfather with a perfect army to come and help and the maze is actually a good place now? Simply too much for my taste.
Also, the whole ending seems unrealistic. The 'fighting' scene? I seriously laughed because it felt so unrealistic.
As I already said, the book is definitely readable. It's fun and a good book for wasting time but there are so many better books out there. Overall it just seemed to me as if the author tried to fit too many ideas into 300 pages and because that is so little time (!!!) everyhing was just either rushed, overdone or not logical.
First off, I could not connect with Etta. She just seems flat? Although she is not supposed to be flat, her decisions and the way she acts just seem so disconnected to me.
Secondly, the romance? It all happens way too fast. The romance could have really pushed the novel forward but everything seems so rushed and ridiculous! The whole connection is so far fetched. Reid is way too interested from the beginning on and Etta doesn't even properly develop feelings. THEY DON'T KNOW EACH OTHER! The romance is so unrealistic. And Penn being Reid's brother? Just overdone.
Then, honestly, the whole thing with her mom being the daughter of Porter? Too much. It is all just too much. The heist idea, trying to free her dad reminded me of Six of Crows and, if well executed, could have been a major plot! Instead, dissolve the whole issue and suddenly make him the perfect grandfather with a perfect army to come and help and the maze is actually a good place now? Simply too much for my taste.
Also, the whole ending seems unrealistic. The 'fighting' scene? I seriously laughed because it felt so unrealistic.
As I already said, the book is definitely readable. It's fun and a good book for wasting time but there are so many better books out there. Overall it just seemed to me as if the author tried to fit too many ideas into 300 pages and because that is so little time (!!!) everyhing was just either rushed, overdone or not logical.