I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Memory Thief was an okay read. I was way more excited to dive into it before I actually did. Then, I definitely forgot about the book and ya know - diving into it. Luckily for me, I finally realized I was way behind on reading my ARCs. It happens but I'm slowly catching up on those bad boys. 

Back to this book, in it you will meet Etta. I actually really liked her which was surprising. Instantly I was sucked into the whole memory auction. Sounded painful and it look pretty painful as well. Then there was the playful, and very enjoyable, banter between Reid and Etta. Their friendship gave me hope because they were each other's ride or dies basically.

Enter the romance, it was cute. I liked them together but didn't know how things were going to pan out once some secrets It wasn't even like their own secrets because Etta was pretty forthcoming about hers at one point in this book. No, it was EVERYONE's secret - this book had so many. Everyone was hiding the truth at one point which just kept giving me whiplash. 

Whiplash that I enjoyed.

Overall, the ending was kind of meh and was expecting something a bit better. Still enjoyed it though.

So I'm actually embarrassed to say how far I got before giving up on this one. It wasn't far. I received a eARC of this novel and was so excited because the synopsis sounded amazing. Remember that movie where time was a currency? I sort of pictured memories to be like that in this book. While a good idea the writing really let this book down. I'm usually drawn in from the first chapter of a book and I just wasn't here. I pushed through just to see if it would improve but the whole book just seemed..off. The reviews on Goodreads aren't looking too well either with an average rating of about 3.33. I do hope it finds its people though, I am just not one of them.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Memory Thief.

The story follows a girl name Julietta who is known as the memory thief. In her world people trade memories to purchase things or to learn new skills. There are two different ways to retrieve someones memory, by touch and by sight. It depends on your gift which way works for you. Her country is divided up into 4 different realms. The ruler of her realm is cruel and auctions memories of criminals off like a sport. Jules must over come her past and side with people she betrayed to take down the cruel ruler and save her mother. I enjoyed the book, it was a quick read. The writing style was okay. I did notice a couple of word choice errors and spelling which is typical with an advance reader copy. I wish there was more world building. You are thrown into her world without really understanding what is going on and how every thing comes about. Overall, I would recommend this book, however I don't plan on rereading it in the future.

Unable to finish this one. There’s a lot of vocabulary I have zero reference, context, or definitions for. And is not explained well or quickly. Almost as if it’s a sequel. I could’ve maybe powered through if I’d felt any connection with the characters.  Should’ve started with a prologue or something so I was connected to the same things as the MC.

Unfortunately The Memory Thief is going to be DNF for me. I really expected to Iike it more but I mostly just feel confused. I'm having such a hard time getting into it, and investing myself in the characters I've been introduced to so far. The format of the ARC is also very off-putting and makes it difficult to read. A lot of the paragraphs are run ons and it just doesn't flow well as is. Thanks for the opportunity to read it.

Wow, wow, wow. This book sucked me in from the very beginning and the stakes are so high that I couldn't put it down. Mansy created a world very different from our own but one that is easy to jump into and understand. It's easy to fall in love with the characters and understand why they are doing what they are doing. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and cannot wait for everyone else to read it.

In The Memory Thief, we follow the story of fierce Julieta Lark (who goes by Etta at the beginning of the story). She lives in a world where some people have the gift to remove, trade and manipulate human memory. 

Lauren Mansy created a very captivating world with many unique aspects to it. In particular the social divide of the regions being based on professions. She created a unique aspect of superpowers that are normal in the world of Craewick, but still uncommon enough that there is a social divide the gifted and ungifted. 

While Julieta was an interesting character whose main desire was to protect her family she lacked a bit of depth. Oddly enough she was always forgiven for her mistakes and did not have to struggle too hard for it to go her way. There was no real struggle she had to confront. There was also her love interest Reid…who also had no depth. Aside from the annoying instant love their relationship had no depth, it was forced upon the reader and there was no spark to keep it interesting. When he left her to do to an actually very interesting plot twist, I was actually relieved I did not have to deal with their dynamic, but alas…he came back and forgave her for all her mistakes.

The plot also had weird pacing to it, maybe because the whole story happened over four to five days. It was hard to keep track since one moment Julieta is being attacked and then figure out her emotions for a situation and then attacked again. Time was a bit confusing and hard to keep track of through the novel so half the time I was not sure if it was day or night and how far they were in their journey. 

The Memory Thief did have a few interesting twists. Quite a few of them caught me off guard and left me a bit flabbergasted. I especially enjoyed the secondary characters like Ryder and Uncle Felix. I wish we could have seen more of those two.

Overall the novel was enjoyable but not crazy special. It’s a quick easy read if you find yourself bored on a Saturday morning.

I was a bit apprehensive about this book when it started out giving me too many cookie cutter dystopia vibes but I quickly learned this book was not at all a generic dystopia. It ended up being more of a historical fantasy book with romance, grief, family dynamics, political events, adventure, and deep friendship connections.

Etta was a great main character who consistently battled her inner conflicts having to do with her past and self-worth while also dealing with the external conflicts Madame placed on her. The Memory Thief is a great book that manages to pack a lot of character and plot development into a standalone book without being overwhelming or too fast-paced. The secondary characters were all a lot of fun and I love Reid with all my heart. There were some plot twists thrown in that definitely took me for surprise and made the plot even juicier. 

What a great novel, especially for a debut author!

This I felt like had a potential to be so much better than what it is. I think that there just could have been more and was somewhat stereotypical and predictable. 
Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

In Lauren Mansy's The Memory Thief, Etta doesn't want to be memorable; she wants to live a normal life, under the radar. As a Gifted, however, she must be extra diligent to not stand out. Those who are Gifted or Sifters can take the memories of the Gifted and the Ungifted and sell them. There is no need to go skydiving or learn how to sword fight when you can buy the memory of it.  However, memories are an expensive commodity and the price may be more steep than buyers' realize. Etta, in the past, participated in the exchange of memories, stealing thoughts with a touch of her hand. But that was Before--before her life tumbled out of control, leaving her alone. Now, her life is taking another turn: her comatose mother has been selected for the Auction, a painful process in which a person's memories are taken, auctioned off, and then the person is killed. To save her mother, she must confront her past--her own memories, and seek the help of those she had once betrayed.
Mansy creates a fascinating world in the midst of a political power struggle and a nation under the tyrannical rule of Madame. The tension between realms thickens, plots unfold, and threads of fate tangle. Told in Etta's first person narrative, Mansy utilizes flashbacks--Etta's memories, to provide context and to create parallels with the present, which I thought was quite clever. The plot is engrossing and includes several twists. I was delighted by each unexpected connection, and I tore through this novel in one sitting. However, the last third or so of the novel was rushed and seemed to jump around a little too much. I had to reread several parts to help clarify what was going on.
The Memory Thief is an ambitious novel, and I love the idea of it. I think Mansy could have expanded it into a duology, adding more background and detail. However,  I tend to like novels that really delve into worldbuilding, and I don't mind when the pace slows down due to an infodump. I also really loved the glossary in the back, which explained many of the terms Mansy used.
Overall I give it 3.5/5 stars.
Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy.

Can't give a review for this book beacuse the copy I recieved was messed up. I was excited to read the book and love the cover. Will just have to check it out when its published.

Unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me.  Our main character, Etta Lark was pretty annoying.  Without giving major plot away, she has NO LOYALTY.  She's upset and guilty about her Mom being sick, and every time someone offers to help her, she acts all "oh no, I shouldn't accept the offer", then goes to the opposite end of the spectrum and walks all over everyone.  

In addition, every person in her life was 'that important person'.  What I mean by that is, every character had meaning,  No one was there to just add to the story.  I hate that.  Not every person you meet is the lynchpin in the process.  It got really annoying, right up to the end.

Couldn't get into this one. While the premise is interesting -- it just fell flat. The beginning was confusing, I felt like there was a lot of information thrown at me in just a few pages. But all of that quickly got sorted out,   Still, it just wasn't my cup of tea.


.

This book was not what I was expecting, but even better. It reminded me of The Hunger Games but with magic? It was absolutely fantastic. I liked the fact that certain people could look through someone else’s memories just by touching them. The magic in this world was so unique and it wasn’t like any magic system I’ve ever read about before. The writing of this book was excellent and I really enjoyed Lauren’s writing style. I found Etta to be a very likable main character. I was rooting for her the entire book. She was such a powerful female character that girls can look to. 
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to other people.

The overall readability of this book is good--I finished it quickly, it kept my attention. The cover is gorgeous. The idea behind it is new and interesting. 

However, it just wasn't executed well enough to be the book it deserved to be.

I was a little lost in the beginning, intrigued by the middle, and just sort of meh by the end.

The whole premise of the memory thing--being Gifted or Ungifted--didn't really make sense to me. As the book went on, I kind of wrapped my head around it, but I don't think I had a solid enough grasp on it and the world Mansy created to really appreciate it.

While it's written in present tense, first person, Julietta is constantly recounting things that happened previously, whether in the past four years or earlier that morning. It overshadows what's happening then and there and really put me off. I can appreciate when looking into the past is helpful towards the story, especially one like this that deals with memories, but it was so constant it didn't work for me. 

Julietta and Reid's connection was a little predictable and happened a little too quickly for my liking, but I liked them together for the most part. 

I will say that there were a few twists in the middle of the book that I didn't expect and I think that's really what kept me reading. But, the pacing was too quick and everything happened too easily for my liking.

Overall, it was an interesting concept, but didn't pull enough punches to really get me to like it.

A heart-pounding journey of good vs evil, The Memory Thief follows Etta, a young girl desperate to save her comatose mother's memories from being sold. With an original plot and unforgettable characters, this novel starts off with a bang that sadly starts to drag towards the middle. However, I would definitely recommend this novel for anyone interested in an original ya plot.

A special thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

My feedback here is late to the party.  I enjoyed this book, but it was relatively forgettable.  I'd recommend it to others as a quick read.

First I feel the cover of this book needs a little praise. It's so simple and so intriguing it. I'm not going to lie it is totally what drew me to read it. It tells enough without giving anything really away. If the cover of the book has had time taken on it's design I feel that the story will reflect the effort.

Now, beginning to end I couldn't put this down. There were a few moments where it could be predictable, but I feel as though they weren't completely obvious. I also found that there were many twists and turns that caught me by surprise. The writing was well and had a good even pace, I didn't find myself scanning the pages. The world building was detailed and enthralled me. I really enjoyed the uniqueness that came along with a story like this. I most importantly would love to read more. Our main characters are completely relatable in their personality and the dynamics. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!

Fascinating and innovative concept, and a really strong cast of characters. I can definitely see how Lauren Mansy will be an author to watch as she gets more experience under her belt. Plot line did feel somewhat rushed and inorganic at times, and I think this world/ story was definitely more suited to being a series than a standalone, but nevertheless the read was a quick and enjoyable one.

The Memory Thief by Lauren Mansy:

	“In the city of Craewick, memories reign. The power-obsessed ruler of the city, Madame, has cultivated a society in which memories are currency, citizens are divided by ability, and Gifted individuals can take memories from others through touch as they please.
	Seventeen-year-old Etta Lark is desperate to live outside of the corrupt culture, but grapples with the guilt of an accident that has left her mother bedridden in the city's asylum. When Madame threatens to put her mother up for auction, a Craewick practice in which a "criminal's" memories are sold to the highest bidder before being killed, Etta will do whatever it takes to save her. Even if it means rejoining the Shadows, the rebel group she swore off in the wake of the accident years earlier.
	To prove her allegiance to the Shadows and rescue her mother, Etta must steal a memorized map of the Maze, a formidable prison created by the bloodthirsty ruler of a neighboring Realm. So she sets out on a journey in which she faces startling attacks, unexpected romance, and, above all, her own past in order to set things right in her world.”

“We must live for something higher than ourselves.”
★★☆☆☆

	To be honest this book seemed with a lot of potential, the story began strong, but sadly started to fade as the story continued. Even when the plot was super original for me it sins felt like something new.
	The main character is feeling guilty during the whole story and that made it irritating. She was always feeling terrible with herself and had the cliche guy that told her that she was amazing, etc, etc. and she kept feeling guilt and attached to her past mistakes.
	The plot in general was really flat, even when it had action scenes it didn’t made it interesting of hooked to it. The author wanted to create suspense at the end of every chapter but still with the flat plot they didn’t wowed me.
	There were twists in the story but they felt unnecessary in the way they were written. In my opinion the book had a lot of potential but the voice wasn’t the correct one, making the book feel heavy and slow.
	To be honest I didn’t liked the book, not because of the story but the details that should be there and weren’t or they were but didn’t added anything to the plot. The characters felt annoying after a while.