The Memory Thief

Books | Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Historical

3.1

(152)

Lauren Mansy

This thrilling YA fantasy debut follows seventeen-year-old Etta Lark as she navigates the underworld of Craewick to pull off the heist of a lifetime. A YALSA (The Young Adult Library Services Association) Teens' Top Ten Book for 2020, Mansy crafts a grim reality where memories are worth their weight in gold. 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 she 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 rescue her mother, Etta must prove her allegiance to the Shadows by stealing a memorized map of the Maze, a formidable prison created by the bloodthirsty ruler of a neighboring Realm. Etta faces startling attacks, unexpected romance, and, above all, her own past as she uncovers a conspiracy that challenges everything she knew about herself and the world around her. In a place where nothing is what it seems, can Etta ever become more than a memory thief? Perfect for fans of high-stakemagical heists such as: Leigh Bardugo (Six of Crows) Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen) Roshani Chokshi (The Gilded Wolves) "Mansy's debut will delight fantasy readers who revel in fully developed settings and unusual powers."- Booklist "A welcome addition to the YA fantasy canon, The Memory Thief is a suspenseful page-turner, delightfully chock full of unexpected twists and turns."- Shelf Awareness

Romance

Fantasy

Buy now:

More Details:

Author

Lauren Mansy

Pages

320

Publisher

Blink

Published Date

2019-10-01

ISBN

0310767571 9780310767572

Community ReviewsSee all

" Etta lives in a world where memories are bartered like currency. Memories are also used as torture and punishment. Some people, Minders, have the gift to pull memories from a person's head and pass them on to someone else. Some people, Hollows, have traded memories so much there is nothing left of the original person. There are also Sifters, these people can take memories by just looking in another person's eyes. Etta's mother has been in a coma for four years since the day a Minder took her memories and then put them back too fast. Madame, the ruler Etta has pledged to, has notified her that her mother will be put on the auction block. This means Madame will sell off her mother's memories one by one, an incredibly painful process wich results in death. The need to save her mother sends Etta to the last people she wants to ask for her. The Shadows are the group she betrayed to get her mother space in the asylum until she wakes up in a coma. The Shadows agree to help save her mother only if she embarks on a very dangerous mission. Etta is unique in that she is unreadable- Sifters and Minders cannot read her memories. She needs to steal the map to the Maze, a tortorous prison, from the mind of a very twisted man. Reid, a Shadow Sifter, is sent to accompany her on her mission. The Memory Theif is a wonderful stand-alone young adult fantasy. It is refreshing to get an entire story in one volume. The characters are well developed and real. Some are likeable, and some aren't. The world building is thorough. History relevant to the story is told through memories. These "flashbakcs" work because memories are such an important aspect of the story. Etta is a strong and independent main character. She has a history that makes her weary of love. Her past regrets impact how she sees herself. The relationships built in the story help to show her that her past can be her biggest asset. I would recommend The Memory Theif to anyone who is looking for a great YA fantasy "

Brandi Always Reading

"#youngadult #romance #fantasy "

Vicki S.

"Good book but felt like it needed to be longer to flesh it out more. So much setup and then a super quick "payoff.""

Catherine

"I read this for the second time. I really enjoyed it the first time. I dont think it was as good the second time. However, I still enjoyed it. I really love the characters abilities to forgive. The grandfather who realized his mistakes and was willing to change instead of continuing down the same path was great to read about. Then, a girl who would do all she could to save her mother. Also, the maze was rather interesting. I didn’t like the Madam, but I wasn’t meant too. I didn’t find much I didn’t like about this story. "