Midwest Book Review
As evidenced by 'The Memory Thief', author Lauren Mansy has a genuine talent for narrative storytelling and an authentic flair for originality. A riveting great read with more plot twists and turns than a Disney Land roller coaster, 'The Memory Thief' will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to school and community library YA Fiction and amp; Fantasy Fiction collections.
author of Romanov Nadine Brandes
An entrancing story-world of memory heists, hidden maze-prisons, and unexplored magic. The Memory Thief kept me second-guessing with every shocking revelation and daring to believe that the journey to healing is worth the trials of heartache to get there.
New York Times Bestselling author of The CrownR Evelyn Skye
The Memory Thief is a thought-provoking debut full of unique magic and complex characters. Lauren Mansy is definitely an author to watch!
The Book Bratz
The Memory Thief is fast paced and didn't stop for one second...This book is perfect for people who are looking for a quick unique fantasy novel that is also a stand alone!
YA and Kids Books Central
A thought-provoking and unique YA fantasy, THE MEMORY THIEF is a engrossing and lovely story. Twists and turns keep the reader guessing as they follow Etta on her physical and mental journey.
Shelf Awareness
A compelling, darkly fantastic tale ... Though Mansy builds an expansive fantasy world all her own, her tale uses dystopian motifs to great success, such as the corrosive effects of an overabundance of power falling into the wrong hands and her stern commentary on the divide between the haves and have-nots. Readers, like Etta and her fellow citizens, will be challenged to contemplate the nature of truth, considering the unique role that memories play in the Realms. Mansy also delivers a fine romance, made all the more gratifying by the difficulties sustained along the way. A welcome addition to the YA fantasy canon, The Memory Thief is a suspenseful page-turner, delightfully chock full of unexpected twists and turns.
author of The Queen’s Rising and The Queen&# Rebecca Ross
The Memory Thief is a vivid story full of surprising twists and turns. An exciting, riveting debut!
Booklist
Mansy's debut will delight fantasy readers who revel in fully developed settings and unusual powers.
Booklist
Mansy's debut will delight fantasy readers who revel in fully developed settings and unusual powers.
School Library Journal
09/01/2019
Gr 8 Up—In the realm of Craewick, memories are everything—money, power, status, and even identity. The gifted, those who can harvest and redistribute others' memories, rule over the ungifted. At the top of this power structure is Madame, destroying all who defy her but not before she sells the memories and experiences of those she deems traitors. Four years ago, Etta Lark betrayed her friends and struck a deal with Madame to save her mother's life. Now, Etta lives a lie and her mother is a prisoner in her own mind. When Etta gets notice that her mother's memories are to be auctioned to the highest bidder, she returns to her past and joins the fight to overthrow Madame and her army. The premise of this dystopian fantasy is intriguing and full of potential, but its complexities and depths are not plumbed here. The pacing bogs down in lengthy world-building explications and flowery depictions that don't develop a true sense of the characters' identities or make sense of their actions. The values upheld by Etta and her compatriots are laudable, but the delivery of the fable's message gets rather heavy-handed as the novel builds toward the final showdown. Though the gentle romance woven through the adventure is a breath of fresh air, the resolution of the story's central conflict seems too pat to be satisfying. VERDICT Though not an essential purchase, this fast-paced tale of freedom fighters who battle with both their minds and bodies offers thrills, food for thought, and a main character to root for.—Kelly Kingrey-Edwards, Blinn Junior College, Brenham, TX
FEBRUARY 2020 - AudioFile
Narrator Lora Brown reads with little vocal modulation and creates scant difference in characters. In a world in which memories are a cunningly traded commodity and some citizens are "gifted" with an ability to retrieve and transfer them, 17-year-old Etta is an apparent enemy of Madame, the realm's brutal leader. Because power is derived from the use and abuse of memories, flashbacks are frequent and tedious. Brown forces listeners to maintain close attention to glean the clues that explain why Etta is disguised as an "ungifted" citizen and why her mother languishes in an asylum. To save her mother's life, Etta battles with ghosts, minders, shadows, hunters—and ultimately Madame. However, scenes that are fraught with peril, or budding romance, often fall flat due to a lackluster delivery. L.T. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
FEBRUARY 2020 - AudioFile
Narrator Lora Brown reads with little vocal modulation and creates scant difference in characters. In a world in which memories are a cunningly traded commodity and some citizens are "gifted" with an ability to retrieve and transfer them, 17-year-old Etta is an apparent enemy of Madame, the realm's brutal leader. Because power is derived from the use and abuse of memories, flashbacks are frequent and tedious. Brown forces listeners to maintain close attention to glean the clues that explain why Etta is disguised as an "ungifted" citizen and why her mother languishes in an asylum. To save her mother's life, Etta battles with ghosts, minders, shadows, hunters—and ultimately Madame. However, scenes that are fraught with peril, or budding romance, often fall flat due to a lackluster delivery. L.T. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
