Title: The Memory ThiefAuthor: Lauren Mansy
Release Date: October 1, 2019
Publisher: Blink
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Copy courtesy of the Blink, Lauren Mansy and FFBC Tours.
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.
“Why do you say most of the Gifted are hollow?” I ask Greer.
“Because there’s nothing left inside of them.”
I frown. How could he say these people were empty when they were stuffed full of rare talents and thrilling memories? “But there’s so much inside of them!”
He touches his heart. “No, nothing left of them, of who they once were… they’ve lost themselves to become someone else.”
When memory becomes a currency, we need to keep every dearest memory, even the most painful, to ourselves. This lesson was discovered very early by seventeen-year-old Etta. For her, living in the city of Craewick means risking her life every day, hiding in the shadows until she disappears to avoid being recognized. But now that Madame, the fearsome ruler of Craewick, decides to auction off her mother’s memories, Etta finds herself reliving her past in the hope of saving what remains of her family. With a precise agenda and many dangers on the horizon, Etta will learn to rely again on others because everyone’s destiny is in her hands.
The Memory Thief is a fantasy full of action with a very interesting concept. Through the pages of the book, Lauren Mansy takes us into a universe rich in details, where memories are the key to salvation.
Thinking of one of the most obvious defects of the novel, I can’t help but focus on the characters. Unfortunately, Etta falls into the cliché of the young adult fantasy protagonist: intelligent but not always clever, reluctant to help people who are not dear to her and with a thousand secrets. Her moments of strength alternate with those of weakness, and it was in the latter that she managed to convince me more when she questioned her life and her abilities.
Beside her, the other characters are not without flaws either. Both good and evil characters are not always well characterized. Madame, to name one, has the potential to be one of the most fascinating villains, but I don’t think she was properly characterized.
Another thing that didn’t completely convince me is the romance part of the novel. It was not because of the insta-love between the two characters involved as much as how this relationship becomes very central within the plot. To be honest, I also loved the couple, but it all seemed very rushed while I think it could proceed more slowly.
Putting the flaws aside, the world-building is my favorite part because the author has been able to give an original touch to a particular world. Memories, in fact, are not just a real currency. They can be stolen for profit, they can be recovered by magic Robin Hoods, and they can also become skills to learn. Memories of years of training become a weapon for a good Gifted, and those who are able to transfer memories from one body to another have an important role in the city of Craewick. But the world does not end with the realm of Madame and like Etta we have so much to discover.
Among twists, ambushes and loves that arise between reluctant allies, The Memory Thief rushes to the end. While I liked the first part more because it created the basis of a very special world, I found the second part too hasty. However, it should be emphasized that the book is a standalone and therefore the story ends within its 368 pages.
Rating: 
GIVEAWAY
Prize: 1 finished copy of The Memory Thief by Lauren Mansy + a poster and signed bookplate.
Unfortunately, it’s USA only!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lauren lives in the Chicago area, where she’s spent years working with youth, from young children to high schoolers. When she’s not writing, Lauren is usually with her family or exploring the city to find the best deep dish pizza. The Memory Thief, which was inspired by Lauren’s own journey with her mother, is her first novel.
Author Links:
Website | Instagram | Twitter
I want to thank the FFBC tours, Lauren Mansy and Blink for including me in this blog tour.
Quando la memoria diventa moneta di scambio, bisogna tenere per sé ogni ricordo più caro, anche quello più doloroso. Questa lezione la diciassettenne Etta l’ha scoperta molto presto. Per lei vivere nella città di Craewick significa rischiare ogni giorno la propria vita, nascondendosi nell’ombra fino a scomparire per non essere riconosciuta. Ma ora che Madame, la temibile sovrana del regno, decide di mettere all’asta i ricordi di sua madre, Etta si ritrova a rivivere il suo passato nella speranza di salvare ciò che resta della sua famiglia. Con un obiettivo preciso e molti pericoli all’orizzonte, Etta imparerà a fare di nuovo affidamento sugli altri perché che il destino di tutti è nelle sue mani.
The Memory Thief è un fantasy pieno di azione con una premessa davvero interessante. Attraverso le pagine del libro Lauren Mansy ci porta in un universo ricco di dettagli, dove la memoria è la chiave per la salvezza.
Pensando ad uno dei difetti più evidenti del romanzo, non posso non concentrarmi sui personaggi.
Etta ricade sfortunatamente nel cliché della protagonista dei fantasy young adult: intelligente ma non sempre furba, riluttante ad aiutare le persone che non le sono care e con mille segreti. I suoi momenti di forza si alternano a quelli di debolezza, ed è in questi ultimi che è riuscita a convincermi di più, quando metteva in discussione la sua vita e le sue capacità.
Accanto a lei, anche gli altri personaggi non sono privi di difetti. Sia buoni che cattivi non sono sempre caratterizzati alla perfezione. Madame, per citarne una, ha le potenzialità per essere una delle cattive più affascinanti, ma non viene secondo me caratterizzata a dovere.
Un’altra cosa che non mi ha completamente convinta è la parte romance del libro. Non è stata colpa del colpo di fulmine quasi immediato tra i due personaggi coinvolti quanto più da come questa relazione diventi molto centrale all’interno della trama. A dirla tutta ho anche adorato la coppia, ma mi è sembrato tutto molto affrettato mentre si poteva procedere più lentamente.
Mettendo da parte i difetti, è il world building la mia parte preferita perché l’autrice ha saputo dare un tocco originale ad un mondo particolare. I ricordi, infatti, non sono solo merce di scambio. Possono essere rubati per trarne profitto, possono essere recuperati da veri e propri Robin Hood, e possono anche diventare delle abilità da imparare. Ricordi di anni di addestramento diventano un’arma per una brava Gifted, così come chi è in grado di trasferire i ricordi da un corpo all’altro ha un ruolo importante nella città di Craewick. Ma il mondo non si esaurisce al regno di Madame ed Etta ha davvero tanto da scoprire.
Tra colpi di scena, agguati e amori che nascono tra riluttanti alleati, The Memory Thief scorre veloce fino alla fine. Se la prima parte mi è piaciuta di più perché ha creato le basi di un mondo molto particolare, la seconda l’ho trovata troppo frettolosa. C’è, però, da sottolineare che il libro è uno standalone e quindi la storia si conclude nell’arco delle sue 368 pagine.
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