The Memory Thief
by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Series: Thirteen Witches #1
Series Rating:
Published by Aladdin on March 2, 2021
Setting: Seaport, Maine
Genres: Middle Grade Mystery
Pages: 333
Format: Audible Audiobook, Audio CD, ebook, Hardcover, Kindle, Paperback
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Perfect for fans of The Girl Who Drank the Moon, this fantastical and heartfelt first book in a new trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Jodi Lynn Anderson follows a girl who must defeat thirteen evil witches.
Twelve-year-old Rosie Oaks’s mom is missing whatever it is that makes mothers love their daughters. All her life, Rosie has known this...and turned to stories for comfort. Then, on the night Rosie decides to throw her stories away forever, an invisible ally helps her discover the Witch Hunter’s Guide to the Universe, a book that claims that all of the evil in the world stems from thirteen witches who are unseen...but also unstoppable. One of these witches—the Memory Thief—holds an insidious power to steal our most precious treasures: our memories. And it is this witch who has cursed Rosie’s mother.
In her quest to save her mom—and with her wild, loyal friend “Germ” by her side—Rosie will find the layers hidden under the reality she only thought she knew: where ghosts linger as shades of the past, where clouds witness the world, and a ladder dangles from the moon leading to something bigger and more. Here, words are weapons against the darkness, and witch hunters are those brave enough to wield their imaginations in the face of the unthinkable.
At the core of this stunning novel—the first of the Thirteen Witches trilogy from critically acclaimed author Jodi Lynn Anderson—is a passionate argument that stories have the power to create meaningful change...and a reason to hope even when the world feels crushing.
The Memory Thief by Jodi Lynn Anderson sees Rosie Oaks on a mission to save her mom’s memories!
Will Rosie stop the Memory Thief from stealing any more memories?
Rosie Oaks
Rosie was born to a mom who doesn’t seem to remember her every time she wakes up. Until Rosie discovers why her mom doesn’t seem to remember her or anything except how to talk, eat, and do other things. Well, she has notes to remind herself, but that’s beside the point. All Rosie has ever wanted was for her mom to be like the mom who readied her room, waiting for her arrival. Rosie was a dreamer, writing her stories that she always made as a happy ending that she wanted for her mom. I love how Rosie is into writing and how she wants to save her mom. The author made me sad about how Rosie has been taking care of her mom while not letting anyone know how bad it actually is. Rosie is a fighter, and I love how she takes on her family’s job.
I think Rosie is a strong character now, but will find out how strong she truly is throughout the series. She will need to be to save the world from evil witches with her words and weapon.
The Story
For as long as she can remember, Rosie Oaks loved to invent stories. Stories that have happy endings but also a root of truth in them while also being fictional. She has always loved reading and writing them. Stories have kept her safe until she has decided to burn them. See, Rosie thinks by burning them, she will grow up like her best friend Gemma, aka Germ, and be into boys and other things like that. Except it does something different. It allows Rosie to see the world as it is and opens her up to follow her family’s destiny of being a witch hunter. Well, just the Oaks’s destiny.
I would have been shocked just as Rosie was to learn that I came from a long line of witch hunters. I love the author’s take on a different fantasy story. So, I can’t wait to read the other books in this series when I have the time. It’s definitely one that I would love to finish and to see how Rosie and her mom’s relationship ends up becoming.
Five Stars
I am giving The Memory Thief by Jodi Lynn Anderson five stars and a recommendation for anyone looking for a good series. It doesn’t have to be just kids who could read this book to fall in love with it. I loved it, and I’m an adult. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series. Ms. Anderson has done a phenomenal job of creating this world. It is definitely a different take on a fantasy world within our world.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Memory Thief by Jodi Lynn Anderson.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
About Jodi Lynn Anderson
I grew up in a lake town in northern New Jersey where I used to spend way too much time walking in the woods with my cat, watching the clouds, and making things up. When I was 13, my family set off to live in far flung places around the world…and it taught me to think places are alive and to want to explore that in stories. I’m deeply drawn to the magic in real life and am always trying to capture it in what I write.
I began my career as an editor at HarperCollins in NYC before starting to write full-time in various nooks and crannies around the world. These days I live in Senegal, West Africa, with my husband, our two wonderful and goofy kiddos, and a persnickety dog who always takes things too far. I hold an MFA in Writing and Literature from Bennington College and have taught for the Great Smoky Mountains Writing Program at UNC Asheville.
Besides writing and reading, I love to cook, knit, hike, run, bike, and make Claymation videos.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2023 Goodreads RC
- 2023 Let Us Read Middle Grade
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