The Memory Thief

All Stella wants is to leave her memories behind, while Seth is desperately trying to remember his. These two characters are so vividly developed that they leap off the page, and readers will find themselves empathising especially with narrator Seth, who fights against his troll instinct to devour human memories, to instead offer Stella kindness and companionship through a difficult time. Their improbable allegiance is delicately constructed and wonderfully heartwarming ... and ultimately full of hope and redemption. The language is rich yet accessible, making it perfect for middle-grade readers at all levels who like to get swept away with a story. Coupled with enchanting illustrations by Kieran Rynhart, this story is sure to be cherished by young fantasy fans.

Karys McEwen, Books + Publishing

A beautiful examination of what makes you human and the power of sharing stories.

Sarah Forster, The Sapling

From its eye-catching cover to the final conclusion, The Memory Thief is a stunning story that captures the reader early and holds them in an embrace of wonder, intrigue and imagination. The judges all agreed on the skill and writing craft of the author, sharing an extra depth and quality of language in this novel. Unique but perfectly believable at the same time, The Memory Thief steps into another world whilst still inside our own. Memories themselves are both villains and heroes as they are taken or returned. The handling of a common illness, with its thought-provoking and original twist, is deftly handled and beautifully written.

Judges, New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults

It’s a text that sticks with you after reading it. ... Agnew’s The Memory Thief solidifies her position as a writer of note in New Zealand.

Chris Reed, NZ Booklovers

This book speaks of the power of memory to shape and nourish us as human beings. To build strength and empathy...The Memory Thief is a terrific mix of racing-heart as you read, cool characters, plot tension, intriguing twists and turns, brain-feeding ideas …. and it is so sweetly written. Glorious.

Paula Green, Poetry Box

A finely-wrought and adventurous tale of knowing yourself, friendship and difficult choice.

Crissi Blair, Family Times

The Memory Thief is a mysterious book, to say the least, and the cover is magical! The author’s style of writing is easy to read and emotive... there are fun parts and then such sadness too. She uses beautifully descriptive language, so it is easy to build the scenarios in your head! The beautiful sketched illustrations add to the magic of the story.

HAELYN, 13, Green Bay School, Auckland, Upstart Magazine

Once you start reading you will not want to stop.

Bob Docherty, Bob's Book Blog

This book is up there for my Book of the Year.... I absolutely adored it from go to woah, and as I read I could picture it as a Tim Burton movie - dark, atmospheric, quirky, complex and utterly brilliant. ... This is not a simple story, with simple solutions. It requires depth of thought about some serious subjects... the nature of friendship, memories, sadness, dementia, death, bullying... and not everything is tied up neatly at the end (sequel?? Yes please!!)

Southwellylibrary.blogspot.comq

Leonie Agnew has done it again, giving readers an imaginative, thought-provoking novel...Brilliant NZ Children's fiction

Whatbooknext.com

Seth is a troll. Not the ugly, warty, smelly type of troll, but a troll that looks just like a normal boy...Stella is not only different, she’s clever too. When she offers Seth a deal, he takes it, not knowing he will learn more about himself and the world beyond the park gates, than he’s ever known. Does he have a past and can he really trust himself around his new friend? The more I read, the more intrigued I became...Memories are important to us all, even the bad ones – but you’ll have to read The Memory Thief to learn why.

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