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Olive Jones and the Memory Thief
Olive Jones has just inherited her grandmother's memories. But her grandma has left her more than just memories; she's left her a mystery. And now it's up to Olive to solve it.
After her grandmother's funeral, Olive learns she has inherited something unexpected: her grandmother's memories.
Olive is surprised - her grandmother wasn't a cuddly, affectionate kind of grandmother. Curious about what she might discover, Olive sets out to 'watch' the memories. But before she can, they're stolen right from under her nose. Olive can't understand why anybody would want to steal the memories. As far as she'd known, her grandmother had always lived an utterly ordinary life.
Following the trail of the thief, Olive begins to discover that her grandmother's life wasn't what she thought. As she unravels the secrets lurking in her grandmother's past, she discovers clues Grandma Sylvie left her. It's up to Olive to solve the mystery of the memory thief, and in the process, learn about the incredible life and adventures of the grandmother she has never really known.
A contemporary story for 9+ readers with a futuristic twist, perfect for fans of Ross Welford.
After her grandmother's funeral, Olive learns she has inherited something unexpected: her grandmother's memories.
Olive is surprised - her grandmother wasn't a cuddly, affectionate kind of grandmother. Curious about what she might discover, Olive sets out to 'watch' the memories. But before she can, they're stolen right from under her nose. Olive can't understand why anybody would want to steal the memories. As far as she'd known, her grandmother had always lived an utterly ordinary life.
Following the trail of the thief, Olive begins to discover that her grandmother's life wasn't what she thought. As she unravels the secrets lurking in her grandmother's past, she discovers clues Grandma Sylvie left her. It's up to Olive to solve the mystery of the memory thief, and in the process, learn about the incredible life and adventures of the grandmother she has never really known.
A contemporary story for 9+ readers with a futuristic twist, perfect for fans of Ross Welford.
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 23, 2022
2 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Kate Gilby Smith
3 books5 followersKate Gilby Smith was born on the island of Guernsey. It was while daydreaming during a philosophy of time travel seminar at the University of Edinburgh that she first had the idea for her debut book, The Astonishing Future of Alex Nobody, which was published by Hachette in June 2021. Her second book, Olive Jones and the Memory Thief, will be published by Hachette in June 2022.
Kate currently lives in London where she works as a publicist for science, philosophy and history books. Her writing for children is inspired by her love of all three topics. As a child she loved books that made her think and now she hopes to write books for children that do just that.
When not writing, her favourite things are dogs, swimming in the sea and eating ice cream. Her ideal day would involve all three.
Kate currently lives in London where she works as a publicist for science, philosophy and history books. Her writing for children is inspired by her love of all three topics. As a child she loved books that made her think and now she hopes to write books for children that do just that.
When not writing, her favourite things are dogs, swimming in the sea and eating ice cream. Her ideal day would involve all three.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 14, 2023
Immersive pre-Alex Rider/Cherub 'family spy' adventure.
With fantasy elements (yes there is technology to extract and view memories without Dumbledore's Pensieve), this sister-and-brother adventure is a rollicking story that encompasses a few features guaranteed to prick up Primary-aged ears.
There's mystery: Olive's grandma has died. She lived just over the road but Olive and her brother Frankie never saw her, except to see her exercising. There's fantasy: on the day of Sylvie Jones' funeral, Olive is contacted by her grandma's lawyer to say that there's a device left to her, with her grandma's memories on it, and she must tell nobody. There's the adventure: before Olive can watch the memories, the device is stolen. Now there's drama, excitement and puzzles, as her younger brother becomes involved too when they realise their grandma was a world class spy, with a mole trying to steal her memories and secrets, and several suspects they have been tasked with investigating.
A short set-up and we're off. I enjoyed the fast pace, the clues and wrong turns, the danger and brother-sister teamwork. There are a couple of scenes that won't ring at all true for adults, but younger readers will happily ignore the illogical actions of grownup characters for the story.
Olive and Frankie between them are whip-smart, resourceful and a good pairing, it's nice to see siblings developed this way, with older characters also taking the limelight and portrayed as role models.
Some great gadgets here, chase scenes, kids will love working out who the bad guys are - and who doesn't love the idea of a driverless car?! (with snacks)
Begging to be made for a children's TV series, and a sequel wouldn't go amiss.
For ages 8-12.
With fantasy elements (yes there is technology to extract and view memories without Dumbledore's Pensieve), this sister-and-brother adventure is a rollicking story that encompasses a few features guaranteed to prick up Primary-aged ears.
There's mystery: Olive's grandma has died. She lived just over the road but Olive and her brother Frankie never saw her, except to see her exercising. There's fantasy: on the day of Sylvie Jones' funeral, Olive is contacted by her grandma's lawyer to say that there's a device left to her, with her grandma's memories on it, and she must tell nobody. There's the adventure: before Olive can watch the memories, the device is stolen. Now there's drama, excitement and puzzles, as her younger brother becomes involved too when they realise their grandma was a world class spy, with a mole trying to steal her memories and secrets, and several suspects they have been tasked with investigating.
A short set-up and we're off. I enjoyed the fast pace, the clues and wrong turns, the danger and brother-sister teamwork. There are a couple of scenes that won't ring at all true for adults, but younger readers will happily ignore the illogical actions of grownup characters for the story.
Olive and Frankie between them are whip-smart, resourceful and a good pairing, it's nice to see siblings developed this way, with older characters also taking the limelight and portrayed as role models.
Some great gadgets here, chase scenes, kids will love working out who the bad guys are - and who doesn't love the idea of a driverless car?! (with snacks)
Begging to be made for a children's TV series, and a sequel wouldn't go amiss.
For ages 8-12.
August 31, 2022
This is Kate Gilby-Smith's second book and I loved Alex Nobody so i was hoping to not be disappointed - and i certainly wasn't!
So what's your Grandmother like? Cuddly? Spoils you? Watches the TV? Plays golf?
Well, Olive knows nothing about her Grandmother except she lives on the other side of the street in a little bungalow and she has a cat....and that she has had a heart-attack and died. Olive's father who lives in Australia can't even come back for the funeral so Olive's mum has to arrange it and have the wake in their house. Olive and Frankie, her brother, have to be polite to old relatives and friends.
On the day of the funeral Olive has escaped to her room with some snacks, she is thinking about her grandmother whilst looking at the bungalow - she has long since thought that her Grandmother was a little strange; she is certain that she has seen her Grandmother doing pull-ups on the tree in her garden and styling it out when she tripped over a hose by somersaulting and landing on her feet. Olive's mother tells her she's being silly and that Grandmother just likes travelling and enjoys her retirement in peace.
Then a curtain moves in Grandmother's bungalow - but curtains don't move so somebody is in there! Then a person opens the curtains and beckons to Olive to come. Olive does as she is requested. She certainly doesn't tell Frankie who she thinks is too good, he's never in trouble at school and Olive is. Frankie stays for after school clubs; Olive stays for detention.
Inside Grandmother's bungalow it is pretty much normal for an old lady, beige walls with pictures on them. The lounge was equally old fashioned. Then a lady speaks - she introduces herself as Edith Lowry, her Grandmothers lawyer. She tells Olive that her grandmother wanted her to have something - something new and exclusive and that it would be delivered direct to Olive and that she mustn't tell anyone! It was called a memoriser.
But two weeks went by before it was delivered and Olive's mother was noticing how jumpy she was every time the postman called. But it wasn't delivered by post but by drone.
Olive instantly went home to play the memoriser...but only a little way in...something happens and when Olive realises it is gone and here begins an davneture into the world of espionage! An adventure she shares with her brother, realising that she "trusts him with her life" as this was something her Grandmother had instructed when she left the memoriser-that Olive should only tell if she feels like that about the person.
This book is amazing! It shows that families are stronger together. I love the twists - they are lots! I'd quite like Grandmother's "car" too!
TA, Escp
So what's your Grandmother like? Cuddly? Spoils you? Watches the TV? Plays golf?
Well, Olive knows nothing about her Grandmother except she lives on the other side of the street in a little bungalow and she has a cat....and that she has had a heart-attack and died. Olive's father who lives in Australia can't even come back for the funeral so Olive's mum has to arrange it and have the wake in their house. Olive and Frankie, her brother, have to be polite to old relatives and friends.
On the day of the funeral Olive has escaped to her room with some snacks, she is thinking about her grandmother whilst looking at the bungalow - she has long since thought that her Grandmother was a little strange; she is certain that she has seen her Grandmother doing pull-ups on the tree in her garden and styling it out when she tripped over a hose by somersaulting and landing on her feet. Olive's mother tells her she's being silly and that Grandmother just likes travelling and enjoys her retirement in peace.
Then a curtain moves in Grandmother's bungalow - but curtains don't move so somebody is in there! Then a person opens the curtains and beckons to Olive to come. Olive does as she is requested. She certainly doesn't tell Frankie who she thinks is too good, he's never in trouble at school and Olive is. Frankie stays for after school clubs; Olive stays for detention.
Inside Grandmother's bungalow it is pretty much normal for an old lady, beige walls with pictures on them. The lounge was equally old fashioned. Then a lady speaks - she introduces herself as Edith Lowry, her Grandmothers lawyer. She tells Olive that her grandmother wanted her to have something - something new and exclusive and that it would be delivered direct to Olive and that she mustn't tell anyone! It was called a memoriser.
But two weeks went by before it was delivered and Olive's mother was noticing how jumpy she was every time the postman called. But it wasn't delivered by post but by drone.
Olive instantly went home to play the memoriser...but only a little way in...something happens and when Olive realises it is gone and here begins an davneture into the world of espionage! An adventure she shares with her brother, realising that she "trusts him with her life" as this was something her Grandmother had instructed when she left the memoriser-that Olive should only tell if she feels like that about the person.
This book is amazing! It shows that families are stronger together. I love the twists - they are lots! I'd quite like Grandmother's "car" too!
TA, Escp
July 25, 2022
This was another buddy read with Izzy, and one I was super excited to get to as it’s a mystery, albeit with sci-fi elements, and I was a big fan of Kate’s debut the Astonishing Future of Alex Nobody last year. This follows Olive and her brother Frankie as their enigmatic grandmother Sylvie dies, leaving behind the knowledge that she was in fact a spy, the secret mission she’d spent years working on in order to bring down a mole in British intelligence, and also an innovative device in which she has recorded her memories to help the siblings find “Shadow”. Then things go from strange to absolutely bonkers when right as Olive starts watching the memories, they are stolen, adding a whole new layer to an already tricky investigation. First up, I loved Olive so much; she is impulsive and headstrong, but so loyal and curious and a brilliant detective to boot. Frankie was very sweet, and the cast of suspects are both colourful and all deeply suspicious in their own ways, my favourite provably being Howard Sweet. There are a couple of twists I really didn’t see coming towards the end, and I think this is such a great second book from Kate; even better than her clever, original, funny first novel. I can’t wait to see what she does next!
February 9, 2023
Wat een bijzonder origineel idee, de herinneringen van je oma erven... Met de herinneraar, een soort tiara, kan Olive stukjes van de herinneringen van haar oma 'herbeleven'. En zo ontdekt Olive dat haar altijd afwezige oma die ze helemaal niet kent een dubbel leven lijdt. Maar haar oma geeft niet alleen iets prijs van haar leven als spion, ze vraagt haar kleindochter ook om, na haar dood, door te gaan met het zoeken naar de mol binnen de Britse Inlichtingendienst, met de codenaam De Schaduw. En dus is het niet vreemd dat, nog voordat Olive alle herinneringen heeft kunnen meebeleven, de herinneraar al wordt gestolen. Samen met haar slimme broertje Frankie gaat Olive op onderzoek uit.
Voor goede lezers vanaf 10 jaar
Voor goede lezers vanaf 10 jaar
August 20, 2022
When Olive’s grandmother dies, a mysterious stranger informs her that her grandmother left her an unusual gift in her will - a memoriser - a device that records and plays back memories. However on the day it is delivered, someone comes to steal it from her. Olive and her brother Frankie gradually come to realise that their grandmother was not the innocent old lady they believed her to be, but was in fact, a spy. They are the only people she could trust to solve her final case.
This is a great adventure story for 8-11 year olds. It moves at a good pace and introduces the reader to the world of espionage.
I received a free copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a great adventure story for 8-11 year olds. It moves at a good pace and introduces the reader to the world of espionage.
I received a free copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 25, 2022
I love this book, its a perfect mystery book unlike no other! Kate has an unique way of writing which draws the reader to read all the way through! I love that it starts fast, and goes fast the whole way! I love who actually was the "Shadow" It would be cool if you made a second book, based on Olive. Great job Kate
October 21, 2022
I really enjoyed this book, and so did my neighbours' kids (10 and 8 years old). It's full of fun, danger and suspense, and great fun to read out loud. It's totally engaging, even for adults, and made me think about the potential secret lives of my own family members. A whodunnit for all ages!
November 18, 2023
A great read!😁
December 30, 2025
This middle-grade thriller is about a girl tasked by her late grandmother to carry out her unfinished business.
Olive's grandmother always kept her distance. Shortly after she died, Olive discovers that she was not who she seemed. In fact her grandmother, has entrusted her with a memory gadget. Her delight turned quickly to shock when it was stolen. Olive quickly discovers her grandmother's entanglements, together with even more fancy gadgets to unravel a sinister plot.
This book is a James Bond story for middle-grade readers. Fast-paced, fun and imaginative.
Olive's grandmother always kept her distance. Shortly after she died, Olive discovers that she was not who she seemed. In fact her grandmother, has entrusted her with a memory gadget. Her delight turned quickly to shock when it was stolen. Olive quickly discovers her grandmother's entanglements, together with even more fancy gadgets to unravel a sinister plot.
This book is a James Bond story for middle-grade readers. Fast-paced, fun and imaginative.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews