Forgotten, by Cat Patrick (Little Brown, 2011, YA, 288 pages) is a fascinating thought-experiment and a gripping read. London Lane might appear to be an ordinary sixteen-year old girl, going about her normal high school life...but her mind works in a rather unusual way. She can only remember forward--every night, her memory of the day she just lived vanishes, and she can only remember tomorrow. London copes by taking extensive notes about her life, and muddles through well enough.But well-enough is about to change. Unhappy with the futures London sees for her friends and classmates, she starts to wonder if she can change the future. Even more disturbing for London is the arrival of a new boy, with whom she makes an instant connection--but she doesn't "remember" him from her future. And her sleep is increasingly troubled by a horrible nightmare--showing an event she doesn't remember either.
It turns out that there are things in London's past that she has forgotten...in particular, an event that changed the course of her life. Part mystery, part teen romance, and a fascinating look at a very different way of being in the world, this was a page turner.
I was so distracted, however, by the intricacies of London's memory (what would I do differently? How would I react in each particular situation?), and it is so strangely alien, that it was a bit hard for me to truly loose myself in the story--others might have a different experience. In particular, I couldn't help wondering just how one could sustain a romantic relationship with someone you only knew through your journal entries of past days--every day, London would meet her boyfriend for the first time. That being said, it was an entertaining read, and I don't mind, now and again, reading a book that kicks me out of the story here and there to make me think!
I hope there's a sequel--even though London's story reaches a fine stopping place, I would love to see what happens next (and maybe more about the things that happened back then in the unremembered past).
(note--obviously, this is not realistic fiction. But I think that it is just as good a fit for fans of the realistic teenage romance/mystery as it for sff fantasy fans. That being said, it's definitly speculative fiction, but is neither fantasy, nor really sci fi, which makes sticking a label on it bothersome. So I shall put both on...uncomfortably).
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Yes, I found this novel intriguing but was definitely caught up in the coils of, "But, why? Is this genetic? Did her father either cause or somehow complicate this? How does this person just accept... maybe she could... isn't there any other technology that could...???"
ReplyDeleteToo many questions.
I could not put Forgotten down. It was the best YA I read in 2011.The fact that I asked questions pulled me deeper into the story. I liked that not everything was tied up neatly in a bow. And I,too, hope there is a sequel. Loved it.
ReplyDeleteI hate putting labels to books. I have this spreadsheet this year and that is one of the questions. There have been several times where I am like 'um...' Sometimes it is just not that easy.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I am going to add this to my wish list.
I hope you enjoy it, Kailana--even though, unlike Laura, I wasn't quite able to love it, I did find it an engrossing change of pace!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this book. I've read other books where there's a character who "remembers backwards" and I thought this was the best I've ever seen. It's a bit of a mystery at first... and when things slowly unfold, you do wonder what exactly the rules are on how her powers work (or don't work) I liked it!
ReplyDeleteLuke was a great addition to the story. He was swoon-worthy and it was fun to see their relationship develop even with the unique challenges. How he was a blind spot was interesting, and I didn't know what to make of it. I can't imagine trying to have a relationship when you can't see him in your past or future, and it was cool how Ms. Patrick pulled that off. I found it all to be very believable.
ReplyDeleteThe twists kept me guessing and I couldn't guess what was going to come next. The way that she weaved all together and I could've never put it all together.
When I got this book in the mail (after squealing and showing it to everyone) I sat down and read it immediately. I read until I couldn't stay up any longer and fell asleep. Then when I woke up I picked it back up and read it until I finished it. I have been wanting this book so badly since I first heard about it. It's a little bit of everything I love, drama, psychological, and mystery...It's the sort of book that is confusing and mind-blowing all in one swoop. Think Memento meets 50 First Dates with a splash of the future.
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