Review: Forgotten

Forgotten
Cat Patrick
Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Pub Date-  June 7^th 2011

Wow.  What a strong debut novel for Cat Patrick.   After reading reviews of Forgotten, I had high hopes of loving it and it certainly did not disappoint.  I devoured it in one weekend but could have easily done so in one sitting- it was that addictive.  For those of you unfamiliar with the plot…

From Goodreads:

Each night when 16 year-old London Lane goes to sleep, her whole world disappears. In the morning, all that's left is a note telling her about a day she can't remember. The whole scenario doesn't exactly make high school or dating that hot guy whose name she can't seem to recall any easier. But when London starts experiencing disturbing visions she can't make sense of, she realizes it's time to learn a little more about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future. 


Part psychological drama, part romance, and part mystery, this thought-provoking novel will inspire readers to consider the what-if's in their own lives and recognize the power they have to control their destinies.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the characters themselves and their relationships with one another.   London is such a lovely character and you can’t help but admire her strong-willed personality to be just like every other 17 year old, despite her unique condition.   Luke, London’s boyfriend, is without a doubt one of my favorite fictional male characters- the all around perfect guy.  He is kind, supportive, & thoughtful and I found myself feeling just like London:  excited at every new daily introduction of him.  London and Luke’s romance was very sweet and I love how their relationship blossomed throughout the story.  I also couldn’t help but like London’s best friend, Jamie.   Even though she was promiscuous and lacked a certain moral compass, I thought she was a real and emotional character that was certainly relatable.  I think most of us have had friend like Jamie at one point or another.

I thought the plot itself was a fresh approach to the idea of memory loss.   I really enjoyed the mystery element throughout the novel which had a slightly dark twist- I found it mind boggling.  The writing was seemingly effortless and there was never a point where the details were overbearing.  My only negative comment is that the story ended too quickly following the climax.   I felt there were too many unanswered questions and would have been happier with a few additional chapters.   Would love to see a sequel for this one.  I give it 4 out of 5 stars.