way sms: Forgotten Review

Forgotten
Cat Patrick

Publisher: Little, Brown Books
Release Date: June 7, 2011
Series: N/A
Genre: YA, Mystery, Romance
Pages: Hardcover, 304 pages
Source: ARC, Publisher
Rating: 5/5 (Avg 4/5)

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.

To start: this is one of the most original story lines that I have found in YA this year. It has won my heart over and I cannot even begin to tell you how much I absolutely love this book. If I wasn't already married, I would totally marry it. I think, for me, this book touched me personally in a way that I didn't think it would. The main character London Lane forgets everything she did the day before when she goes to sleep. I understand that on a smaller level. My mom was reckless with her health when she was younger and, because of that, she is now on many medications - medications that make her short-term memory go crazy. While she doesn't see future events or completely forget everything when she goes to sleep, I could totally understand how London must feel not remembering things that happened to her just a mere day before. My mom makes lists just like her. And, like London's mom and Luke, I understand how sometimes it may hurt when someone you love forgets something you did with them.

Even though my mom's condition is just short-term memory issues, she remembers all of her past and everything that happens she may not recall immediately always comes back to her... it's that little nugget of time when she forgets that makes me relate to this book. The two things I have seen reviews mention as cons to this book are the lists that London makes for herself and some repetition in actions. I think this is where experience and relatability come in handy because I know exactly how that feels. If someone has memory problems, there WILL be lists and there WILL be a lot of things repeated. Does it get frustrating? Yeah, sometimes.. but it's something that goes hand-in-hand with that specific issue. But I think that's one thing that has to be understood for this book: London's memory resets every night and she CANNOT remember ANYTHING about the day before, so notes are vital to being as close to normal as possible. And the repetition? She can't remember, so of course she may do the same things over and over!

I also think that London's memory loss could be convenient for anyone. Have a fight with your mom? You forget it the next day! Fight with the boyfriend? Forgotten! But it does have it's own set of problems as well. I think, for the most part, London handled her situation well. She was a little petty when it came to not forgiving people for their mistakes, but that's part of being a typical teenager. She grew though and all things seemed to work out. By the end of the novel, London matures into one admirably strong character and I absolutely love her. Her mother and Luke are also easy to fall in love with. They both are flawed and make their share of mistakes, but in the end they both love London unconditionally and would do anything for her. That matters most.

Overall, this story was just amazing to me. There's enough mystery to keep you guessing until the end, and even them some after. I think the worst part after finishing this book is knowing it's a stand-alone. I want to know so much more about what happens with London in her future! This is an incredible debut novel from Cat Patrick... one that you won't soon forget.