Book Review: Forgotten
Forgotten
By: Cat Patrick
Narrated By: Julia Whelan
Published By: Listening Library
Publication Date: June 2011
Audio Length: 6 hours, 22 minutes
Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound
Source: Library
Audience: Young Adult - Fantasy
On the Story & Writing:
This was perhaps one of the oddest books I have read in awhile. I couldn't decide whether I loved it or was too frustrated to love it, but in the end I landed firmly on the loving it side. Prepare yourself to put in some work - but this is a unique, well written novel that will be worth any confusion in the end.
Imagine that every morning you woke up forgetting what had happened to you the previous day. How would you manage to get through the next twenty four hours without looking like a fool in front of the people you interacted with the day before? This is not a case of short term memory loss like you might experience when you can't recall where you've put your car keys, but rather this is a full on, never getting those memories back kind of deal. I can't even begin to imagine how frustrating and heartbreaking it would be to lose all of my memories, but this is what happens every morning for London Lane. She retains no memories past early childhood and starts each day as a blank slate. London has created a system of leaving herself notes to help her navigate her world. She also has a supportive mother who after trying every medical intervention has learned to help her daughter fill in her memory gaps as there is nothing that can be done to correct the problem.
To make London's condition even stranger, she can see the future. This added a bit of a frustrating element for me since on the audio I would sometimes get confused by what was actually happening and what was a future memory for London. Seeing the future could really suck, but London learns that she can set things on a new course by changing how she interacts with people in the present. I suppose it would be okay to see what was on the horizon if I knew I could change the bad stuff and protect the people I loved from harm.
It took me a little while to settle into London's life. Her memory losses were a bit unnerving at first. The beginning of the novel dumps you right into the action so it took me a little while to get my bearings and to understand London's condition. Once I was firmly on board with what was happening, I enjoyed the story a lot more. London experiences first love in a way that reminded me slightly of Fifty First Dates. She falls in love with her boyfriend all over again each day after reading her notes about their previous experiences. I loved Luke - he is one of the sweetest, most romantic YA characters I have seen lately. Every girl - memory impaired or otherwise - should have a Luke.
Cat Patrick's writing is impressive considering this is a debut novel. I am excited to read more of her work in the future. She brings a fresh and unique voice to the world of YA fiction.
On the Audio:
Julia Whelan does a nice job of narrating, but there isn't anything that makes this book stand out as an audio. It is just run of the mill fare. Based on the intricate nature of the story, I would recommend skipping the audio in favor of the printed version.
Narrated By: Julia Whelan
Published By: Listening Library
Publication Date: June 2011
Audio Length: 6 hours, 22 minutes
Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound
Source: Library
Audience: Young Adult - Fantasy
On the Story & Writing:
This was perhaps one of the oddest books I have read in awhile. I couldn't decide whether I loved it or was too frustrated to love it, but in the end I landed firmly on the loving it side. Prepare yourself to put in some work - but this is a unique, well written novel that will be worth any confusion in the end.
Imagine that every morning you woke up forgetting what had happened to you the previous day. How would you manage to get through the next twenty four hours without looking like a fool in front of the people you interacted with the day before? This is not a case of short term memory loss like you might experience when you can't recall where you've put your car keys, but rather this is a full on, never getting those memories back kind of deal. I can't even begin to imagine how frustrating and heartbreaking it would be to lose all of my memories, but this is what happens every morning for London Lane. She retains no memories past early childhood and starts each day as a blank slate. London has created a system of leaving herself notes to help her navigate her world. She also has a supportive mother who after trying every medical intervention has learned to help her daughter fill in her memory gaps as there is nothing that can be done to correct the problem.
To make London's condition even stranger, she can see the future. This added a bit of a frustrating element for me since on the audio I would sometimes get confused by what was actually happening and what was a future memory for London. Seeing the future could really suck, but London learns that she can set things on a new course by changing how she interacts with people in the present. I suppose it would be okay to see what was on the horizon if I knew I could change the bad stuff and protect the people I loved from harm.
It took me a little while to settle into London's life. Her memory losses were a bit unnerving at first. The beginning of the novel dumps you right into the action so it took me a little while to get my bearings and to understand London's condition. Once I was firmly on board with what was happening, I enjoyed the story a lot more. London experiences first love in a way that reminded me slightly of Fifty First Dates. She falls in love with her boyfriend all over again each day after reading her notes about their previous experiences. I loved Luke - he is one of the sweetest, most romantic YA characters I have seen lately. Every girl - memory impaired or otherwise - should have a Luke.
Cat Patrick's writing is impressive considering this is a debut novel. I am excited to read more of her work in the future. She brings a fresh and unique voice to the world of YA fiction.
On the Audio:
Julia Whelan does a nice job of narrating, but there isn't anything that makes this book stand out as an audio. It is just run of the mill fare. Based on the intricate nature of the story, I would recommend skipping the audio in favor of the printed version.
One Last Gripe: London's attitude in some parts of the book made her difficult to like - I was particularly frustrated with her when she wouldn't forgive Luke for his mistake
My Favorite Thing About The Book: The mystery of piecing together London's past - there are several awesome twists & turns
First Sentence: Aren't Fridays supposed to be good?
Favorite Character: Luke
Least Favorite Character: Page
Every night, while sixteen-year-old London Lane is asleep, her memory of that day is erased. In the morning, all she can “remember” are events from her future. London is used to relying on reminder notes and a trusted friend to get through the day, but things get complicated when a new boy at school enters the picture.
Luke Henry is not someone you’d easily forget, yet try as she might, London can’t find him in her memories of things to come. When London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flash-forwards, as the case may be, she realizes it’s time to learn about the past she keeps forgetting—before it destroys her future.
Luke Henry is not someone you’d easily forget, yet try as she might, London can’t find him in her memories of things to come. When London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flash-forwards, as the case may be, she realizes it’s time to learn about the past she keeps forgetting—before it destroys her future.
I enjoyed this story but I agree that it was a bit confusing at first getting thrown into the story without any background.
ReplyDeleteI usually like audio but I can see how this story might not translate best because of it's complexity.