Friday 15 July 2011

Forgotten Review

Forgotten
-       Cat Patrick
Publisher: Egmont Books

 I can see the future in flashes, like memories. But my past is a blank. I remember what I'll wear tomorrow, and an argument that won't happen until this afternoon. But I don't know what I ate for dinner last night. I get by with the help of notes, my mom and my best friend Jamie, and the system works ...Until now. Everything's falling apart. Jamie's going of the rails. My mom is lying to me. And I can't see the boy I adore in my future. But today, I love him. And I never want to forget how much ...
London can’t remember yesterday but she can remember tomorrow. Today is as much of a mystery to her as yesterday. Only her best friend, Jamie and her Mum are aware of London’s unique situation – and it certainly makes dating the new boy at school interesting – especially as he’s the one thing London can’t see in the future. The hardest part of this story is trying to get your head around how it works. I’m not sure it ever makes real sense but that’s not really the point of the book. It’s this intriguing premise that provides the jumping off point for an exploration of human nature.
At its core Forgotten is a book about growing up and taking responsibility for your own actions. It’s about how your actions can affect others – as London shows when she tries to change the future she remembers to save her friends from heartbreak. Do we choose our own fate or is it pre-determined? But if that makes it sound heavy, don’t worry it’s really not!
The writing was simple but very effective and I really felt connected to London even if I don’t always agree with her actions. She acted exactly like a 16 year old girl would when faced with tough decisions. And there is the mystery about why London’s memory works the way it does. At the same time there is a really sweet romance between London and Luke – the boy she can’t remember but meets for the first time each day. Carrying on a romance with a boy you can’t remember leaves a lot of trust in London’s notes of the past.
This a wonderfully uplifting story, told with a deft hand and a tug on the old heartstrings. A great summer read! J
Recommended for fans of Jeri Smith-Ready and Gayle Forman. 8 out of 10.

9 comments:

  1. Wow, sounds intriguing! Thanks for the lovely review. Will definitely have to check it out. :)

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  2. Sounds great and i can't wait to start it myself! Glad you enjoyed it!

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  3. Yes, I thought the romance was incredibly sweet too!

    I agree with you Mel. I'm not sure the story really meshed, and if you overanalyze it, you'd find a lot of plot holes, but somehow it still worked.

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  4. Fans of Gayle Forman, that reminds me that I really want to try a book by her! :D

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  5. I've been wanting to read this one for ages - I just really need to get round to buying it!!

    Great review.

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  6. This is one of my favourite books of the year so far. I can't wait to read more by Cat Patrick.

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  7. I wasn't sure about this one with the plot holes, but then you mentioned that it was really a way to explore human nature. Okay, now I'm on board. I am curious! I'm off to wishlist!

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  8. Great review! Even though this sounds really confusing I still can't wait to read it!
    x

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  9. I keep hearing such great reviews about this book that I'm really excited to be able to read it for myself at some point!

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