Review: Forgotten

Forgotten by Cat Patrick
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Pub. Date: June 7th, 2011
Pages: 288
Age Level: 14+
Source: For review from publisher.

Synopsis via 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.

Review
Cat Patrick has woven together and created a breath of fresh air amongst the YA division of literature with her lovely debut novel, Forgotten.

London is a heroine that I immediately recognized as being both strong and brave despite her vulnerability, a trait that I feel only added to the depth and dimension of her character. What I admired most about her was that even though all her past memories had been vacuumed into some mysterious black hole of her brain, she still got up every morning, went to school, and lived her life like any teenager should. Naturally, you are going to run into some obstacles and complications when you can't recall your past but can remember things that haven't even happened. It was the way London handled these set backs, with both humor and grace, that really made her such a wonderful character. True, she had her flaws, but they only furthered her personality when it came to being realistic. Next up we have Luke. *swoon* To me, he is the ultimate romantic interest, especially in comparison to some of the ones I've happened across lately. He's sweet, caring, charming, and he has a secret but not in the cliched way a lot of love interests have secrets these days. I'll confess, I did suspect what he was hiding but it was the backstory that really secured my love for him. That being said, when London found out, she was pretty pissed and while I could understand why, I also clearly understood Luke's reasoning and didn't find myself nearly as mad with him. Then there is Jamie, London's mostly loyal best friend who has a seriously big problem. While I liked Jaime at first, the fact that she stayed mad at London for as long as she did after what London said made me feel more annoyed by her than anything and I though the long duration of her grudge was a bit unrealistic. London's mom was another great supporting character that I feel really added to the story.

When you remember forward and forget backwards, as so eloquently put by London herself, things are bound to be interesting. With Forgotten, Patrick has presented me with such an original and imaginative concept that I absolutely ate up. I think my only major issue with the story itself was that I wanted to know more about why London's brain started to work the way it does; I felt that this was something that never really came close to being explained. That being said, Forgotten held some tantalizing twists and a compelling mystery aspect about it that kept me constantly intrigued, leaving me reading almost the whole book in one sitting.

While not the most prominent aspect of this book, Patrick's writing style was still keenly crafted. Both the lighter and more emotional qualities of the writing complimented each other beautifully and the prose flowed smoothly from page to page in a consistent manner. Looking back, I think Patrick deftly avoided over-doing and complicating the writing in a way that let the words speak for themselves and resonate in a simpler form, similarly to verse.

The ending for Forgotten was both hopeful and promising, leaving me believing that things would all work out for London and those close to her. Honestly, I don't know if I could think of a more appropriate way to end this book. As far as I'm aware, this is a stand alone and while I did feel everything was wrapped up adequately, I also see where a sequel could potentially develop.

All in all, Forgotten is a heartfelt and thought-provoking novel that I thoroughly enjoyed delving into. Cat Patrick is certainly an author to watch and if you are looking for something new and different then I definitely suggest reading this one. I can't wait to see what marvel Patrick cranks out next and I wouldn't put it past me to read this one again later on down the road.

Grade
Characters: B+
Writing: B
Plot: B+
Ending: A-
Enjoyment/Likability: B+
Recommendable: B+

Overall: B+

Cover: C+

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