Review: Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Title: Forgotten
Author: Cat Patrick
Publisher: Egmont Books Ltd
Published: 7th June 2011
Source: Own Copy

With the intrigue of "Memento" and the romance of "The Time-Traveller's Wife", "Forgotten" is the perfect YA novel.

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 recognise the power they have to control their destinies. - From Goodreads

I had seen this book a few times before I gave in and bought a copy. I mean of all of the supernatural books on the market just now this has to be one of the more unique stories and abilities. Not only that, it has an awesome cover. It was the reason I kept picking it up was that it called to me, and I am so glad I answered the call!

London Lane is a 16 year old girl who lives a relatively normal life, apart from the fact she can tell you detailed accounts of things that will happen to her in the future. Unfortunately she can't tell you what she wore yesterday, anything that happened over the last week in school or even if she spoke to her mother in the last few days. London's memory only looks forward. She has managed to cope this far by working a system of notes which she leaves for herself every night. This starts to fall apart when she begins dating the handsome Luke who she can't see in her future.

I really liked London Lane, and her name? London Lane. If she ever wanted to become a superhero then she already has the cool alter ego name. Through London's journey in this book we see how much she struggles with day to day. I loved London. I thought she was sweet and patient and managed to keep herself reasonably calm in some impossible situations. I men how often do you fall asleep in the back of someones car only to wake and find that your entire memory of how you go there and who you are with has been erased (That's without the addition of alcohol thank you!).

In addition to London I also loved some of the other characters. Luke. What a genuinely sweet and nice guy. He keeps chasing after London and is so patient and charming. Luke is not moody, brooding, dark or dangerous, he is just a sweet guy who makes it easy for us to fall in love with him. I also liked London's Mum, in so many books the parents are kept as minor parts, if they are in the book at all, but London's Mum is her foundation. London has someone who loves and cares about her which gives the book some warmth and heart.

The one stumbling block for me was the pacing at the start of the novel. I felt that we spent a little bit too much time just living in London's world to sympathise with her. I was drawn into her world and sucked into this dark mystery of the one dark memory that she can't pin in the future and can't remember from her past. I wish the crux of the story had occurred a little bit sooner for me.

This book had such a satisfactory ending that it almost felt complete. ALMOST. Cleverly hidden in the plot towards the end are a number of threads that I can totally see being picked up to create a thrilling series that I will want to consume all in one go! Unfortunately I will have to wait for the next book, and then probably have to wait some more for the book after that!

Review: Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Title: Forget You
Author: Jennifer Echols
Publisher: MTV
Published: 20th July 2010
Source: eBook

WHY CAN’T YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU FORGET . . . AND WHAT YOU REMEMBER? There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four- year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon. But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people— suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.

OK, OK, I admit it. I love Jennifer Echols and contemporary YA fiction. This book to me was heaven and I tried to read it as slowly as possible to spin out my enjoyment. Unfortunately I ripped through this novel in a couple of hours.

Zoey has to be perfect and have everything around her perfect, this does not make for a lovable lead character, but early on in the novel Zoey's world is flipped upside down giving us the opportunity to see through her barriers to the more likable and honest girl underneath. It did not take me long to get swept up into Zoey's world and enjoy seeing all the mistakes made along the way. As with Going to Far you see Zoey's mistakes and sometimes find you want to shout at and shake her. However this all just adds to Zoey's character and helps you see how she grows throughout the book.

In this novel Zoey loses her memory in an accident. I thought this was beautifully told. As the story is written in the first person we also have no knowledge of the period in question which is missing from her memory. We also only ever see Zoey's side of the story with her conclusions and assumptions for situations. I like that we never know what Doug is thinking, this makes his actions unpredictable and keeps you on edge.

I love the writing of Jennifer Echols and this book did not disappoint me. I preferred Going to Far due to the chemistry and, hello, John After! However this did not disappoint and I recommend to anyone who likes, or would like to try, contemporary YA fiction.