Book Review: Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Title: Forgotten

Author: Cat Patrick

# Of Pages: 304

Publisher: Little Brown Books

Publication Date: June 7, 2011

Level: Young Adult

Rating:  3 Hearts

Synopsis

(From Barnes&Noble.com)

Each night at precisely 4:33am, 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.

My Verdict

After reading the blurb for this book I was intrigued and couldn’t get a copy fast enough. There was so much potential in the plotline I was all psyched up for the possibility of a great read. Unfortunately, I psyched myself up just to be let down.  I still think the core of the plotline held a lot of potential; the execution was just a little sloppy and didn’t do it justice.

Maybe its just me, but when I read that her memory was being erased I thought that meant someone or something was getting into her mind and controlling her memories somehow. I was intrigued and couldn’t wait to see what direction this book was going to take. Turns out, London just forgets the whole day every night when she goes to bed. At least that’s the word I would use for it. The memories are there, her brain is just suppressing them. London and her mom don’t know why this is happening but they just act like its nothing. “Oh honey don’t forget to write your list tonight of anything you wish to remember so you can read it in the morning.”

Does London Lane make you think of Lana Lang? The name made me think of Smallville, and Clark, and Superman. Anyway, lets talk about London Lane from the book not to be confused with Lana Lang from Smallville. London was an okay main character. I didn’t love her, I didn’t hate her; she was just kind of there. As for her so-called “best friend,” I despised her. She was such a cookie cutter, stereotypical best friend, and a bad one at that. Luke was probably my favorite character he was genuinely sweet and instantly likable. He really cared about London and showed it. His relationship with London was kind of cutesy and cheesy but sweet at the same time.

Everything about this book was mediocre. It was a descent read and I did enjoy it, there just wasn’t any strong connection to the characters or what happened to them. I think this was partially my fault for building it up in my head and for expecting something that it wasn’t. So maybe if you don’t go into it expecting some awesome mind erasing, fast-paced, dystopian-ish story, like I did, you will be able to enjoy it more for what it is.