Review and Guest Post: Forgotten by Cat Patrick

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.

I absolutely adored Forgotten by Cat Patrick. It was the perfect blend of romance and mystery. The whole book drew me in right from the start and I couldn't put this book down until I'd finished it. Such addictive reading!

It's an interesting premise, 16 year old London Lane goes to sleep at night and when she wakes up, she remembers nothing of the past but instead can 'remember' flashes of the future. It was really fascinating to read, London's struggles with her memory. She leaves notes to herself, in which she jots down some of the things for her to remember- what clothes she wore the day before, the homework due, snippets of conversations with her mother or her best friend that are ongoing. It seems so frightening, have nothing more than these small lists in order to prepare yourself to live a life that you don't remember. London really has to search her future-memories in order to navigate friendships and school work and the only thing really makes London seem confused and quite vulnerable.

And as much as it sounds as though it'd be pretty cool to know what happens in the future, London would rather not know. It takes a lot out of London not to tell her best friend, Jamie, that things won't end well in this new relationship that Jamie's so excited about. London knows that friends will ask for certain things that she won't want to do for them and lately she's been seeing flashes of a future-memory that is more disturbing than most. This horrible flash from the future confuses London as it pulls in aspects of her life that she knows nothing about, and cannot remember. She begins questioning herself, and her mother. She begins to search out answers for herself in order to make sense of what she is seeing, even though it might be the hardest thing she's ever had to deal with.

Add into the mix a really cute boy and together you have one of the most addictive and wonderful YA novels I've read in a really long time. I loved London and how her condition puts her at risk of manipulation due to the fact that she won't remember in the morning if you destroy the evidence. Even London censors her memories in such a way but when things start get confusing, she does her best to know the truth, even if it might hurt her. I loved the friendship between London and Jamie. It's so complex and realistic. They have a great bond between them and are mostly able to work around London's dodgy memory, even when Jamie makes terrible decisions that London can't bear to watch her make.

And I thought the relationship between London and Luke to be utterly sweet. Luke just seems really into London right from the start and I loved watching them fall in love with each other - in London's case, falling in love with Luke day after day. Incredibly romantic, it made my heart ache at certain points.

I loved everything about this book. You must read it.

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I have the great pleasure of hosting Cat Patrick's blog tour stop today! Everyone, say hello to Cat!

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Cat Patrick’s Top 10 Favorite Books

A few weeks ago, my mom visited and brought my twin daughters some books to read. They were tattered and torn, worn by age and use. Some were inscribed with my sister’s or brothers’ names. And some were mine. I didn’t think I’d remember them. You see, I’m not as bad as London Lane, but I don’t have the world’s best memory. I couldn’t really guess at what I liked to read as a very young person. But when my mom whisked Richard Scarry’s Is This the House of Mistress Mouse? out of her bag, nostalgia nearly knocked me over. It’s the one where you put your finger in the door to find out the answer to the questions, and right then, I remembered loving it.



These days, I love all sorts of books, so choosing my top ten is difficult. But writing this post, these are the few that immediately spring to mind: the ones that have left an impression on me for one reason or another. The ones I smile at as they sit happily on my bookshelf, waiting to be read again. These include:


The Book Thief, Markus Zusak. First off, I aspire to Zusak’s greatness. I love that the narrator is Death, and just thinking about the story makes my chest cave in a bit. It’s a beautiful novel.



The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman. I adore anything that Neil Gaiman writes, be it a book for young kids or a collaboration on a graphic novel (I heart Stardust!). The Graveyard Book sticks out for the fact that I had shivers the whole time I was reading it. It balances creepiness with wit and a really heartwarming story. Gaiman’s a genius.

The Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling. I mean, to have created an entire world that sucked in…the entire world…just…wow.

The Hunger Games Trilogy, Suzanne Collins. Collins’ books kept me on the edge of my seat and made me fall desperately in love with two guys at once (Team Gale! No wait, Team Peeta!).



In the Woods, Tana French. My hubby got me into crime novels when I was pregnant (I read the entirety of Michael Connelly’s catalog while eating Ding Dongs and rootbeer…not a proud moment). Tana French is an amazingly poetic writer who sucks you in and doesn’t let your attention wander until the final page is turned.



Little Stalker, Jennifer Belle. This book came out awhile back and I still remember it for its humor and quirk. Just a fun read about a girl…who is also a stalker...



Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold. Ouch-inducing, but also amazing. I’m not sure what more to say.



The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss. This might look out of place but let me explain: I’m married to a nerd. On the surface, he looks and acts pretty hip, but underneath it all, he’s got D&D on the brain. He loves fantasy novels and, no joke, once scheduled a day trip to a nearby town and “forgot” his work computer just so he could read this book at the airports and on the planes uninterrupted. With that sort of recommendation, I had to read it. This is the first in a series, and it’s loooong. But it’s so well worth the time.



Thirteen Reasons Why, Jay Asher. Recently hubby and I went to see a movie and there was a flyer posted for a missing 12-year-old on the ticket window. It was down when we came out; I discovered later that the girl had killed herself and was found that very afternoon. I didn’t know her—I had no connection to her—but I cried for her anyway because I remember. I remember that life wasn’t always easy as a tween/teen. I remember that sometimes, it felt like it wasn’t worth even living it. In real life, people aren’t like London; they can’t see that in the future it will get so, so much better. So sometimes, they kill themselves. And it’s nothing less than tragic. In 13RW, Jay Asher takes on teen suicide with a heartbreakingly real story that surprisingly leaves you feeling…okay. Even hopeful. For that, I continue to be utterly awestruck by him.



Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen. Prompted by the movie, I read this novel recently and I surely wasn’t disappointed. I loved everything about it, and though I’ll never run away with one, it did make me want to go to the circus.



So that’s it: that’s my list. I’m sure I missed a few and will remember tonight and smack myself on the forehead. But for now, I think it’s pretty solid. That said, I can’t wrap this up without giving a nod to a special children’s book (even though I’m cheating a bit)…

One of the things that kills me as a mother is that my toddlers likely won’t remember most of what we do together today. But being reunited with Mistress Mouse reminded me that you don’t have to have full recall of something for it to give you that warm, fuzzy feeling of nostalgia.

My favorite book to read to my girls right now is The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. So please consider that my “number eleven.” I can only hope that years from now, when I bring the girls their tattered and torn copy of it to share with their children, even though they won’t remember snuggling up in the big brown rocker while I read it to them, they’ll remember loving it anyway.