Judith Lafitte, an owner of Octavia Books in New Orleans and the children’s book buyer, enjoys reading books by first-time authors; one spring debut novel especially caught her attention.
Forgotten is the story of 16-year-old London Lane, who is unable to remember the past. When she awakes each morning, she has no memories of the day before. However, with the help of her mother and her best friend Jamie, she is able to keep her life as normal as possible. To further help her from forgetting, she keeps a notebook filled with events that have previously happened.
Complicating matters, London is able to see the future outcomes of people’s lives. This is very disconcerting to Jamie, who really doesn’t want to know what will happen in the future. When Jamie is sent to detention and is set on a path of (possible) self destruction, London considers ways in which to change the direction her best friend is heading. Enter Luke, a mysterious new boy at school who takes a liking to London, and she is equally attracted to him. And London is disturbed and confused by a recurrent dream; once she figures it out, it will either strengthen or loosen the bonds of those closest to her.
With a bit of fantasy and lots of intrigue, Cat Patrick manages to capture her audience right from the start. The moment I picked up this book, I was intrigued by the prospect of what it would be like to have my memories erase themselves each day. London somehow knows what is around the next corner without fully comprehending it. She must find the resourcefulness to understand the past in order to resolve the future.
I will certainly be on the lookout for more books from this author. She has a nice, clear style of writing that will easily appeal to the young teenage group. Readers I will recommend her to are those who like the novels of such authors as Sarah Dessen, Cameron Tuttle, and Robin Benway.
Forgotten by Cat Patrick. Little, Brown, $17.99 June ISBN 978-0-316-09461-0
