the-forgetting

3.5 Stars. This was an interesting twist on the dystopian novel. The story is about a group of people living in a town named Canaan. The town is surrounded by a high wall and no one is allowed to leave. Every 12 years something happens and everyone in town forgets everything they know about themselves, their lives, their jobs, their loves, everything. Everyone keeps a book tethered to themselves and must write down their true memories everyday so that when they forget, they can read the books and learn who they are again. Everyone forgets, except Nadia. Just before the next “forgetting”, a young, flirty boy named Gray catches Nadia on her way back from the other side of the wall and blackmails her into taking him with her the next time she goes. This starts a series of events that culminate on the day of the next “forgetting”.

This book started off slow and was confusing at first. It takes awhile to understand what is going on because the author starts the book as if the reader already knows all about the town, its rules and the forgetting. Once the story picks up, however, it’s a very good, quick read. It had plenty of characters to love and hate and I really liked the fact that it’s a stand alone book with a beginning, middle and end. In this day and age of the drawn out dystopian book series, it’s refreshing to read a good, stand alone book.