Forgotten by Cat Patrick

London Lane is your typical teenager - she goes to school, likes to hang out with her best friend, and has a mother who drives her ever so slightly round the bend.  And like other teenagers London has her secrets, hers is a just a little bigger than most - unlike other people London doesn't remember the past, she remembers the future!  Every day when London reads the notes by the side of her bed to prepare herself for the day, little reminders of what she wore the day before and the important things that she might need to know for the coming day.  Having memories of the future means London knows what is coming, she can see the heartbreak that is coming for her best friend, the girl at school who will have her heart broken, the vacations that she will take in the future - but she can't remember who she has insulted (by accident or otherwise), her homework assignments, or what happened in her past that led to her memory resetting itself every night. 

Then a mystery enters her life, a boy named Luke who doesn't appear to be in her future, yet he is there everyday, a presence in her life that helps to soothe the edges when her friendship with Jamie breaks down because of London's attempts to stop a disastrous future from coming true.  But it is not just the mystery of Luke that has her puzzled, there is a dark memory that is trying to come to the surface, a memory that London has trouble placing, one that wakes her at night and leaves her with a feeling of dread.  As she works her way through the mysteries that are her life, London learns more about who she is and possibly why she is the way she is.

This was a fascinating read, not only because London is such an engaging character, but also because it is such a different angle to come from in terms of memory.  I want to classify it as fantasy or science fiction, but this book is so grounded in the real world that it is difficult to make that jump, to reach that conclusion.  This is an amazing book and has such a unique "voice", and unlike so many other books that are out there that try and be unique or different, Patrick actually managed to keep the intrigue going all the way to end and ended the book on a good note, rather than allowing the story to end with a wishy washy or too convenient ending.  It would be difficult to have a sequel for this story without rehashing some things, or becoming too similar, but it was a really enjoyable read.  There is the occasional moment where you may think "huh" that doesn't sound quite right, but it is not enough to take away the enjoyment of reading this great read. 

If you like this book then try:

• Before I fall by Lauren Oliver
• The unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
• Tighter by Adele Griffin
• Flawless by Lara Chapman
• Memento Nora by Angie Smibert
• Rosebush by Michelle Jaffe
• XVI by Julia Karr
• Illuminate by Aimee Agresti (published 2012)
• Altered by Jennifer Rush (published 2012)

Reviewed by Brilla