The Forgetting is the first in a dystopian series. Fans and readers of Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy or Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes will enjoy this book. Recommended.
Synopsis
What isn’t written, isn’t remembered. Even your crimes.
Nadia lives in the city of Canaan, where life is safe and structured, hemmed in by white stone walls and no memory of what came before. But every twelve years the city descends into the bloody chaos of the Forgetting, a day of no remorse, when each person’s memories – of parents, children, love, life, and self – are lost. Unless they have been written.
In Canaan, your book is your truth and your identity, and Nadia knows exactly who hasn’t written the truth. Because Nadia is the only person in Canaan who has never forgotten.
Pros:
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I loved the premise. What if everyone around you forgot everything about their history every 12 years but you? How would that affect people? Society?
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The story is rich in conflict – personal, familial, political. All of these work together to create a rich mystery that a reader will keep turning the pages to uncover. And, to me, the reveal was worth the read.
- The romance, conflict, and topics were suitable for a YA audience. Nothing too extreme, violent, or over sexualized.
- While there is at least one other novel in the series, the book is complete as its own story. No cliffhanger ending, just a general interest to perhaps read more about what happens one day.
Cons:
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Perhaps a little slow to start.
Final Word
I like this author. I’ve read another one of her books (Rook) and enjoyed it. I will continue reading this series and consider picking up some of her other books.
Discussion Questions
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What would you do if you knew you were going to forget everything and everyone in six months?
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If you had to keep a journal like the people in the story, would reading what you wrote about yourself help you know who you are? What would you leave out? What might you embellish? [Consider trying to write a journal entry about your day or week for this purpose.]
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Do you think Jonathan made the right decision in not remembering his past?
- If you could go forget a time period from your past, would you? If you could remember something from your past, what would it be?