Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Title: Forget You
Author: Jennifer Echols
Pages: 304

Publisher: MTV

Publication Date: July 20, 2010

Why can't you choose what you forget...And what you remember?

There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four- year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon. But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people— suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.

The accident. Zoey remembers nothing of it...or anything that happened that night. Already dealing with her disjointed family, and the added pressure of her friends, she has enough to deal with. But when she pretends to remember everything that night, she is confused by her relationships with Brandon and Doug. As she tries to figure out what truly happened, she discovers many things about the people around her, as well as herself.

Forget You is an unparalleled novel that explores difficult situations with immense clarity and impression. Mysterious, as well as romantic, Forget You deeply scrutinizes the different aspects of teenage life. Family, friendship, and love are consistent themes in the novel that are complexified by Zoey's amnesia. As events of the accident are unraveled, readers will gain a true understanding of the emotional strife that teens go through everyday. Jennifer Echols writes a poignant and thoughtful novel that profoundly conveys the insecurities and vulnerabilities many people deal with.

Zoey's life is problematic and complicated even before the accident; her parents are divorced, her mom is on a downward spiral to suicide, and her conflicting feelings for Brandon are a lot to handle. Zoey's practicality and maturity is evident in the rational way she handles herself. But her candor in some situations remind the reader that she's still a teenager. There are times wherein she becomes somewhat irrational and stubborn; especially when she starts to play with Doug's feelings. Readers will empathize with Zoey and genuinely apprehend what she goes through. Her broken relationships with her dysfunctional family, distant friends, and Doug, will slowly mend themselves as she begins to realize what really happened and finally allow herself to be honest and true to herself.

Initially, Doug is perceived as a jerk. But his tough exterior slowly reveals a more sensitive and understanding side of him. His feelings for Zoey are strong and evident in the way he treats her. And even with his elusive past that molded his reputation, his determination to get Zoey is heartfelt and admirable. The sexual tension and intensified electricity between them crackles in the atmosphere, just waiting to break free.

The main concepts and themes in Forget You, are love, understanding, and coping. When Zoey gets amnesia, she has to grapple with the confusion and unsureness that has seeped into her life, as well as the opposing feelings she develops for Doug. And with her mom, she finally begins to understand as well as cope with the fact that her mom has a bipolar disorder. When Zoey finds her mother in their home that day, she is ashamed of it, especially when her dad is as well. But eventually, she learns to accept it.

Forget You is reminiscent of Jennifer Echols' other novels; it has the same descriptive and expressive writing style, as well as a believable conflict that deals with real-life problems. Jennifer Echols is an astounding author who has written a powerful, in-depth novel with a strong voice and concrete characters that readers will all identify with. (A+)

The Bottom Line: Striking characters with an original plot line. Extremely meaningful.

---Field Report---
Originality: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 9/10
Theme: 10/10
Imagery: 10/10
Setting: 5/5
Voice: 5/5
Style: 5/5
Tone: 5/5
Cover: 10/10
Total Score: 99/100 (A+)