Patricia Smith writes with courage and honest in this psychologically-gripping crime fiction thriller. Highly recommend!

Been there, done that. This is an okay debut novel. The writing is good, I liked the characters, and it was well written. The reason I didn't love the book is because it's on old story. Nothing original.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed how this focused on the dark aspects of mental illness. The story was captivating and kept me intrigued. It did consider it more of a fiction novel with aspects of creepiness. I would recommend this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for release of this review copy!

I loved the mystery aspect in this book! And this cover!!!! YESSS!!! let us talk about making a book look interesting. Well done author, well done!

However, I related to this book. I have social anxiety and seeing how this book dealt with that, I highly recommend to readers. There were times I could see myself in our main character. I loved this book!

Spoilers!!

It didn't take me very long to read this book and initially I found it entertaining. I was really surprised by the plot twists, I don't know how some people saw them coming. I was disappointed with the ending and the more I think about it the more problems I have with the story overall. It seems unlikely that Portia would become so close to Ethan so quickly and easily. My biggest issue is with Ethan. How did telling Portia his secret ever seem like a good idea? And how is he not in jail? I can appreciate the focus on mental illness but treating drunk driving like a mistake to apologize for rather than the life stealing crime that it is is ridiculous and just ruins the whole book for me.

3 for neutral. Did not download on multiple occasions, was unable to ever get it on my device to read.

This book was based on mental illness. It was well written on the topic. Some of the characters were boring but in saying that I still liked the book.

Remember is a great psychological thriller with interesting and well developed characters. The book has a few slow spots,but it's still a great book.

I really enjoyed this book, I had thought at times and told people that I was reading a book called Remember and I thought that the girls Dad might be a ghost. but never did I think that it would end like it did.

That blurb sucked me in, it sounds like an amazing read I read this book in two sittings, it's like 300 pages plus. I really wanted to know how it ended as the blurb seems like this is a fantastic story. The idea of the story  and blurb IS FANTASTIC, for me as a reader the execution of it was a little weak because...

Character development- from the 300 pages I read I still have no idea what Portia looks like AT ALL. I don't even know her race, if I had to guess I would say white. There was a lot of reference to how much her and her sister looked alike, but what do they look like? So physically there was no development. As a person for Portia there was also a lack of development from 300 pages. This book is written in first person (up close from the character's POV) and other than 'I screamed' I never felt her emotions.  As a reader the author did not give a reasonably deep POV to really move me as a reader, and allow me to connect to her. Given the seriousness of the story line Portia could have been written a lot stronger. I felt like the author could have 'put herself in Portia's shoes' a little stronger to do her justice.

 General character development- There was a description made of a character who had 'medium toned skin'... I pulled the book back from me and said, 'what's that?' The descriptions were a little weakly written.   It reminded me of when I read a book (in this same genre) and the author wrote ' she opened her African-American eyes'. (I was like what the f**k is that? Aint they brown, like a Chinese, white any other races' eyes?) Overall I had a hard time with getting connected due to development.

Plot Gaps- there is a  scene where a character mentions that Portia had been brought to the hospital a number of times over the years, by her boyfriend...  I only saw him do that once when she was pregnant, I don't recall that.

When she was pregnant  he found out the sex of the child via ultrasound at three month's gone. This is not scientifically possible...as a mother I can confirm, it's over twenty weeks you find out this info. The baby is too small at three months. *sighs* simple things requiring research spoiled the plot for me as a reader.

Pace - for a 300 page book not much happens in the first 75 percent. Portia's sister and mother die and she has a three year relationship with a guy.  For me personally as a reader for a thriller genre book all this was too slow, no red herrings to throw readers off, or 'pulse.'

Writing style- it's written in first person ( I love this) but a little weakly. The story is also told back to front ( I love this style), but as a reader the time frames jumping back and forward I felt I did not spend enough time there ( underdeveloped story), in order for it to have an impact.  I felt like I was just jumping around for the sake of it, not to keep me thinking as a reader or to really develop anything or build up.

It's a fact not every book you read you will love, but as a reader I  expected so much more and was so excited to discover the book. Overall to sum it up  and without being mean either, from my reading experience generally it's an underdeveloped and slow novel to be a psychological thriller in the true sense.  The ending made  less impact or was believable (for me) due to this.  Without being mean again, when you find gaps,etc there are only so many stars you can award for your enjoyment , but I wish this author so much luck with her writing career. From me as a reader....two stars, I did not hate it, but as a reader I found  a few things that held me back from loving it.

An outstanding thriller told through the memories of an accused criminal. Right from the start Patricia Smith introduces us to our emotionally crippled main character. Portia is trying desperately to remember her life and the actions that have placed her in custody for a crime she is not sure she committed. The author maintains the tension in the story line from start to surprising finish, weaving the clues in but keeping her memories so vivid you'll see them as if on a screen. This was an excellent mystery/thriller that I'm recommending to my reading circle.

I received a digital advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wonderful, absolutely wonderful. I really loved this book. I don't want to go into too much detail because I feel like it might take away from the readers of this story. The book was just good. The author has such a unique writing style. I loved how this book ended. Even if it wasn't what I thought was going to happen. I feel like the characters did lack a little in depth. I wish I could have gotten to know them a little bit more before all the action started.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, Agora books and Patricia Shanae Smith for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I found it a little confusing at first to get into this book , but once I understood the format and what the Author was trying to portray of the protagonist, I couldn't read it fast enough.
What a powerful, scary and twisted book.
Definitely a great debut from this Author and I look forward to reading more of her works.

I thoroughly enjoyed this psychological thriller! The focus on the dark and desperate parts of mental illness was incredibly well done. The storyline is captivating, the characters interesting and the alternating timelines will keep you flipping pages. I would definitely read more by Patricia Smith.

Huge thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy!

It's a good book and I really tried to get in to it but I think it just wasn't my cup of tea. Characters were good and so was the plot.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ecopy. Portia was a highschool girl who faced a lot of devastation in her life. Her mother and sister are killed in an accident. Which brings up anxiety and substance abuse within the book. Portia later is questioned about a incident she cannot remember and it may be suppressed deep inside her brain. Suspenseful and twisty but the genre may be off a bit. Did not seem like a full psycological thriller.

Well written psychological thriller. Captivating, well developed storyline with interesting characters.
I was into it from page one!
It is well detailed, it feels real, it's scary at times.

I couldn't even imagine the horror of losing both your mother and sister... And your memory not being the best... trying to go on with your life, taking online classes, taking care of your drunk dad, meeting someone... ... ...

Suffering from social anxiety and losing all control is something I can relate to, not to that extend though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Polis Books for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Remember is the debut physiological suspense novel by Patricia Shanae Smith. Ms. Smith has acquitted herself very well in her first attempt.

Portia Willows is a high school senior when her mother and younger sister, Piper, are killed in a car accident. Portia finds it hard to cope because she suffers from extreme social anxiety disorder, and Piper had been the buffer between her and the world. Portia and her father both become agoraphobic and subsist mainly on beer and cigarettes. Portia’s life becomes marginally better when Ethan Torke moves in across the street and the two become friends. Things come to a head, when five years after the accident, Portia finds herself being questioned about a violent incident that she can’t remember. The human brain is a strange and mysterious thing.

The story is revealed partially through flashbacks from Portia’s point of view. Flashback scenes can be confusing but here they were handled well, so the voice and timeframe are clear. The characters are well-developed. There are interesting and surprising plot twists. Remember is an excellent read. I rate it 5 out of 5 stars. I was contemplating a 4 star rating but went with 5 stars because of the true testimonials at the end of the book. Ms. Smith has used her platform to allow others to share their pain and triumphs. I recommend this book to anyone who has dealt with or knows someone who has dealt with mental health issues, and to anyone who enjoys a good psychological suspense/thriller.

My thanks to Polis Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

The auhor really knows how to make a panic attack feel real. De details that went into it are very good. So maybe she has experience with them as for having them herself or maybe a loved one?

The mental illness issues are covered pretty goof throughout the book, but sometimes made me feel it was a bit to much about them. Like it was a psychology textbook with case descriptions.

I did like the different time periods in wich the story was told. This way you really got a good complete story about everything that happened and what got Portia to this place.

It was, for me, a good book but really did have a debut feel about it. And I wont be surprised if her next book will be even better. Because she shows a lot of great storytelling.

Remember by Patricia Smith is being touted as a psychological thriller.  I consider it more to be fiction....with a touch of scariness if you consider real life.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Polis Books, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 
My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Portia Willows was a rather strange child.  She suffered from severe social anxiety, but no one aside from her sister, really understood what she went through.  She left the house only when she absolutely had to, and then panic attacks were the norm.  School was a nightmare.  Her world revolved around her family.  Her mother was a Type A business woman, her younger sister Piper was an extrovert who was "Miss Popularity" in school, and her father was a stay-at-home dad.  When Portia was 17, on the night of her sister's high school play,  her family was involved in a tragic car accident.  Portia, of course, had not attended the play.

Now, five years after that accident, Portia is in custody.  She barely remembers the last five years of her life, and what she does remember may be faulty.  She remembers her mother and sister dying in the accident, and she lived with her dad.  She remembers meeting the boy across the street and falling in love.   That's about it.  Forensic psychiatrist Elizabeth Smith is trying to walk her through the past five years, so that Portia will remember...so that she will remember why she has blood on her hands.

 

My Opinions:  

Well, for a debut novel, that was really good.  As someone who has suffered from panic attacks myself, I believe the author may have as well.  She described Portia's attacks and anxiety from the angle of someone who has been there.

This novel is about memories, about social anxiety,  about PTSD, about mental illness left untreated, and about love.  Portia's story is told as she goes back and forth between the present and different years in her past, until she is able to really grasp the last five years of her life. This worked well.  Although I had anticipated the bit about her father very early in the story, Ethan's involvement came as a shock.

This was a fast, entertaining, and very emotional read.

Although she covered some rough topics, the author didn't sugar coat anything.  Mental illness, if left untreated, can cause harm....