This starts with a mystery where something horrible has clearly happened but the character, Portia Willows, doesn’t know what it is. We’re then taken back to her as a teenager with social anxiety and agoraphobia and get to know her family. The family she partially loses in an accident. Now she lives with her father, both drinking the day away and barely able to care for themselves and each other. Until a young man moves in across the street, forcing Portia to step outside of her comfort zone in hopes of her first romantic relationship. But we keep getting “now” chapters of Portia trying to figure out where she is, what happened, and where her father is… In a genre that too often grossly uses mental illness as the boogie monster this was a welcome change, and new voice.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The story of this book is based on PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), a disorder characterised by failure to recover after witnessing or experiencing a terrifying event. She has also always had social anxiety which causes her to have panic attacks and attends college online.

The main character, Portia, has this disorder which resulted in a lot of hallucinations and failure to come to terms with a loss and also has social anxiety disorder.

It is a very slow paced book, it wasn’t as gripping as I would have liked it to be and I don’t think it should be considered a thriller novel (it wasn’t thrilling enough for me though), more of a mystery novel.

Through the development of the characters, Portia was quite infuriating, Ethan was too pushy at some point and her Dad, Richard, was tiring. It shows Portia’s social anxiety problems and living in her sister’s shadow, shows her Mother’s dominance in the family, Piper’s (her sister) extroverted and outgoing self and the father’s struggle/insecurities owing to his wife’s dominance. Portia and her dad are alike and both are withdrawn with Richard which causes them to close to each other this sharing drinks and cigarettes.

Remember was an ok novel. Not great, but not terrible. Honestly, I didn’t really feel this was a psychological thriller at all. It was much too slow and lacked tight tension. It felt much more like a general fiction novel about mental health, loss, and addiction. It feels like the cover and the “psychological thriller” tag line made this book sound like it was going to be a lot creepier or scary then it actually was.

As a book about mental health and addiction, it was alright. At times, I could really relate to Portia’s fight with social anxiety. I thought it was great to see a main character who struggled with this sort of problem. I really applaud the author’s dedication to wanting to help others with what they are going through by writing about mental health. Our society still has way too much of a stigma attached to mental health, which is pretty sad. It is great to show characters like this in stories and to have healthy conversations about it. So, a big thumbs up about wanting to tackle that sort of subject.

There were a few small over all problems, though, that kept this book from being really good. The main one, is that Remember was just a little too predictable. Not all of it, no… but the big twist about Portia and her dad was. You could see it coming from the very beginning. Like, literally 20% in and it’s obvious. If this is your big reveal, it shouldn’t be so obvious.

Also, Something you do not want to pair up with a predictable big twist, is a slowly plodding plot. I get that the author wanted to show us what a slice of life with Portia was like… but there were just too many scenes where it felt like not a whole like was going on. A slow, slice of life pace is ok, but like I said… not when one of your big reveals is so obvious. It killed any suspense the author was trying to build with the slow burn pacing.

Remember was an ok read. Not great, but not horrible. It was kind of middle of the road for me. I do appreciate that the author is very pro talking about and getting help for mental illness. That is very cool! This was her debut novel. She has cool ideas for her book. Just tighten it up a little bit and I think she has a lot of potential for future books. I would probably read something from her again.

This was just a middle-of-the-road read for me.
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Not a particularly busy road.
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One of those flat roads where you can see the next car coming from miles and miles away.
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You can even tell the color of the driver's hair well before they overtake you.
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And so the car reaches you and quietly passes on the left. Feels like maybe the driver was trying to sneak up on you but failed miserably with their fluorescent red car.
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Then not even a second later you already spot the next car breaking the horizon.
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The basic premise around this plot and subsequent twist has been done before. For those that have no idea what is going on, I've little doubt this book will blow them away.

Even with the big predictable twist there were some unique spins that set this tale apart from others causing me to round up on my rating.

I think most will rate this book very high. I'm an over-seasoned jaded old woman, pay me no mind.

IN SUMMARY:
I liked the characters.
I liked the writing.
I liked the story.
I liked it.
Meh.

3.5 Stars rounded up ⭐⭐⭐⭐


P.S. the cover is fabulously creepy. However, I have no idea how it relates to the story. 🤷‍♀️



** I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. **

This book was pretty interesting to me. I read a lot of psychological thrillers and this one was different. The whole social anxiety aspect of this book made me think a lot. At some points I was confused by some of the events going on and the dialogue, but I wonder if that was intentional. This book had a few twists I wasn't expecting and that doesn't happen too often for me.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you NetGalley!

I'm a huge fan of books that correctly & sensitively portray mental illness. This book did just that. The main character has severe anxiety. this book captures that realistically.

every character in this book was well-developed. you genuinely cared about them.

i loved her writing style as well. i'll be reading more by her.

🚨🚨 Book Review 🚨🚨
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Ok #bookish 📖 people: I try to keep it REAL here, let you know when I’m into the hype, let you know when I’m not into the hype, but also try to be kind —even if I don’t love 💗 it
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This is LEGIT. The first #thriller review that I am absolutely pumped about❗️❗️ As in —go freaking get YOU this book October 8, 2019. I think it’s gonna be a HUGE hit, total money 💰 👊🏼 worth the read❗️❗️
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Patricia Smith @patriciashanae hit a homerun on her debut novel REMEMBER with @polisbooks @agorabooks about a young woman Portia Willows who we meet first thing going through some sort of unknown trauma both to the reader and Portia herself🤷🏽‍♀️
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I have so much to say about this...total #psychologicalthriller 💭🤷🏽‍♀️ Asking myself several times what the EFF was going on, yet trying to remain patient with the central characters, feeling like they were real people who were just stringing me along and telling a disjointed story📖
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This is what Smith’s back and forth narratives from between different years in the past versus present day do for YOU as the reader in this mindtwist💡
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It’s not creepy, it’s twisty. And the conclusion kept turning, ↗️↖️⬅️➡️twisting, and revealing things that I cursed myself for having not realized because I ALWAYS do… But I think Smith’s 💡imagination was just that good and her characters and bewildering storyline were just that good✍🏾👊🏼📖🤷🏽‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️
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DO NOT TAKE my word for it though. Get the book OCTOBER 8 and decide for yourself🤙🏽
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I don’t get anything from this except for the sheer pleasure of having gotten to read a book and then tell you about it, so definitely UNBIASED❗️❗️
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Thanks @netgalley for the #ARC and thanks Smith for your ✍🏾
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#bookstagram #bookreview #bookblog #thrillerbooks #psychologicalthriller #debutnovel #blackauthors #bookshelf #ereaders

IG handle Janicedoesbooks

This starts out with the main character in high school. We learn that she has severe social anxiety disorder. And that her Mom and sister died in a car accident. She meets the boy across the street and the story pulls you into their world.
The book takes you from present day back to 5 years ago and back again to present through out. It is what really kept the book exciting.I recommend starting this book when you have the day to just read, because you will not want to put it down. It was a super, fantastic, exciting story.
First of all I understood what it feels like to have anxiety and how hard it is to go out in public. That was one of the reasons this book pulled me in. Also the characters are written to make the reader really care and like them.
I think with all the mental health problems we are facing now a days this book came out at a perfect time. Even though it is fiction I could see this happen in real life.
You do not want to miss reading this story!!!!

Mental illness comes in many forms and ways and it takes long to discover the depth of Portia's damage in this novel. Our memory can be deceiving, what we experience is not always what is real and what we do is not always what we want to do.

This novel helps emphasize with distorted reality. The pain gets real. It also shows the importance of the right reaction and treatment. A suspenseful story with psychological depth.

Portia is devastated. Her mother and sister, Piper were killed in a car wreck. Her father's in a coma.
Portia is 17 when the tragic accident happens. Her father is finally home with her. Portia suffers from Social Anxiety, a mental illness that causes panic attacks when she is around too many people. This illness causes Portia to barely leave her home and walk two blocks to the convenience store for beer and cigarettes for her and her father.
One day she meets a young man, Ethan who lives with his father across the street. This is her first friend, someone she has met and feels comfortable around. Ethan is hiding a secret, one that will cause detrimental damage to both of them. A secret that finally reveals the truth about Portia, her father, her sister and mother.

I was very intrigued with this book. I couldn’t believe what people can go through with mental health issues. The twists kept coming.
The book switches from the present to the past to try to explain what Portia is going through.Past: Portia has always had social anxiety disorder but now she has also been suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after losing her mom and sister in a car accident. Since then, she has been attempting to cope, while living with her father and smoking and drinking heavily. She has no desire to leave the house except to go the store for cigarettes and beer. That all changes when she meets Ethan, who lives across the street. Ethan is determined to help Portia with her disorders and have her socialize with the outside world. With Ethan’s help, she is able to come out of her shell and start to interact with the outside world.
Present: Portia is in handcuffs in a strange room in the police station and has no idea why or how she got there. There has been a horrific crime committed and the police tell her that she is responsible but she can’t remember anything. Elizabeth, a forensic psychologist takes Portia to a mental hospital and tells her that she does not belong in jail and that what happened isn't her fault. Elizabeth coaxes her to remember what happened, going back to five years ago so she can understand what led to the present events. I was shocked at all the revelations in the book and could not have guessed them.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

One of this year's best !!! Ethan meets Portia and they have a slow romance that ends in love. Portia's mother and sister, Piper, were killed in an auto accident 5 years ago. Yet, Portia spends most of the day watching TV with her dad, drinking and doing online studies at UCLA. She depends on her dad's company because she has a social anxiety disorder.

Wait until you see what happens!!! Anything more would be a spoiler.

A superb read! I cannot say more!!!

Many Thanks to Agora Books and NetGalley for a brilliant read!!!

A spellbinding psychological thriller where the protagonist Portia has to deal with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder following the tragic death of her mother and sister in an accident. Portia has always had social anxiety issues and showed symptoms of Demo phobia and Agoraphobia. Her mother was the CEO in a large company and was essentially the bread winner of the family while her father was a stay at home Dad. Portia was aware that her father dealt with insecurities daily owing to his wife’s success and dominance. She herself has lived in the shadows of her lively extrovert sister and wished at every moment that she could be more like her. Her entire life is thrown off the rails after this accident. Taking to drinking and smoking spiralled on by her father, she lives the life of a recluse hardly stepping out of the house except to go to the local store for some beer and cigarettes. She clings to her father for comfort and he proves to be her anchor in the deep sea of doubt and despair.
Ethan enters her life like a breath of fresh air and she realises how much she is missing out in the outside world. She is pulled in two directions as she is sometimes forced to choose between her father and Ethan. The readers are then subjected to an astonishing twist which they surely did not see coming and out of the blue the story starts gaining on pace and excitement. Patricia has captured the character of Portia perfectly especially in the moments when she blocks out her unpleasant memories and her psychologist pokes and pries in attempt to release everything that is locked in her mind.
A near death experience of a loved one throws Portia out of her comfort zone and she tries to limp back to normalcy. A well crafted plot which made for quick reading – finished it in three hours.
My score 4 * / 5

Remember is a book like no other I can recall reading. After being completely captivated by the cover art, I decided to see what lay inside the pages of this story. What I discovered was a complex, psychological thriller about memory loss, depression, substance abuse, and post traumatic stress. While these are heavy topics to deliver on their own, somehow the writer is able to weave these difficult topics into a beautiful story of love and loss. Told from Portia’s point of view, the story jumps from past, to present over the course of about 20 years. This sounds like it would be challenging to follow, but each memory holds up like it’s own story and I understood where the story was at all times. This book also has a twisty-turn that I didn’t see coming. I seriously felt for Portia, whose mother and sister died in a car accident. Suffering from social anxiety, Portia turns to alcohol to help ease the burden of her loss. Destined for a life alone with her father, she meets her neighbor Ethan, who helps Portia discover life in a whole new way. I loved this book and would definitely recommend it to thriller, suspense, and ya readers. This was an impressive debut and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

This is a lovingly written, dark and desperate, utterly brilliant novel of a fragile shy teenager and her father bonding together after a family tragedy. You sense it won’t end well but you root for them both, as their lives become increasingly insular and centered around each other grieving in their home, rarely venturing outside. As the novel evolves, we are challenged by our assumptions and our reasonings. . Most of us are good people who sometimes make bad decisions, often because the truth is more painful. If we aren’t truthful, we are all responsible for the aftermath, regardless of the intention. Extremely harrowing and hopeful, this is an eye opening story I won’t forget. I remember the author from her Chicago days, at various poetry slams - check out her previous work too.

This is a very different book. It delves into mental illness in a way that I have not personally read before. Portia has severe anxiety disorder and has no friends except her sister Piper. Her mother and sister is killed in a terrible accident and she is barely getting by until Eathan Torte moves in across the street. Things go ok for a while but then there is a terrible crime committed and Portia has no memory of it.
This is an extremely well written book that kept my interest from the very first page. I highly recommend it.

Thanks Net Galley for allowing me to read this amazing book in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely loved this book! The story flows, the characters are fascinating and I couldn't tear myself away. Highly recommended.

This was an amazing debut, it had exactly what I wanted in a psychological novel and I had a lot of emotions going through this.