I was really excited about all of the various elements of this story--set in the near future, the idea of cloning, a peek at the next generation of social media, the hint of alternate realities. Unfortunately, for me personally, these elements didn't necessarily come together in a way that I fully enjoyed. (Although I will admit that I liked the book more as I went.)

It almost seemed like there were too many elements at play here, (like this book HAD to be in the future, due to the idea of cloning, so futuristic elements were kind of sprinkled in there not exactly in service of the plot, but to stay true to the time/place.).

I felt like the alternate reality/gaming subplot was a bit of a red herring and didn't do a lot to move the plot forward (also, again for me personally, reading a lengthy firsthand account of someone playing a video game is as boring as watching them do so in real life). Additionally it was a little weird to read about the pandemic in past tense, considering we're still in it and not aware of how things will fully play out.

Where this book was much stronger was in its focus on Linda, Anvi, and Arthur. The central story about this woman who grew up in a traumatic situation, her inability to connect with others, and her attempts to build a relationship with her neighbor and father was the central backbone of the book, and a compelling one at that. In a way, all of the other high tech elements pulled the focus away from that element.

Perhaps that is why I liked the final third/quarter of the book the most--when the red herrings were largely dispensed with and we got down to the business of focusing on these characters and their attempts to right some wrongs from the past and find peace.

Overall, I guess I more had issues with the editing of this book than the writing. I enjoyed all of the elements of this story, but didn't necessarily dig the way they were woven together. That might not be the case for another reader though.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

SLightly futuristic novel in which "clone girl", really created from fertilized twin egg, is a very clever and origiinal story. Social media trending memes play a key role, but the essential secret does come as a real surprise, and makes the book gel as a primer on various levels of mental illness. The central characters of the clone girl and her new friend, a Ph.D. in psychology focused on social media and headed for work at one of the large companies (a la Facebook), are both well drawn. I'd recommend it for those who like plausible scifi.

3.5 stars
This was certainly an interesting book! It's a bit sci-fi (near future), a bit mystery, a bit domestic drama, a bit girl raised in isolation then abandoned to survive on her own. The author does a good job with pacing and making the reader want to find out not just what's going to happen next, but also what happened in the past. However, the main character, while sympathetic, was hard to relate to due to her personality and background. Also, it seemed like there were just too many things going on, which resulted in the book being a little confusing. I thought the Matrix-y aspect just further confused the story. It was, however, engaging and thought-provoking as it touched on cloning, virtual reality, and social media and where those things could lead in the future.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

This was an interesting story that bridged the gap of what it is to be human and technology. I did enjoy the VR and the real world in this story. But something of it just didn't grip like I was hoping. I do think that some readers will fall hard for this one though. But maybe check this one out at the library before committing.

Forget Me Not flows with a rare grace, navigating even its most thorny elements without stranding the reader in a verbal cul-de-sac. Even after earmarking itself quite clearly as a post-pandemic novel, it is bright and hopeful, even in its direst moments. All the pieces come together in a way that’s unexpected, but even more rewarding than the ending we seem to be coursing towards. It’s also a keenly astute look at life with anxiety and PTSD, both as enlightening to those who don’t suffer it as it is comforting to those who do.

(Ranked A in Sci-Fi Magazine, Spring 2021)

This is a futuristic novel that falls into the camp of multiple genres, including sci-fi, fantasy, mystery and thriller. Linda Russell’s childhood is mostly a mystery since when we meet her, she is ensconced in her special “nest chair” in her technologically advanced apartment. She isolates herself from everyone and I slowly discovered why. The book was fascinating at times and maddening at others as I just wanted the main story to move along without all of the extra side events. Linda was “created” as a clone child to replace a beloved daughter who died, but then she was left to basically raise herself in the woods of a walled-in estate. She has a twin sister who is missing and has a kind of FaceTime relationship with her father, but her mom is also missing, although the character of Lorelei is frequently referred to. Early in the story, I felt completely lost and about one third of the way through, I had an aha moment and kept reading because I was curious about what would happen with Linda. The plot itself was not captivating, not did I think that the characters were particularly well-developed. I did like the characters of Anvi, Linda’s neighbor who befriends her and introduces her to the world of virtual reality. That’s when an entire different part of the story takes off, in the world of gaming that is just not my thing. I found myself skimming the parts in which Anvi and Linda were virtually engaged in battles. That really bored me, but again, I kept reading to find out what would happen to Linda and if she would ever find her twin Emmer. This was a very different kind of book, challenging to read at times, but it did stimulate my curiosity. I cannot say that I totally enjoyed the story of the “cloned girl” but I did feel sorry for her and her lack of human interaction and parental love. Fans of sci-fi will definitely enjoy this more than I did and fans of mystery/thriller may be disappointed just as I was because there is not a lot of this genre in the pages of the book.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I loved everything about this book. As an unreliable narrator, Linda guides the reader through her story. It's hard not to feel for her as she is out of step with the world around her. Although the VR world didn't play a large part in the story, I did enjoy the way it was an avenue for healing and connection for Linda, as VR often gets a bad reputation as being "anti-social." Throughout the course of the book, I also come to love Anvi's character and even became fond of Linda's father. As the details of Linda's life are revealed, the story shows how being stuck in our own perspectives disconnects us from others. The ending was hopeful but without a perfectly happy ending. This is my first book by this author, but I enjoyed it enough to pick up her other book.

A near future book, that I enjoyed. At the center we have Linda who had a strange upbringing. She is known as Clone Girl to the public, born to replace her sister who died tragically as a teenager. Linda was made, probably manipulated, and implanted to her mother Lorelei, who was not fit to be a mother again. Linda’s life was one of abandonment, lacking love and completely confusing, as she was hidden away in the house compound, until she finally ran away and into the world.

During the book we see her trying to cope, but barely with the world. She tries to avoid people at all times, and is extremely vulnerable with feelings of being attacked when viewed and taunted by the public. A neighbor with a dog moves in and Linda is drawn to her, perhaps making a friend, who shows her the world of virtual reality games. A side story pops in are we living in a computer simulation. Is this story a computer simulation?

I enjoyed the book for the most part, wanted to give this book five stars but the book didn’t quite reach that far. There were moments, throughout the book, when the color of someone’s skin was mentioned and it was awkward and odd. Perhaps it was part of showing how Linda was isolated while growing up, but it felt out of place.

Around the mid-way or so the book ramped up the tension. I found it hard to put down. One weird aspect to the book is how it worked in the current pandemic into the narrative. It comes up a couple of times, which was a little weird reading while we’re still in it, dealing with it, and who knows how it will shape the future overall.

at first, i was so confused, but once you hit a certain point everything comes together so seamlessly i was so incredibly shocked! this story was griping, and the writing was dazzling!

What a different and unique read. Ever so often a book comes around that is so different then everything else that it sticks with you. Forget Me Not is one of those books. I will say the first part of the book was purposefully disjointed and I felt completely lost. I am so glad that I stuck with it though because soon all the pieces fell into place. This book definitely required some thinking and wouldn't be considered an "easy" read but was an enjoyable read never the less. I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes a little psychological mystery with some sci-fi mixed in.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book for my honest review.

This is a story about a girl who shouldn't exist.

I'm not certain how to rate this, as I liked elements of it- particularly the world building, but didn't enjoy one of the MCs and elements of the story felt problematic. I'm uncertain if it was authorial intent, or just my perception of statements- but somewhat derisive commentary around things like accountability culture felt unnecessarily inserted, and didn't contribute to the overall story. That being said- the science fiction near future elements were SO well done and I loved the other MC.

Goodreads, give us half stars! 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Thank you Netgalley & rRandom House Publishing Group/ Ballantine for this e-Arc!

The protagonist of Forget Me Not lives in a world where her apartment, her shoes, and even her name don't quite fit her. A survivor of a strange and twisted crime that shaped her childhood, Linda has never quite learned how to fit into the world, or how she might become an active participant in her own life. Instead, she drifts along, wishing for a life more like the idyllic past she treasures - but which may not actually exist. When a new neighbor makes the effort to become a real friend, Linda takes tentative steps out into the world, only to find that the world she's avoided has never quite forgotten her, or the tragic backstory that defined her. Linda is a compelling protagonist, and the novel skillfully unfolds her past to both her and the reader at the same time, and showing that even our most closely held memories might not have happened exactly as we recall. The end wraps up a bit too quickly to make this a true thriller, but Linda's story is definitely worth the read.

Linda has to live in Seattle, which is a huge change from the woods she had been living in since she was abandoned as a child. She might have a friend in a neighbor that moves into her building and sees the possibility of virtual reality as an escape from her anxiety and the world she doesn't feel comfortable with. A fire at her childhood home brings her back for the first time in years and being there challenges her safety as well as her memory and sense of self.

Forget Me Not is a near-future story, in that Anvi was a teenager during the 2016 elections and coronavirus and social media is even more ubiquitous than it already is. People not only have earpieces but augmented reality glasses and virtual reality. Those exist to some extent now, but in this book, they are fully realized and feel as real as reality. Hashtags and doxxing exist, and it dogs Linda's path at every step. Her story is internet-famous so that people will say terrible things about her without knowing the circumstances and try to come up with explanations for their favorite rumors. The truth of her family is sad and terrible, in that Linda was born to replace an older sister that died, and her twin disappeared when they were six. Even worse, she essentially raised herself soon after that, as her mother refused to have anything to do with her.

Linda is drawn to a VR game world because interactions are largely scripted there, and she doesn't have to interact with people. That's certainly the same draw that people have with games today. She's very shy and awkward in public given the way she raised herself, and her father was still so caught up in his own grief and pain that he never really connected with her. The fire draws Linda out of the isolation she lives in and brings her continued existence back to the top of everyone's timelines. Visiting the house afterward sparks more memories, as well as puts Linda into crosshairs she never knew existed. This is the point where things veer away from what I expected, and the truth about Linda, her memory, and her early life in the house is revealed. I read with wide eyes and was surprised by the ending. While I didn't see it coming, the sequence fit and brought the story to a stunning conclusion.

This was my first book by this author and I thought it was so interesting. Definitely will be recommending.

For the first 12 years of her life, Linda Russell was kept in a walled off forest property with no other people around except for her mother and her twin sister. And one day her mother took her sister away. For these 12 years, Linda was unaware that she had born solely due to replace another sister who had died tragically years before.

(BOOK BLURB) Then one day Linda witnesses something she wasn’t meant to see. Terrified and alone, she climbs the wall and abandons her home, but her escape becomes a different kind of trap when she is thrust into the modern world—a world for which she is not only entirely unprepared, but which is unprepared to accept her.

Part psychological fiction / part mystery / futuristic thriller / it is well written with characters that are outstanding. It's a delicate balancing act as Linda in clearly in the here and now, yet a part of her is still that young child in the forest .... feeling as though she belongs nowhere. There are a few surprises along the way ... some twists and turns that keep the reader captivated. With one foot in the present, one foot in past, will she ever learn where she belongs?

Many thanks to the author / Random House Publishing - Ballantine / Netgalley for the digital copy of this most interesting novel. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
3.5 stars

A modern tragedy. A sad tale of isolation and regret. Linda loses her sister at an early age,who later resurfaces or does she. The premise for this story rests on the need to know what happened to the sister Linda was born to replace. Never quite enough in her mothers eyes Linda escapes over a wall.lives on her own and becomes something of unknown celebrity online. Just as she adjusts to life among humans,Linda is abducted by the young man who feels responsible for her sisters death. Through it all the truth is just below the surface and the race to reveal is stunning.

Even though the premise of the book does not seem very believable, it was still very enjoyable read and I had hard time putting the book down. It was a fun read, and I wanted to find out what will happen next. I liked the characters, and I liked witnessing how their friendship developed.

I received a free digital copy of the book from NetGalley

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Storygraph!

This was a good story that had a lot of potential but just did not deliver completely for me. It is the story of a girl that was born to replace a sister. It is a bit of mystery and a bit of sci-fi and a bit of coming of age.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing - Ballentine for this advanced readers copy. This book released in March 2021.

Forget Me Not is a difficult book to quantify. Linda is an awkward, difficult, maladjusted woman who is very difficult to connect with - this will slow down your interaction with the novel until she begins to interact with her new neighbor, Anvi. Anvi, while a simple seeming character, does represent the social media-laden side of society, rather than the natural disconnected world Linda comes from. It is a typical clash between two worlds trying to come together. A lot of Linda's escapes (such as into VR gaming) is perfectly natural, as it the incorporation of Anvi's past relationship - they just don't go anywhere - there seems to be no use for them. There are some wonderful aspects about this book, and as a story, it is very interesting, but there are a lot of avenues that just don't seem to be necessary to the novel as a whole, which is a shame. On the whole, it is a very interesting concept which results in a satisfying ending - it just could have been so much more.