Forget Me Not by Alexandra Oliva is a near future set sci-fi thriller and is my first read from this author. I wasn't quite sure what to expect and didn't really have much in the way of expectations, but this was a decent one. It was intriguing following along with Linda's story and getting to know her as she's trying to manage in the world. My biggest complaint: I wasn't that big of a fan of the writing style which comes across as too disjointed and distant for my tastes. The style made it too difficult for me to become fully invested in the story. I may come back to try this author's previous release, The Last One, in the future.

Mind bending, smart and fast paced #ForgetMeNot had me flipping the pages frantically to find out the ending.
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Set in the near future Linda lived life as a recluse, seemingly terrified of the world around her, within good reason. She grew up practically raising herself in a walled off property in the woods in Washington. She’s comes to find out she was only born to replace the sister that died before she was born.
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After she escapes she is quietly living her life in Seattle until her neighbor comes into her life introducing her into the virtual reality world. What starts as a source of escape quickly turns to chaos.
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Plunging her back into reality is the news that her childhood home is on fire and she must go home to the place where it all began. She must end things there to complete a full circle moment.
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Such a different book and a unique way of storytelling I needed to find out what happened to Linda.
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Thank you to #NetGalley and #BallantineBooks for an arc in exchange for an honest review

This book was super hard for me to get into. Truthfully, I don't love reading about COVID-19 mentions or books set in that time. I read to escape, not to be reminded of all that. I wanted more from this mystery and these characters.

Forget Me Not by Alexandra Oliva was an enjoyable book. Linda Russell was born to replace her sister that was killed in an unfortunate accident. The story takes place in the Seattle area and is set in the near future which adds interest to the book. Linda was born into a very neglected situation mainly due to her mother's mental health issues. This effects her life that she is living on her own as a 24 year old.

I don't want to say much about this book and give anything away. Forget Me Not is a fast read. I stayed up past my bedtime last night to finish this book and glad that I did. I think it would have kept me up wondering how this was going to end. Ms. Oliva does tie up the storylines nicely so you are not left hanging.

Forget Me Not was an advanced readers copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.. The book will be out on March 2nd, 2021. If you are looking for a fun read with some twists and a unique perspective to hold your interest, I would recommend this book. #ForgetMeNot #NetGalley

This book started off introducing us to Linda, a young lady moving into her apartment in Seattle. Then we get to try to understand why Linda has a difficult time adjusting and realize that she has been isolated for the first 12 years of her life. The only place she knew was the enclosed acreage of her parent's property. The book started well for me, but then I quickly realized that it was taking place in the future and that included Vurtual Reality and Alternate Reality, which unfortunately is just not my genre.
I do thank the publisher, author and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The description of this one intrigued me even before I realized that it was by the same author as The Last One. I was curious about a little girl raising herself and then escaping the walled off property to the outside world...but this book begins after she's grown up. Set in the near future, it has just enough unfamiliar technology to constantly remind the reader of that...and not quite enough information about Linda's past to keep things interesting. Once she returns to her childhood home it picks up pace. I was more interested in Linda as an almost feral child than I was by her adult life and virtual reality games.

This story is very appropriate to the digital world we are currently living in. Linda has lived a very isolated life and it was therefore not unusual that she ended up in a virtual game. What follows is a trip to figure out who she really is. This leads to danger for her but also a chance at redemption.

The loss of a child leads to the optimistic birth of another whose life will forever be shadowed and shaped by the legacy of the deceased in Alexandra Oliva’s Forget Me Not.

Left to primarily raise herself as a child, Linda Russell isn’t comfortable in the world of a city that many would happily call home; she prefers the quiet and wonder of her remote childhood home in the woods, despite the attention her family and unusual existence there has garnered over the years. Living as an attempt to recreate the daughter that was lost, Linda spent years trying to appease her mother’s swiftly shifting moods and be the daughter she was desired to be. But small slips in the façade show Linda for who she is, her own person, leaving the relationship with her mother strained to the point that after seeing something she shouldn’t have she flees her home at twelve for the world beyond their wall. Twelve years later, Linda is living a quiet, reclusive life, aided by her father’s wealth to assist in keeping her out of the public eye, which debates and ridicules her existence on pervasive social media platforms. Linda’s new neighbor doesn’t seem to register knowing who she is and instead treats her as a person, introducing her to the wonders of virtual reality as they form a tenuous friendship that’s tested quickly as a fire at Linda’s childhood home brings her past to light, spurring other life-altering events.

The premise featuring abundant social media presences, easily accessible advanced technology, cloning, and a bit of simulation theory in a near future setting was intriguing, but there wasn’t a heavy emphasis on the sci-fi element of the story that you might expect, though technology was frequently referenced, and the focus was instead primarily on the characters and the suspense built from deciding who to establish trust and friendship with. While the writing was captivating in how it portrayed Linda and her perception of the world and people around her, and her adult life was filled with its own challenges, I feel it would have been more fascinating to focus more specifically on Linda’s childhood and her adjustment from it to the wider world as the parts of the narrative that explored that time, even cursorily, were much more interesting, particularly the portion that wrapped up the overall reveal of her past – the psychological impact of false memories and the trauma from childhood experiences. The narrative focus shifted a few times throughout the story as different threads to the larger tale were woven together; while it worked as a whole by the conclusion, it was jarring in the moment to be pulled out of Linda’s main narrative for what equated to a side quest narrative addition.

Overall, I’d give it a 3 out of 5 stars.

*I received a copy of this book from the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought from some reviews and the description that this was going to be more sci-fi heavy than it was, but I still enjoyed it. Linda is trying to blend in and not get noticed as #clonegirl in the near future where technology can make that difficult, a date taking a picture of her triggers facial recognition on social media, for example. Her only claim to fame was that her mother, devastated by the loss of her daughter Madeline, attempt to replicate her, and then when it failed left her alone in their home in the woods. She meets a woman across the hall, and as their friendship blossoms, she begins to find out more about her past, and it’s all very interesting! I liked all the characters, and thought they were compelling, but besides slightly advanced tech, the story doesn’t really have much of a sci-fi plot, it’s more of a regular thriller/family drama.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Forget Me Not.

I don't usually read sci-fi but if the premise is eye-catching, I'd give it a try.

Forget Me Not is a blend of mystery and domestic drama centered around Linda, aka "Clone Girl," the girl created out of her mother's obsession after the death of her first child, Mady.

When Linda escapes from the home where she had been caring for herself, she had to relearn how to be 'human' and function in society.

Over a decade later, Linda lives a solitary existence tormented by her fractured memories of her childhood and the loss of her twin sister and mother.

When her childhood home is torched, Linda takes the first steps toward facing the truth of her past and building her confidence back up again.

After Linda is abducted, and her friend and neighbor and Linda's father look desperately for her, Linda is finally able to face the trauma of her past and face the truth she has long since denied herself.

The story takes place in a near future where virtual reality is common, people are ruled by their phones and social media feeds with more advanced technology and no one's life is really their own.

Despite all these elements, Forget Me Not is more of a domestic drama and a story between a sick woman and her daughter.

Also, several difficult themes are discussed including mental illness, child abandonment, depression, obsession, and isolation.

I liked Linda; she was relatable, sympathetic and a strong character after everything she had endured.

Her father was less likable, his reluctance and inability to treat Linda as his child, even though she was not responsible for her own conception. He provided financial assistance, but lacked empathy and emotional support.

Anvi wasn't a bad character but her interest in Linda begins dubiously. She befriends Linda because she's curious about her; eventually she respects and likes her when she sees Linda's hidden depths as a human being.

I love Nibbler!

As some reviewers noted, the ending is pat, but I was glad it ended well for Linda.

She is moving forward with her life, and the questions she had about her childhood were resolved.

I've never read a book by the author before but this was a good introduction to her work.

The writing was good, as was the world building (though a bit wordy) and I think some readers would enjoy this, but it read as a domestic thriller with light sci-fi elements.

Forget Me Not was an interesting story set in the not too far future. The story is about a woman who spent half her life in isolation from people who one days leaves the property has been raised on only to learn the truth of her existence. There was a lot of different things going on in the book that all tied together in the end. I did find it hard to empathize with the main character and it seemed too contrived how the public viewed her which took away from the plot for me.

Forget Me Not by Alexandra Oliva explores the effects of technology, social media and isolation in the near future.
Linda escapes/runs away from the home she has known her whole life. She has lived isolated at the family home in the woods, surrounded by a fence for 12 years and when her mother disappears, she has to look for help.
Linda's Father comes into her life and begins to help her adjust to a life in society and around people other than her Mother. She has to learn simple tasks like school work and making friends as well as how to go out in public.
This is my first book by this author and I found it to be interesting, engaging and timely in exploring the effects of isolation, technology and Virtual Reality on society as a whole and one isolated person trying to meet society's expectations.
Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Ballantine Books and the author for a copy of this book for review.

I gave this book 2 hours of my time, but I couldn't force myself into it any longer. The story is interesting, but Linda's flashbacks are too distracting. The tech speak really isn't for me, and I'm ashamed to admit I'd probably love this story in a movie, but I can't read through it.

Forget Me Not was a mix of futuristic sci-fi and domestic thriller/suspense that worked well for me.

Linda was hiding from the public eye, but we didn’t quite know why until the story began to unfold. In a world similar to ours, social media was key and devices people wore like contacts, glasses, and wrist devices had the internet at their fingertips. Linda was afraid to be recognized and have her entire past thrown back at her when she was just trying to move on. Even though Linda wanted to escape her past, she also desperately wanted to understand it, which meant she was constantly at odds with herself. She wanted to connect without being recognized for her past, which meant she was both private and incredibly lonely.

I loved the threat of social media/media frenzy combined with hidden pasts and childhood secrets.. as Linda attempted to make friends without being identified, the reader also got more information about who she was and why she was so determined to hide.

I enjoyed the twists, the secrets that began to uncover themselves, and Linda’s character in general. I didn’t think this book was too futuristic, just a bit more evolved that the way social media is already at our fingertips, so it was easy to imagine it happening even today. I definitely recommend this one!

When this novel begins, it’s the not-too-distant future, and main character Linda is a 24 year old woman who barely leaves her apartment and has never really integrated into society after escaping the isolated and messed up childhood she escaped from 12 years before. But a friendly new neighbor, and a fire at the home she grew up in, cause her to slowly come out of her shell and revisit her childhood home and memories both literally and metaphorically. It’s a little hard to characterize this book - it’s set in the future but not really science fiction, and it has some mystery/thriller aspects but isn’t really so much those either - I guess I’d call it a character novel with some psychological suspense. It was not as much a wow for me as Oliva’s amazing debut The Last One, but was nonetheless a very unique, absorbing, and enjoyable book.

Forget Me Not is the second novel from Alexandra Oliva.

"As a child, Linda was left to fend for herself in a large wooded property in rural Washington. One day she sees something she shouldn't and eacapes over the wall - into a world that she is not propared for.
Years later she is living in Seattle, afraid to be seen - a victim of an erroneous hashtag. An unexplained fire at her childhood home forces her to return to her old memories and creating a chain of events that will make her question every memory she's ever had."

This is a great follow-up novel. Oliva weaves the story to make us question what is real and whta is not. You think the story is going one way but then goes another. But you're always pulling for Linda. I like the way that Oliva addresses a lot of societal issues without punching the reader in the face. It's more "What do you think about this? Why is this happening? We should talk." There's some science without the over-explaining of many recent books. And the coincidences during the Virtual Reality scenes make you question what's real (because of a story thread) I like that Linda grows and changes as a character. She shows some unexpected strength when her new friend, Anvi, is in danger. I like her ending.

This is a book that you will want to add to the list quickly. There is something for everybody here. Great new book from Oliva.

12 year old Linda lived her whole life on a wooded, walled off compound, and she flees her home after a tragedy. Years later, Linda is now trying to adjust to a world she never knew, when a fire destroys her childhood home, and that sets off events in Forget Me Not. This is a unusual and somewhat different book, set in the near future, with social media and VR playing a large part in the story, which keeps things interesting and speculative for the reader, and makes for an entertaining thriller. You don’t know who Linda can trust and what their motives are, and that propels the plot and keeps the reader engaged. The story can get muddled at times, but overall it’s a good read and I enjoyed it. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Forget Me Not by Alexandra Oliva

In the not too distant future, 24 year old Linda Russell is barely navigating life, holed up in her tiny apartment, avoiding contact with anyone, while being constantly monitored by her distant father. Linda's unstable mother found a way to birth her in order to replace Linda's sister, who had died years before Linda was born. Then Linda's mother mostly ignored her and Linda basically raised herself, with little input from her mother, except to let her know that she was a failure at being her dead sister. Things changed when Linda was twelve years old and she was thrust into the limelight, to much curiosity and scorn. 

And now Linda meets her new neighbor, Anvi, and dares to hope that she might finally have her very first friend. Anvi introduces Linda to virtual reality and it's a world where Linda is happy to get lost in, away from all of real life and it's overwhelming intrusion. At the same time, someone is making anonymous posts about all of life being indistinguishable from virtual reality. Linda has a hard enough time knowing what is real, knowing if her strange memories of her past life are real, and these anonymous posts and her venture into virtual reality just muddy the waters of reality for Linda. 

Linda knows she's an unreliable narrator of her own life. I felt her distrust of anyone, of her past, of her present, of all people. She couldn't trust the only person she knew for her first twelve years, her mother, and that sets the stage for trusting no one. But wait, there was someone else, her twin sister. What happened to her twin sister, her one time companion, who vanished one day? 

I enjoyed this story, a mix of mystery, a tiny taste of the future, and the perils of social media and virtual reality. 

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC.

This is the sad story of a family who lost a young daughter, and wanted to replace her but couldn't really. Linda grew up and lived alone, escaping into virtual reality games. Her father Arthur kept track of her, but her mother Lorelai did not.
I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited to pick up this book after loving The Last One. However, I don't think this book was quite as good. The pacing was decent overall, but I kept thinking that it would lean more into the sci-fi elements. There were several plot threads that I thought we'd explore more, only for them to just not really go anywhere or be as impactful as anticipated. I'll admit, I'm a bit disappointed with the direction this went! It's definitely a sadder tone overall with content warnings for things like coronavirus, child abuse, and mental health issues.

I did really enjoy the virtual reality elements of this! This mostly came up with VR games, but it was great to see how this helps Linda open up more. The game is also something I would totally play, so I liked reading about that! We do have some futuristic tech with things like Sheaths (which seem to be like larger smart watches/phones). Social media certainly plays a large role in this society which is a topic I always enjoy reading about. We also have self driving cars, so that was fun!

I can appreciate how Linda is trying to lead this low key life after this pretty terrible past. I liked seeing how she confronts her past and learns more about herself in the process. Despite feeling bad for her, I did feel a little disconnected from her. The side characters were mostly fine - I particularly liked Linda's new neighbor and her dog.

I did still enjoy this book, even if I didn't like it as much as The Last One. I'm definitely open to reading more from this author!

I received a copy of this for review from the publisher via NetGalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.

My video review can be seen on my channel (around minutes 4:02-7:14 of this video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub3DGZRkG24