So you know how when you buy a new car and you realize suddenly that everyone drives that type of car? It’s the same thing with book ideas. Must be something in the water. So far I’ve read four books with a plot revolving around memory loss.
I was totally looking forward to this book, but a) it’s not a real condition, b) you have to get past the idea that she writes a lengthy journal by hand full of sensory descriptions and detailed recaps of events, and most importantly, c) I didn’t believe the solution. Plus the ending is really rushed.
I enjoyed this, although you have to suspend disbelief that in 10 years someone would have completely changed their habits and personality. And while someone who has experienced a head injury might forget a day or two before the event, I don’t think anyone has ever forgotten 10 years.
Like a lot of books that begin with a good twist, the explanation for the twist is a tad strained. But fugue states (when the victim can’t remember anything about himself) are real, if rare.
What I liked best about the book was the way it portrayed relationships between London and her best friend and especially between London and her boyfriend. The disorder she suffers is, as you’ve probably guessed, not real, and her ability to see the future seems to wax and wane as it best serves the plot.
The one thing that drew me out of the book (which was a very fast read) was a mystery subplot. It felt tacked on and the information on how police would identify a body was completely wrong.