I purchase a lot of books because a simple concept will spark my intrigue. The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron is one of these books.
The city of Canaan has its secrets, but not because people keep them on purpose. Every 12 years, the people of Canaan lose their memories and have to rely on what they write in their books as truth. Nadia, who seemed to remember almost everything from the last Forgetting, notices her books have been changed. While she has learned to keep quiet over the past 12 years, things are changing for the worse and Nadia has to decide if her people's memories are worth risking her life over.
I'm not going to lie, it took me seven months to read this book, and not just because I didn't want the book to end. The beginning of the novel is slow. I think this is intentional as Nadia is the only one with a real history, so she's figuring things out at a slower pace. However, I think this mechanic might turn some readers off of the novel.
That's not to say once I reached the plot twist I didn't devour the rest of the book in about two days.
I enjoyed the variety of characters. They all had a distinct personality, often one that was different than their first impression. I thought the end of the novel, while a little predictable, was well-paced. I liked that the love story wasn't as important as the general plot. I think YA tends to lean more toward love than common sense. The Forgetting doesn't follow this trope.
All-in-all, I genuinely enjoyed this novel. I will definitely read the follow-up book set in the same universe. If you like a little fantasy/sci-fi, I'd suggest added The Forgetting to your list. Just be prepared for slightly longer YA novel.
Rating: 4/5
One star deducted for pacing issues.