Jennifer Echols is one of my favorite non-paranormal YA authors. Every now and then I like to step away from the paranormal genre and read something else. I stumbled across Jennifer Echols while reading some of the lighthearted Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies series. Then I read her book Endless Summer that came out earlier this summer and thoroughly fell in love with her outlook as a writer. Forget You is her most recent book and is a bit racier than most YA literature.
The main character Zoey is struggling with her home life. Her mom and her dad recently separated and her mom is struggling with the situation. Zoey is trying to hold everyone together but quickly learns that she can’t. She makes some bad romantic choices while trying to deal with her life. Meanwhile, Doug has been in love with her since he asked her to the middle school homecoming and he is trying to reach out to her despite her current choice of boyfriend. Zoey gets into a car accident and can’t remember anything from that night especially what led up to Doug rescuing her from the vehicle and feeling comfortable enough to act like a couple in the ER. During the book she tries to piece together her heart and her memories.
I like the realistic nature of this book. Doug and Zoey are complicated characters and all of the relationships are complicated. Zoey is strong and yet shows a weakness and vulnerability much the average teenager. Their concepts of love are lofty idealistic ones. The dialogue is true to the age group. There is not undying love speeches or any soliloquies about needing the other to live a full life. I think that sets Echols apart from a lot of YA authors. She doesn’t idealize love or sex in her story. It is realistic and raw. I think this is a great read for most of the older YA readers out there. Additionally, even without the paranormal aspect the story itself is enough to keep readers interested. I give the book a 5 out of 5.
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