Book Review: The Forgetting Curve, by Angie Smibert @amsmibert

The Forgetting Curve, the sequel to Memento Nora, continues the story of teens in a world where if something bad happens, all your memories can be erased with a pill. But, things have gone even farther....

The Forgetting Curve is narrated by three teens, just as Memento, but two of them are new. Winter is back. Aiden, Winter's cousin, is also a narrator. And Velvet, another friend, is the third.

It took me a while to get back into this world. There is virtually no explanation of the TFC (Therapeutic Forgetting Clinic), or really anything else that happened in Memento. It's been a while since I read that one, so I spent much of my time trying to remember the characters and things that happened in Memento and how they related to what was happening in this book.


Once I got comfortable with these characters, the story flowed well. Everyone will soon be required to have a chip implanted behind their ear for identification purposes, but Aiden begins to suspect there's more to these devices. His father is the president of the company that is making the chips. Weird things happen -- Velvet realizes she has a chip, but she has no recollection of getting it. There are other sinister things at work here, but I don't really want to talk about more of the plot, so as not to give too much away.

I didn't feel the tension in The Forgetting Curve as I did in Memento. I never got very attached to these new characters -- I kept waiting to find out what Nora was up to. She does make a brief appearance, but she's not really a part of The Forgetting Curve.


I guess maybe this is what I've heard referred to as "second book syndrome." There was a little plot development; some questions got answered and many more were proposed. I wanted to be frightened for these kids. They were taking risks and trying to make their world a better place. I just didn't feel very much. I'm going to stick with the series. I want to know what happens, and I'm hoping the next installment will get my heart pounding again. I want to feel outrage at what these citizens are being forced to put up with. It's "big brother!" I just didn't get enough of that in The Forgetting Curve.


It is absolutely necessary that your read Memento Nora first. If you liked that one, then I definitely recommend The Forgetting Curve, despite the negative comments above. It's a very quick read, adds something to the development of this world, and gets you thinking about whether our society is becoming too much like the one in The Forgetting Curve.

Published by Marshall Cavendish, May 15, 2012
ARC obtained from The Teen Book Scene
202 pages

Note: This book should definitely qualify for my Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge, but it took me three days to read this because "life" got in the way!

Rating: 3/5

Please visit all the bloggers on the tour:

Monday, April 30: Bonnie at A Backwards Story (Author Interview)
Tuesday, May 1: Ivy at Ivy’s Reads (Character This or That: Aiden)
Wednesday, May 2: Jessica T at Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile  (Review)
Thursday, May 3: Annette at Annette's Book Spot (Author Word Associations)
Friday, May 4: Missy at Missy's Reads & Reviews (Review)
 
Monday, May 7: Jessica T at Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile (Author Interview)
Tuesday, May 8: Missy at Missy's Reads & Reviews (Character This or That: Velvet)
Wednesday, May 9: Annette at Annette's Book Spot (Review)
Thursday, May 10: Alyssa at Teens Read and Write (Author This or That)
Friday, May 11: Bonnie at A Backwards Story (Review)

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