Review + Guest Post: Things I Can't Forget Blog Tour

Things I Can't Forget
Hundred Oaks, Book 3

Author: Miranda Kenneally
Pages: 304
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: March 1, 2013
Source: Publisher for blog tour
Purchase: Amazon|Barnes & Noble|The Book Depository

Description from Goodreads:
Companion to Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker.

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt…with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…

Prior Books in Series:
1: Catching Jordan (Review|Goodreads)
2: Stealing Parker (Review|Goodreads)

First Sentence: "Girls like me do not buy pregnancy tests."

Review:

I've been a fan of Miranda's since I read Catching Jordan, and I will definitely read anything that she writes. Still, I must admit that I entered on Things I Can't Forget with a certain amount of trepidation, having heard some talk of the focus on themes of religion and the personality of the main character. I feared I might not like this one much, but, actually, Things I Can't Forget has turned out to be my new favorite of her three books.

There is no doubt that Kate will rub a lot of people the wrong way. She is unforgiving, judgmental, prudish, hypocritical, and often downright rude. She wears her faith like an excuse to look at others and deem them lesser than she is. However, Kate never really bothered me, because I could completely see where she was coming from, especially since I had insight into her church, where her young mind and values were shaped, from Stealing Parker. I pity her for not knowing any better than to believe what she's only been told, for having been stuck with such manipulative, close-minded people during her youth. I feel for Kate, because it's so obvious that she's confused and that she'll be working through these issues.

Flawed as Kate is, annoying as she can be, I identify with her so much more than Jordan or Parker. Despite the rather glaring difference of religious beliefs, I was a lot like Kate in high school. I had a really strict sense of values, stricter I think than even I realized. I judged others based off of that and as a defense mechanism, because I felt so lonely and it's better to reject than be rejected. Like Kate, I put off a vibe of not wanting companionship when there was nothing that I wanted more. When I went to college, I had a lot of the same struggles with my own personality and moral code that she has working at this summer camp before her freshman year. Learning not to hold other people to the standards that work in your own life is one of the most important lessons that I think I learned as I came of age, and Kenneally handles it beautifully.

Kenneally also tackles the subject of sexual relations, and, more specifically, their relation to the Christian faith. Can a "good girl" have sex before marriage? Where's the line between and acceptable physical relationship and sin according to God? Kate's best friend, Emily, had an abortion and was kicked out of her parent's house. Kate helped her, but is now haunted by the thought of what she participated in, and said some very unsupportive things to Emily. Her judgment of Emily's sexual relationship stems from a lack of understanding, and she gains additional insight into just how complicated love and sex are when she begins a relationship with fellow camp counselor Matt. In all of this, Kenneally does not preach for or against sex, but about making careful decisions when ready, not feeling forced by society or a boyfriend.

In Kenneally's prior books, I admired her development of friendships, and she shines with that again, but this time it's a female friendship. Parker of Stealing Parker is a significant character in Things I Can't Forget. Because of Parker's somewhat racy past (according to Kate), the two do not start off well, but, over the course of the summer, they learn to understand one another and become real friends. Both Jordan and Parker struggled to find female friends, and I was so happy to see Parker find that. Their relationship really helps Kate grow and understand things from a viewpoint not her own, since Emily's mindset changed too suddenly for Kate to be able to adapt. By coming to understand and accept Parker's choices, Kate is able to reevaluate her relationship with Emily.

Surprisingly enough, given how touchy I am on the subject, the religion in Things I Can't Forget never irked me. Kate's beliefs are very much her own, and not preached in any way. Other characters put forth their own religious views that do not necessarily match Kate's. The tone is one of self-discovery, tolerance, and respect for the beliefs of others, messages I agree with wholeheartedly. The way Miranda turns the creation of arts and crafts into a metaphor for beliefs and the right way to live life is so subtle and perfect.

The one element I would have liked to see developed a bit more is the supporting cast. Kenneally creates such vibrant characters, and you learn a good deal about the secondary characters as well as the main. However, at the end, the whole plot line with the exacting Megan seemed somewhat unresolved. I really want to know what her motivations are, and if they're really based on some sort of dislike of other women, which is how she came off to me. On top of that, I'd really like to know more about what was going on with Brad. Obviously, I still loved the book, but having these characters a bit more fleshed out would have bumped my rating to the full five stars.

Things I Can't Forget will not be an easy novel for every reader, but it's a very powerful one. Miranda Kenneally has written yet another book with a cast that comes wholly alive to the reader. I don't think Kenneally can write a book I won't like. If you like contemporary fiction and haven't read any of her books, what are you waiting for?

Rating: 4.5/5

Favorite Quote:

"That's the thing about art. You can't force it. You can't tell someone else how to do it. You can let them watch you, you can show them examples—like I just did for Parker, but you can't do it for them, or it's not their art.
     Art can't be shared that way."

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Guest Post by Miranda Kenneally

Thank you for having me today to talk about my 10 favorite YA books! This list is in no particular order, as that would be waaaaaay too difficult for me to figure out.

1. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen: Sarah Dessen is the queen of character development in YA. Along for the Ride is my favorite of her books, because it shows the power of how one summer can change everything.
2. Graceling by Kristin Cashore: I love this book not only because it swept me away to a fantastic world and Po (the hot guy) makes me have to *fans self* constantly, but because Katsa is the epitome of girl power!
3. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta: I read this during a twelve-hour flight. I’m pretty sure I cried for most of that flight. This is another book where I adored the character development and enjoyed how much the author made me think.
4. Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn: One of the funniest books ever! It made me feel just like I was in New York at Christmas. If you haven’t read this yet, I’d suggest waiting until Christmastime to read it with cookies and hot cocoa.
5. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart: Not only is this book super smart, Frankie is totally badass. I loved watching her infiltrate and take over a boys-only secret society at her private school.
6. Fire by Kristin Cashore: Like with GRACELING, I loved this world Cashore created, and I enjoyed watching a weak girl become strong and find her place in society.
7. Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson: I loved getting to see the real America in this road trip book. The emotions and watching Amy forgive herself are great too.
8. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card: This book blew my mind up. That is all.
9. The Piper’s Son by Melina Marchetta: This bittersweet story explored how terrorism can affect a family. I cried for Tom, but the book had some really funny parts too.
10. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen: Again, the author’s character development is fantastic. Remy isn’t a particularly likeable character at the beginning but she grows so much that I loved her by the end. And Dexter the love interest made me laugh like crazy. 

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Miranda Kenneally is the author of CATCHING JORDAN, STEALING PARKER, THINGS I CAN'T FORGET (March 2013), and RACING SAVANNAH (December 2013). Miranda is the co-creator of Dear Teen Me. The Dear Teen Me Anthology was published on October 31, 2012. She enjoys reading and writing young adult literature, and loves Star Trek, music, sports, Mexican food, Twitter, coffee, and her husband. Follow her on Twitter or Facebook. Miranda is represented by Sara
Megibow at Nelson Literary Agency.