Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally

Things I Can’t Forget by Miranda Kenneally
Release Date – March 1, 2013
Publisher Website - Sourcebooks Fire
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter
Pages -  304 pages
My Rating- 4/5
**Received from publisher for review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

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…

Intense. Provocative. Thought Provoking. Miranda Kenneally’s novels are some of the most real, raw and realistic novels. They capture the roller coaster that the formative teenage years are. They don’t shy away from the complicated, messy and sometimes destructive choices that people can make.

Kate is written to get under your skin. Judgmental, unwavering, and unwilling to acknowledge other perspectives than her own. Her narrow view point ends up isolating her, and tearing a part friendships. Her faith is a huge part of her character, and it defines everything she sees, does and thinks. She has a hard time reconciling how to be a good faithful follower of god, and be part of a world where shades of grey exist.

As a reader I felt pushed away from her, and could feel myself bristle in reaction to her. Her growth eventually led me to a place of acceptance, and hope for a character who came across of self involved. As the character is revealed I slowly started to see the good in her. There are reasons her character was written this way, and the fact that the story still pulls you in shows that the journey is part of the charm of this particular plot.

Her guilt over something she’s done causes her to question herself, her faith, and whether or not she can ever be forgiven for a sin she perceives are unforgivable. I could sympathize with her distress over compromising something she so fully believes in, and could also understand why she saved in the first place.

Her journey is eye opening, life changing one for the character. I appreciated that the changes she made were for herself. The author also didn’t handle these changes lightly. The character doesn’t all of a sudden see things differently. It’s a gradual shift, and even in the end her journey is ongoing.

Matt is the most patient, understanding, and relaxed character in the story. When I was hoping someone would really give Kate a piece of their mind, Matt was supportive, and kind. He opens Kate’s eyes in a way that is both romantic, and natural.

The surprising addition of Parker induced a minor freak out. I really liked Parker and was thrilled to find out the next part of her story. The way that these novels are interconnected adds to the high school ambiance. In a story where so much of the plot examines friendship and what being a good friend really means, Parker's acceptance and willingness to forgive helps Kate on her own self discovery.

Miranda Kenneally’s novels are filled with intense emotions, and achingly real life situations and characters. A main character that brought forth many emotions in me, and a story that is deep, thought provoking read. One that I enjoyed despite the main character