Unremembered by Jessica Brody

Unremembered by Jessica Brody
Release Date – March 5, 2013

Publisher Website - Raincoast Books Canada
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter

Pages -  320 pages

My Rating- 3/5

**Received from publisher for review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

The only thing worse than forgetting her past... is remembering it.

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.

Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.

Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.

Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?

From popular young adult author, Jessica Brody comes a mesmerizing and suspenseful new series, set in a world where science knows no boundaries, memories are manipulated, and true love can never be forgotten.

A story of lost memories, and transcendent love. Unremembered delivered a completely different book than I was expecting after having read the synopsis. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself with a fast paced, interesting nove that was different than expected.

The plot itself is incrediably fast paced. The need and drive to find out this girl's secrets and unravel the mystery with her is compelling. It's what kept my interest, and the pages turning.

While I thought the plot was a fun twist it was mainly because I wasn't expecting it from THIS novel. The plot is nothing overly unique, or different. It's been done before, but the reveals while not surprises are satisfying. It worked well because I went into this novel knowing almost nothing. I think it reads better if you allow it to unravel the story for you, rather than know too much or try to guess the outcome.
Our main character is introduced to us without a name, without any memories, and drifting in the ocean. Her memory loss doesn't just encompass her personal memories, but basic things as well. Words are lost to her, emotions, and even tangible goods are things she stumbles on.She is quickly nicknamed Violet and it's not until much later that we learn her true identity. Her learning, and making mistakes along the way lead to some fun lighter moments in an action filled plot. A character like this, however, is kept at arms length. This is both from the other characters, and the reader as well. It's hard to get attached when she's an empty page.

Zen, the boy who claims to know Violet, is rather sweet. He comes on a little strong when they first meet, but it works within the story. The romance aspect only worked for me because of the built in history. The unique thing in this type of story is that we get both the history and the rush of first love. Here is a character that is having to make someone fall back in love with them. The history made his declarations of love more believable because it was earned previously, even if Violet can't remember it. I didn't feel as strong of a connection between the two of them as I wished I did, and it's the backstory that saved the romance for me.

Cody, Violet's foster brother, was a character that felt authentic. He was a typical thirteen year old boy caught in this intense, crazy world that Violet finds herself occupying. His sarcasm provided humour, especially as Violet often misunderstood, or need clarification on things. He was sullen, bitter, and filled with teenage angst that can sometimes feel over dramatic, but this case it is perfectly balanced.
A action packed read that, while not unique, was certainly enjoyable enough. A well paced plot that was, for me, a little lacking in the character area. It will be a huge hit for some, but for me what started out promising, and offered a few surprises, ended a little flat.