The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
How could society function if every twelve years each person forget everything? Farmers forget how to plant, Doctors forget how to heal, and people forget their own families. Those bonds and love forged over the years are erased in a moment. You don’t even know who you are. But what if you were the only one that remembered? You saw how people behaved in the days proceeding the Forgetting, knowing that their sins would never be punished. You watched families abandoned for new opportunities. That is exactly what happens to Nadia as a child, but she never tells anyone.
In Canaan, people are taught that they must write everything down in their books. These books are always on their person until they are filled and placed in the Archives. When they forget, these books will be the roadmap of their lives to help them keep going. Truth must be written, that is taught from childhood. For without our memories, what are we?
The Forgetting is a fascinating novel set in a world not quite like our own. Our heroine, Nadia must learn to live with her memories and that changes her. Realizing that no matter how much she loves anyone, in twelve years time they will forget her, hurts. She closes herself off until she meets the Glassblower’s son, Grey. He is able to bring life to her, break down her walls as much as she tried to keep herself apart. Together, they discover the truth about Canaan and the Forgetting.
The story is not formulaic so reveals are unexpected and welcome. Over the course of the novel, we learn the history of Canaan, its purpose and what causes the Forgetting. We also see characters develop and change, as well as gain knowledge about some of the original settlers.
Highly recommended read for young adult/teen readers who enjoy science fiction or dystopian style novels.
Kyera's Library 
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