Book review - The Summer We Forgot

 

Title: The Summer We Forgot

Author: Caroline George

Genre: thriller

Similar books: The Girl With the Wrong Name by Barnabas Miller

                      Oblivion by Sasha Dawn

Rating:

 

not as exciting as it wants to be

Summary (provided by publisher): Some memories are better left forgotten.
Darby and Morgan haven’t spoken for two years, and their friend group has splintered. But when the body of their former science teacher is found in the marsh where they attended camp that summer, they realize they have more questions than answers . . . and even fewer memories.
No one remembers—or no one is talking.
The group of reunited friends suspects that a murderer is stalking the coastal highway 30A, and they are desperate to recover their memories as quickly as possible . . . before their history they can’t remember repeats itself.
Everyone has a secret.
As tensions rise and time runs out, Darby and Morgan begin to wonder if they can believe one another . . . or if they can even trust themselves.

My opinion: The set up here is a decent one - a group of one time friends pulled apart by time and an experience that none of them remembers thrust back together by the reveal that they are connected to a murder. Of course they start their own investigation into what happened to them, an investigation that includes mysterious messages that at turns encourage them to find the secret and threaten their safety. So we have danger, friendship, even romance. The plot has enough action and keeps moving, doesn't dwell much on feelings or atmosphere. The problem is that the mystery has some logical leaps and pushes believably pretty hard. For a one-time read it isn't bad but it won't hold up to a repeat or even much of a close read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley