Author: Jessica Brody
Release Date: March 5, 2013 (hardcover)
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux (BYR)
Pages: 320
Source: ARC provided by publisher
Overall: 4 Stars
Summary:
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 compelling and suspenseful new sci-fi series, set in a world where science knows no boundaries, memories are manipulated, and true love can never be forgotten.
My Thoughts:
Before Unremembered, I'd only read The Karma Club by Jessica Brody a couple of years ago. It was fun and cute, much like her more recent contemporary novels, so when I first heard about Unremembered, I was honestly surprised. The first novel in a new science fiction series, Unremembered is completely different from what I've come to expect from Jessica Brody... in a positively awesome way.
As the sole survivor of a horrific plane crash, Seraphina has gained worldwide recognition. She has no memories of her past and she wasn't even on the flight manifest. It was like Seraphina simply didn't exist before being discovered among the wreckage, miraculously unharmed. The only item in her possession that provides a clue to her past is a locket with the inscription S + Z = 1609, but she doesn't understand its significance. However, the harder Seraphina searches for the truth, the more she inevitably places herself in grave danger. There are bad people trying to find Seraphina, and they would do anything to get her back. Only a mysterious, handsome boy named Zen seems to hold the answers which Seraphina seeks, yet despite his claims they're in love with each other and her heart calling out to his very presence, she still isn't sure who to trust.
Once I began reading Unremembered, I didn't want to set it down! I was eager to unravel the mystery behind Seraphina's identity and past, and learn if my suspicions about her were right. Seraphina is stronger and vastly more intelligent than an ordinary human, but completely awkward in social situations. Her new foster family has been so kind to her, but Seraphina doesn't know how to fit in with them; she feels like an outsider and it's not just because she can't remember anything. Throughout the novel, Seraphina constantly struggles to understand who she really is and why she's not normal like everyone else, and it may leave her quite vulnerable, but it also gives her a chance to become a stronger person.
Jessica Brody steadily builds up the suspense in Unremembered until all the pieces in the puzzle fall into place in ways that may just even shock you. The thrilling, heart-racing conclusion will leave readers anxious for the second novel, Unforgotten, and I can't wait to see what direction Jessica Brody will take this series. There are so many possibilities about what could happen next to Seraphina and Zen!
Thanks so much to Raincoast Books for providing this review copy! I've also included the book trailer below. Enjoy!
