Review
If you’ve been around the blog a few weeks, you probably realize my interests don’t usually tend to veer to the YA side of romance. I spend most of my time reading sexy books with lots of descriptive content, not suitable for those younger than 18. However, every once in a while I come across a book that captures my attention. Dying to Forget caught my interest on one of those freebie sites we all know and love, so I picked it up on a whim. The synopsis did not disappoint! It was just as spectacular and mysterious as it sounded. . . and we all know how they can fail miserably.
The first chapter in, I was kinda leery how this book was going to play out. The heavy emotional stuff starts pretty early in (for good reason), however, it didn’t touch me at first, most likely because I wasn’t invested in the characters. There was also some typical slut shaming that kind of irritated me, but it pretty much calms down in the first few chapters, when more important things come to a head. Once I became enthralled, I was hooked. The author’s writing is so descriptive, I could clearly picture the different settings, the characters, everything.
Oh, the life you can live in someone’s else’s mind.
When Piper’s first date doesn’t go as planned, she looses herself in reckless behavior to forget what happened to her, and accidentally harms her best friend in the process. She decides she doesn’t want to live with the guilt anymore, and now must face the consequences of her actions – volunteer to help guide other teens into living full lives, or face her own personal hell.
The Station, a place in the Afterlife for those who commit suicide, is described as a group of several sterile buildings that reminds me of a school of sorts, including lots of paperwork! (paperwork as penance for suicide? Harsh!) Admissions is where the volunteer would decide on their choice, sign paperwork, and review their lives leading up to the decision to commit suicide. (You can imagine how intimidating that would be – I was terrified by the idea, and I was just reading about it!) Training is where the volunteers go goes to train for their jobs, and the Consignment building is where volunteers are given their charges.
I ended my life because I couldn’t live with the pain and the guilt. . . spending eternity with it would just be. . .unbearable.
Piper was a great main character. I could really see how much her outlook on life had changed, and her personality with it. She’s devoted to helping those make better life choices than hers, and she cares about every one of her charges. She’s so happy and uplifting, I want to be friends with her!
Slone, Piper’s very first charge, is a pretty boy on the outside, but has self-esteem issues worse than any typical teenage girl’s. He’s living by himself after the accidental death of his step-brother, the suicide of his mother, and being abandoned by his step-father. It’s understandable that he doesn’t want to be alone anymore. That is where Piper comes in. She has to use the best of her abilities as this guys sub-conscious (poor guy. . . he has a female as a subconscious… can you imagine? :O) to move him down the right path, away from self harm and towards loving himself. It’s fun to watch her do this while having no physical body whatsoever.
Plainly speaking, this book was spectacular. The newly created Afterlife is so intriguing, I can’t wait to read more… The characters were as real as can be when one of them is dead. And those dang plot twists that I didn’t see coming. I was so focused on what was happening, I was completely blown away by the ending. You got me, Dawson. I’m a new fan! I recommend Dying to Forget to all YA fans young and old, and to anybody who loves a good fantasy.
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