artsy musings of a bibliophile

Review: Unremembered by Jessica Brody

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ABOUT THE BOOK

young adult science fiction fantasy published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux on 5 March 2013
first book in the Unremembered trilogy

With no memories and no identity, the sixteen-year-old girl who was found floating among the wreckage of a devastating plane crash knows only one thing for certain: nothing is what it seems. 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 comes more questions. And she is 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?

THE RATING

THE REVIEW
I had been crazy excited for Unremembered ever since I discovered its existence. What really attracted to me about Unremembered was the main character being the lone survivor in a plane wreckage with a definite memory loss. I thought it didn’t get any better than that. Only it got worse. I wanted to like Unremembered, I really did. But I just couldn’t connect with it. Despite being just over 300 pages long, it took the book more than 250 pages to finally pick up its pace.
Not only that, I felt there was a lot of repetition. It’s one thing for Zen to find her but it took more than a few meetings for him to finally say something substantial to her. I know people are lying to her and what not but I wanted to scream at her to believe the guy already. More so when she almost trusts the wrong guy.
I also had a lot of issues with Cody. He’s supposed to be this 13-year-old foster brother but he acts like he’s Seraphina’s age fellow. He drives cars and can apparently leave and come home whenever he pleases. And it doesn’t help that he has a bit of an attitude despite his claims that pretty girls tend to look through him. Naturally, there is a lot of talk about the supermodel beauty of Seraphina which I got tired of really fast.
Seraphina is a pretty decent character; she doesn’t have a sense of belonging and only a meager amount of clues. She talks in foreign languages without even realizing it and she is this super smart math geek with an urge to count everything around her. However, she lacks depth which could’ve not been the case. Her thought process is predictable and she isn’t memorable at all.
Zen is the love interest and though we only get glimpses of how they fell in love, it is clearly not enough. He doesn’t have much of a back story so you really don’t get to know him. There’s the Sonnet that they just keep repeating throughout the book and the warm feeling Sera gets in between her eyebrows. Their romance is just really unbelievable somehow.
Just when I was about to give up on Unremembered, it decided to get better. The whole mystery was unveiled and while a lot of questions were answered, some are left unanswered. I was quickly awed by the whole mystery of how Sera ends up in the wreckage and who she’s running away from.
Honestly, if the whole book could have had more depth, I’d have definitely loved it. I loved how it ended, I finally felt the ohmigodyes feeling right there. And that was the Seraphina I was hoping to read about. So while I’m not giving up on the series, I just hope Unforgotten is way better than Unremembered.
THE QUOTES
“Forgetting who you are is so much more complicated than simply forgetting your name. It’s also forgetting your dreams. Your aspirations. What makes you happy. What you pray you’ll never have to live without. It’s meeting yourself for the first time, and not being sure of your first impression.”
“Death is not a memory you can fake.”
Thanks to MacKidsBooks for sending me an ARC of Unremembered. 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I've been reading a lot of reviews that feel the same way about it as you. I don't think I'm going to read this series. I like books that are fast paced and I don't think I"d be able to stick it out for 250 pages. Maybe since the first book usually has a lot of backstory the second book might be better.

  2. Hmph.. I haven't read a lot of reviews on this one but it has been in my TBR for a long time.. It doesn't sound like something I'd enjoy reading so I'm debating if I should give it a chance.. Great review, Sana 🙂

    -Ariella @ Secrets of Lost Words

    P. S. You have an awesome name 😀

  3. Ouch, and it DID sound like such a great books! One of those 'meh' books. TT___TT I just hate when characters don't have much depth, that just kills the story. I would read one even if it had a terrible plot but terrific characters, but good plot, bad characters. *thumbs down* But it's one of those that reveal EVERYTHING at the end, is what I'm drawing from your review.

    Wonder review, Sana!
    Thanks for the follow!!!! AFJAJKSLJA <3333 *awkwardly hug*
    Hope to see more from your magnificent blog!

  4. Ugh, how disappointing! I've been looking forward to reading this one too. I'll probably check it out in the future, but maybe I'll read other books by this author first. I think I have her previous one, which looks like a lot of fun. Thanks for the honest review and I am sorry this one didn't work out for you. Better luck with the next one!

  6. Ah, no. I'm sorry this one fell flat, Sana. Like you, I was super, super excited for this one! Now I'm scared to read it. I read another one of Brody's books, but didn't like it all that much, and I'm afraid I'll feel the same way towards this one. I hate when characters lack depth, so I don't know how I'll feel about Seraphina and Zen. Thanks for the honest review, Sana!

  7. Sorry to hear this one didn't live up to your expectations. It's always annoying when that happens. However it sounds like the ending has lots to offer.

    Hope this series picks up for you. Fab review! 🙂

  9. I'm glad to see this one got better for you! I have to read it soon and have kind of been dreading it, after so many bad reviews. But I'll keep an open mind when I pick it up!

    Great review!

  10. I love the cover of this book and really curious to read it. The plot sounds unique. I might read this one… Thanks for the cool review.

    Love your cute blog.

    -Dannielle

  11. Eh, so far all I've been seeing are mixed to bad reviews of UNREMEMBERED. Disappointing, because I've been really looking forward to reading it! Repetition never goes well in my book, so I can understand your frustration. And under-developed romance? NOOOO.

    I might have to rethink if I should get this, because I'm not so sure now. Anyhow, thanks so much for the honest and helpful review, Sana! Much appreciated. 🙂

  12. Oh boy, I was so looking forward to this book, but every review I have read has made me less and less excited. I always have issues with books that remain superficial somehow. I am intrigued by the mystery (which I like a whole lot in books) but the lack of depth sounds frustrating. Also, ANOTHER supermodel gorgeous MC? I don't think I can take it. Thank you for this review! 🙂

  13. I was looking forward to this one! D: I actually haven't read so many great reviews for this one. Maybe I'll hold off reading it. I also like my stories with depth and since this one deals with memory, the depth and details would have been so much more to reader likings. But, I'm glad you still liked it enough to give it 3 stars! 😀

    Awesomesauce review, Sana! 😀

    ~ Maida
    Literary Love Affair 

  14. I'm glad you enjoyed this for the most part, sounds like it was a little inconsistent but the fact that it improved at the end is good! I like the main plot too, it sounds really intriguing!