Unforgotten by Jessica Brody

Release Date: 2/25/2014

Series: Unremembered (bk. 2)

Genera(s): Dystopian Sci-fi/Romance

Subjects: memory, time-travel, genetic engineering, abilities, love

Setting: London, England 1609 in October, New York City 2032 in February

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV present tense (Seraphina)

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 399 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: MacMillan: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

Summary/ product description: “Some memories are better left forgotten...

After a daring escape from the scientists at Diotech who created her, Seraphina believes she is finally safe from the horrors of her past. But new threats await Sera and her boyfriend, Zen, at every turn as Zen falls prey to a mysterious illness and Sera’s extraordinary abilities make it more and more difficult to stay hidden. Meanwhile, Diotech has developed a dangerous new weapon designed to apprehend her. A weapon that even Sera will be powerless to stop. Her only hope of saving Zen’s life and defeating the company that made her is a secret buried deep within her mind. A secret that Diotech will kill to protect. And it won’t stay forgotten for long.

Packed with mystery, suspense, and romance, this riveting second installment of Jessica Brody’s Unremembered trilogy delivers more heart-pounding action as loyalties are tested, love becomes a weapon, and no one’s memories are safe.”

My Review: I had no idea what to expect in this sequel. It surprised me at every turn. I was so happy and excited when I got an ARC in the mail because this was pretty much one of my most anticipated books of the year. Honestly, it wasn’t as good as Unremembered, but I still want to give it five stars. I was kind of unhappy when Zen got sick and there wasn’t enough romance between him and Seraphina.

I love the characters in this series. Seraphina is very unique. She may have been designed to be perfect, but Diotech has controlled her all her life. Her memories have been tampered with and she can’t trust her own mind. She’s strong, fast, smart and can time travel. Zen is an amazing and romantic love interest. In the first book he had such a major role of helping Seraphina remember her past.

At the beginning of this book they’re in 1609. They’re staying under the radar, in the past. When Seraphina reveals her abilities, they must escape the past and go back to the future. A guy named Kaelen saves Seraphina and brings her to Ney York City in 2032. Seraphina must unlock memories to lead her to someone important.

I don’t like Kaelen that much. I feel sorry for his because his lack of free will. He’s like an android that you want to be human. He is like Seraphina, but he has a lot to learn about life and being normal. Sera had a hard time adjusting to the real world too, but she had more free will. I don’t like the love-triangle that was created with Kaelen. I’m Team Zen no matter what.

This series has a very complex plot. I have no idea how Jessica Brody did it, but wow! At a book signing she told us that when she first wrote Unremembered that her editor wanted her to drop Cody. Without his this series would be so different. We do get to see him again. I loved Cody in the first book. He was so funny and he taught Sera sarcasm. He thought Seraphina was weird when she didn’t know what something was. He taught her a lot. This book showed us that he has a much bigger role to play than just being comical relief and a friend.

Transession sounds like a cool ability, but it also sounds like you can screw everything up with it. Apparently this form of time travel doesn’t allow you to go to any point in time you have already been to because there would then be two of you there at once. It’s some kind of paradox and defies the laws of physics or something like that. So what happens it you teleport to the future, and then back to the past, get stuck in that time and then suddenly reach a time you’ve already been to? Do you suddenly jump to the time after that? I wonder if that question will be answered ever. The sci-fi stuff wasn’t supper heavy, but she must have done some research. There is a Stephen Hawking quote at the beginning of the book, after all.

If you haven’t read Unremembered, then you really should. It’s becoming on of my favorite sci-fi series. You should read it if you like any of the following: Altered by Jennifer Rush, Renegade by J.A. Souders, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, False Memory by Dan Krokos, Crewel by Gennifer Albin, Maximum Ride by James Patterson.

Cover Art Review: I love this cover so much. I like that they’re kissing and blurred out and the sun’s shining through their lips. The pink, the light and dark contrast. The title that’s screening/overlaying the image transparently. It’s very romantic and still looks like a mystery/sci-fi book.