Review:(Don't You Forget) About Me by Kate Karyus Quinn

Title: (Don't You Forget) About Me

Author: Kate Karyus Quinn

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publishing Date: June 10th 2014  

Pages: 336
Genre:  YA Magical Realism/Mystery-thriller

Series: Stand Alone
Source: ARC

  

Welcome to Gardnerville.

A place where no one gets sick. And no one ever dies.

Except...
There’s a price to pay for paradise. Every fourth year, the strange power that fuels the town exacts its payment by infecting teens with deadly urges. In a normal year in Gardnerville, teens might stop talking to their best friends. In a fourth year, they’d kill them.

Four years ago, Skylar’s sister, Piper, was locked away after leading sixteen of her classmates to a watery grave. Since then, Skylar has lived in a numb haze, struggling to forget her past and dull the pain of losing her sister. But the secrets and memories Piper left behind keep taunting Skylar—whispering that the only way to get her sister back is to stop Gardnerville’s murderous cycle once and for all.

This is one of those books I am not sure of my feelings and thoughts. I was super excited to read this book, one of my most anticipated books of the year. I really do have mixed feelings about the book. I am super glad I read it, it wasn't what I expected, but it was for sure worth my time. The book was well written, completely original, and a real mind trip. The biggest and really only issue I had was the pacing, but like I said worth the read.

Skylar lost her sister fours year ago during the fourth year. The fourth year is when the teenagers in this town of Gardnerville go nuts and start to hurt each other, sometimes leading to the death of friends or even themselves. Skylar's sister Piper was not the exception. It is now the fourth year again, and Skylar is afraid of what this year can bring and is also still dealing with the death of her sister. Determined she is still alive she does all she can to find her. This journey leads question after question and discovers secrets. Skylar learns the truth about Piper's death and so much more. The town of Gardnerville is built upon secrets, lies, and dark magic.


I thought this book was very well written and very well executed. I thought I knew what I was in for when I opened the book to that first page. I really thought it was a murder mystery, a thriller, with just a hint of the paranormal. I got it wrong. What the book had was murder yes, mystery yes, thrills yes, paranormal not really and it for sure wasn't just a hint. There was magic filled through out the entire book. Sometimes it was hard to figure out if it was normal, the magic in the book or if the book was just messing with my mind. It really is a mind boggling adventure. The beginning starts off with just a bit of weirdness. We get the background of the fourth year and that Piper is dead because of the fourth year phenomenon. We get a small taste of the town, the fact that the town has some magic built in the city that keeps its people from getting sick or dying of illness or old age. The more into the story we go, the more the crazy unfolds. Piper's story comes out, flashbacks of Piper and Skylar's life, the story of how the town is built, and the relations between the people who live there... the ones the train brought and the ones that were born there. After that point the story just picks up and crazy crazy crazy happens. I almost felt as if the book totally changed and I was reading another story with the same characters,same town, but oh my a whole lot of different story  It really does go into madness in a good way. 

I really think this is one of the few books I liked where the story out shined the characters. I never really connected or found myself attached to any of the characters. Especially Skylar. The read was so somber that I just felt sorry for Skylar and confused right along beside her. I felt as if I was living more beside her as a silent witness to her life not as a close participant in the story. This actually worked well for me. I didn't need the connection. The way the story unfolded fit right in with me being a ghost following her around figuring it all out. I think a connection would have taken away from the mystery of the town and if it had real magical elements or if everyone was just crazy. Skylar wasn't a bad character, she was just in a daze most of the book from the forget me not pills. I actually felt more connected to Piper through the flashbacks. She was definitely the bigger personality and she sounded fun but bat crazy and I just liked her from the start. 

The way the story is told was alternate chapters from now day happenings to random times flashbacks to help the story unfold. I don't usually like my books written this way but the author did a great job on keeping out the confusion and keeping it interesting. I enjoyed the flashbacks of Piper's life more than the present day of Skylar's life. Piper's chapters were always titled with a song title which was fun too. I think that the story really needed those alternating chapters and that is what gave the book that maddening read. 

The only trouble I had with the book, was the pacing. There were times I couldn't turn the pages fast enough then there were times I didn't want to pick the book up. It was a bit erratic to me until about the last 15 percent of the book then it was went all crazy and I couldn't put it down for even a second. If the pacing would have been a bit more constant than it this would have been a 4-5 star rating for me because the story is just phenomenal.

One more thing. This book was one of those books that made me question everything in the end.... did that just happen, what did I just read, I am not sure what to think about this book, and so on. But it stayed on my mind for days after. So YES it did mess with mind and it was good. Just be prepared for some slow moments in the book. 

It was good, real good, just lacked in a few parts for me... but I will gladly read more from this author. She is a genius in my book when it comes to story creation. A very unique and worth while read.

Kate Karyus Quinn is an avid reader and menthol chapstick addict. She has lived in California and Tennessee, but recently made the move back to her hometown of Buffalo, New York, with her husband and two children in tow. She promised them wonderful people, amazing food, and weather that would... build character. Another Little Piece is her first novel.