YA Review: Forget Me Always by Sara Wolf

Forget Me Always by Sara Wolf
Publication Date: November 1, 2016
Publisher: Entangled
Amazon Link: HERE
Received From: Purchased


Summary (from Amazon):
Previously published as Savage Delight, this fully revised and updated edition is full of hilarity, drama, and heartbreak.

It's been three years, twenty-five weeks, and five days since Isis Blake fell in love, and if she has it her way, it'll stretch into infinity. Since then, she's punched Jack Hunter—her nemesis-turned-maybe-something-more—in the face, survived a brutal attack by her mom's abusive ex thanks to Jack's heroics, and then promptly forgotten all about him.

The one bright spot for Isis is Sophia, the ephemeral girl who shares Isis's hospital stay as well as a murky past with Jack. But as Isis's memories return, she finds it harder and harder to resist what she felt for Jack, and Jack finds it impossible to stay away from the only girl who's ever melted the ice around his heart.

As the dark secrets surrounding Sophia emerge, Isis realizes Jack isn't who she thought he was. He's dangerous. But when Isis starts receiving terrifying emails from an anonymous source, that danger might be the only thing protecting her from something far more threatening.

Her past. 

Review:
After Isis is attacked by her mother's abusive ex-boyfriend, she has to stay in the hospital to recover both physically and mentally. Her friend Sophia, who has been in the hospital for years, helps to pass the time but with all the therapy sessions, Isis can't help but wonder who Jack really is to her. After the accident Isis lost her memory of Jack completely, but Sophia seems to have a connection to Jack, too. Jack and Sophia are both keeping secrets from Isis and Isis can't help but dig into their pasts to uncover secrets that might devastate all three of them. Can Isis move past her memory loss and give Jack another chance or is there just too much history to start over?

This is the sequel to Sara Wolf's Love Me Never and the story begins with Isis in the hospital, trying to recuperate after her head trauma. Jack used to date Sophia, who Isis has a strong friendship with now that she's been in the hospital for so long. Sophia also suffers from medical problems because her mom used drugs when she was still in the womb. Sophia knows she won't live long but both Isis and Jack refuse to believe that and will do whatever it takes to get her better. From the beginning of Forget Me Always, the story is bittersweet. Sweet that Sophia and Isis find companionship in each other, but bitter because of Isis's memory loss and the fact that Jack is still troubled and trying to get rid of his guilt by taking care of Sophia. The relationship between Isis and Jack is more complicated now that Sophia's in the picture because Sophia still loves Jack while Jack it trying to move on with Isis. There's just too much complication for a happy ending, which was disappointing but also realistic. I love Sara Wolf's raw writing and her realistic characters. This book does leave off with a cliffhanger but the third and final book will be published in the beginning of 2017.

Overall, I would recommend Forget Me Always but I also recommend you read the first book in the series, Love Me Never, first.

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YA Review: Love Me Never by Sara Wolf

Love Me Never by Sara Wolf
Publication Date: April 5, 2016
Publisher: Entangled
Amazon Link: HERE
Received From: Purchased


Summary (from Amazon):
Previously published as Lovely Vicious, this fully revised and updated edition is full of romance, intrigue, and laugh-out-loud moments.

Don't love your enemy. Declare war on him.

Seventeen-year-old Isis Blake hasn't fallen in love in three years, nine weeks, and five days, and after what happened last time, she intends to keep it that way. Since then she's lost eighty-five pounds, gotten four streaks of purple in her hair, and moved to Buttcrack-of-Nowhere, Ohio, to help her mom escape a bad relationship.

All the girls in her new school want one thing—Jack Hunter, the Ice Prince of East Summit High. Hot as an Armani ad, smart enough to get into Yale, and colder than the Arctic, Jack Hunter's never gone out with anyone. Sure, people have seen him downtown with beautiful women, but he's never given high school girls the time of day. Until Isis punches him in the face.

Jack's met his match. Suddenly everything is a game.

The goal: Make the other beg for mercy.
The game board: East Summit High.
The reward: Something neither of them expected.

Review:
Isis Blake fell in love with the wrong guy, who used her insecurities against her. She was told she was ugly and fat and that no one would ever love her. After Isis loses weight and moves, she finally feels she can start over. But then at a party she watches as Jack makes a girl cry and it reminds Isis of the time she let a boy do the same to her. So she punches him and spreads a rumor about him, because it's what he deserves. Jack is empty inside. He doesn't feel anything and is angry at the world and sick of girls declaring their love for him. And then Isis punches him in the face and declares a war. Pretty soon they're trying to one up each other but their battle of wills turns into something more. Can Isis put her past behind her and move forward and can Jack admit he has feelings, or is it too late for both of them?

Although this novel takes place in high school, the prose reads much older and the problems that the characters face throughout the novel make the book feel more mature. While there isn't any explicit sex scenes or violence, there are other darker themes throughout the novel that would make it a better read for older teens or even adults. I was pleasantly surprised by Love Me Never and I know I'll have to read the rest of the series (there are three total) to see where Isis and Jack end up. Isis is a great heroine. She's snarky and doesn't let anyone walk over her, but she also has insecurities that she's trying to work through. She's not perfect, which makes her relatable. Jack on the other hand is cold and harsh and at times very mean to Isis. He has a hard time feeling anything because of his past and the fact that Isis makes him feel things angers him, so he takes it out on her. I loved the relationship because it felt so real. It wasn't even close to perfect but it was raw and powerful, and something I won't be able to forget about anytime soon.

Overall, I would definitely recommend Love Me Never to anyone looking for a young adult novel with an enemies to lovers storyline. But if you aren't in the mood for a depressing or raw read, I would recommend staying away from this one.

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