Forget Me Not

By: Alyson Derrick

Narrated by: Natalie Naudus

2023 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Longlist

Perfect for fans of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Five Feet Apart, this tender solo debut by the coauthor of New York Times bestseller She Gets the Girl is a “punch to the gut in the best way” (Booklist, starred review) about the strength of love and the power of choosing each other, against odds and obstacles, again and again.

What would you do if you forgot the love of your life ever even existed?

Stevie and Nora had a love. A secret, epic, once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. They also had a plan: to leave their small, ultra-conservative town and families behind after graduation and move to California, where they could finally stop hiding that love.

But then Stevie has a terrible fall. And when she comes to, she can remember nothing of the last two years—not California, not coming to terms with her sexuality, not even Nora. Suddenly, Stevie finds herself in a life she doesn’t quite understand, one where she’s estranged from her parents, drifting away from her friends, lying about the hours she works, and headed towards a future that isn’t at all what her fifteen-year-old self would have envisioned.

And Nora finds herself…forgotten. Can the two beat the odds a second time and find their way back together when “together” itself is just a lost memory?

©2023 Alyson Derrick (P)2023 Simon & Schuster Audio

Critic reviews

"Natalie Naudus captures Stevie’s playfulness and passion toward her secret girlfriend, Nora. The pair are excited about their plan to leave their homophobic Pennsylvania community to find acceptance in California. But an accident robs Stevie of two years of memory, including her feelings for Stevie and her sexuality. Naudus embraces Stevie’s confusion and desperate need to fill in the voids. She depicts Nora’s constancy before the accident and afterward reads Nora’s unsent letters to Stevie with sorrow. The distant tone she gives to Stevie’s conservative mother reflects the mystery that Stevie can’t understand. At the end, Naudus’s tender narration works well as Stevie rekindles her relationship with Nora, recalls her sexual orientation, and reconciles with her parents." (AudioFile Magazine)

Can't forget this one

I've listened to this several times now. Its the perfect mix of angst, bittersweet, and uplifting. Ultimately the tale of a love so strong, the soul remembers even if the mind doesn't.

*spoiler*

It ends happy, very happy. And the hard journey to get there is really worth it.

I love this book and will certainly keep coming back to it over and over. (I've also ordered the physical copy of it even though I can't read physical books, just to have it as a talisman. Also gorgeous cover)

Great story

Great storyline with fantastic characters. Natalie did an excellent job narrating this book, the characters seem to come alive as I listened.

excuse me while I bawl my eyes out!

The way I bawled my eyes out!! I can’t remember the last time a book actually made do that. Stevie and Nora’s story is so raw and beautifully told. I wish I could step into their world and see what happens next.

The power of memory and the lack thereof

It’s amazing how Derrick shows how freeing losing a memory can be - even if discombobulating. I also loved how nearly losing someone might cause a shift in one’s thinking when they really know how much they could lose. Beautifully told story.

That was a great performance

The story is pretty good too but holy shit that performance was amazing. I am really happy I got the audio book of this because I feel like the preformances of everyone really add something to this book.

Beautiful!

This was not a romance, this was a pure, innocent love story, at an age where you feel that the world is yours, that you can do anything, and sometimes, that you found the love of your life.
So far it’s my favorite YA/coming of age book and I’m excited to listen more of this author.
Narration was perfection!

Emotional Ride!

I loved “Forget Me Not” written by Alyson Derrick and narrated beautifully by Natalie Naudus. I had pre-ordered the audio because I enjoyed the last book (“She Gets the Girl”) that Alyson Derrick co-wrote with her wife Rachael Lippincott.

“Forget Me Not” is a sapphic YA romance about two 18 year old young women (Nora and Stevie) who make a pact to run away from their small ultra-conservative town. Right before they do though, Stevie has an accident and a traumatic brain injury wipes away the last two years of her memories. The two year timeframe is very consequential since it’s the period when Stevie first started to recognize the problems within the town, came to terms with her sexuality, met and fell in love with Nora, and then decided to run away with her. All of those memories are now gone.

It’s an important story that explores the sense of isolation and fear that queer kids experience living in small conservative towns. Nora and Stevie’s journey is so full of emotion and the narrator Natalie Naudus perfectly captures the wide range of feelings. “Forget Me Not” will leave you with joy and hope, but just be prepared to sob along the way.

I loved it.

Creative Love Story

Great story of personal discovery, finding connection and love in small town America amidst racism, misogyny and LGBT intolerance. Full of hope and discovery.

Really good folks!

Real and true to the storyline! Enjoyed listening to this book. The story never strayed from the plot. NATALIE NAUDUS IS MY QUEEN! She never disappoints! Definitely would recommend it to everyone, wish it was longer.

Officially my favorite book!!

This book is amazing. Highly recommend! Read it now!!! The narration is really good too.