Blog Tour (Review): Forgotten by Catherine McKenzie

Publisher: Harper Collins Canada
Publishing Date: May 1st, 2012
Genre: Adult Fiction
Pages: 367 pgs
ISBN: 9781443409919
Source: Received for review from Harper Collins Canada

Rating:4 stars

Summary from Goodreads:
When everyone thinks you’re dead, how do you start your life over again?

Emma Tupper, a young lawyer with a bright future, sets out on a journey after her mother’s death: to Africa, a place her mother always wanted to visit. But her mother’s dying gift has unexpected consequences. Emma falls ill during the trip and is just recovering when a massive earthquake hits, turning her one-month vacation into a six-month ordeal.

When Emma returns home, she’s shocked to find that her friends and colleagues believed she was dead, that her apartment has been rented to a stranger and that her life has gone on without her. Can Emma pick up where she left off? Should she? As Emma struggles to recreate her old life, everyone around her thinks she should change – her job, her relationships, and even herself. But does she really want to sacrifice everything she’s working so hard to gain?

My Review:
This is a book about a young woman who goes on a trip to Africa that goes horribly wrong and in the end is presumed dead by all back home.  She returns to her apartment to find that it has been rented to someone else and all of her belongings have been sold.  This idea is simply terrifying to me.  I can't even imagine trying to navigate through my life when everyone had thought I was dead.   I can't begin to think of what it would be like to feel left out of everything and to know that everyone has moved on and life is going on without me there.  I know that the world is big and that I am obviously not the center of it but it would still be devastating to see how easily life can continue without me there.  I think there is a little part of everyone that would like to think they are important and that their life has an impact on others.  

I really enjoyed this book.  I love McKenzie's writing style and I love the way I can relate to her characters.  I felt like I was in the book at times and I wanted to just shake some people silly.  I really felt bad for Emma but at the same time I almost feel like this was a huge turning point in her life.  


This book was beautifully written and it gives readers a chance to think about the important things in life.  Do we really want to slave away all day in a office or should we be out there living life to the fullest?  While I do think it's important to work hard I also think there should be a balance and I love that McKenzie gets this message across loud and clear.  The book is haunting but it also gives us a bit of romance, some strong friendships and a lot of hope.  Overall I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 


Stay tuned for an interview with Catherine McKenzie coming soon.  Happy Reading!