The Forgetting Curve by Angie Smibert

The Forgetting Curve
by Angie Smibert
Published by Marshall Cavendish
Available: May 15, 1012
Pages: 202
Source: Publisher

Aiden Nomura likes to open doors—especially using his skills as a hacker—to see what’s hidden inside. He believes everything is part of a greater system: the universe. The universe shows him the doors, and he keeps pulling until one cracks open. Aiden exposes the flaw, and the universe—or someone else—will fix it. It’s like a game.

Until it isn’t.

When a TFC opens in Bern, Switzerland, where Aiden is attending boarding school, he knows things are changing. Shortly after, bombs go off within quiet, safe Bern. Then Aiden learns that his cousin Winter, back in the States, has had a mental breakdown. He returns to the US immediately.

But when he arrives home in Hamilton, Winter’s mental state isn’t the only thing that’s different. The city is becoming even stricter, and an underground movement is growing.

Along with Winter’s friend, Velvet, Aiden slowly cracks open doors in this new world. But behind those doors are things Aiden doesn’t want to see—things about his society, his city, even his own family. And this time Aiden may be the only one who can fix things . . . before someone else gets hurt. (from Goodreads)


My Thoughts


With Memento Nora, author Angie Smibert created an world where you could forget your worries and troubles by simply taking a pill. In The Forgetting Curve the world has changed and has become a place where your thoughts may no longer be your own. Let me just say that the world described in both of these books is a pretty scary place and definitely not a world I would want to live in.

The Forgetting Curve gives some back story to what happened in Memento Nora and some of the characters make an appearance along the way. The Forgetting Curve is more of a companion novel than a sequel as a whole new group of characters are introduced and their stories are told. Of the 3 central characters in Memento Nora, only Winter plays a crucial role in this new saga. 

While reading, I lacked a connection with the characters. I think that may be because the story was more action driven rather than character driven and a lot happened in this novel in a short period of time. Plus there were a lot of characters to who appeared throughout the story but for only short periods of time. One character who I did begin to care about was Velvet - a friend of Winter's who had been implanted with an ID chip (the new forgetting pill). Like Aiden, she was major player in "opening the doors" that the government was trying to keep sealed up.

I hate to admit that this book didn't live up to my expectations. The lack of character connection and even a connection to the story, left me a little disappointed. Memento Nora put the fear in me with the possibility of this future world. I mentioned earlier this isn't a world I would want to live in, but I just didn't see the likelihood that this world could exist. 

BUT I do think that The Forgetting Curve does touch on some interesting ideas. Both Aiden and Velvet question authority and are free-thinkers. They trust their instincts and make hard decisions when there are easier, safer ones to make. 

It has already been announced there will be a third book and I will definitely read it too. The first 2 novels are relatively short so when the third one comes out, I'm likely to read them all together.  While it is not a true sequel, I do suggest that it be read along with Memento Nora. There are so many instances in this book that would only make sense after reading Memento Nora. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes dystopian, science fiction, and conspiracy theory books.

Disclaimer: I requested this book from the publisher and was provided an Advanced Reading Copy in exchange for my honest review. Thoughts and opinions are my own.