ARC Review: Forgotten by Heleyne Hammersley

FORGOTTEN BY HELEYNE HAMMERSLEY
AUTHOR PAGE: PUBLISHER'S WEBSITE AUTHOR'S TWITTER PROFILE I was given an ARC by the publisher in exchange for a review. WHAT'S IT'S ABOUT BLOODHOUND BOOKS (KINDLE), 2016
250 PAGES

What if you woke up in a strange place and didn't know who you were?

OPENING

A woman wakes up in a Thai hospital unaware of how she got there or who she is. The doctor names her Kai, the Thai word for fever.

WHAT I THOUGHT

Unable to recall what led her to end up at the bottom of a cliff, Kai's only clue to her identity is a diary. Stuck in a foreign land with no memory, she begins to unpick the truth about her past. And she will discover who she is and why she is in danger...

This is Kai's story.

In the beginning was a light. Something in her mind told her that death would be like this, rushing towards a whiteness, but this felt more like a birth and she was reluctant to leave the womb-like darkness where she'd been... what? Sleeping? Hiding?

This is the author's debut.

Forgotten is an impressive debut. I loved the premise; waking up in hospital in a strange country with no idea who you are and what happened to land you in hospital. I can't imagine anything more terrifying. Kai's confusion and handling of the situation is dealt with brilliantly and in a completely realistic way. Forgotten is packed with heart-pounding moments packed with suspense as Kai tries to remember herself, reads her diary in an attempt to trigger her memory, undergoes therapy and takes the initial tentative steps towards recovery. I was engrossed throughout, my head filled the questions. Who is Kai? What happened to her? Who can she trust? The villain is revealed quite early via chapters from their point of view which make it clear who they are. I was a bit disappointed by this at first and thought this would spoil the book. However, the real identity of the villain isn't revealed until the last chapter and I was stunned. Talk about misdirection. Nicely done. Forgotten ends with a bang and my jaw hit the floor. I really look forward to reading the author's next book.