THE ART OF FORGETTING by Camille Noe Pagán is a young adult novel, and my three-star rating is for a YA book. I made the mistake of assuming it was a more advanced book, which I prefer, and would give it one star that. But I don't think one star would be fair just because I accidentally picked the wrong book for me.

I call this YA, but I'm over 50, and the term "chick lit" is new to me. I suppose that people more familiar with "chick lit" would call it that. But THE ART OF FORGETTING is one of the types of novels I read as a young adult. Therefore, I call it YA.

The reason I say it would not be approrpiate for a book club is that it is YA. I don't think I would want to belong to a book club that reads YA books.

I've read a couple of Kristin Hannah's books for book groups. These are YA/chic lit, and I didn't like them; at the same time, I know that this style is popular with many. If you are one of these, you'll like THE ART OF FORGETTING.

Julia Ferrar and Marissa Rogers have been friends since their high school days in Michigan. Marissa is an editor for a health magazine and Julia is a publicist for a ballet company in New York. Their friendship survives quite a bit over the years, including an onerous boyfriend breakup in college at the behest of Julia. Now Julia is suffering from traumatic brain injury and isn't the pivotal point in Marissa's life. Julia returns to Michigan to recover and Marissa must find the nerve to move on in New York. Although you can't go back in time, Julia's return to Michigan brings an old love back into Marissa's life. Will she be able to withstand Julia's current machinations? Can they both move forward without reliving mistakes from their past?


Marissa is, in many ways, the every-woman. She has moments when she is lacking in self-confidence and is sure that those last 10 pounds will allow her to feel more comfortable in her own body. She loves her current boyfriend but constantly wonders about the one that got away. It isn't until Marissa begins to work as a mentor/coach in an after-school running program that she learns that self-confidence and self-esteem must come from within. I enjoyed reading about the self-discovery and self-awareness that evolves in both Marissa and Julia. I have to say that I didn't really like Julia as a person or a friend. I thought she was too manipulative and insistent on getting her way no matter what. It's as if she expects Marissa's life to revolve around her needs, and this is before the brain injury occurred. However, without Julia there is no impetus for Marissa to challenge herself and move forward. This is not just a "feel good" read but an honest and insightful look at friendship. The Art of Forgetting is scheduled for release on June 9th.

This is a good story that is easy to read. Not the best selection for a book club, but good to read for yourself.