Book Review: Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally

Things I Can't Forget

By Miranda Kenneally 

Release Date: March 1, 2013

Source: Author

Summary: Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt…with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…

Review: Wow, this was definitely not what I was expecting it but it still turned out to be a phenomenal read that I finished in one day. What more could you expect from Miranda Kenneally? 

Being a Christian has defined Kate for as long as she can remember, but everyone around her just doesn't seem to understand. So when something happens with her best friend, Kate carries around a heavy guilt she can't seem to get rid of. This summer, she's working as a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp and hopes to forget everything and focus on herself. But when she discovers Matt, her first and only kiss from when she was 12, is a counselor too, Kate finds herself having feelings she's never had before. Putting her faith to the test, Kate learns so much more about herself than she ever though possible during this summer she will never forget. 

Going into this book, I was not expecting the heavy emphasis on religion. Kate is a Christian and strongly believes in saving herself for marriage and having Christian morals. The problem with that, though, is that she is super judgmental of anyone who doesn't uphold to her strict values. I really thought that this was going to bother me when I started the book, but I was surprised it didn't. Everything that defines Kate is so important for her growth throughout this book. In the end, I really liked Kate and could really connect with everything she was going through in life. It was so cool how the story would go from the present day at the camp to little flashbacks through Kate's sketches of what had happened earlier that year between her and her best friend. It was such a creative way to let the reader in on the past without explicitly recapping everything all at once. And it was a cool way to give Kate's love for drawing a really important role in how the story was told. 

I was so excited when Parker and Will popped up in the story and got even more excited when they became pretty important people in Kate's life. They're from Stealing Parker, which I am absolutely in love with, so I loved being able to continue their story and see how they were together. Jordan and Henry made a little appearance as well (they're from Catching Jordan) and it was fun to see them again too. 

My other favorite part about this story is Matt. Oh gosh, how could there be such an amazing guy? And why can't he be real? Seriously, I've got a major book crush on him. He may seem so perfect on the outside, but he has his scars that really define who he is. As the story develops, you learn to love each and every one of those scars. Kate sure is one lucky girl to be able to have a guy like Matt in her life. He's exactly what she needs to discover who she really wants to be in the world. 

So basically this book was amazing. I think it's Miranda's best one yet and I really can't wait to see what else she has for us. I didn't think her books could get any better after Stealing Parker, but she's created such an emotional book that every teen can relate to. Everyone should go out and get a copy of this book right now because you have absolutely no idea what you're missing out on. Miranda Kenneally knows how to write about love and life, and has created a story that you really don't want to leave when the book is finished.