What do you think?
Rate this book
Forgetting #1
The Side Effects of Forgetting
Kellan can't remember how he's supposed to act, but he thinks it probably doesn't involve making friends with the lunatic girl-next-door and letting his best friend put his hand down his pants. M/M Slash.
72 pages, Online Fiction - Complete
First published December 8, 2011
2 people are currently reading
154 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 18, 2015
Empathy.
You can't write well without empathy. Without the thing that lets you see a person, even if their words and their clothes and their manner disguise them.
You can never really read all that well without it, either.
I hated the ending.
I thought it was dead wrong for leaving an enormously important character arc unresolved. It may not be as important to the author as it was for me—maybe—but the unravelling of events and the implications of what who said to whom—and when they said it—were managed far too skillfully for me to imagine it was a mistake that I should feel so much for... suffer so badly when... understand so many things that are subsequently dropped from the story as if they were minor details.
They're not minor details. And it bothers me. A lot.
Because the rest of this was unequivocally devastating. Was real. Was true. Was human, and good, and smart—so fucking smart—and as a person who spends his time being noisy on the internet and silent in the dark of an empty apartment, I can never forget the feeling of reading a story like this—where every suspicion of depth is rewarded, and every suggestion of nuance confirmed, so that I imagine the person who wrote it might catch my eye one day, across a crowded coffee shop somewhere in a vast city of indifferent souls, and see in my face in that one moment all the times I was mean to my brother for jealousy, or impertinent to my mother for the heartache of knowing she would never know the real me, or forgiving of the boyfriend who beat me up all those times, because I thought he was all I had left in this world.
Complicated wounds, these. Invisible on my skin, but perhaps visible in my words, or in my eyes, or in the books I choose to read. They define me, and are always there, under my skin, where any with eyes to see may perceive.
So very like these characters, then—wounded, obscured by design or by amnesia—so that when one of them is left behind as I feel left behind...
I feel lost, and I am lost, and I grieve for them as I do for myself.
August 27, 2012
4.5 stars. More awesome free fiction! This was neeearly 5 stars, but the ending seemed slightly abrupt. Also I thought .
I just swoon for stories about college boys falling in love, with hand-holding, sweet kisses, and first times (and no homophobia).
EDIT: And there's a sequel! Squee!
I just swoon for stories about college boys falling in love, with hand-holding, sweet kisses, and first times (and no homophobia).
EDIT: And there's a sequel! Squee!
August 23, 2012
I enjoyed this. The story washed over me in a gentle, lapping, waves to the shore sort of way. Like it built into a calm crescendo, accumulating stars as it went along. At the beginning I just didn't think it was as good as Drunk Text but I steadily came to see this story as it's own entity, it's own vehicle. It has quite a different energy and a different point to drive home. And by the end, it comes full circle and does just that.
Kellan's life is changed, and for the better, when he gets a vacation from who he was before. That severance from his old self allows him to make decisions, for the better, that, being bound to Before, he never would have. It's one of those illustrations of everything happening for a reason.
Although some readers might prefer Kellan be with Nate for whom he seems to feel more passion, I would argue that that passion was because of firsts and familiarisation, something held over his head that he was bound by, that was imprisoning and painful. With Will, Kellan fulfills himself, his identity, comes into his own...an evolution that could only have occurred by being wrenched free from the old, the past, and its shackles.
I love stories/incidents like such, for example, The Christmas Carol, where the MC experiences something otherworldly/out-of-body, an awakening that wrenches him from his old self to a new, actualised being. For this reason, I hope in the sequel Kellan continues to make smart choices. Like Ben learns in Something Like Summer, love shouldn't be hidden.
Kellan's life is changed, and for the better, when he gets a vacation from who he was before. That severance from his old self allows him to make decisions, for the better, that, being bound to Before, he never would have. It's one of those illustrations of everything happening for a reason.
Although some readers might prefer Kellan be with Nate for whom he seems to feel more passion, I would argue that that passion was because of firsts and familiarisation, something held over his head that he was bound by, that was imprisoning and painful. With Will, Kellan fulfills himself, his identity, comes into his own...an evolution that could only have occurred by being wrenched free from the old, the past, and its shackles.
I love stories/incidents like such, for example, The Christmas Carol, where the MC experiences something otherworldly/out-of-body, an awakening that wrenches him from his old self to a new, actualised being. For this reason, I hope in the sequel Kellan continues to make smart choices. Like Ben learns in Something Like Summer, love shouldn't be hidden.
August 27, 2012
I am always so amazed when a story is so well done and yet it's free! I don't know why, I just am. I loved this story and it's players. I really like watching people grow and change. My favorite part wasn't even the love triangle between Kellan and Nate and Will. It was hot with lots of angsty sexual tension, but my favorite part was his friendship with Grace. It was endearing to watch Kellan become so genuine. Grace was a freaking fantastic character. Love, love, loved her.
Only 4 stars though since the ending was abrupt and left me wanting more. And even though there is a sequel, it's from Nate's POV. I'm a little worried about that because I was not happy with Nate. Not at all.
Only 4 stars though since the ending was abrupt and left me wanting more. And even though there is a sequel, it's from Nate's POV. I'm a little worried about that because I was not happy with Nate. Not at all.
February 23, 2012
3.5 stars. Good m/m romance about a college student who wakes up in the hospital with amnesia - everything that makes him himself is missing). He basically has to rediscover himself, including his sexual orientation. This is a story that actually needed an epilogue or an additional chapter.
March 10, 2012
3.5-4 stars. I waffled between a 3-3.5 rating and a 3.5-4 star rating. I think I'll go with the more generous 3.5-4 stars because this was a freebie read, and it's quite good when one takes that into consideration.
This story was a fun read. It's an m/m short online fiction story about a college student who loses his memory and has to relearn everything about who he is, including his sexual orientation.
Told entirely from the (present tense, meh!) POV of the amnesiac Kellan Green, we are right there in his head as we navigate his life and his thoughts together with him. I was somewhat indifferent to the beginning, and it took me a little while to get used to (a) the rather informal style of internet fiction writing, (b) the present tense writing, and (c) the general "coming-of-age" sort of tone that I associate so much with YA writing. The "coming-of-age" tone was a byproduct of the "learning about himself" aspect of Kellan's amnesia, but this didn't read like a YA or anything (thankfully). Actually, once I got into the story, I couldn't pull myself away. I wanted to know what happened, and I wanted to know now.
Although this story features college-aged protagonists, this is not a YA story. There's sexytimes, and it's fairly explicit. I think it ended rather abruptly, so I'm interested to see if there's a sequel or if this is a continuing series. I noticed there's a note that there will be another story from one of the other character's POV. I wonder if that'll show where Kellan and his romantic interest end up.
Overall, though, I enjoyed it a lot, and as a freebie read, the price was definitely right.
Note that there are the expected typos and wrong word usage of freebie fiction, but there were surprisingly few compared to other freebie reads.
This story was a fun read. It's an m/m short online fiction story about a college student who loses his memory and has to relearn everything about who he is, including his sexual orientation.
Told entirely from the (present tense, meh!) POV of the amnesiac Kellan Green, we are right there in his head as we navigate his life and his thoughts together with him. I was somewhat indifferent to the beginning, and it took me a little while to get used to (a) the rather informal style of internet fiction writing, (b) the present tense writing, and (c) the general "coming-of-age" sort of tone that I associate so much with YA writing. The "coming-of-age" tone was a byproduct of the "learning about himself" aspect of Kellan's amnesia, but this didn't read like a YA or anything (thankfully). Actually, once I got into the story, I couldn't pull myself away. I wanted to know what happened, and I wanted to know now.
Although this story features college-aged protagonists, this is not a YA story. There's sexytimes, and it's fairly explicit. I think it ended rather abruptly, so I'm interested to see if there's a sequel or if this is a continuing series. I noticed there's a note that there will be another story from one of the other character's POV. I wonder if that'll show where Kellan and his romantic interest end up.
Overall, though, I enjoyed it a lot, and as a freebie read, the price was definitely right.
Note that there are the expected typos and wrong word usage of freebie fiction, but there were surprisingly few compared to other freebie reads.
November 2, 2013
Compelling characters, interesting story, botched, incomplete ending.
Meeting Kellan, then Nate, gave me a jolt of understanding, even before anything happened. Grace is, all by herself, worth reading the story. Love her! And Will, eventually, also made me fall in love. All well and good, except the resolution to the main conflict is not very realistic. And the worst thing of all, what makes it feel unfinished and unsatisfactory, is the ambivalence I felt with the romantic couple at the end.
We'll see if there's closure and a believable HEA for all the MCs by the end of book 2, A Year Full of Days.
Meeting Kellan, then Nate, gave me a jolt of understanding, even before anything happened. Grace is, all by herself, worth reading the story. Love her! And Will, eventually, also made me fall in love. All well and good, except the resolution to the main conflict is not very realistic. And the worst thing of all, what makes it feel unfinished and unsatisfactory, is the ambivalence I felt with the romantic couple at the end.
We'll see if there's closure and a believable HEA for all the MCs by the end of book 2, A Year Full of Days.
August 29, 2012
3.5 stars.
I really liked this online fic, even though the depiction of Kellan's amnesia was not exactly believable. I felt like seventhswan's writing was much cleaner than in Drunk Text, and her characters were generally more likable. It's worth reading the whole fic just for Grace, who has some laugh-out-loud-funny moments.
I really liked this online fic, even though the depiction of Kellan's amnesia was not exactly believable. I felt like seventhswan's writing was much cleaner than in Drunk Text, and her characters were generally more likable. It's worth reading the whole fic just for Grace, who has some laugh-out-loud-funny moments.
March 12, 2015
Extremely sweet and lovely.
Also:
"Oh please, you two were more obvious than a Thestral to a tragic war-orphan"
Anything with a Harry Potter reference is immediately elevated.
Rating: 3.5
Also:
"Oh please, you two were more obvious than a Thestral to a tragic war-orphan"
Anything with a Harry Potter reference is immediately elevated.
Rating: 3.5
March 28, 2012
Kellan and Nate were best friends turned closeted lovers. Mainly because Nate was still struggling with his sexuality, while Kellan was sure. They're entering a new school, where Kellan met Will, the guide for their campus visit. Will hit on Kellan, but was declined since Kellan loved Nate. Then, Kellan was attacked that left him amnesia for a while.
Not knowing who he was but still had a feeling for his best friend, Kellan tried to seduce Nate. Unfortunately, Nate, with his confusion about his sexuality, turned hot and cold. At the end, Kellan became Will's boyfriend, leaving Nate heartbroken.
This is why in general I don't like reading young adult stories, especially those with MCs in high school or early years of college. They are still struggling with themselves that when a new offer or opportunity comes they just take and runs with it. I feel for Nate. In his confusion, he lost the man he loved (although they were still friends).
Not knowing who he was but still had a feeling for his best friend, Kellan tried to seduce Nate. Unfortunately, Nate, with his confusion about his sexuality, turned hot and cold. At the end, Kellan became Will's boyfriend, leaving Nate heartbroken.
This is why in general I don't like reading young adult stories, especially those with MCs in high school or early years of college. They are still struggling with themselves that when a new offer or opportunity comes they just take and runs with it. I feel for Nate. In his confusion, he lost the man he loved (although they were still friends).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2012
I'm saying aloud all the way thru this, "Will or Nate? Will or Nate?" and I'm also saying, "I so didn't see this coming but I'm so glad it did" and "how freaking fantastic" and "I was so hoping it would be like this, that it would end like this" (sob, whine, sob, snivel). And I was thinking what a fantastic quote that would make but damn, it would take so much explanation for that quote to make sense... but holy hell, shite...I loved this so much! Read, read, read...please...read.
December 18, 2013
Yeah, I agree with Julio. The ending was cut short where it should have been explored more, but the end A/N makes it sound like the entire thing was more of an experimental crackfic for the author anyways. Not excusing the lack of a real ending for us readers, but it makes it make more sense?
June 25, 2012
This fic is totally missing a chapter--or an epilogue... I mean, Nate?! I needed there to be more.
Slightly less than 3 stars because of the lacking ending.
Slightly less than 3 stars because of the lacking ending.
October 8, 2013
This was perfect. What a great concept. There were a lot of emotions in this and I loved every single one of them.
August 31, 2018
3.5*
this was deeply moving
this was deeply moving
January 13, 2014
Enjoyed this book thoroughly! Even though the premise is silly (I don't think amnesia really works this way, but it's such a convenient plot device), it actually ended up working. I totally got how confused Kellan was, not just about his past, but his present. And wondering if remembering would be a good thing, or not! Relearning his sexuality, and wondering if he was gay before, and if he is gay now. The sexual tension between him and Nate was well done, and I'm happy that it wasn't resolved at the end of the story. That's how life is! I couldn't wait to read the sequel, A Year Full of Days, and it got even better. See my review of that story (with spoilers): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Definitely a recommended read! Now I'm going back to see if there are more finished stories by this author, or I will look into some of the authors s/he mentioned as she wrote this one. . .
Definitely a recommended read! Now I'm going back to see if there are more finished stories by this author, or I will look into some of the authors s/he mentioned as she wrote this one. . .
September 2, 2013
(Aug) This was a short story about Kellen, who awakes from a beating w/no memory of who he is or anything about his life. His bff Nate is there for him, helping him reacquaint himself with his life. After a period of time, Nate also reveals to Kellen that the two of them had been intimate (not penetration) but had kept it a secret. Nate wants to pick up where they left off; Kellen longs for a proper out-in-the-open relationship. Nate can't go there because they are "not gay." Kellen ends up meeting Will, brother of the crazy girl next door and they develop a relationship, which also helps Kellen retrieve his memories. A HEA for Will and Kellen, which unfortunately leaves Nate alone and hurting. An online freebie that was pretty good, although not as good as Drunk Text.
April 27, 2014
I liked the second one better, because I preferred Nate's character (even though the sub/dom in that story got me confused, I just tried to ignore that detail) but this author is an excellent writer and her(?) stories are beautifully written in detail and plot.
I highly recommend "A Year Full of Days". Nate's character is rather pathetic, angsty and lovelorn, but his emotions are written perfectly and I sometimes use it as a go-to story when I'm feeling down.
I highly recommend "A Year Full of Days". Nate's character is rather pathetic, angsty and lovelorn, but his emotions are written perfectly and I sometimes use it as a go-to story when I'm feeling down.
March 24, 2013
I loved, and am amazed seventhswan hasn't published these stories yet. Amnesia stories are a favorite of mine, and this one has lived up to expectations. Kellan can't remember why he is in the hospital, and who are the two people who are waiting by his bed? This is his journey on reclaiming his life, and hopefully remembering who he is.
March 26, 2013
3.5 stars :)
It's a really nice story, I had no idea what will happen in the end, and well, I'm quite satisfied in who Kellan chooses in the end, although I think that the ending is too abrupt. I love Grace, she's hilarious!!! XD overall, it's a good read, and it's free too :D
It's a really nice story, I had no idea what will happen in the end, and well, I'm quite satisfied in who Kellan chooses in the end, although I think that the ending is too abrupt. I love Grace, she's hilarious!!! XD overall, it's a good read, and it's free too :D
January 3, 2013
Great characters, but disappointing ending! I read the sequel to this story and was even more disappointed! How unfortunate!
July 7, 2013
Nice story. Guy with amnesia has to figure out his relationships - will he stay fooling around with his closeted best friend, or try for something more?
December 27, 2016
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2014
This was nice, but not particularly memorable.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews