Forget Me Not by Carolee Dean

by Carolee Dean

Ally is devastated when a scandalous photo of her is texted around school. With her reputation in shambles and her life essentially over, she hides out in a back hallway, trying to figure out where everything went wrong. Elijah has spent time in that hallway too. He landed there after taking a whole bottle of sleeping pills. Now he can see ghosts, and he knows what Ally has yet to suspect—that she's already half dead, and one choice away from never coming back.Elijah has loved Ally for years and would do anything to save her from her in-between place. But if she’s going to live, Ally must face her inner demons, and find the will to save herself.

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Contemporary, Romance, Ghosts, Poetry, Fantasy

Paperback

First published October 2, 2012

About the author

Carolee Dean, MS, CCC-SLP, CALT, Speech-Language Pathologist and Certified Academic Language Therapist specializing in dyslexia, is an adjunct instructor at Providence College teaching Language-Based Learning for students pursuing a Master of Education in Special Education with a Dyslexia Credential. She is the founder of Word Travel Press LLC, creating decodable books and related materials for struggling readers through her HOT ROD series. She served as the Western Region Representative for the International Dyslexia Association from 2022 to 2025. Dean specializes in narrative-based strategies and is the author of Story Frames for Literacy: Enhancing Student Learning Through the Power of Storytelling (2021, Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co, Inc). She has also written award-winning young adult fiction available through Houghton Mifflin and Simon Pulse.

Reviews

[Zemira Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes a book just settles deep inside your heart... I am not sure everyone will like it but it was just what I needed right now.

THIS is the song I've been listening on repeat while reading this book.

I read Forget Me Not after hearing about the death of a 15-year-old Canadian teenager. Her name was Amanda Todd and she was cyber-bullied on Facebook, blackmailed, bullied in school and physically assaulted. You can learn more from the video Amanda posted in September.

HERE is that video.

Every time I read a book about a suicide I get emotional because I also tried to take my life a couple of years ago but a friend saved me. Being a teenager these days is hard and peers tend to be so cruel and heartless. No one thinks about the consequences of their behaviour might affect or maybe they want to break a person and see them suffer. If you are bullied, remember you are not alone. If you feel like you have no one to turn too, there are always support groups all over the world.

Some useful websites:

http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Bullyi...

http://www.bullying.org/


This review is NOT a review (because I can’t think anything to say) but a way for me to help someone who is going through a rough patch. No matter how bad you feel there is always hope and you are not going to have those problems forever. Suicide is just the easy way out but it takes a lot of strength to fight back.

“But in the end one needs more courage to live than to kill himself.”
― Albert Camus

[Kelly Hager · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a half-naked picture of herself is texted around her high school, Ally tries to kill herself. Now, she's kind of trapped in a reportedly haunted back hallway (hard to describe). The only person who can see her is her friend Elijah, who tries to convince her to choose life and leave the semi-purgatory she's in.

This is told in verse, which I'm becoming a huge fan of thanks to Ellen Hopkins and Lisa Schroeder. This novel will probably appeal to fans of If I Stay, although I didn't find Forget Me Not as emotionally wrenching as that one. (This is not to say that Forget Me Not isn't hard to read, because it is.)

The thing that struck me the most, however, is basically a throwaway line in the book---the general gist is that only a handful of people really create the drama in high school and the rest of the people just ignore it as best they can. It's so true and yet it doesn't feel that way at all when you're in high school.

I also know that it's very easy for people who aren't in high school to say "Oh, it's only four years," because when you're in the middle of it, four years is a very, very long time. Especially when it seems like literally everyone you know has seen you naked (well, topless) and has taken a poll about it. (Yes, I seriously wanted to cry for poor Ally.)

This isn't an easy book to read, but it's definitely worth it. Recommended.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really solid stuff, but it lost me a bit by making Darla so thoroughly terrible. Wouldn't it have been more interesting if she'd been at least somewhat decent as well as difficult? There's also an odd scene early in the book, when Elijah is getting randomly interrogated following Ally's suicide attempt, and it comes to nothing and is never mentioned again.

[XXK · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I picked this up from Dymocks two years ago, thinking this looked good and so I began reading a few pages when it hit me.

I did not like this book.

So I dumped it in favour of some other more appealing shiny books. This was definitely not for me.

Or so I thought.

BUT THEN I PICKED IT UP AGAIN A FEW DAYS AGO AT GRANS PLACE BC BORED AND OH MY GOD THIS IS BY FAR MY F A V O U R I T E VERSE NOVEL CAUSE THE OTHERS JUST FELT LIKE BUNCH OF JUST WORDS
THAT ARE
WRITTEN IN A
FASHION THAT
SOUNDS LIKE YOU
NEED TO TAKE A BREATH AFTER
EVERY
SINGLE
WORD.

But this is more of a collection of poems. There's even different types of poems in this book, and I as I was reading the author parts (something I do not do quite often) she even says that she deliberately used different types of poems to suit times or emotions or feelings or decisions which I thought was really awesome.

THATS EVEN ANOTHER THING. Every thing had a meaning or a hidden message or something underneath it you know? Just little stuff people may notice. And I rarely notice these things! So that was super nice.

And some poems even had special wording space patterns
which I found super cool.

Everything in this novel was basically superb. EVEN THE BAD GUYS.... (SOMEWHAT SPOILER.....) ARE KINDA GOOD! O MY GOD MY HEART. Only complaint? I would have liked to see a bit more of where she ended up. I mean I'm totally cool with there being not a huge amount of afterword, I get it, sometimes short and sweet is the best way to go, but.... I was really into this book, y'know? :( Oh well, everything was perfect anyway. Ever so close to....wait.... no! I am going to do this! I WILL PUT THIS ON MY FAVOURITES. YES.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a long time since I reviewed a book, mostly because it's been a long time since I have read a book worth reviewing. I didn't know what this book was when I picked it up at the library, but decided the story looked interesting. It was interesting, but more so because it was written in verse. Not rhymy cutesy verse but the kind that paints a picture in your mind. The story was basically a ghost story with a twist. Not a new twist but an interesting one none-the-less. It also dealt with several heavy hitting teen issues, the three main ones that stood out to me was the damage that can be done using technology, teenage sex and teen suicide. I would have given this book five stars with the exception of the fact that it is written for teens and the language was pretty rough. I know that people will argue with me that they hear it every day at school, that's how teenagers talk, it would take away from the authenticity of the book...etc. I ask, does that mean that we have to encourage it? I thought it was well written and had a difficult time putting it down to sleep, eat, etc. Decide for yourself if your teen is ready to read it, mine isn't, but it really enthralled me.

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forget Me Not is deep, twisting around life, hidden secrets of reality, and the truth. We meet Ally who isn't quite what you would suspect. Yes, she is an average girl, but when she meets the others in the hallway at school that is off limits, she finds herself learning more and more, all the while ending up more confused with the riddles and games the others around her like to play.

It's Elijah that might be able to make a real difference in Ally's life. He's been in that hallway and has escaped it and the evil that resides there. He knows first hand what Ally is about to give her life to. He knows that she's about to make the biggest mistake ever. Elijah is her only hope of survival, but she has to want it.

If you love novels that are written in verse, this one's for you.

[Kim Smiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the concept for this book, and it was an easy read too. The author writes it in poem form, so the pages go much faster than they normally would if reading a complete page. Stanzas go a lot quicker, and if you're not a poem person, (I'm not) you won't have a problem reading this story, because it's not a traditional poem where things rhyme and such.

Ally is a high school freshman. She's had a lot of success w/ acting, playing the main roles in all the plays in school until now.Since she's the low girl on the totem pole, the role for the latest play has gone to the popular girl in school, Darla, who is also the queen bitch of the school as well.

Ally had been seeing Darla's boyfriend Davis, (who is also her best friend Brianna's brother) behind her back, and once a photo of her and Davis was leaked to the entire school, Ally couldn't take it and decides to plunge off of the school roof.

She finds herself in the H hall. No one goes in the H hall, it's rumored to be haunted. And it really is, because that's where she finds herself unable to leave. Luckily for her, Elijah, another student who took a bottle of pills after his brother committed suicide, can see her. It's like his near death experience woke up this gift to him, and he sees spirits all over the school. But he knows that Ally is different. Her body is actually in the ICU and she can go either way. Since he's had a thing for her for years, he decides to try and help her figure out if she wants to live or die, and how to get her out of the H hallway, where the spirit of "The Hangman" roams, trying to get her to stay.

Really imaginative story, and it also helps out young people who have image issues in school. Not everyone is popular and those who are picked on and look for the easy way out should know that death is not the answer, it's just a way of giving up.

[Grace Deloe]

-"Forget Me Not" By: Carolee Dean

-Main Characters: Ally and Elijah

-After a scandalous picture goes around school of Ally, she is bullied, excluded, and judged. Feeling depressed and alone, she falls off the school building and is sent to the hospital in a coma. Her ghost ends up in the H hall, referred to as the Hallway, a place where all the people who have died on school campus has found a place for eternity. Little does Ally know that she is not dead yet, until a boy named Elijah, who has secretly loved her for years, comes to save her. A year ago, he found himself in the Hallway after a near death experience and can see ghosts. He knows how to get Ally out of there and will have to save her before its too late. However, Ally is the one who has to choose, will she stay in the Hallway as a ghost for eternity, or wake up to the unknown that is waiting for her in her second chance at life?

-When Ally wakes up in the Hallway, she is faced with other ghosts and a question, life or death? The other ghosts act very strange, but one in particular named Hangman, stands out. Everyone else is afraid of him and he is in charge of the Hallway. He tries to convince Ally to stay in the Hallway forever and that life isn't as superior as she thinks. However, Elijah takes Ally on a journey to prove that Hangman is made of lies. In my opinion, the Hangman symbolizes death while Elijah symbolizes life. In the end, Elijah does convince Ally that life is stronger than death, and the Hangman loses his power to control Ally.

-This book was amazing. Written in verse, this book portrays the emotions and characters in a realistic way. It was also written in two perspectives which added another side to Ally's story. Carolee Dean's genius writing took this book to the top of the charts and is now one of my favorites.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

There wasn't anything I really didn't like about this book besides the fact that Ally was an attention whore.
The love for her from Elijah also felt non existent. Same thing with Ally realizing he was her first love (rolls eyes)
However I liked everything else about this book. I loved the different characters from different time periods, even though there was small dialogue, especially with the Civil War guys.
I most definitely for sure thought Ally was going to stay in the hallway forever after she decided to, and I liked how she kept landing there. You never knew if she was going to get out or not.
I wasn't expecting Darla to be on the roof before Ally decided to jump. I almost thought it was going to be revealed that Darla pushed her.
I would've liked the truth from Davis if Darla really was telling the truth, that it was her sending flirty texts from Davis' phone.
Also I don't see why Ally and Brianna couldn't mend their friendship especially since she wasn't the one to send that photo.
I loved the whole purgatory concept and the way the author did it.

[Eyehavenofilter · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just couldn't get through this.... "Prose". I was drawn to the cover, as usual... but when I opened this up and started to read, I just could not get into this any more than the first 20 pages. I scanned the rest. I'm being very honest. It was depressing and " meh" it just wasn't worth the effort. It was a sad and self victimization tale .Suicide was the only option, mentioned many times. There didn't seem to be any bright light, friends were few and far between. She seemed to alienate any and everyone who tried to help her. Sooo jumping off the roof of the school seemed like the best idea at the time. " SERIOUSLY?"

[Shelley Chastagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing writing! One of the best books I've read this year. I'll definitely be reading anything else this author writes. The weave of the story line past and present, from character to character was so intriguing. This is a book you can't just walk away from and forget about, it haunts your thoughts for days. Put this on you "Must Read" list.
All read

[Andrea Trenary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked it up at the Dollar Tree.
I really enjoyed this one.
I enjoyed the ending as well.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The description that this book will appeal to Ellen Hopkins fans is true, though it suffers some of the same problems most of Hopkins books do for me: the multiple voices within verse do not sound distinct but instead rely upon plot events to distinguish them. It's fine, but it weakens character growth and development and makes me question whether verse novels with multiple POV can be as successful as those with a single voice or traditional narratives with multiple POVs.

Ally's reputation goes to hell when photos of her with Davis are texted around school. So much so that she tries to take her life. . It's part of her climb to the top of the social ladder which causes such devastation -- it's not only embarrassing, but she suspects her best friend Bri did that to her but because Davis never broke up with Darla, and now Darla's angry, too. The story is told "post-death" in Ally's voice, in that she's existing in this school hallway with the ghosts of other students who died while they were young. Either by their own hands or by decisions they made that were poor ones. Except the thing is, Ally's not actually dead. She's in a coma. She's being visited by these ghosts and existing among them as a test, figuring out whether her life is worth holding on to or if her decision to die is really what she wants. The book explores the back story to who Ally is and why she made the choices she did. She comes from a sad home life, but it's much less about that and more about social decisions. At times, the back story drags and is really boring; other times, particularly in the final 70 or so pages, it's rapid paced and all of the pieces fall together.

Elijah was Ally's friend. He, too, is suffering through a lot of pain. His comes because of his dead brother, and because he feels his parents are never going to accept that his brother did and not him. He feels their resentment. But more than that, Elijah feels for what happened to Ally, and knowing how much pain he feels and how much pain his parents feel, he wants Ally to realize life is worth living, despite the hell her social life is at school. It is he who ultimately convinces her to wake up, to come back, and to live with her choices so that she can grow and exist in a way those other ghosts in the hallway can't -- including the now-dead Darla.

Dean's book kept me engaged, and her work of poetic style and craft is admirable. I'm just not sure it worked for the voices. Those who love verse novels will definitely enjoy this one, and it reminded me in many ways of Kimberly Marcus's Exposed. Likewise, the decision to incorporate script-style in first person was interesting and amplified the fact Ally was never dead but in a comatose state. Scripts are written in third person when they're being performed; because the scripts here are in first person, it's not about the actors performing. It's about Ally existing within the performance, present and engaged without an actor playing her role. It was a savvy choice not just because of the interpretative value but because it also reflected Ally's involvement in theater.

There are a lot of hard-hitting issues in Dean's novel, but she handles them realistically and without making them overly dramatic -- though I do take issue with Darla killing herself. I read it as accidental, as did Ally, but it felt a little over-the-top given everything else.

It's interesting to look at the genre tags for this one, too, and if anything, this is one of those books that reader interpretation will impact genre classification. It's proof to me how fluid genre is. I'd label this contemporary, but I can see how many would see this as much more fantastical (though definitely not paranormal -- it's more supernatural if anything).

Longer review to come.

[Adrienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

When a naked picture of Ally circulates around the school, she's devastated and just wants to hide from everyone. That's how she ends up in the haunted hallway at the school...or at least that's what she thinks, until she remembers falling off the school's roof. Elijah, a friend of Ally's who attempted suicide himself after his older brother's suicide, spent some time in that hallway himself, and he is one of only two people who can see Ally, whose spirit lingers in the hallway while her body is in a coma, waiting for her to decide between life and death.

I really liked the concept of this book but not so much the execution. It's certainly relevant in a day and age with bullying and suicides and such going on right and left. However, Ally is not the most sympathetic or engaging or likable character, which makes it hard to connect to her beyond the basic level where of course you feel sorry for anyone who has a naked picture of herself spread around the school and attempts to take her own life. However, a personal connection is much harder to establish. Even Elijah tells her that she's the most self-absorbed person that he knows but he loves her anyway. Well...he might, but I didn't. She is self-absorbed and she is the type to step on her friends to get what she wants and she's just not really a nice person. Didn't like her, makes it hard to like the book. (Elijah, on the other hand, is a sweetheart.) Because I didn't feel connected to her, I wasn't as engaged in the story as I'd like to be, and when that happens, I tend to find flaws or concerns I wouldn't notice in a more gripping book. In this case, there were a couple of things that kept nagging at me: (1) she's a freshman, so 14 or 15 years old, hanging out with seniors, doing drugs and drinking with them and having sex with a couple. I'm sure that's realistic in some cases, but I can't help but wonder why there are no parents or teachers or anyone involved ever. In particular with Davis (the senior brother of her best friend), who she has sex with on a regular basis including in his car and at his house, where the heck are his parents? And really, why didn't his sister rat them out after she caught them? She's not concerned about the fact that there's statutory rape going on? And once a second picture of Ally surfaces, this time having sex with Will, another senior, again, where are the adults or anyone who is concerned that a 17 or 18 year old is taking advantage of a freshman? (2) There's an awful lot of suicide attempts at this school--Elijah tries, his best friend tried, Ally tries, and Elijah's brother was successful, as were several other characters...which makes me wonder why this dumb school isn't more proactive about trying not to let that happen...for example, making sure kids don't have access to the roof??? Anyway, I suppose the author could make arguments about those things really happening in the world, and I'd believe her, but because I wasn't drawn into the story, issues like that kept popping up and making me annoyed.

[moonlightfairyprincess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Forget Me Not was a uniquely written story because it was written alternately in poetic format and screen writing format.

I wasn't a huge fan of how it was written though I admired the attempt at the unique and different. For me, it was just distracting to read a full length book in such a format.

I understand the importance of the message in this book and I love the metaphor of the "hallway" and being stuck in one place, unable to find a way out.

However, that was the only piece of this story that actually stuck with me.

I. did. not. like. the. characters. at. all.

Elijah was alright. I understood his issues and how he'd get to the point he was at but I cannot fathom why he was so into Ally for so long. She wasn't irredeemable as a character but she wasn't likable either. It wasn't believable that he would automatically accept and forgive all that she had done or been part of doing.

I do not understand how Ally couldn't see how her choices were so awful. Did she not have a conscience or was she just better at ignoring it than most people? Even without proper guidance, her choices were so obviously a problem. A freshman sleeping with a senior, ditching her friend so she could sleep with his brother and then run with the popular crowd and a host of other poor choices that scream WTF!?!

Ally's father fought to keep her when her mother left and then he became an absentee parent. The things his 14 year old daughter were doing should never have been happening and if her father had taken an interest in actually being a parent and teaching his daughter about self respect, the outcome of the events leading to Ally's decision to end it all could have been very different. While I didn't like Ally, I understood how she could end up in the situations she did without a proper role model or parental influence.

There were a lot of suicides or suicide attempts in the story and I felt that it was a really negative reflection on being a teenager. There are plenty of teenagers who weather tragedy and poor circumstances that come out alright. Yet, this story made it seem as if every teenager who was put into an emotionally jarring situation was one razor blade away from taking or attempting to take their life because they couldn't emotionally cope with what was happening to them.

The implication was disheartening. There was an attempt to show that life is worth living no matter how difficult. But, the attempt fell shy of reality. The scene in which students write to Ally as she lies in a coma felt very unrealistic to me and came off as trite and insincere.

2 Stars because there is some genius in the notion of the "Hallway" and I found that to be quite intriguing.

[Kayla Alfonso · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young adult novel, Forget Me Not written by Carolee Dean also the author of Take Me There is told in two different perspectives, Elijah and Ally. Elijah and Ally have been best friends since a young age, but once they both have entered high school everything starts to change. After a shocking photo of Ally is released into the public, everything starts to downfall. With all of this high school chaos, Ally and Elijah both keep hidden in an isolated hall. The H Hall is completely abandoned by everyone except a few spirits who encounter with Elijah and Ally. Throughout the book secrets become exposed and mysteries become unraveled.

Forget Me Not is a very emotional book. Any reader will be able to “jump” inside the book, become mesmerized by Carolee Dean’s writing style, and have sympathy for the characters in the book. For some of the more sensitive readers, this book might be a bit too intense, since the story is a more mature read. Forget Me Not isn’t a graphic book, but it is able to touch all of the readers’ hearts. Carolee Deans writing style for this particular book is very unique. The majority of Forget Me Not is written in a more poetic verse style, however you will find in parts of the book it becomes more of a dialog type of writing. If the reader notices carefully, Carolee Dean has left secrets and changes the font style in some chapters, which is very rare in books. All in all, Forget Me Not is a page turner and keeps the reader engaged and a part of the book!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars. This was one of the weirdest books I've ever read. The plot was definitely interesting. And I guess I liked the characters. I thought the writing style was interesting. I thought the 'hallway' concept was kinda weird. This story just felt kinda weird overall. I guess Ally did learn a lot, about how being the center of attention isn't necessarily a good thing, that being popular doesn't make you happy, and that hooking up with guys doesn't fill up the emptiness. I LOVED Elijah, though. What a sweet, poor, broken boy. I felt so bad for him. Losing his brother to suicide, feeling like his parents cared more about his brother than him, and feeling like people think he's crazy. I didn't really get why the guy in the wheelchair could see her or how Elijah could. I guess this book is kind of supernatural. I thought that both his and Ally's journey was a powerful one. Elijah, even though he was broken, still helped fix Ally. My heart broke when he talked about how much he loved her and how he would wait forever for her. I thought their friendship/relationship was really cute. I liked the ending. Even though Ally ended up in a wheelchair, she still wanted to live and I feel like that was shown well. She saw how fame broke people, even Darla. And that was so important for her to learn.

[Sophie M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book was beautifully done! Forget Me Not by Carolee Dean is lyrically written . Normally, I dislike books written in poetry, I think they are to hard to follow and give me headaches, but Dean defiantly changed my mind. I also love the use of two perspectives in the book! The switching from Ally to Elijah is amazing and captures what is really going on, as well as what Ally thinks is happening. There is a bit of a love story, but it is subtle. It defiantly isn't an ooey gooey one! I found my self have way throughout the book, and just realizing that Elijah loved Ally. The crush falls in perfectly with the eventful story that leaves you turing pages faster than thought possible! I would defiantly recommend this story to pretty much everyone. Although it does have some mature content. This is the type of book that you either hate, or fall in love with. For me it was the latter!

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good story that touches on popularity and cyber bullying and suicide. It has an interesting take on purgatory and being part alive and part dead, but not all the way either, that I will remember for a long time. And I totally appreciated all the nods to Poe’s Raven.

But the genius of this is the format. I’ve read many books in verse, but often, that format was just about putting sentence fragments alone on each line to tell the story and calling it verse. This, however, is poetry. Yes, some are free verse, but many are structured: villanelles, pantoums, cinquain chains, and terza rimas. One character speaks almost entirely in iambic pentameter. You don’t often see sonnets and rhyming in books in verses and I am all here for it.

If you want to just read it for the story, it’s a great story and a quick read. If you want to marvel at the author’s skill, read it and come talk to me about it..

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ally, a freshman in high school, is caught between life and death and is forced to choose between the pain of real life or an eternity of nothingness. Elijah, the boy in love with Ally, is trying to save her from death and stops at nothing to do so.

Forget Me Not is told in verse & poetic lines from Ally and Elijah's points of view and is relatable to any high schooler. This is a fast paced, twist turning, page turning novel with a surprise ending and I guarantee you will not want to put the book down. This is the first time I ever read a book in verse and I absolutely loved it. Carolee does an astounding job getting into the minds of high school kids and the everyday battles they face in life. Forget Me Not has it all: bullying, malevolent texts, cheating boyfriends, betrayal, & suicide.

All I can say is, Bravo!!

[Jacquelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pacing: 7/10
Characters: 6/10
Writing: 8/10
Plot: 5/10
Creativity: 7/10

Total: 33/50

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars.

I got this book from the library on a whim. I love books in verse because I think the writing in them is amazing and they are quick and easy reads but still they send as good of a message as a regular 400 page novel. I thought this one was okay. Definitely not my favorite verse book but I enjoyed it.

I thought the concept was pretty cool but it could of been described more and taken further.

[Soph - Lock&Key · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

It was very brave to write this kind of story in verse.

This book was supposed to be:

Very raw
very intense
very different

However I found it very hard to connect with the story and the characters because of how disjointed the book was. I guess that's a draw back with writing a book this way. Sometimes verse books speak to me, in this case I found it hard to feel what was meant to be felt. But it was not because there was anything wrong with the book, it was just my reaction.

[Devin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very nervous to start reading this book because of the way it was written. I have tried to read another book written in the same way and I couldn't get into it. However, this book totally had me hooked within the first few pages! I loved the story, I loved the characters, I loved everything. I am so glad I picked this to be my first read of 2014!

[Melissa Pettersson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an amazing story about a girl that is in between life and death.

[Hope Gandara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always found most books boring and unfascinating. I’ve never really liked reading, especially since I have a tight schedule. I started reading this book thinking I would hate it, however, I immediately fell in love with it. I would get home from practice and I would immediately start to read it. This book was a fast pace (which I prefer) and it was really fascinating. Throughout this book there were many twists and turns. It shows you how her life use to be and how one thing can ruin your life in an instant, and even possibly forever. This book was really interesting and I enjoyed every moment of it.

The book Forget Me Not is about a girl named Ally and how she deals with life. After a scandalous picture of her went around the school she begins to lose her reputation. Losing her reputation wasn’t the only thing she lost. She loses her best friend and even her family. She begins to wonder whether or not she is “needed” or “loved.” This results in something terrible happening which could be permanent. Ally soons discovers that she must battle between life and death.

I highly recommend reading this book because the author does a great job of being creative. This book portrays high school and how many teens face it. It also shows real events that some families go through. If you like books about romance and suspense then this is the book for you! This book leans more towards teenagers because of the storyline is for a more mature audience. This book was easy to read and it was very captivating. I really enjoyed how I had an emotional connection between the characters. I highly recommend reading this book because it was well thought out and very interesting.

[Mercedez Maestas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forget me not-Carolee Dean: 4/5 stars
The reason I gave this book a 4/5-star rating is because when Ally had an affair with her best friend’s boyfriend and a risky picture of ally got sent out to everyone her life became a downfall, she was humiliated, depressed and she had no escape from it. It was reality and she had to deal with it, which led to her to kill herself by jumping off the school roof. As she’s in the H-Hall (The haunted hallway) her and her friend Elijah who also overdosed on pills after his brother committed suicide, can see dead people as others don’t. Ally’s body is in the ICU and as she’s in a coma and her spirit is in the Hall with Elijah. Elijah had a thing for Ally, so he’s there with Ally’s spirit trying to help her figure out whether she wants to live or die. As the spirit of “The hang man” roams throughout the hall wants Ally to stay since she’s already half dead. Ally must face her inner demons and find her will to save her and Elijah spirits.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a real treat.

So unique and engaging that the pages fly away and the feelings stay with you for a long while afterwards.

It makes you think how many teens might be out there going through the same feelings that Ally and Elijah went through...how many of them try and how many succeed. I for one have been through some serious things and I must admit that I also consider the short way through when I was a teenager. Now I am beyond glad that I didn't, but life is as tough as nails sometimes and the pain seems too hard to endure...fortunately there usually is a sense of hope, a pull that leads you and makes you see that things change, people come and go and you are the one in charge....

This book was a gift, literally and metaphorically, thank You Misty Price for being so thoughtful and giving me this outstanding book for Xmas.

[Aaliyah Fentress · Rating 4 out of 5]

the ways this book is written is what makes it so amazing. it was a little confusing at times but you just had to keep reading until it was explained. I really like the main guy and felt sorry for him. I felt awful for alley she didn't deserve what happened to her. Darla was a bitch and I didn't feel sorry for what happen to her at end. alley was a young girl that got swept up and set up in the popularity of high school. idk if it was just me but I got the impression at the end that hangman wasn't actually as bad as he seemed that he was doing it to help her.

[Kati · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm rather torn on this book. I really liked the characters and the story but I was not sold on the verse. I had read a prior verse novel and I wasn't really into it but I thought that maybe it was the story I wasn't sold on, not the format so I decided to give this one a shot. I just think that verse novels are not my jam. I wanted to dig more deeply into both main characters as well as the ghosts trapped in Hallway H and I felt that the verse format didn't really give me what I was looking for.

[Lisa Werntz-Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not something I would typically pick up, but I found myself reading a couple pages and then needed to know what happened. It was definitely relevant with suicide and bullying being such a problem these days. This book also reminded me a bit of the book/movie “If I Stay” so if you liked that, you’d probably enjoy this one too.