Forget Me Not

by Anne Cassidy

A child has been stolen...Jade Henderson is missing, taken from her cot. Stella Parfitt watches the police investigation unfold, and begins to ask her own questions. Where was her mother that night? The woods hold a dark secret...

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary, Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Audiobook

240 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2008

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was nothing like I expected, and I had pretty high expectations because the act attracted me. It was right through the rather dull and not the least bit exciting as it promised to be, and the end are we just not talk about. The book could just as easily been about the kidnappning that took place 20 years ago, for it was the incident Anne had spent time on. Not the incident the book would be about. The characters were flat, stereotypes that you hardly knew the hair color. The book was right over boring, bland and boring again. Read it if you do not have to, because it's really nothing to hang on the Christmas tree.

[Živilė Matijaškienė · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tai pirmoji skaityta šios autorės knyga, bet tikrai nenuvylė.
Dviejų pagrobimų istorijos šokinėja ir susiliečia per vieną iš pagrindinių herojų. Autorė itin išradingai ir glaustai papasakoja istorijas sugebėdama sukelti susidomėjimą, intrigą ir įtampą.
Knygą jau senokai norėjau perskaityti ir tikrai džiaugiuosi tai padarius.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

After being slightly disappointed by Birthday Blues, I was a little cautious when approaching this book. And I really really liked it. It's about what happens when a child goes missing. But instead of focusing on the family of the missing child, it changes perspective for those who are involved and accused of the missing child. It really is true that for society, a missing child is a really big deal because children are supposed to be innocent and protected. But yes, definitely a good novel that makes you think about different perspectives in different situations. Worth reading!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading "Looking for JJ" years ago, I decided to have a read of Anne Cassidy's other books, however this was a bit of a disappointment in comparison. Don't get me wrong, this was a great read - especially for a train journey. It is just that her female protagonists always seem to be very similar in characteristics. I also read Love Letters and Just Jealous, and they all seem to be the same person with a different name. Other than that the plot was amazing which is something that I really love about Cassidy's books.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love "Looking for JJ", which is also written by Anne Cassidy but I was a little bit disappointed with this one. I think Anne does a great job of writing an interesting story but the characters are lacking. I didn't care about any of them in this, I only kept reading because I wanted to find out what happened to the missing child.

[Angel Redway · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW. I almost cried at some parts of the book. Scratch that, I did cry at some parts of the book. Not that it's really sad (yet) its just its so well written and I can really feel the characters emotions. One of my favourite ever books.

[Trollbajs · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only reason that I read whole the book was that I really hate to not finish a book.

[MK · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another compelling Anne Cassidy read. Like with her other books, the story alternates between past and present. Only this time, it alternates between two characters as well. Stella, the protagonist in the present, and her mother Terri when she was a teenager in the past (late eighties). The mystery gives way to some interesting conclusions, and gives deep insight on why some people do the things they do. There are also parts where it looks understandably very different to an outsider than it would to someone who knows the full story. It gives a lot of perspective, and how it may be easy for people to judge, even when they're wrong.

The reason I’m giving it three stars is because, unfortunately, I really did not like the ending. It wasn’t that it was simply okay instead of great, but I actually really disliked it. The story seemingly comes to a decent closure, only for the characters to decide right at the last minute (I think literally on the last page) to do something that is about to shatter it all…and I don’t know why. I saw no rationality in it whatsoever. And, it left it on somewhat of a cliffhanger.

There are also a number of slimy, despicable characters who never get their just desserts in here (particularly Steve Ryan. “Creepy” and “disgusting” don’t even begin to describe him).

Oh well. It was still a compelling read most of the way through. Definitely worth a one-time read, at the very least.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, but again not all questions were answered

A baby (Jade) goes missing from her home. Police and reporters turn up. Stella's mother is taken in for questioning because she was involved in a child abduction years previously. Terri was babysitting, took baby Lizzie for a walk, had a drink and a dog with a married man, fell asleep, and woke to Lizzie gone. No-one knew what happened to Lizzie, but it turns out Terri does. She got a letter and photos from the woman who took Lizzie, but kept quiet about it because she thought Lizzie was better off. Jade is found dead - a cable man took her and killed her. Stella convinces her mother that she should tell the police about the letter and photographs she received of Lizzie. Terri agrees but worries she'll be charged with withholding evidence (we don't find out if that is the case). The epilogue is Lizzie and her new mother living happily.

[Nisa Greennnpanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: 2.5 stars

Summary:
-- An incident occurred just a few houses away from where Stella Parfitt and her mother, Teresa a.k.a Terri, lived. A toddler had been kidnapped in the middle of the night, the same night that Terri came back home late. Everyone began blaming Terri for the missing child as she had a past incident involving a toddler who went missing while she was babysitting her. Stella did not know about the story, but she believed that her mother was innocent.

Likes:
-- There were some parts that I liked (but I forgot what they were).

Dislikes:
-- I just read "Missing Judy" before I read this book, and I thought, was this going to have the same storyline? It wasn't, yet I did not enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed the other one. And oh my, I found several spelling errors and grammar mistakes in the text. //facepalm

[NEspręsk _iš _viršelio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pradėjusi skaityti pajutau nusivylimą. Pasirodė, kad istorija bus lėkšta ir nuspėjama. Tačiau įvykiams klostantis knyga įtraukė labiau, todėl nepajutau kaip perskaičiau vos per porą prisėdimų.

Pavadinčiau šią knygą lengvu detektyvu. Tema labai jautri - kūdikių pagrobimas. Aiškinant nusikaltimo aplinkybes kaltinami ne tie asmenys. Pateikiami melagingi parodymai, kad nuslėpti tiesą, ką galiausiai norisi pateisinti.

Autorė pateikia įvykius iš kelių veikėjų pozicijų, todėl nenorom pradedi teisinti ir grobiką, o tėvų pasidaro nebe taip gaila.

Išties ar pateisintum tokį elgesį, jei matytum, kad tėvai nesirūpina mažyliu, kad su juo niekas neužsiima, rūbai sudriskę, jis neprižiūrimas? Aplanko dvejopi jausmai.

[Emily Lyons · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book on the shelf at school and never managed to get through more than 20 pages in the time I had to read it, so when I found it years later in my college library I knew I had to finally see how it unravelled. I had high expectations for this book and I was disappointed. The writing was quite repetitive and slow at times. I wanted to love this book because I’d waited so long to read it and I pushed myself to finish it and I did like the ending but at that point I needed more, but the book just…
Ended.
I’m glad I read it but I was a bit disappointed.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked Searching for JJ and I really like this one. Cassidy's plots are basic mystery suspense stories -- the post Gone Girl type suspense novels you see much more often. Though not as dark, it has the twists and the sense that the main character can't trust anyone.

There aren't a lot of scares, but the heaviness of the subject is certainly not glossed over. The book carries an impressive emotional depth as the story unfolds at a tantalizing pace.

[Tarina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary:

Stella Parfitt lives with her single mother Terri in a friendly community, save for one secretive family, the Hendersons. When Jane Henderson is abducted, Stella & her neighbours assume that the Henderson family is behind it until some shocking information is discovered about Terri.

My Thoughts:

Forget Me Not is a story about a child abduction. It is written with great compassion & empathy & will grip you right from the beginning.

My Rating: * * *

[Shan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed listening to this on my way to and from work, it kept me intrigued to find out if she was truly involved and what really happened all those years ago! I was glad for the ending, for the truth to finally be told!
I wasn't keep on the edge of my seat with these, and think if I were to have read it it would have been a slow pace.
Good little mystery!

[Clare Snow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as Looking for JJ. The mystery was well done, I didn't expect that.

[ona :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

the book was interesting to read and speculate on. but what actually happened was heavily disappointing. where did marget even come from in the story. there was no hint of. it’s like the author added her there as an afterthought and even jade. THERE WAS NO MYSTERY. bruh

[Neringa Gal · Rating 5 out of 5]

daug kas lygina su knyga ieskant dzei dzei.as meskaiciau.tai vertinu tik pagal dia.ir man visai patiko duodu 5*

[ImyReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars i think? well I dont really know what to say about this one except this author hasa strange fascination with alcohol, drinking and the word "tutted"

[Pin Tee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bro nothing here leads up to the big reveal. The plot was just throwing scenes at me.
Almost dnf

[Tindra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book over all but the plot was noting amazing. A 3 out of 5. Would probably not re-read.

[Saulinis · Rating 3 out of 5]

What in the fuck was that plot twist

[Jenny A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kommentar 200825: Jag som hatar deckare gillade faktiskt den här boken👍🏼

[Fran · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love many Anne Cassidy books, however out of the Cassidy books I have read this was not my favourite. In my opinion some of the incidents in the book were fairly predictable.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whilst I enjoyed "Looking for JJ" by the same author, this one never had the same appeal for me. The plot was dull and the characters flat, and I didn't think the parallel kidnappings worked. The movement from the present to the past, with the use of flashbacks, wasn't smooth enough in my opinion. Sometimes the flashbacks were far too long. Lacking action and suspense, this was a disappointing read.

[Laura C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book but the ending ruined it. It left me confused and also left unanswered questions.

[Rants and Bants · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mostly liked this book. I wasn’t thrilled with the ending though. Not going to give anything away at all, but what I WILL say, is that things had been wrapped up pretty well…until the main characters decide to do something inexplicably stupid. >.<

I also don't know why the main character was so mean to her boyfriend, especially when narrating about him.

[Imi Godwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a great read for journeys! I read 'Forget Me Not' on a car journey from my home in the East of England to my friends house in West Wales and it kept me busy! The blurb promises kidnap and a long forgotten secret and that's what it delivers! 'Forget Me Not' won the 2009 Angus Book Award.

The story is about Stella Parfitt who is seventeen and her mum Terri, who live together in a street full of close neighbours. Everyone knows each other except for 'that family a few doors down'. The Henderson's are a mystery to the neighbourhood, no-one knows what they do but whatever it is they are 'up to no good'. Then news erupts, Jade Henderson, a toddler in the trouble makers' home goes missing. The events that follow reveal an alarming truth about Stella's Mum that the press want the world to hear... Surely it's not true?

This is an excellent book though I did find in some chapters there are flash backs to when Terri was a teenager, and I found these hard to understand. These flash backs went on for chapter after chapter, and there wasn't enough of a change from Stella's narration so it takes a while for the reader to understand if it is a current event being described or a memory. Anne Cassidy writes a lot about missing children and in one biography she describes and acknowledges this:
'I write about missing children because for me it is a metaphor for the loss of childhood, the loss of innocence. The teenagers in my books are all losing their innocence in one way or another.' she also writes about missing children in her other books: 'Looking for JJ' and 'Missing Judy' but is three books sufficient to cover the controversial topic of missing kids?

A good all round book - three stars!

[hajora ☽ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went through the reviews and to be completely honest I'm quite confused as to why people feel such a strong sense of hate towards this book.
I'm not going to lie, this book is one of my favourites. The characters are realistic but not problematic and the emotions and feelings that the protagonist is feeling is so well described I can feel it a lot of the time.
Forget Me Not resurfaces a young ladies past and forces her to act accordingly to it, despite the fact that her past is hidden underneath her character and she doesn't have any intentions of resurfacing all of those intense emotions again.
I feel like the reason why I liked the book so much was because I could relate so much to Stella, the main character. She was a mature but also hot-headed character with a stubborn personality and when she had her mind to something she was sure to get it. This proved to benefit her intensely as her mother begins to reveal secrets from the past.
The plot flows really well with the flashbacks here and there and sets the scene really well. Forget Me Not is definitely a favourite and I recommend it!

[Isabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to read this book because it was on the quick pick shelf at the school library so I read the back and decided to give it a go.

This book was about a girl called stella who finds out about her mums past through a dramatic change in events where her mum is trialed for an abduction case. Stella watches the police investigate and starts to ask her own questions. She wonders where her mother was that night. I found this book very good it had lots of suspense and drama and I didn't want to put it down.