What do you think?
Again, Before I Forget: A Memoir
He wrote because he did not want to forget.
At five, Renley Nicolas Chu survived the fire that took his parents and his voice. At eight, he was adopted into a home that became, over the next decade, the site of his abuse and trafficking. At seventeen, in stolen hours between hospital wards and safe houses, he began to write—pouring his memories into jars he could carry, before time and other people's cruelty could empty them out.
He died three days before he was meant to come home.
Again, Before I Forget gathers the prose, poems, and letters Renley wrote in the final year of his life, edited and framed by his almost-adoptive mother, Tiffany Chu. The book moves from fire and forgetting through entrapment, dissociation, and survival toward something Ren had nearly stopped believing was to be fully known, and fully loved. Tiffany's quiet introductions hold the context; the writing itself is entirely his. What remains is not a record of what was done to him, but a testament to who he was—a boy who could not speak, and who refused, even at the end, to go unheard.
At five, Renley Nicolas Chu survived the fire that took his parents and his voice. At eight, he was adopted into a home that became, over the next decade, the site of his abuse and trafficking. At seventeen, in stolen hours between hospital wards and safe houses, he began to write—pouring his memories into jars he could carry, before time and other people's cruelty could empty them out.
He died three days before he was meant to come home.
Again, Before I Forget gathers the prose, poems, and letters Renley wrote in the final year of his life, edited and framed by his almost-adoptive mother, Tiffany Chu. The book moves from fire and forgetting through entrapment, dissociation, and survival toward something Ren had nearly stopped believing was to be fully known, and fully loved. Tiffany's quiet introductions hold the context; the writing itself is entirely his. What remains is not a record of what was done to him, but a testament to who he was—a boy who could not speak, and who refused, even at the end, to go unheard.
161 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 9, 2026
This is a heartbreaking and eye-opening book.
This poor child was abused, trafficked and alone. He was eventually adopted by Tiffany Chu, who helped preserve his writing to publish for him after his unfortunate death at a young age.
This is a heartbreaking read to hear what this young man went through as a child and yet, he wrote so well and eloquently. It's a profound read and I feel that many people should read this collection of essays and poems.
I appreciate the information from Tiffany, as the timeline is not linear and the language is rather abstract and poetic which is beautiful to read but may need a little context to fully understand and appreciate it.
Rest in Peace, Ren. Please know that your story is being read and shared.
This poor child was abused, trafficked and alone. He was eventually adopted by Tiffany Chu, who helped preserve his writing to publish for him after his unfortunate death at a young age.
This is a heartbreaking read to hear what this young man went through as a child and yet, he wrote so well and eloquently. It's a profound read and I feel that many people should read this collection of essays and poems.
I appreciate the information from Tiffany, as the timeline is not linear and the language is rather abstract and poetic which is beautiful to read but may need a little context to fully understand and appreciate it.
Rest in Peace, Ren. Please know that your story is being read and shared.
July 31, 2026
I think everyone should give it a read, very heartfelt
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the editor of this memoir.
Reading AGAIN, BEFORE I FORGET by Renley Nicolas Chu took me into the rich inner world of the author, a young man who lost his family in a house fire when he was a child and whose lungs and vocal chords were severely damaged as a result. Renley writes short, reflective pieces--often in second or third person, because his trauma ran so deep.
His editor, Tiffany Chu, who adopted Renley shortly before he died, took special care to preserve Renley's voice and often wrote editorial commentaries that were interspersed throughout the memoir, in order to offer continuity and context for the reader. I found these to be extremely helpful, because Renley often wrote in a very abstract and non-linear way, which is understandable, given what we, the reader, learn about his life.
What I marveled most at was this: the depth and rich interiority of this young man. He is what many would call "an old soul," perhaps because his life was riddled with extreme suffering. Yet what astounded me was that he seemed to have such a pure heart and knew what it meant to truly love someone.
The gift, I believe, is the book itself, which honors both his lived experience and his legacy.
Reading AGAIN, BEFORE I FORGET by Renley Nicolas Chu took me into the rich inner world of the author, a young man who lost his family in a house fire when he was a child and whose lungs and vocal chords were severely damaged as a result. Renley writes short, reflective pieces--often in second or third person, because his trauma ran so deep.
His editor, Tiffany Chu, who adopted Renley shortly before he died, took special care to preserve Renley's voice and often wrote editorial commentaries that were interspersed throughout the memoir, in order to offer continuity and context for the reader. I found these to be extremely helpful, because Renley often wrote in a very abstract and non-linear way, which is understandable, given what we, the reader, learn about his life.
What I marveled most at was this: the depth and rich interiority of this young man. He is what many would call "an old soul," perhaps because his life was riddled with extreme suffering. Yet what astounded me was that he seemed to have such a pure heart and knew what it meant to truly love someone.
The gift, I believe, is the book itself, which honors both his lived experience and his legacy.
July 5, 2026
Hi, I'm the editor of this book and mother of the author.
Again, Before I Forget is a book about suffering and the silencing of a voice in pain. It is about violence against a child. It contains details of his biological parents’ death in a house fire, child abuse—physical, emotional, and sexual—and human trafficking. It also contains his words on suicidal ideation, self-harm, dissociation. A significant portion of the book describes his abusive relationship with an ex-boyfriend who was also one of his traffickers.
This book is made up of his cries for help.
For that reason, it was important to convey his words as they were, difficult as they are to read and absorb.
I urge you not to look away.
Again, Before I Forget is a book about suffering and the silencing of a voice in pain. It is about violence against a child. It contains details of his biological parents’ death in a house fire, child abuse—physical, emotional, and sexual—and human trafficking. It also contains his words on suicidal ideation, self-harm, dissociation. A significant portion of the book describes his abusive relationship with an ex-boyfriend who was also one of his traffickers.
This book is made up of his cries for help.
For that reason, it was important to convey his words as they were, difficult as they are to read and absorb.
I urge you not to look away.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews