Book info:
Title: Teach Me to Forget
Author: Erica M. Chapman
Genre: YA contemporary
Published: December 2nd, 2016
Source: Finished copy from publisher, Merit Press, in exchange for honest review
My rating: 5 stars
I didn’t get to this before it was published, and I’m sorry about that now, because this book was so good. I am going to be telling everyone about it. If you read and appreciated Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, this is a book that to me is just as good. It’s about a girl who is going to commit suicide. It’s done from a different aspect than Asher’s book. This is told as the girl is going through her actual plan.
The main character is Ellery. Her sister died in a car accident where Ellery had been driving, and so Ellery has felt responsible ever since. Her father left her and her mother shortly afterwards. And now, Ellery has a plan to kill herself. She isn’t going to use pills, like most women do, because of the research that says that is also usually so there is a chance to be found. No, she’s going to use a gun. But when she goes to do it, the gun doesn’t work. She didn’t buy the gun herself, she had to have someone over 18 buy it for her. But she has the receipt and goes to take it back, accidentally showing up at K-Mart instead of Walmart. The person there just sees someone with a gun, and calls security. Turns out K-Mart doesn’t sell guns, and the security guard is a guy from Ellery’s school. A guy who seems to want to help her.
Colter is the guy, and now he keeps showing up at school and trying to talk to her and be friends with her. But Ellery is sarcastic and snippy with him, and tells him he can’t change her mind. She has a plan. She also finds out that a boy she was friends with when she was younger feels the same way she does, has even got scars on his arms, like she has on her arms from her past attempt. She tries to talk to her old friend, trying to convince him he shouldn’t do it, all the while so set to kill herself. But Colter starts to wear down Ellery’s defenses. She starts to have feelings for Colter, friendly, maybe more. And she promises to give him until Halloween to change her mind. Even though she promises this to him, in her mind, she isn’t planning to change her mind. She’s set the new date as Halloween.
This book is so good. The way Ellery feels is described very well. Her being so set on the whole idea was heartbreaking, but you could kind of see her reasoning, or at least why it made sense to her. I have had my own issues with depression, so many parts in this resonated with me. While I totally understood her reasoning and thoughts, I think getting to know Colter and the things he did for her really helped me to see the other side of the issue. While I haven’t had those types of thoughts in a while, it was definitely a good thing.
I guess for those of you who need the “trigger” warnings, this is about suicide and a suicidal girl, and a boy – her friend. I honestly think this book is as good as Thirteen Reasons Why and should be recommended right along with it.
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This one sounds so good—I think I could have picked this up this past weekend at an event and I just didn't pay attention to it because the cover was so ignorable. Darn!
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
The cover is not great. But you should have grabbed it, it was really good. Hopefully you'll get ahold of it another way!
Ooh, this sounds so good. I haven't read a book about suicide plans in over a year at least. I like stories about second chances. Thanks for reviewing.
I felt it was a pretty realistic type of story, coming from the point of view of someone who has had similar thoughts.
Sounds like this was quite the emotional journey. It would be hard to get over the death of someone you care about, especially if you were the cause. Great review!
Naomi @ Naomi’s Reading Palace
It would for sure. You have to wonder how it would make you feel if it happened to you. Thanks for stopping by!
I've been wanting to read this book ever since I met Erica at B-Fest this summer. I liked 13 Reasons Why so I think I will like reading this book.
Wow! So cool that you got to meet her. The book is so good. Hope you can get ahold of it soon.
I'm bipolar and have struggled with depression since I was 14 (I'm 28 now and have had it mostly under control since I was diagnosed) so books like these, if written correctly, always interest me. Some I've noticed have been poorly written and very stereotypical. It's more like what the authors think it would or should be like and not what it actually is like to feel like this. I'm happy to see this is a well written one and I need to put it at the top of my tbr so I actually get to it!
Well, obviously the depression in this story would probably be a little different from what you have dealt with, since hers stems from a specific event. But the feelings that she described really resonated with me. Thanks for stopping by!
GAH I cannot wait to read this one! I got it at BEA but then a friend borrowed it and I still don't have it back! SADNESS because your review makes me want to read it like, right now. I am a huge proponent of mental health books, and this sounds like one I NEED to get to ASAP. Wonderful review, I am so glad you loved it!
It was very good. I hope your friend gets it back to you soon. Thanks for visiting!