Forget You by Jennifer Echols

From Goodreads:
WHY CAN’T YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU FORGET . . . AND WHAT YOU REMEMBER?
There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four- year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon. But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people— suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.

There is just something about Jennifer Echols' writing that really captures my attention and I always find myself not wanting her books to end.  Forget You is yet another one of her books that I was so disappointed to finish - I fell in love with everything about it and could have easily carried on reading for another 300 pages.

I have to admit that Zoey is not going to be a character that everyone will love.  Everything in her life seems to be about what 'looks good' - good grades, the right friends, always looking well presented.  I think all that comes crashing down when her mom has the breakdown and she's realises she is going to have to face people knowing that everything is not really okay.  She also has a complete arse for a father, so she is facing all of this on her own. I found many of her decisions at this point based more out of desperation and vulnerability than actual thinking. 

As for Doug?  I loved him!  And him and Zoey have some serious chemistry!  Yep,  page 211 everyone!  I loved their scenes together - they have a lot in common and Doug genuinely seemed to care for Zoey.  I also loved that although he is a good guy he's not always the good guy - if that makes sense!  He's not perfect and like Zoey doesn't always make the right decisions but his heart is in the right place.

I also really loved the whole concept behind the novel.  Like Zoey we have no idea what happened the night of the accident and this really works.  I must admit I did work out one piece of the puzzle - but I really enjoyed watching Zoey piece it all together.  Again, her father plays a big part in her motivations for not being honest about what she does and does not remember.  It must be extremely disorientating not to know what happened - and with everything that is going on with her mother I could understand why she worried about being crazy.

And Brandon?  I have no idea what she saw in him.  For me he was annoying and not worth her time.  However, I think she may have needed to justify (to herself) what she did with him.  But more importantly, I think he represented that 'perfect' image she so desperately wanted to maintain and letting go of him meant letting go of that too.  

As you can probably tell I really enjoyed this and I can't wait to read more by this author.  Her next romantic drama is out in July 2011 and I am sooooo looking forward to it.