Archive Review: The Art of Forgetting by Camille Noe Pagaan

Original review written April 2, 2014 on Goodreads

2024 comments: I actually don't really remember this book. I feel this review is a bit harsh and doesn't reflect my current style, but I'm moving it here as part of my consolidation of reviews.

I want you to picture me shrugging and saying "eh", because that's really the best way to capture this book of non-events.

The book is really just ok. The writing is fine. I found it light, easy, and simple to read. I'd read another book by this author if presented with one. Sure. But what's wrong with it?

Let's start with the premise of the book. The author promises a story about two women renegotiating their complicated friendship in the wake of a brain injury. We have Julia, the "alpha" friend and Marissa, her sidekick who have been the best of friends since they were 14. Julia is always the driving (controlling) force behind everything and then one day she gets into a car accident and is never the same. Suddenly, Marissa is thrust into the role of "alpha" friend and has to deal with her new friend's personality and old issues from the past, like when Julia convinced her to dump the love of her life ten years ago for no reason.

That's what we're promised, but that's not really what we get. Almost immediately after the accident, Julia's parents whisk her away across the country and instead of a long complex process where the two women explore their new roles in life, they live separate lives that only overlap in a handful of places. Marissa, despite being a "Beta" friend living in Julia's shadow has the boyfriend of the century whose only flaw is working a little too much, her dream job where she can disappear in the middle of the day to get drunk and no one cares, and an ex who has pined for her for ten years waiting in the wings.

Julia's brain injury does very little to alter her beyond being a bit blunt and changing her fashion sense. The few times we do get to see Julia, there is an implication that she's a wreck but it's never shown to us. The author just tells us about it through offhand comments by Julia's mother and one minor confrontation in a kitchen where Marissa really overreacts.

This brings me to the biggest problem with the book: Marissa. Not only do we spend almost no time with the far more fascinating Julia, but Marissa is dull and whiny. Oh man does this girl overreact. Her brain injured friend says one small thing and she flips. Her assistant is busting her butt to climb the ladder and Marissa is no end of mean and condescending to the girl - because she's pretty? I'm not really sure why Marissa hates her. Her ex shows up and then she acts like she's being forced to dramatically choose her perfect boyfriend that she loves over a "What might have been". This is even before we learn whether or not he's even interested in that. That might have been a little compelling if for even one second I believed that she might actually consider her ex an option. Marissa spends most of the time when her ex is around accusing Julia of basically being a slut and sleeping with him based on nothing. Her entire evidence for her jealousy is "boys usually like Julia more".

Overall, it's a quick, light read. This is a debut novel and despite all my complaints, it did keep me reading the whole way through. I look forward to what the author can produce in the future.

 

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