Title: Remember Me Forever
Author: Sara Wolf
Pages: 320
Genre: YA Contemporary
Release Date: 02 May 2017
From Goodreads: "Isis Blake hasn’t fallen in love in three years, forty-three weeks, and two days. Or so she thinks. The boy she maybe-sort-of-definitely loved and sort-of-maybe-definitely hated has dropped off the face of the planet in the face of tragedy, leaving a Jack Hunter–shaped hole. Determined to be happy, Isis fills it in with lies and puts on a brave smile for her new life at Ohio State University. But the smile lasts only until he shows up. The menace from her past—her darkest secret, Nameless—is attending OSU right alongside her. And he’s whispering that he has something Isis wants—something she needs to see to move forward. To move on. Isis has always been able to pretend everything is okay. But not anymore. Isis Blake might be good at putting herself back together. But Jack Hunter is better."
Thank you to Entangled Teen and Sara Wolf for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for review! All opinions are my own.
I knew this book was going to destroy me the second I started it. I've been on an absolutely roller coaster of a journey with Isis and while I wanted to get to the conclusion of her story, I also never wanted to see it end. This series got to me in a way that I never imagined it would and it has stuck with me in the best possible way. Remember Me Forever is the conclusion that I had hoped for since finishing Forget Me Always last year.
Plot:
Jack Hunter has dropped off the face of the planet, leaving a hole in Isis Blake that she definitely doesn't care about at all. After Sophia's funeral, he vanished, but she seriously doesn't care. Determined to move on and be happy, Isis puts on a smile and prepares for her new life in college at Ohio State University. She's got a great roommate and visits planned with her mom for every other weekend. What could possibly go wrong? Nameless, that's what could go wrong. He's attending OSU, too, which sends Isis spiraling into a terrified black hole because it's Nameless and what else can she do? He's taunting Isis with something she wants- something she needs to move on. Isis has always been good at pretending that she's okay, but not anymore. She may be good at piecing herself back together, but Jack Hunter is much better.
I can't handle all of the feelings that this book gave me, but I loved every second of it. I really enjoyed reading about Isis basically having to conquer her worst fear and seeing how she dealt with it in her own way. Of course, there was a ton of sass involved, but she eventually was able to stand up for herself and I can't lie, I cried. There was so much more to this book than just the insanely complicated sort-of romance between Isis and Jack. Isis had to finally take back her life from Nameless, Jack had to grow up (because seriously you can only pull the dark past brooding teenager act for so long but boy did he draw it out as long as possible) and realize that he does deserve happiness (seriously child get over yourself and just be happy please), and the two of them had to work together to realize that yes, they do belong together. I couldn't get enough of watching Isis and Jack grow even more, both as a couple and as individual people, and seeing their transformation was just fantastic. Yes, you will get a fabulous love story with this book series, but you'll also get to read about the characters tackling serious issues such as abuse, teenage pregnancy, first love, death, and so much more. One of the best parts of this trilogy is how unapologetically real and raw it can get while still having some incredibly funny situations thrown in there, especially when it comes to Isis. Contemporary has never been a genre that I get the grabby hands for, but when it comes to this series (and honestly, any of Sara Wolf's future work) I will dive headfirst into a pool of sharks for it.
Characters:
Isis Blake is the queen of sass forever and ever and no one can convince me otherwise. She's still the same sassy, sarcastic, food-loving, Jack Hunter hate-loving character that I fell in love with from the first page of the first book. It's impossible not to love someone that you see so much of yourself in. Of course, I'm nowhere near as sassy as she is, but maybe one day! She's herself, with no apologies, and that's all I could ever want from a character that I'm reading about. I love how she doesn't let anything change her, even when she sees Nameless again. From the first book to this final one, Isis just continues to grow and surprise the reader with how fabulously real she is. I'm almost positive that everyone who reads this will be able to relate to Isis in one way or another.
Jack Hunter is still the brooding romantic-in-his-own-way weenie that we've become so familiar with and love to hate but probably love more than hate. In Remember Me Forever, you definitely get a heavy dose of "I don't deserve to be happy" immediately followed by "I love her so much" with a side of "But she deserves better than a monster like me." Honestly, there were multiple times when I just screamed at my Kindle because he was driving me crazy with his constant negativity towards himself and how he would frequently push and pull Isis around. Fortunately, it doesn't last forever! The last half was so satisfying for me as a reader and I definitely did more than one happy dance as I finished the book. Not only does Isis grow, but so does Jack, and I was so insanely proud to see how much these two characters that I've grown to love were able to turn into beautiful butterflies at last. Their development in this book alone was enough to make me cry and feel so proud of them!
I did enjoy the side characters, minus that butthead Nameless guy. The friendship between Isis and her roommate was one that I think was incredibly important to her in that she was able to help Isis when Nameless was threatening to ruin her completely and she stood by her no matter what. I also thought the relationship between the roommate and her "friend" was absolutely precious and was my second favorite relationship in the book. The first obviously being Isis and Jack. Also, I thought that Isis' grandmother was fantastic. I read the opening with a huge smile on my face thinking that she was an A+ grandmother and even made a note about how much I loved her. It was a small part, but it was one that left a lasting impression on me. All of the side characters you meet were so unique and well-written, even grumpy Charlie! I love that Sara Wolf has the ability to write about this intense relationship between two people and have the reader fall in love with those two people, but also writes these side characters that you can't help but like. They're just all so fabulous in their own way and they all fit into Isis' world almost effortlessly.
Writing:
I can't brag enough about how much I adore the writing of Sara Wolf. She just has this way of writing that draws you in and makes you have to read more. It feels so real, like I could go to a college campus and see Isis running around knocking over trashcans and yelling about whatever she's currently focused on with Jack following behind picking them up and apologizing to people. These may be characters in a book, but they were so very real to me. I'm so passionate about them in a way that I never could have imagined and I will never forget them. That's why I enjoy her writing so much. It's so easy to lose yourself in the world she's created and the characters that she's writing about that you can easily picture it all being real. She writes about real issues that teenagers face, addressing them in a serious way (such as Isis confronting her abuser), but still manages to make you laugh in between the serious parts. Sara Wolf is incredibly talented at bringing her readers in to the world she's written about and making you want to stay. You'll laugh, cry, be angry, and so much more, but the most important thing is that you will enjoy every second of every emotion you experience while reading her books.
This trilogy is one that holds a special place in my heart and is one that I'm so grateful that I had an opportunity to read. With amazing characters, realistic writing, and a story line that is sure to stick with you long after you've finished, Remember Me Forever is a fantastic conclusion to an unforgettable trilogy.
Jack Hunter is still the brooding romantic-in-his-own-way weenie that we've become so familiar with and love to hate but probably love more than hate. In Remember Me Forever, you definitely get a heavy dose of "I don't deserve to be happy" immediately followed by "I love her so much" with a side of "But she deserves better than a monster like me." Honestly, there were multiple times when I just screamed at my Kindle because he was driving me crazy with his constant negativity towards himself and how he would frequently push and pull Isis around. Fortunately, it doesn't last forever! The last half was so satisfying for me as a reader and I definitely did more than one happy dance as I finished the book. Not only does Isis grow, but so does Jack, and I was so insanely proud to see how much these two characters that I've grown to love were able to turn into beautiful butterflies at last. Their development in this book alone was enough to make me cry and feel so proud of them!
I did enjoy the side characters, minus that butthead Nameless guy. The friendship between Isis and her roommate was one that I think was incredibly important to her in that she was able to help Isis when Nameless was threatening to ruin her completely and she stood by her no matter what. I also thought the relationship between the roommate and her "friend" was absolutely precious and was my second favorite relationship in the book. The first obviously being Isis and Jack. Also, I thought that Isis' grandmother was fantastic. I read the opening with a huge smile on my face thinking that she was an A+ grandmother and even made a note about how much I loved her. It was a small part, but it was one that left a lasting impression on me. All of the side characters you meet were so unique and well-written, even grumpy Charlie! I love that Sara Wolf has the ability to write about this intense relationship between two people and have the reader fall in love with those two people, but also writes these side characters that you can't help but like. They're just all so fabulous in their own way and they all fit into Isis' world almost effortlessly.
Writing:
I can't brag enough about how much I adore the writing of Sara Wolf. She just has this way of writing that draws you in and makes you have to read more. It feels so real, like I could go to a college campus and see Isis running around knocking over trashcans and yelling about whatever she's currently focused on with Jack following behind picking them up and apologizing to people. These may be characters in a book, but they were so very real to me. I'm so passionate about them in a way that I never could have imagined and I will never forget them. That's why I enjoy her writing so much. It's so easy to lose yourself in the world she's created and the characters that she's writing about that you can easily picture it all being real. She writes about real issues that teenagers face, addressing them in a serious way (such as Isis confronting her abuser), but still manages to make you laugh in between the serious parts. Sara Wolf is incredibly talented at bringing her readers in to the world she's written about and making you want to stay. You'll laugh, cry, be angry, and so much more, but the most important thing is that you will enjoy every second of every emotion you experience while reading her books.
This trilogy is one that holds a special place in my heart and is one that I'm so grateful that I had an opportunity to read. With amazing characters, realistic writing, and a story line that is sure to stick with you long after you've finished, Remember Me Forever is a fantastic conclusion to an unforgettable trilogy.
