3.75 stars 
 Every twelve years in the walled in city of Canaan, it's citizens are subjected to The Forgetting. They forget everything. What their names are, who they married, what their kids look like. Because of this, everyone is forced to keep records- their own books, which become their truths, their identities. Without your book, you become Lost. A nobody. 
 But some people don't write the truth. Some people do terrible things before the Forgetting- because they can. That's when Nadia soon realizes that she is the only person in Canaan that remembers and that she can piece together everyone's lives and figure out exactly what is going on in Canaan that makes everyone Forget. 
 Despite the mid-range rating, I have to say I was still impressed with this book. It won't end up on a favorites list, but despite that fact there is a lot to gain from this book. 
 The Bad: 
 This book was a lot of things I expected. Dystopian with female MC that falls in love with a mysterious, flirty bad boy prone to help her over throw their dysfunctional government. There were elements to this book that have popped up in many other books, from The Giver to Divergent, and ended up making me think "I feel like I've read/seen this somewhere before...". 
 Very slow pacing. The beginning was interesting enough to make me curious, but the incredibly slow pacing throughout the story kept me from truly devouring page after page. I could read a few chapters, put this book down, and continue with life for days before it crossed my mind again. It was a lot of introductions to characters, the plot being built up and all the mysterious clues and not a lot of heart pounding, fast paced action. 
 A bit confusing. There were times I found myself thinking, "huh?" because this book shows you what is going on, but doesn't explain it until later. This can be a bit frustrated, but if you are patient, adds to the anticipation of all the pieces falling together. 
 The Good: 
 To contradict my first "Bad" point- this book was a lot of things I wasn't expecting. Sure, in the beginning it had the overall feel of a hodge podge of other stories I have read before, with some exceptions. But by the end, I was pleasantly surprised about how much had, well, surprised me. 
 This story was well put together. There was much to learn through out the book about the world, the characters, and The Forgetting itself. There were clues from the beginning, attached by a thread, that lead from one discovery to another. I enjoyed each time something new came into play, and appreciated the fact that nothing ever felt like an info dump. 
 Surprisingly, there were a lot of hidden historical themes. I am sure I missed some, but I picked up on a few snippets of things that really happened in real life. 
 Could it be? Is it true? Is it.... a standalone?! For all the griping other reviewers, and myself, have done about this book being slow, I feel like this fact makes up for it. A YA dystopian standalone . The story wasn't dragged out into a trilogy. Not that it isn't good enough of a idea to be continued on. Because it is. But that leads me to my next point. 
 After finishing the book and realizing that it was over, I was satisfied. And that is a feat in and of itself. I find it rare that I can accept a ending and move on. But The Forgetting wrapped everything up nicely. 
 Overall I was still really pleased with the story, and I would recommend it if you don't mind pushing through the beginning.