Never Forgotten

Never Forgotten

by Kelly Risser

3.5 out of 5

Synopsis
Meara Quinn is about to find out there are worse things than moving to a tiny oceanside town before her senior year. Like discovering there's a secret being kept from her and knowing it's a life-changer.

After experiencing vivid visions of her absentee father, Meara decides she deserves answers. With the help of her new friend Evan, a guy she happens to be falling for, she embarks on a journey in the hopes of unlocking family history and finding her true self. But when she meets a handsome stranger at a local club who knows far more about her than he should, her world is again shaken. In him, Meara may have uncovered the key to the very secret that will reveal not only who she is... but what she is.



Review
When Meara's mother gets ill, they return to Canada and the family she never knew existed.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Meara has been living an ordinary life, with ordinary plans. When her mother's cancer comes back with a terminal prognosis, all that normality is uprooted.
Wanting Meara to have some family after she's gone, her mum takes her back to her estranged grandparents. Meara quickly settles in, with her new family, new friends, and handsome new boyfriend. But there are also questions whirling round, of why her mother left in the first place, when it's clear her grandparents never kicked her out, as Meara assumed. And how and why she is dreaming of her father.

This was a very slow burner. It follows Meara's life, going to a new school, and making new friends. All the little things that let her connect with her grandparents, and falling in love with Evan.
Peggy's Cove isn't an exciting place to live, and for the most part, it's not very exciting to read about either.

There is the mystery about who Meara's father is, and in turn, what Meara is. I liked the idea of the selkies, and all the mythology that was shared in this book.
My only problem was how repetitive and annoying the 'we can't tell you yet' line was. Meara's parents are both happy to give hints, before insisting their daughter isn't ready to know the truth, giving knowing looks all the while. That's fine a couple of times, but it felt like it was happening once or twice a chapter.

The big winner for this book, was the relationship between Meara and her mother, and how her mother's cancer had taken over their lives, casting a shadow over everything.
It is poignant and realistic, and it utterly surprised me how invested I was towards the end of their story.

Overall, this was a 3.5 out of 5 for me.

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