I was really looking forward to this book, as well as the brand new one by this author, but I struggled throughout this entire book and now I'm not so sure I want to purchase her latest release.
The narrator in All is Not Forgotten is unreliable, unlikable, egotistical, pompous and repetitive, terribly repetitive. He even says (often) "As I've told you" and goes on to repeat himself AGAIN!
Now maybe the author intended to make the narrator an unlikable character, but it made for a long, difficult and not very enjoyable read in which at times it felt as if I was being lectured to. I kept thinking that the author must have been a therapist herself, but I checked and she is an attorney - so yes, that made sense that she would over-explain/lecture (I work with attorneys so I know of what I speak).
At times there was confusion as to who was speaking as the author uses italicized print to set off other speakers from the narrator.
But it wasn't all bad, Walker did do a good job of keeping the mystery going, throwing in red herrings and at the end all the loose ends were tied up. I doubt the reader will see the end coming as not all the breadcrumbs were laid out to do so. The author's interview at the end of the book gives explanation as to why.
While some of the descriptions of the crime(s) are very graphic, I felt, too graphic at times and the sexual nature of the story is uncomfortable; I did find the idea of the treatment of erasing traumatic memories fascinating and the author's portrayal of how such treatment may play out a valid argument.
Quotes: "Love can make one person cry and another smile. One angry and another sad. One aroused and another sleepy with contentment."
"Anxiety disorders are on a continuum like all mental illness. We must have names for them so we can communicate about what we see, but it is not the same as diagnosing a physical ailment like the flu."
"How else can I describe it? I do not admire her. She is not particularly skilled at any one thing, though she is highly competent at running our family. She attended college...but I don't think she learned much. She was very social. Lived in a sorority. Majored in English, which basically means she read a lot of novels. It was mostly a passive exercise for her." [VERY ANGRY READER (English major) AT THIS POINT]
"...at the risk of sounding egotistical, I was very pleased with myself." [Yeah, pretty much narrator's attitude the entire book]
#2018AtoZChallenge
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