Trish Marie Dawson

This review first appeared on A Weebish Book Blog.

DYING TO FORGET is a freebie I picked up on a whim while perusing BookBub. I’m so thankful it caught my eye, because it was just as spectacular and mysterious as the synopsis made it sound.

Oh, the life you can live in someone’s else’s mind…
When Piper’s first date goes horribly awry, she looses herself in reckless behavior which winds up leading her to haunting decisions with life altering ramifications. Now she must face the show more consequences of her actions—volunteer to coach teens into making better life choices or face her own personal hell for all eternity.

Guess which option she chooses?

Initially, I wasn’t sure DYING TO FORGET was the right fit for me. Heavy emotional stuff is introduced early on, as was some slut shaming which is a big no-no for me. However, once I waded through the first few chapters and more important events come to a head, I became enthralled and was able to shrug off some of my irritation. (The stellar character growth helped, too.) The writing was so descriptive that the images it conjured felt almost touchable. I quickly became invested in the characters and their issues.

The Station—a limbo of sorts—is described as a group of several sterile buildings that includes lots of paperwork as penance. Ick! Admissions is where the volunteer would decide on their choice, sign paperwork, and review their lives to their downfall. Can you imagine having to relive all the wrong choices you made? Yikes.

I couldn’t live with the pain and the guilt… spending eternity with it would just be… unbearable.
Piper was a great “antiheroine.” It was wonderful to watch her outlook on life change and with it, her character. She becomes devoted to helping others make better choices and grows to care for her charges. She’s the guardian angel you never knew you wanted, but every angsty teen needs.

Piper’s very first charge, Sloan, is a pretty boy on the outside but inside he’s full of self-hatred. He’s living by himself after the accidental death of his step-brother, the suicide of his mother, and the abandonment of his step-father. It’s understandable that he doesn’t want to be alone anymore. That is where Piper comes in. She uses the best of her abilities as this guys subconscious (poor guy… he has a female as a subconscious… can you imagine the confusion?) to move him down the right path, away from self harm, and towards loving himself. If anyone deserves love and happiness, it’s Sloan.

Plainly speaking, DYING TO FORGET was spectacular. I had some bumpy spots along the way, but character growth buffed out the edges. The Afterlife iDawson designed is so intriguing, the characters realistic and loveable, and a few surprising plot twists kept me on my toes. I was so focused on what was happening, I was completely blown away by the ending.

You got me, Dawson. I’m a new fan! I recommend this book to YA fans young and old and to anyone who loves a good fantasy. show less

4.5 STARS!

This novel was riveting from the start. And things moved along smoothly for a while. Riley meets dashing Conner. I loved their relationship. This novel had a cool supernatural element that almost had me thinking I picked up a zombie novel. A few parts were slow. I wanted Riley and Conner to hurry up and get on with their plans, but then once they did, the novel picked up pace again. The ending totally redeemed the slow points.

This novel is mostly about the romance, with the deadly show more virus just being a catalyst for Riley to meet Connor. So, exciting climactic event aside, the romantic relationship is left hanging for, I guess, the next novel.

Reader Rated ages 17 for mildly detailed sensuality. Also contains mild violence, substance use, and profanity. show less

Every once in a while, you come across a book that floors you. Dying to Forget is one of those books. When I initially got this, I was admittedly hesitant, given the subject matter. By the end of just the prologue, I was emotional. By the end of Chapter 1, I was sad. By the end of Chapter 2, I was crying. There was no leading up to it, but into the emotional heartbreak of the story with a bang.

Some may question reading a book with that much sadness and emotional angst, even in the first few show more chapters, but it is that emotional pull that kept me riveted. My heart was breaking for Piper, for Bree. This is such a unique book, based by the author on a courageous theme. The book is very much character-driven, an emotional journey through the mind of Piper and her charges.

But despite the emotional tugs in the story, it was incredible. It was amazing to me how the author took the subject of suicide and managed to create a positive theme with it. The pain and emotions of those who have committed suicide are in no way dismissed, degraded, or glamorized, but acknowledged and understood with compassion. The Station is a way station for those who commit suicide, a place where they can make a choice... to help others on Earth that are suffering or to spend eternity wrapped in their own pain. It is a part of their training to explore, understand, and accept the reasons and situations that led them to their own choice of suicide, allowing them to better help others.

Things to love about Dying to Forget...

--Piper. She's emotionally devastated at the beginning of the book, before and after her death. But she finds the courage to face her fears, her doubts, her pain. Amazing character.

My recommendation: This is a book that needs to be read to be understood, to fully appreciate the beauty of the story! This is not a light, "feel good" read, but a heartfelt, emotional, beautiful story. show less

An amazing story, as deeply emotional as the first two books in The Station series. There are moments that become just as deeply personal for the reader as they are for the characters in the book. This is a series that is, in a single word, exceptional.
There is such love in the book... love between friends, romantic love, and love that falls somewhere in between. It provides a completely new perspective on life, the afterlife, and just what is out there. There is a lot of imagination and show more creativity in this story and opens the reader to possibilities that might never have occurred to them. There is an undeniable thread of hope through even the darkest of times which is a comforting thought. On a personal note, I read these books during a pretty dark time of my own, and there were times that I questioned whether or not it was the right time to read them. There were times when I thought my heart was breaking, sobbing as I read on. But they gave me hope for my own dark time and that is a beautiful thing,

Like the last book, there were surprises, too. There were times when I wondered just how I felt about those surprises and that kept me turning the pages.

Things to love about Dying to Return...

--The emotions. Sad, happy, loving, uncertainty. They were all there and they all affect you as a reader.
--The beauty. There is such poignancy in this series and it shines through at unexpected times.
--The surprises. Oh, and there were some. Some good, some bad, some that made you angry, some that were bittersweet. But all were engaging.

My recommendation: I was sad to finish this book, thinking it was the end of a series that I am not ready to let go. But I talked to the author and it is NOT the end. It is, however, the end of Piper's story, but there will be more from The Station! This is a series that truly affected me, changed my life a bit, and I HIGHLY recommend it! show less