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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
This was quite the read. I went into this thinking it was going to go one way and then it went another and I think that’s what I loved most about it. The relationship between Katie and her sister Penny was so heartbreaking and raw.
I thought the use of mental illness in this story was done quite smartly. From depression to anxiety to ultimately Penny’s spiral we were given a lot to dissect.
I didn’t really see where the twist was going until it became more obvious at the end. The heartbreaking reveal that her sister murdered her own daughter and got away with it and seemingly goes off to live a “normal life” was gut wrenching.
I picked this up originally to read about a woman’s journey in South America and ended up learning so much more.
I thought the use of mental illness in this story was done quite smartly. From depression to anxiety to ultimately Penny’s spiral we were given a lot to dissect.
I didn’t really see where the twist was going until it became more obvious at the end. The heartbreaking reveal that her sister murdered her own daughter and got away with it and seemingly goes off to live a “normal life” was gut wrenching.
I picked this up originally to read about a woman’s journey in South America and ended up learning so much more.
I can't remember how I stumbled on, We Came Here to Forget, but I am so thankful I did.
This novel is about a young Olympic skier, Katie Cleary, who decides to head to Buenos Aires when a family tragedy strikes.
Determined to be anonymous, she changes her name (to Liz Sullivan) and finds a colorful group of ex-pats who all seem to be escaping their own demons.
Katie feels that if these people knew her family secret, that they would want no part of her life.
There are just so many layers to this story, and Dunlop leads you through alternating chapters (the past and the current situation) that builds to a shocking discovery of why Katie left (and what she lost).
I refuse to give anything away, but the tragedy that Dunlop choses made me think about certain situations in a very different way and allowed me to extend more empathy to others.
It is very thoughtfully done, the minor characters are just compelling, and she challenges you to think about these scenarios in fresh ways.
The narration is also beautiful, if you are on the hunt for an audiobook.
Best of all, we get to discuss this one with Andrea in our book club- yay!
You can learn more about this year's book club here.
This novel is about a young Olympic skier, Katie Cleary, who decides to head to Buenos Aires when a family tragedy strikes.
Determined to be anonymous, she changes her name (to Liz Sullivan) and finds a colorful group of ex-pats who all seem to be escaping their own demons.
Katie feels that if these people knew her family secret, that they would want no part of her life.
There are just so many layers to this story, and Dunlop leads you through alternating chapters (the past and the current situation) that builds to a shocking discovery of why Katie left (and what she lost).
I refuse to give anything away, but the tragedy that Dunlop choses made me think about certain situations in a very different way and allowed me to extend more empathy to others.
It is very thoughtfully done, the minor characters are just compelling, and she challenges you to think about these scenarios in fresh ways.
The narration is also beautiful, if you are on the hunt for an audiobook.
Best of all, we get to discuss this one with Andrea in our book club- yay!
You can learn more about this year's book club here.
Assigned. Absorbing story!! Recommended for fans of contemporary fiction.
I so enjoyed this book! I loved the back and forth storyline between past and current events that left you in suspense and then come together perfectly near the end. The setting of Buenos Aires was described beautifully and really gave you a sense of the surroundings. The characters were great! I really enjoyed Liz/Katie’s character and loved following along on her journey. It is a heartbreaking tale of a family coming to terms with tragedy and learning to move on. I highly recommend this book!
**Thank you to Atria and Netgalley for the review copy. Was provided a copy for free in exchange for an honest review.
**Thank you to Atria and Netgalley for the review copy. Was provided a copy for free in exchange for an honest review.
I’m giving FIVE STARS to We Came Here to Forget by Andrea Dunlop!
We Came Here to Forget is the story of Katie Clearly, an Olympic skier who loses everything and decides to start a new life with a new name in Buenos Aires. Here, she hopes to hide from the dreadful event, caused by her sister Penny, that cast her into depression and took both her career and family from her. It seems as if Buenos Aires might be the hideout she needs to disappear from judging eyes, but how long does she really thing she can run?
Andrea Dunlop does an incredible job of bringing awareness to mental health and Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, which is not well known, and weaving it into a truly gripping story. As a nurse in an affluent children’s hospital, I respect the way Andrea Dunlop presented mental illness. She showed that not only does it affect the person who is suffering from it, but it can also greatly affect the family and friends who are close to that person. I loved that she spent a large amount of time showing just how much this disease affected the family and friends of Penny. It’s so important to educate people on mental health and the effects it has. Andrea Dunlop found both a powerful and creative way to do just this. As I was reading this story, it was very clear that a lot of emotion had been put into the words and pages of this book, which for me, creates a gripping and addicting read I can’t put down. Thank you Andrea Dunlop for shedding some light on this hard-hitting topic.
We Came Here to Forget is the story of Katie Clearly, an Olympic skier who loses everything and decides to start a new life with a new name in Buenos Aires. Here, she hopes to hide from the dreadful event, caused by her sister Penny, that cast her into depression and took both her career and family from her. It seems as if Buenos Aires might be the hideout she needs to disappear from judging eyes, but how long does she really thing she can run?
Andrea Dunlop does an incredible job of bringing awareness to mental health and Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, which is not well known, and weaving it into a truly gripping story. As a nurse in an affluent children’s hospital, I respect the way Andrea Dunlop presented mental illness. She showed that not only does it affect the person who is suffering from it, but it can also greatly affect the family and friends who are close to that person. I loved that she spent a large amount of time showing just how much this disease affected the family and friends of Penny. It’s so important to educate people on mental health and the effects it has. Andrea Dunlop found both a powerful and creative way to do just this. As I was reading this story, it was very clear that a lot of emotion had been put into the words and pages of this book, which for me, creates a gripping and addicting read I can’t put down. Thank you Andrea Dunlop for shedding some light on this hard-hitting topic.
The premise of this book is better than the execution.
Thanks to Atria Books for an advanced copy of this book.
I love a good novel featuring a female athlete protagonist and they’re fairly hard to find (ex: You Will Know Me, The Unraveling of Mercy Louis)…so, I’m thrilled to be able to add We Came Here to Forget to the list! The story is told in dual timelines: Katie’s childhood / the lead-up to the incident with her sister and her time hanging out with an eccentric expat group in Buenos Aires while trying to figure out what to do with her life (present day). As is the case with many dual timeline books, I did prefer the childhood/ski/career/family dynamics timeline over the Buenos Aires one. I just didn’t care about the expat characters nearly as much. But, I was completely engrossed in the childhood/skiing career story. What exactly happened with Penny (and, I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t any of the things I guessed it could be)? How would Katie’s relationships with Luke and Blair evolve? How does Katie’s mind work as an elite female athlete? The Epilogue does tie things up way too nicely, but this was still a 4 star book for me and I flew through it in a weekend.
Visit https://www.sarahsbookshelves.com for more reviews.
I love a good novel featuring a female athlete protagonist and they’re fairly hard to find (ex: You Will Know Me, The Unraveling of Mercy Louis)…so, I’m thrilled to be able to add We Came Here to Forget to the list! The story is told in dual timelines: Katie’s childhood / the lead-up to the incident with her sister and her time hanging out with an eccentric expat group in Buenos Aires while trying to figure out what to do with her life (present day). As is the case with many dual timeline books, I did prefer the childhood/ski/career/family dynamics timeline over the Buenos Aires one. I just didn’t care about the expat characters nearly as much. But, I was completely engrossed in the childhood/skiing career story. What exactly happened with Penny (and, I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t any of the things I guessed it could be)? How would Katie’s relationships with Luke and Blair evolve? How does Katie’s mind work as an elite female athlete? The Epilogue does tie things up way too nicely, but this was still a 4 star book for me and I flew through it in a weekend.
Visit https://www.sarahsbookshelves.com for more reviews.
Really good. I kept guessing what happened (I got it wrong quite a few times).
This book had several different story lines and I enjoyed all of them. It had some dark elements, it had some fun, lighter elements, and it was a good balance overall! This book kept you guessing and wanting to flip the pages to get to the end.