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A review by jamiee_f
All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Jenny Kramer was the victim of a brutal assault that absolutely shatters the facade of her quiet town. Her parents, Tom and Charlotte, end up deciding to give her the experimental drug that prevents memories from forming the night the assault takes place. However, not remembering is not the same as forgetting, and the whole family engages in therapy to help them cope with the aftermath.
Dr Alan Forrester is the psychiatrist at the heart of this tale. He is the family therapist, and he's also the narrator. As the book progresses, it becomes clear that he is maybe not the most reliable narrator. He clearly is passionate about helping Jenny, doing lots of work with her to help her uncover painful memories so she can move on. However, as Jenny's memories begin to point towards perhaps his own son as the perpetrator of her rape, he starts planting seeds and making suggestions to Jenny and her parents about what might have happened.
Ultimately, it's revealed that our chaotic, self centered narrator knew exactly who did this heinous crime from the very beginning, because he himself suffered nearly an identical attack as a child. It turns our when he was a prison psychiatrist, he told the story of his own childhood assault to a prisoner, who then wanted to recreate that assault on Dr Forrester's own son as some kind of sick retaliation. He ended up unable to catch the son, and randomly attacked Jenny instead, acting out the very specific rape and assault on her instead. It becomes clear with this eleventh hour reveal that Dr Forrester has masterminded this whole process. The prisoner ends up dead, the Kramer family ends up mostly pieced back together, and it is a satisfying ending.
Ultimately, it's revealed that our chaotic, self centered narrator knew exactly who did this heinous crime from the very beginning, because he himself suffered nearly an identical attack as a child. It turns our when he was a prison psychiatrist, he told the story of his own childhood assault to a prisoner, who then wanted to recreate that assault on Dr Forrester's own son as some kind of sick retaliation. He ended up unable to catch the son, and randomly attacked Jenny instead, acting out the very specific rape and assault on her instead. It becomes clear with this eleventh hour reveal that Dr Forrester has masterminded this whole process. The prisoner ends up dead, the Kramer family ends up mostly pieced back together, and it is a satisfying ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence