Unforgettable - Loretta Ellsworth

Young Adult
Pages: 272
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Release Date: September 27, 2011

Baxter Green isn’t like everyone else. While most people would forget about the little details of everyday life, Baxter never forgets—not pain, not hurt, not embarrassment. In fact, Baxter never forgets anything—not even a string of account numbers, flashed before his eyes by his mother’s criminal boyfriend, Dink, for use in a credit card scam. Years after his testimony has locked Dink away, Baxter and his mother are in a new town, trying to forget the danger Dink brought into their lives. Baxter wants to hide his unique ability, but it becomes increasingly more difficult when he reconnects with Hallie, a girl from his childhood who has lived on in his memory long after she has forgotten him. Can Baxter win Hallie’s heart? Loretta Ellsworth’s newest novel is one readers will never forget.

When I started this book I thought it would be awesome to be like Baxter. To remember EVERYTHING? Never forget a thing? Except, think about it. You'll remember the bad things just as well as the good ones. Every single detail. Gee, poor Baxter.

Then as I started reading, I thought the author had threaded too many plots and themes together and it was just too much and too slow. But as the novel goes on, there was some other aspects that really fascinated me.

1) Baxter has synesthesia which "is a neurological rarity in which two or more senses are connected." In Baxter's case, he hears voices as colors or sounds or textures or smells. 

2) As the novel goes on and Baxter is changing and understanding things he starts realizing that yes, he remembers everything, but the interpretation of different situations are connected to your level of maturity and your age. So his memories are actually his interpretation of the moment. Think about it, we all remember things differently, or we have labeled certain memories a certain way just because of our mood or our lack of maturity in that time.


So the subplots and details of this book plus the writing, made it so much more great than it would've been otherwise. The pace was indeed slow, but I believe once you settle and accept that fact the story is very enjoyable. It also has a bit of mystery, and romance and coming of age story. 

I always love reading about the awkward outcast and in the case of Baxter it was twice as interesting. Descriptions and details were also very rich, and overall, this was very interesting and unique read.

Goodreads / Amazon