The Girl You Forgot by Giselle Green

Synopsis
When Ava’s partner Will is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour, the doctors give Will one chance to survive – an operation which means he will lose his recent memory. Ava begs him to take the chance, sure that she can cope with Will forgetting her. After all, they have something very special to live for.

But they are also keeping a heart-breaking secret, and if Will loses his memory, Ava will have to carry that secret alone.

Can they rebuild their love from scratch or will their secrets and past come between them? Will Ava really be a stranger when Will wakes up – or does the heart never really forget…

Review
The Girl You Forgot is a romantic novel with a thought provoking moral dilemma at its heart. What should be a time of joy for Ava and Will soon turns into a nightmare after Will is diagnosed of with a brain tumour. His only chance of survival is an operation which will result in losing some of his memories. Will doesn’t initially want the operation, not wanting to lose his memory but Ava begs him to save himself for her and their future. His only condition is that she doesn’t tell him about a secret that has been causing problems between them. Can Ava live with the secret or will the truth eventually come out and destroy them again.

The Girl You Forgot was a book that really got under my skin. As a reader you can’t help but feel for Ava and Will and their situation. Will, before the operation is depressed, and almost on a path to self destruction in his refusal for the operation, even though he has everything to live for. Ava is living with the prospect of losing Will and bringing up their unborn baby on their own, but even with the operation he may not remember her. This is a daunting prospect for any couple, but even more when Will asks her to not to tell him the truth about a secret they share. But secrets have a habit of eating the secret keeper up with guilt. Giselle Green captures the fear of both characters, Will in having to face a life he can’t remember and Ava hoping Will can fall in love with her all over again and that she can keep their secret. Both are left insecure, and guilt sweeps in on both sides, Will that he can’t remember Ava, or his friends and Ava at the secret that is eating away at her. Interstingly, even with no memory Will knows something is wrong between them, his heart rememberng what his brain can’t. Giselle Green shows empathy and understanding of their situation, giving a reality to the characters and their emotions, all of which draws the reader in to Ava and Will’s lives.

Giselle Green ‘s writing is honest, raw and has a realism about it that really grabbed me and made this such a compelling read. There is a balace of light and dark, the fear of the operation and its repercussions, but there are plenty of lighter moments that made me laugh. The theme of serets and lies is one that runs through the book and into the lives of the other characters, bringing up the questions of it is ever acceptable to tell a lie to progress in life or to get you out of a difficult situation. In Ava andd Will’s case the question is also is it fair for one person to keep the secret and bearring the guilt of that alone.

The Girl You Forgot is a beautiful and thought provoking read. Ava and Will’s story is one that I was invested in, and one I cared about, wanting love to conquer all the hurdles that were put in their path. Giselle Green captures her characters and their emotions with honesty and empathy, her skilful prose making this book such a joy to read. Intelligent and emotive this is a heartwarming and engaing read.