All is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker

If you had suffered a horrible trauma, would you take a drug that would erase your memory of it? Jenny Kramer did...

4.0 out of 5 stars -- "White lies, black lies, a million lies a million times every day, everywhere, by every one of us. We are all hiding something from someone."

What a great book! I could fill this review with all of my favorite quotes -- and there were many that I highlighted - but one thing stands out again: you can never, ever, ever completely know another person. And that is probably a good thing for your relationships.

The main story line here has to do with the rape of Jenny Kramer and the controversial administration of a drug in the ER following the brutal attack. The drug is meant to cause memory loss so that the person who experienced something horrible can forget and go on with life. Unfortunately, that's not such a good idea for mental health -- as Jenny and her family come to find out. That whole subject alone would make for a great book club discussion.

The narrator here is the psychiatrist, Dr. Alan Forrester, who is called in to treat Jenny after a suicide attempt. He begins working with her, and her dysfunctional parents, to attempt memory recovery because she was still experiencing the terror of something but could not remember the event. She could not get better. I loved all the psychiatric detail in this book though I can see how it could put others off if they aren't interested in the science or psychology itself.

Without any spoilers, I'd say this was a crazy roller coaster of a novel with lots of twisty turns and ups and downs. I didn't expect the direction it took and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I'd say it was a psychological drama -- not really a thriller -- but it was very absorbing and I couldn't wait to see how it all turned out. I'd recommend it!  I can't believe the author is not a psychiatrist but she must have done a lot of research! Impressive and interesting.

This would make a great movie! I need to look for other books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-book ARC to review.