The concept of this book is strong: a girl struggling grief and the guilt of believing she's responsible for her father's death gradually realises that her memories of the past might not match reality, and uncovers a conspiracy that affects much more than her own past. Having recently read and enjoyed a number of books that explore questions of memory and identity, such as Tell Me An Ending by Jo Harkin (a frankly upsetting book, but certainly thought-provoking), I was primed to like this one. Unfortunately, the execution isn't as strong as the idea, and I struggled to engage with the story.

In particular, the book suffers from poor copyediting -- even for an eARC, where a certain number of typos are to be expected, I wouldn't expect there to be paragraphs that change tense multiple times, flipping between past and present. There are also a number of ordinary typos, including misspelling of character names and missing punctuation, although I'd hope these would be fixed in the final book. Here and there, verbs are misused (for example 'dredge' as a description of movement; perhaps it should have been 'trudge'?) in a way that inhibited understanding.

On top of these more simple errors, I found that character behaviour was too erratic for me to truly believe in it. On some level, the disconnect between how characters claimed to be feeling, how they behaved, and what the narration said they were feeling could be explained by the memory modification they've experienced. However, most of the time it didn't seem like it was that subtle, and simply made it hard to follow where a scene was going or how I should be feeling about it.

Finally, I felt that the portrayal of school / teenage life rested a little too hard on clichés to be believable. Again, some of this could be explained by the memory modification -- perhaps it's easier to make characters believe something they'll have seen in a hundred movies -- but as a reader, I wanted to have a sense of depth below those surface-level characters, and "the character who thinks she likes pink and Taylor Swift actually likes plaid and classic rock" is still, alas, a cliché, rather than a moment of originality breaking through. There was a strong vibe of 00s YA of "a Special Boy who plays guitar and has a distinctive personal smell can inspire the Protagonist Girl to break out of her dystopian environment", but unfortunately, while I maintain a certain nostalgia for this era of fiction, I don't mean that in a good way.

So, unfortunately, this one just didn't do it for me, which was a disappointment, as the premise was strong and could have made for a really compelling story.

The premise of this book was so engaging. I think it could have been so amazing. As we meet Alexandra we quickly realize she is more than she seems. She has a lot going on as she starts her senior year at a reform school and she deals with the aftermath of driving the car when she hit a deer and her father died in the accident.

The fantasy elements of this book sounded amazing but it really took me out of the emotional elements of this story. The twist was intersting but it caused some consistency issues with the plot for me and it felt a bit rushed and lost some of the details.

This was quite interesting. I liked the concept and the writing style. How you could tell from the writing when the protagonist "changed".
The biggest flaw of the book are the characters. They all feel very flat and one dimensional. It could be intended for the school kids but Logan (the love interest) has very little personality and he's a big part of the story.
All in all a quick and enjoyable read.

Actual Rating: 3.4

This was a book that was right up my alley. There's a clever blend of mystery, fantasy sci-fi, and themes around friendship and family dynamics. There's slight romance too, but it really wasn't what I was reading for.

The Unforgettable Alexandra Shaw follows a teenage girl, who attends a reformatory school after causing her father's death in a car accident where she was driving. She has two best friends: Kayla, who is outgoing and popular, and Hannah, a quiet bookworm. Weird things happen sometimes, but in general all is well — except Alexandra keeps getting weird visions of a boy she's never met but seems to have loved, once. And then he shows up, claiming she's died in the car accident too.

The writing style is pretty solidly YA and easy to read — Alexandra, Kayla, and Hannah all act and sound like typical teenagers, frustrating dramatics and all.

Plot-wise, the story started out super intriguing and was very difficult to put down. The book did a pretty good job of intertwining characters and story elements into the mystery. I do think it could have been done a little more subtly especially at the start; the narration felt more observant than Alexandra the character was and it made the importance of some props too obvious for my liking. As a reader it feels like we're told too early what parts are important and what isn't Still, I generally enjoyed the first half and being able to follow Alexandra as she started noticing discrepancies and weird behavior around her.

My favorite character dynamic in this book is undoubtedly between Alexandra and her mother; the scenes that stick out to me the strongest in the entire novel are the ones where this relationships hangs over the story with an unspoken but still looming presence and those leading up to its unravelling. And so, the final act of the book is a mixed bag for me. We get a lot of the family dynamic, but the plot also gets a little messy and tries to rely on other side characters that aren't nearly as interesting.

Still, there's a great set-up for book 2 and I will definitely be tuning in.

I have a lot of questions about this book and need more answers. The mystery was definitely intriguing and kept my attention. But there were parts of it that just leave me with more questions. Part of me is interested in seeing what happens next and the other part of me wish it had more solid conclusion in this one.

I honestly wanted to love this book. The premise was exciting, along with the name and cover of the book. There just wasn't enough for me to enjoy.

Let's start with the good -- I loved the plot. It could be predictable at times, but still kept me hooked all throughout. I especially loved the cliffhanger ending. I also enjoyed watching Alexandra start to gain her memories back and realize what was going on around her.

On to the bad. None of the characters were interesting, especially Alexandra. I always try to find good in main characters no matter how they're written or how they act, but I just couldn't find any reason to like her. She was very two-dimensional and poorly written, as was every other character. I also felt that Alexandra's relationships were underdeveloped, especially her relationship with Logan.

Overall there were parts I enjoyed, but it's definitely not a must-read. 2.5/5 stars

The Unforgettable Alexandra Shaw

A teenage girl gripped with grief and guilt of killing her father. Trying to make it through school and repair her relationship with her mother. However, somethings not quite right and when a boy turns up saying that he thought that she was dead everything in Alexandra’s life is flipped upside down.

The story was truly gripping throughout and I honestly did not see any of the twists coming. It kept me in suspense wanting to read on and on and on. I’m also glad the book didn’t have the fairytale ending I expected. There’s some real raw emotions and I really did love this book.

I would definitely recommend this book to those who liked A Good Girls Guide To Murder.

Also the cover is amazing absolutely love the art work which is what originally drew me to requesting this book

Thank you NetGalley for the arc

This is such an amazing book. A 17 year old girl keeps remembering snippets of memories involving a mysterious boy. Once she finally sees this boy and he recognizes her, she's freaked out. Who is this boy and why does he know her, know things about her. But also why does she know things about him but never met him before? There are so many great plots twists, but I don't want to mention for spoiler reasons. 1000/10 recommend. Can't wait for the sequel because that cliffhanger left me dying for more!

Wow, this was not what I was expected, and I can't wait for the sequel!

Alexandra's relationship with her mother has never been easy, and after the tragic death of her father, it continues to fall apart by the day.

In an attempt to provide a fresh start for everyone, Alexandra's mother accepts a position at a prestigious private school.

But things aren't as they seem, and the truth is far more dangerous than Alexandra ever expected.

Will she be able to save her friends and free them from their past?

When I started the book, I hadn't realized there would be a sequel, but thankfully, it'll be released this fall!

This book had me hooked from the beginning! I couldn’t resist the tension and really liked the atmosphere and the creepy, claustrophobic setting.
Alexandra Shaw was recently transferred to a high school where the students all experienced trauma in the past. However Alexandra, who is still suffering from the recent car accident that resulted in her father's death and is trying to mend her fragile relationship with her mother, starts to realise that not everything is what it seems at her new school.

While I sometimes wished for longer scenes since I felt that some scenes and interactions were too short at times, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Some parts of the plot felt a bit rushed but overall I had a great time reading it and after this ending, I definitely can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you NetGalley & publisher for this eARC.

First of all, the book cover is absolutely gorgeous. And the premise/idea was interesting, but felt like it was out of place. Wish there were more mystery building as I felt there is still something lacking which left you feel unsatisfied.

But despite that, it still keeps me off my seat at every chapter - just to know what happens next.
It was an easy read, definitely for those who are looking for YA Thriller.

The story follows Alexandra Shaw as she begins her senior year at a new boarding school. Alexandra has two close friends, Hannah and Kayla, and they are considered to be part of the "in-crowd, however, Alexandra doesn't really talk with any other classmates and she's always walking on eggshells around her mom and teachers. She is trying to heal and move forward from a car accident, where she was the driver, and her father was killed. As she goes through her senior year, she begins to have "visions" of a young man and situations where she's traveled or conversed with him but she has no past memory of him, just these "visions."

At a weekend party with friends, she is introduced to the guy (Logan) in person. He definitely knows her but she doesn't remember him, except for those haze-filled thoughts/visions. The rest of the story is a twisty-turn of events, mysteries, and deceptions where Alexandra's past creeps towards her present leaving the reader grappling with the unexpected ending.

A recommended fast-paced thriller for YA readers with a content advisory of trauma, mental manipulation, underage drinking, and suicidal ideation.

I absolutely LOVE the book cover!

Thank you to A. Lloyd Stanton and NetGalley for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC.

This could have been absolutely amazing. The premise sounded interesting, I liked the characters, there was a crazy plot twist...but there were also issues with the plot itself. It felt rushed and because of that, the details aren't as fleshed out as I would have liked and it could have used maybe an extra 100 pages so that everything was more cohesive. Easily 3 star or maybe 3.3.

This book is worth reading because the plot is so intriguing. The first chapter or so was tricky, but once the story proper started I was hooked. I will definitely keep an eye out for the sequel. The twists and turns were really good.

Damn, okay I didn't not expect the twist at all, this book was so different from what I expected but I enjoyed it a lot.

I loved the writing soo much and the plot was good. The characters were likable. I can't wait to read book 2.


Thanks to netgalley and the author for an eARC in exchange of a honest review.

Alexandra is a typical 17 year old girl except for the fact that she killed her father. Literally - in a car accident. She starts to feel like something must be off when she keeps having what seem like visions then memories. Things became even weirder when she meets a mysterious boy who tells her she also died in the accident that killed her father. As she starts to investigate, she discovers something more sinister.

This was an interesting book. it definitely ends on a big cliff hanger so be prepared to want to read the next one. I am curious to see where Alexandra's story goes next.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

“Seventeen-year-old Alexandra killed her father”.

The Unforgettable Alexandra Shaw by A. Lloyd Spanton is a fun, fast paced YA mystery. Teens are getting their memories whipped, put into a reforming school and get to live a life not knowing about what happened to them in the past.

We follow Alexandra who started a new school. She starts having memories that are triggered from her day to day life. Only she can’t remember if these memories actually happened. Later on she figures out she isn’t the only one with these vivid ‘deja vu’ memories.

When I read the premises I was very interested in this book. However, I didn’t fully enjoy the execution of it. The book felt a bit plot rushed. The mystery was immediately build up and there wasn’t really time to get the know the characters. I personally like character building a lot in books, so I felt disconnected to them and the plot because of the lacking of it.

Sometimes the decisions that were made confused me. It did ruin the story a little bit. Mistakes were being made from people ‘higher up’ in the story that just made the plot less convincing. I also thought backstories were missing and made it harder to grasps the bigger picture of it.

Knowing this is going to be a duology, the ending left me a bit confused.

The way this book had me completely enraptured! Just when I thought things were about to get better for Miss Lex, we were both sucked back into the fray of utter chaos, turmoil and heartbreaking betrayal. I couldn't stop reading if I wanted to, but trust me, I didn't want to! The ending left me both heartbroken and wanting more. I look forward to the next installment with bated breath! Amazing work!

"Seventeen-year-old Alexandra killed her father." was what drew me in and I'm so glad I did. This had everything that I was looking for from this type of book, it had a strong start to this series. I was invested in what was going on and loved the characters in the world. I was hooked from the twists of the story and glad I got to read this. It left me wanting more in this world.

"Energy builds as we saunter through the house. An electric anticipation radiates off Kayla as she homes in on Andy’s location. But I feel it too. I’m a live wire at the thought of putting a face to that forest tattoo. If I’m right and he’s at this party, will I recognize him? Will he slide perfectly into this empty space that has consumed my life lately, the void full of questions and conflicting thoughts?"

Alexandra is a 17 year old student at a new school, but even as the new girl, the one thing she would rather leave in the past has followed her; the fact that she killed her father. Pine Cliff Academy is known for reforming school kids, but after another student ‘goes wild’, Alexandra starts to realise that the school isn’t exactly as it seems.

This book had me hooked pretty much from the get go, and I couldn’t put it down after the truth started to unravel. Be prepared to finish the book in the cliff hanger of all cliff hangers!

This is a well written book by A. Lloyd, and she keeps the suspense going throughout, right up to the last page. I will highly recommend giving this book a read. I can’t wait for the next instalment of Alexandra’s story to be released in Fall 2023.