*Thanks to NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book!*

This book ended up getting my first 5 stars of the year!

Overall, this was a heart warming coming of age story (late coming of age as our MC is 27 years-old). Cricket was highly relatable and introspective, I found her to be one of my favorite female MCs that I’ve read in a while. As someone who has lost a few family members to dementia/Alzheimer’s I think this book will touch a lot of people and give an alternate perspective to how we can view the decline that they go through. Cricket finds a way to appreciate her father being himself, despite knowing that the disease will only progress and continue to take more and more of him along the way. It was light hearted at times, serious at other points, and overall a book that left me feeling content. I know I would have benefited from reading about having this positive/neutral outlook when my loved ones were alive.

The writing was clear, and because I do appreciate a book that gets me to look up a definition (though not excessively) I was pleasantly surprised that I got to look up a few words here and there. The author handles a difficult subject with care, all while offering a perspective not many have thought of. Most would expect a book with dementia/memory loss to be a complete downer. That was not the case with this story. I will definitely be adding this to my favorites of the year!

This book started off strong for me. I related to the main character, Cricket, and empathized with her father’s worsening Alzheimer’s. However, as the book progressed, I couldn’t help but notice Cricket’s self-deprecating mentality. Most importantly, the oracle plot seemed very unrealistic. There was a disagreement between Cricket and her sister Nina, and I found myself siding with Nina over Cricket. The pacing felt off to me in the sense that the love interest was introduced in the last 25% of the novel, and then we never really got any clarity about how that ended up. I liked the writing style but the content of this book didn't keep me consistently entertained.

4.5 *'s
Openness, clarity, regeneration- not words typically applied to an Alzheimer's narrative, but maybe we've not been paying attention...
"It's just that, here, in this human form, we forget all the things we inherently know."
A lovely idea, that Alzheimer's need not be seen as wholly debilitating but rather just another spot on the continuum, another variant, something potentially beneficial and beautiful.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Before I Forget by Tory Henwood Hoen is a tender coming-of-age novel told in two points of the narrator, Cricket’s life. Still tangled in the emotional shift that comes following a golden teenage summer and an ensuing tragedy, she returns years later to Locust, a town in upstate New York. Cricket is taking over the role of caretaker role for her father with dementia, who she believes may be able to tell the future.

The novel centers on a few central themes; family, regret, grief, self-discovery, and renewal. Additionally, nestled in the overarching themes concerning discovering one’s self through dealing with the past, there is also a pointed jab at the wellness industry and the commoditization of genuine connection. This is the least interesting part of the story, in my opinion. It does give some structure to the passing narrative and creates tension for the plot of the dad’s supposed clairvoyance, but it wasn’t particularly soulful compared to the tender soul-searching parts.

I loved how tender and wistful this book was. It dealt very head-on with how unresolved grief and trauma can change the course of someone’s life, even if they weren’t impacted personally. Cricket laments the bad boyfriend, bad jobs, and lost dreams that she has given up because her grief has caused her to give up on them and herself.

I appreciated the way that this book dealt with complicated family dynamics with some nuance. The characters aren’t completely two-dimensional, and even the mom character, who stands out in her less fleshed out portrayal, still acts in ways that are surprising but sensibly explained.

My recommendation is that this is a very emotional, heartfelt read. For anyone who likes stories of messy people turning their lives in a new direction, it could be an excellent choice. It’s tender without veering into sappy territory.

4/5 stars, especially good for a summer read, as the Adirondack setting is very nostalgic.

This is an unconventional narrative about life, love, and loons. The author portrays the character's experiences of loss and pain with a blend of humor and grace. It is a complex and layered story, giving insight into various aspects of life, touching on themes such as dementia, PTSD, fear, and unmet expectations. The fast-paced plot delivers a compelling and satisfying read.

This book was devastating and beautiful. I fell in love with the main character and her father instantly. Most of the side characters had interesting stories and truly added to the book plot. It made me both smile and cry. The cognitive decline in Alzheimer disease is addressed so beautifully and without judgement of caretakers in similar situations. I would absolutely read anything else written by this author.

This was such a lovely story and I couldn’t help but be charmed. Cricket hasn’t been back to her family’s lake house in a decade. She feels haunted by what happened there and unwelcome. Her older sister has been taking care of their father for years and now has a plan to go to Sweden to finish her education. She thinks it’s time their father move to a memory-care facility as he has Alzheimer’s. Cricket finds herself unexpectedly drawn back into life in Catwood Pond and decides to become her father’s care-taker.

Cricket was a fun character to get to know—she doesn’t feel like she has things figured out and is ready to try. I did not connect with the paranormal elements of the story but was intrigued nonetheless. This was sad, funny, tender, and full of compassion. I am a big fan of both The Collected Regrets of Clover and Maame and do think this has the essence of those stories, even though the plots are quite different.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Tori Henwood Hoen’s ‘Before I Forget’ is an incredible book! I devoured it in one sitting and couldn’t stop reading. Henwood Hoen tackles tough subjects with heartwarming humor. The book explores the challenges of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s. The relatable characters find unexpected ways to love each other amidst family dynamics and dementia.

Cricket Campbell is 26-years old and still trying to figure out what to do with her life. When her father is diagnosed with Alzheimer's and her older sister (who is currently caring for him) moves to Sweden for a new job, Cricket decides to move back to her family home to become his full-time caretaker. Dealing with an overwhelming feeling of guilt from a tragedy that happened when she was 16, Cricket seems to be able to forgive everyone except for herself. Couple that with her father seemingly able to predict the future as he loses his grip with the past, they suddenly become famous for helping others deal with their troubles and/or grief. And Cricket slowly starts to heal along the way.

Because this is a pre-release, there are no author's notes provided. I am curious as to whether "predicting the future" is a real thing with some Alzheimer's patients. I'm guessing it is not, but it certainly adds a new perspective to this horrific disease. The author does a wonderful job of dealing with family drama, heartbreak and coping with the inevitable death of a loved one.

I was given an ARC by Net Galley and was intrigued by the title. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it was a very engaging read. It was way more interesting than I expected as there is a unique twist to the story that I didn’t see coming. The relationship between Cricket and her father is heart warming. I highly recommend reading it!

I am unfortunately someone who judges books by their covers, and this one is gorgeous! I really enjoyed how character driven "Before I Forget" was, and the relationship between Cricket and her family was heartwarming. I was the perfect mix of humor and heartfelt moments that kept me engaged throughout. I think how grief was depicted in this story was incredibly real, which was refreshing to read.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this!

Oh my goodness this was such an emotional and tough read for me. The Alzheimer’s topic definitely got to home but god, it had me happy crying at the end.

Absolutely loved this. The last few books I’ve read have been pretty flat and this one went deep, so it felt like an enormous relief the entire time I was reading it.

A twenty something who has been floundering since a tragic accident in her teens returns to the town where it happened to take care of her father, who has advanced Alzheimer’s, and seems to be able to predict future events.

Reading about dementia and Alzheimer’s is tricky for me. It’s a very sensitive subject, and when not written well, it can be really offensive. Here’s the thing - it was not written about in any realistic way here, but it cast a hopeful light over it, and was able to offer some new perspective and that was exactly what I needed. With one of my recent reads being “Say You’ll Remember Me” by Abby Jimenez, I NEEDED that light. Alzheimer’s, but make it quirky and delightful. I KNOW that is not how it is, and some people will take issue with this portrayal, and some people will find the daughter’s relationship with her father pretty exploitative, but this is the story of a character who grew leaps and bounds, and you have to grow from the bottom up. She was not perfect, but to me, this story almost was.

I also absolutely loved the Adirondack setting, and felt like I was at summer camp or on vacation. Simple but magical days, lots of time to contemplate, observe and marvel. This was a highly (and surprisingly) peaceful read.

My only complaint was the lack of development in a side character who, when he was in the scene, provided plenty of witty and playful banter, but we didn’t get to really see how things grow into more with them, it happens off page and feels like an afterthought.

This was such an emotional book. It went through heavy topics such as dealing with dementia and death. However, I couldn’t put it down. As someone who has experienced having a loved one with Alzheimer’s, it hit experiences on the head and the author was still able to add lightheartedness and instances of seeing the good in spite of the bad. Thanks so much for this ARC, I really enjoyed it!

As a daughter and caregiver for my mother with early onset Alzheimer’s this storyline really caught my interest. The book took a while to catch my attention or really get me into the story. I felt like there was a heavy lead up to the story but then some storylines, for example her relationship/story with Max lacked depth or just fizzled off. I really enjoyed the concept and perspective of her fathers mind being utilized in a different way when he began to loose his memory due to the Alzheimer’s. Overall, I liked the book well enough and enjoyed storyline that isn’t often explored.

I believe that sometimes a good book finds you when you need it most, and I'm so glad this one found me when it did. I loved every bit of it. It was emotional and full of heart, and I found myself mostly smiling and laughing throughout. Having dealt with Alzheimer's in my family and recent loss, so many of our conversations have been centered on what we've lost, but this book reminded me to appreciate what we gained in even our toughest moments. I can't wait to recommend this one to everyone I know and I look forward to rereading it in the future.

What a wonderful book! I was captivated from the very first page. Besides being well written and easy to read, the story is one that will be familiar to many people.

The story is of a daughter trying to navigate caring for her father who has dementia. She feels unprepared and at times alone, but she finds ways to bring joy to their lives in the midst of a disease with an inevitable ending. Further, she is caring for her father at a remote family property, where she experienced tragedy, love and loss earlier in her life.

Her reflections on her father’s condition and her ability to accept and celebrate his life at this moment are inspiring. A powerful mix of love, loss, regret, guilt, hope, and joy run through every page. I highly recommend this book.

Wow! I had trouble putting this book down. Cricket has been living with the unnecessary guilt of her perceived role in the death of her teenage love for the past ten years and is floundering her way through life. When her father’s dementia becomes too much for her older sister to handle, Cricket decides to take over the caregiver role even though it means dealing with the demons of the past. And as her father’s memory continues to decline, Cricket’s purpose in life becomes clear and she faces the future with newfound confidence. The author does not sugarcoat the trials and tribulations of caregiving and Alzheimer’s yet presents them with grace and compassion. I laughed in parts. I cried in others. I highly recommend this story. 5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a pleasant surprise! I was initially put off by the synopsis, and I’ve felt like there’s been an oversaturation of books and films about Alzheimer’s in recent years. But I decided to give it a chance anyway—and I’m so glad I did. I loved it. Hoen has created a funny, relatable character in Cricket, and it’s a joy to follow her as she ditches her job at a cringe-worthy wellness company (fronted by an obnoxious girlboss) to take on the role of caregiver for her elderly father. The book strikes a fine balance between multiple painful subjects and plenty of light-hearted moments, all while exploring the aimlessness of young adulthood, sisterhood, and the obligation to family. The psychic storyline is handled much better and more realistically than I expected, and the descriptions of the Adirondacks are just lovely. Hoen also gives us intriguing supporting characters and weaves in a flashback timeline that reveals a troubling incident from Cricket’s past. Overall, it’s a thoughtful, funny, and engaging read, perfect for anyone who’s ever felt like their life is missing a little direction or purpose.

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of Before I forget. A beautiful story of an unrelenting topic. Cricket returns to her father’s home to care for him in the final stages of his Alzheimer’s journey. Heartbreaking yet uplifting. A solid 4 stars.