I laughed, I cried, and I just truly enjoyed the whimsical nature of this story. The premise was really unique and it was so good. Fortunately I have never had to deal with someone having Alzheimer's in my life but this story had me feeling Cricket's emotions wholeheartedly. I loved how despite Dad's fading memory, Cricket still worked to reestablish a relationship with her father and try to heal. I will definitely be reading more from this author, because it was just what I needed after a months long reading slump.

This novel is a 5 star worthy read for anyone drawn to introspective, character-driven fiction with ♡ and even a bit of magic. Grounded in emotional realism yet buoyed by wit, it explores the bonds between parent and child, the weight of memory, and the surprising paths that lead us forward. A healing story that stays with you.

Excellent insight into the role of caretaker and the mental decline of a parent. What could have been depressing to read, instead it is a true celebration of life and a sweet coming of age story.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unreal and whether it was supposed to be a fast read or not I made it one. Know what an oracle is? Well you need to learn about one named Arthur who doesn’t even know he is one.

Get to learn about Cottonwood Lake and Locust and the loons. When you are acclimated you may or may not see Seth, have a memory or lose your heart in a recurring dream.
Sound wild? No not really LOL But it’s a great well written novel with the last few chapters having an emotional twist. I don’t know when it is set to publish but you must grab it on a preorder

For the right reader, Tory Henwood Hoen’s BEFORE I FORGET is a godsend, a glimmer of hope in difficult times. For the reader who finds this much happy-ever-after annoyingly unrealistic, this book might seem what it is- a delightful romance with a sprinkle of fairy dust.

Mid- twenties, and Cricket Campbell’s life is in a shambles, with nowhere to go. But she takes the opportunity to fix it by returning to the scene where things initially went bad. Her family home in the Adirondacks in upstate New York. (As a side note, not enough is written set in this area, so that was a big incentive for me to read it.)

She finds her long missing peace as she companions her father in his final year of life. All the components of the book are thoughtfully constructed: the rational sister Nina, the supportive community, the handsome newcomer, and mostly the razzle-dazzle her father conjures in his dementia. We can all hope for such a happy conclusion.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin’s press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars! I immediately took to this book. The protagonist, Cricket, is in the midst of a quarter life crisis when she finds herself moving back in with her father as his caretaker. She is forced to confront her past, her guilt, her relationship to others and to herself. As someone who is of similar age to Cricket, I could easily put myself in her shoes. My relationship with my Dad can be complicated, but the relationship between Cricket and her own father in this book made me cry. She navigates coming into her own life while, simultaneously, her father is preparing for the end of his life. The time she spends with her Dad at his home in the Adirondacks allows her to shed the guilt that she has been carrying for ten years and learns to believe in herself as much as she believes in the people that surround her.

I definitely cried at the end of this book. I kind of wish the ending was more fleshed out, but that is my only gripe. I loved it.

Some books don’t just tell a story — they reach inside you, stir up feelings you didn’t know were buried, and gently remind you that healing is never linear, but always possible. Before I Forget by Tory Henwood Hoen is one of those rare novels that feels like a warm hand on your shoulder during a moment of reckoning.

At 26, Cricket Campbell isn’t a fresh-faced heroine chasing her dreams — she’s stuck. Lost in the fog of unresolved grief, stalled potential, and a tragedy she’s never really made peace with. When her older sister decides it’s time to move their father Arthur, who’s been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, into a memory-care facility, Cricket steps in. Not because she’s ready — but because somewhere deep inside, she knows she needs to be.

What follows is not a straightforward journey of redemption, but a layered, funny, and quietly aching late coming-of-age story. Returning to her childhood home on Catwood Pond is like opening a time capsule sealed with emotion — familiar, yet hauntingly changed. Arthur, once unreachable, now carries a surprising gift: as his memories fade, he begins predicting the future. This beautiful twist doesn’t just serve as a whimsical plot device; it becomes a mirror through which Cricket is forced to confront her own truths — and perhaps for the first time, allow herself to rewrite them.

The brilliance of this book lies in how effortlessly it weaves humor into heartbreak. I found myself laughing out loud on one page and wiping away unexpected tears on the next. Hoen’s writing is whip-smart, lyrical, and profoundly observant. She captures the subtle nuances of family — the silence between words, the inherited habits, the unsaid regrets — with so much grace and accuracy, it made me pause more than once just to breathe it all in.

Cricket’s relationship with Arthur is the heart of this novel. It’s raw, layered, and astonishingly tender. Watching their roles shift — daughter becoming caretaker, father becoming prophet — is both devastating and deeply human. Their connection reminded me that even in the face of illness and memory loss, love doesn’t disappear. It simply changes shape.

Before I Forget isn’t just about Alzheimer’s. It’s about what we remember and what we choose to forget — and how both can shape the stories we tell ourselves. It’s about home, grief, time, identity, and above all, hope. That elusive, quiet kind of hope that whispers: you can still begin again.

This novel left a mark on me. Not with flashy plot twists or dramatic crescendos, but with the slow, steady unfolding of emotional truth. It’s the kind of book that feels like it was written just for you — like someone reached into your chest, found your most hidden hurt, and gave it space to exhale.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this embracing, emotional women’s fiction digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts. This story will stay with me for a long, long time — and I feel incredibly lucky to have read it.

Every once in a while, I come across a character who feels so deeply familiar that they end up living in my head long after I’ve turned the last page. Cricket Campbell is one of those characters for me. Like Cricket, I was 26 and completely lost—the past had a grip on me, and I couldn’t see a way forward. Her journey of self-discovery and learning to silence her inner critic felt so personal, it transported me right back to the woman I was ten years ago. Her attempt to reconcile with her past in order to build a future was raw and deeply human. Her relationship with her father so beautifully illustrated how complex family dynamics can be—and how often the roles between parent and child get flipped, especially in times of crisis.

This story was beautiful, cathartic, and quietly devastating in the best way—it left me floating in that reflective space where you start thinking about life, death, and everything in between. I have so much more to say about this book, but I want to avoid any spoilers, because it’s one of those stories that deserves to unfold slowly, page by page. Tory Henwood Hoen has officially earned a spot on my list of favorite writers. I felt every single emotion while reading this book, and I think that speaks volumes about the brilliance of her storytelling. I truly can’t recommend it enough—I feel so lucky to have read it. Books like this are why I’m a reader.

Before I Forget is a moving and funny story of how a 20-something aimless woman finds purpose and growth while taking over the care of her Alzheimer-afflicted father so her much more together older sister can pursue a graduate degree abroad. Confined to a quickly upstate NY town that she had left due to a teenage tragedy, Cricket finds her way with her father and connections old and new. As she in convinced her father's diminished faculties in our world are providing him connections to another world, especially in seeing her deceased teenage crush, Cricket channels her work wit a wellness influencer to offer access to "the Oracle" and becomes and unlikely phenomenon. Torn between competing interests like her mother's practical side vs her father's love of nature and wonder; and local friends like a dance studio owner and a man wracked by the grief of his late mother, Cricket finds her way to manager her father's care, reconnect with the world, and find a path to her abandoned dream of working in veterinary medicine.
This is a funny, touching novel about finding what really matters in life, whether you need some spiritual guidance or can find it within yourself.

So happy I got my hands on this ARC—huge thanks to St. Martin’s Press! I read it in about a week and it totally messed with my sleep schedule (worth it). It had me laughing one minute and crying the next... it just hits different.

Cricket completely stole my heart. She felt so real and relatable, like someone I’ve known forever. Sometimes you just need a story that balances the funny, awkward parts of life with the deep, emotional ones—and this book absolutely nailed it. Can’t recommend it enough.

This book was so heartfelt, intriguing, and honest. Cricket (the main character) walks through life with all the ups, downs, terrors, and successes.
This book was so relatable to me. The struggles Cricket went through with her dad, Arthur, I went through with my mom (though with a different diagnosis). There were many nights I couldn't put the book down, always excited to read what was next for Cricket and the Oracle. The plot keeps your attention and makes you want to never put it down. I greatly appreciate the real-world complexity this book walks through with Cricket and addresses many problems some of us face on a daily basis. This was one of the best books I have ever read, and I will always recommend it.

Thank you net galley and st Martin’s press for a copy of this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Before We Forget is a brilliant, emotionally resonant novel that had me hooked from the first page. Tory Henwood Hoen explores the fragility of memory through the story of a man facing early-onset Alzheimer’s, and does so with incredible grace, humour, and insight.

What made this book especially powerful for me was the relationship between the father and his daughter, Cricket. She’s sharp, witty, and heartbreakingly loyal—and their dynamic is the beating heart of the story. Watching Cricket navigate the shifting landscape of her father’s mind was both devastating and deeply moving, and yet Hoen manages to infuse the novel with warmth, lightness, and even joy.

The writing is whip-smart and thoughtful, filled with observations that made me pause and reflect. It touches on identity, legacy, and what we choose to remember delivered with just the right balance of poignancy and levity.

This book made me laugh, cry, and think about what really matters. Before We Forget isn’t just a story about memory loss—it’s about love, resilience, and the ties that bind us. I loved every minute of it.

I really loved this book. Cricket has such a clear voice, and feels like such a full HUMAN. I also think, as someone who has dealt with helping to care for a family member with alzheimers, you went about the subject in an extremely respectful and real way. I saw so many similarities between her dad and my family member it warmed my heart.

This is the (long-delayed) coming-of-age story of a 26-year old going home to care for her Alzheimer-ridden father. And let me immediately reassure you that there is absolutely nothing depressing in any of it. What I began reading with trepidation (I’m not looking for depressing stories!) pulled me forward with increasing amounts of humor, human insight, and beyond touching moments (so yes, I teared up frequently, but from seeing substance, not sadness).

Cricket quits her job as an underutilized gofer for an over-the-top healthcare company that peddles an infinite array of body rejuvenation at very high prices. Instead, she heads to her favorite place (their home in the Adirondacks) and her beloved father — neither of which she has seen since a decade old tragedy left her beyond bereft and thoroughly guilt-ridden. From here the story takes off in unexpected ways with engaging characters, possible connections to the spiritual world, some unexpected business opportunities, and many chances to rethink the past. Throughout all of it, Cricket moves toward self understanding, forgiveness, and a stronger connection to those about her.

The writing is very good — the prose, pacing, and plot elements all perfectly tuned to Cricket’s growth without demeaning the roles of others in her story. I loved the insight and the messaging and the way Cricket always behaved in a principled manner — even when she was confused or afraid. I loved the different out-of-the-box ways dementia was portrayed, without downplaying the difficulty and loss. I loved the way personality traits could be interpreted in opposites: was someone passive or patient? Complacent or content? Insatiable or intrepid?). And I loved the humor applied to the situations and characters — particularly the buffoonish commentary on new age health gurus and products (see some of my favorite quotes below).

One of my favorite books this year.

Some great quotes:
“I am only 26, which means I am essentially a larva. In contemporary America, childhood can last well into one’s 30s, 40s, and even 50s.”

“What if Alzheimers isn’t just a slow death? What if it’s another dimension entirely – an ascension even? Humans are so fixated on our minds that we see their loss as a tragedy. But what if it’s a gift? Maybe the erosion of memory clears space for something truer. Maybe the intellect gets in the way of the heart, until little by little, it doesn’t.”

“My mother once told me I was too passive, but I prefer to think of myself as patient. There are some problems that solve themselves if you simply wait a while.”

“I have a vague feeling that, when it comes to my life, not only am I sitting on the sidelines, but I’m playing the wrong game altogether. As I look around at the leftover mess from the weekend, I think: I’m ready to be something other than young.”

“I was impressed by her confidence and conviction – two things I was lacking. When you are full of questions, you are drawn to people who look like answers.”

“You could spend all day exfoliating, lifting, moisturizing, resurfacing, deep conditioning, buffing, harmonizing, depilating, and rejuvenating your bodily surfaces, but at the end of that day, your soul will still ache for what it really wants: freedom from the consumptive cycle of never feeling or looking quite good enough. We’ve conflated health with vanity. It’s not that I don’t believe in healing; I just don’t believe you can buy it for $78 an ounce.”