Book review: Forget Me Not by Sue Lawson

Forget Me Not by Sue Lawson (Published by Black Dog Books, March 1, 2012)

This book tells the story of the Gilmores, a fictional middle class family traveling in second class on the maiden voyage of the Titanic in 1912. The story alternates between the third-person perspective of fifteen-year-old Thomas and the first person perspective of his slightly younger sister, Eve. The family has left their home in Southampton, England to immigrate to America and settle in South Carolina. Their younger sister, Beatrice, has weak lungs, and the doctor has said their only hope for her to get better is to move to a warmer climate.

Thomas and Eve feel very differently about the move to America. Thomas is excited for a new home, new life, and new friends. Eve, on the other hand, is devastated to have left her home and friends behind, and is nervous about traveling on the Titanic - something about the ship just gives her a bad feeling. Eve begins to feel a bit better when she and Thomas meet Meggie and Hugh, a brother and sister around their age who are traveling home with their parents to America after a trip to Europe. The four teenagers become friends and Eve even begins to feel something more for Hugh. But then disaster strikes, when the Titanic hits an iceberg and begins to sink.

Forget Me Not is one of the many books about the Titanic released recently, to coincide with the upcoming 100th anniversary of the sinking in April 2012. I have been interested in the Titanic for years, so I am always eager to read a new novel set during the doomed voyage. Overall, I enjoyed this book, it wasn't my favorite Titanic book ever, but it was an enjoyable, quick read. The characters and their relationships could have been a bit more developed, and I wish the ending had been a bit less abrupt. I'd recommend this book to readers who love historical fiction about the Titanic, or who are interested in the subject for the first time due to the upcoming anniversary.