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Every last one of us has, at some point, wished for a do-over—just one little chance to go back and try again. To respond to a nasty remark with a brilliantly snappy comeback. To say something to the man of your dreams when you have the chance. To turn down that third hotdog before getting on that roller coaster. But Jordan Landau desperately wants to do-over her whole crappy life. Her family treats her like an unwanted stepchild. Her boss takes credit for her great ideas. Her worthless boyfriend, Dirk, treats her like a servant—and he’s cheating on her, too. Jordan’s tired of being such a pushover, but she doesn’t know what to do about it, either. It’s just the way she’s always been.
Then, just when she hits rock bottom, Jordan gets hit by a car—and she decides that it’s her chance for a major do-over. So she fakes a nasty case of amnesia in order to escape from her life for a while—and, suddenly, everything turns around for New Jordan. She gets a much-deserved promotion at work. She stops taking Dirk’s crap. And she meets Travis, the guy who hit her—and who also appears to be The Perfect Guy. But as Jordan starts to fall for Travis, she starts to worry that their relationship is based on a big, fat lie.
Back when I read Caprice Crane’s Stupid and Contagious, I had a feeling that I’d just found a new favorite author. And, clearly, I was right—because Crane’s second novel, Forget About It, is even better than the first. Her style is just remarkably readable. She has a wonderful sense of humor that makes the pages fly by, and she fills her writing with all kinds of pop culture references—everything from song lyrics to scenes from my favorite ‘80s movies. She also creates lovably odd characters. They’re quirky and neurotic—but, at the same time, they’re exactly the kind of people that you’d like to hang out with.
As for the story itself, while it sometimes follows the Standard Laws of Chick Lit, Crane throws in plenty of surprises—and she plays with enough possibilities to keep you guessing. Then, just when you think you know exactly how it’s all going to end, she throws in a brilliant twist—one that’s totally implausible and absolutely unbelievable, but it’s so unexpected and she writes it so well that it just makes for great reading. After all, this is chick lit we’re talking about here. Nobody says it’s supposed to be believable. It’s just supposed to be fun—and that’s exactly what Forget About It is. It’s a quick and quirky read that you won’t want to put down.
If you’re looking for an escape from your own crappy life, I recommend picking up a copy of Forget About It instead of trying to fake your own case of amnesia. And, while you’re at it, treat yourself to a copy of Stupid and Contagious, too.
