Forgotten by Cat Patrick Book Essay Example

📌Category: Books, Literature
📌Words: 1306
📌Pages: 5
📌Published: 29 April 2021

Every night I would ask my parents to read me a book off of my little pink bookshelf. Ever since those nights, I have enjoyed reading. I enjoy reading, but if I get to choose what I read, I won’t be able to put the book down. Reading is one of those things where you can do it and your mind is transported into the character’s world. I enjoy reading books that have a strong connection to life as well as a diverse set of characters. A great book will include a plot line that you can’t see through from the second chapter. It will also have well developed characters, evoke some emotion, and include a connection to something in the real world.

When I was younger, I loved to read books that had characters that make me laugh as well as pictures. This was a form of entertainment for me. As I’ve gotten older, I still do like to read for fun, but I find it difficult to find books that I am interested in. Another thing with reading that comes into effect now is the language. I have found books with amazing plotlines and characters, but the language seemed not complex enough for my reading level. To me, a work of literary merit includes complex characters with a plot that will stand the test of time. The language should evoke strong emotions that will pull in the reader. The book Forgotten By Cat Patrick is not a work of literary merit. 

Literary Merit

A work of literary merit is defined by Wikipedia stating, “Literary merit is the quality shared by all works of fiction that are considered to have aesthetic value (aesthetic=something that deals with nature, art, beauty, and taste). The concept of “literary merit” has been criticized as being necessarily subjective, since personal taste determines aesthetic value, and has been decided as a “relic of a scholarly elite. Despite these criticisms, many criteria have been suggested to determine literary merit including: standing the test of time, realistic characters, emotional complexity, originality, and concern with truth.”. Books that I have read in the past have qualified as a work of literary merit. Some of these titles include To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby,  and Romeo and Juliet. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee meets the criteria for a work of literary merit because it has stood the test of time despite the fact that the events that take place are not common anymore. The book also has realistic characters that are put into situations that evoke emotion as well as being emotionally complex themselves. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald also exemplifies these qualities. The book includes an original story to pull readers into the characters that face emotional trials as well as real life. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakesphere is another work of literary merit that has certainly stood the test of time since it was written. It is an original story that many have read and have used as inspiration for their own stories. The complexity of the story and the characters along with the concern for truth adds to the story and is part of why it has stood the test of time. 

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Forgotten by Cat Patrick is a story about a girl named London who finds herself with an unusual ability. All of her memories are things that will happen in the future, not things from the past. She can see the next day, but when 4:33 AM rolls around, that day’s memory is gone already. London has found ways to adapt to her unusual circumstance by writing herself notes the night before so that she can remember things. Even something as simple as a science test needs to be written in her notes or she will not remember it. When it comes to people, she remembers only those who appear in her future. Jaimie, London’s best friend, has been by her side despite London’s “problem” and London can remember her future because she is a part of it.

One day at school, London meets someone that her brain did not remember and that she did not have in her notes. His name is Luke. Soon after meeting Luke, London adds him to her notes, but her mind still can’t recall him from the future. While London is trying to figure things out, her best friend Jaimie gets herself into a few sticky situations at school. Soon after, their friendship is on thin ice. These are all the things that lead up to the main event, London’s dream. One night in bed, London has a dream of a funeral where she sees her father (who she doesn’t remember from the past) her grandmother (who she also doesn’t remember), and her mother along with others at a graveside service.

Now London has to deal with the thought everyday; someone is going to die. This story is told in first person from London’s point of view and because of this, we get an insight into what London writes down in her notes that other characters never get to see. Some of the major themes in Forgotten include facing darkness and that everything is not as it first appears. Cat Patrik’s plot and character development in Forgotten creates an ominous atmosphere that is also includes a loving element at the same time. An example of this can be seen when London says, “He looks around, and then suddenly his blue eyes are on mine, invading my space and my soul. I feel self conscious from his piercing stare, but no part of me wants to break free from it, either.” (page 162. Patrick). The feeling London gets is of love, but the way that it is described creates an ominous or intense feeling. 

Although I thoroughly enjoyed reading Forgotten by Cat Patrick, I do not believe it is a work of literary merit. A work of literary merit needs to stand the test of time. Considering the fact that this book falls into the young adult genre as well as mystery and romance, it is not represented on a very broad platform. The story is very interesting, but it is not really one that people will read unless they are apart of the “intended” audience or if they seek it out and read it. London’s character is not realistic in the sense that she has a special ability that not many people (or anyone) really can connect with.

The supporting characters are all very realistic, but London’s life contains a large aspect that is not. The book also does not include a clear concern with truth other than London’s search for her own truth (this aspect of the plot is not as emphasized as it could have been). Despite the book not being a work of literary merit, there are two aspects of merit that it does include. Emotional complexity is a strong component in the plot of the story and in character development. It is shown not only through the actions of characters, but also in the way they are described and are portrayed. Originality is the other merit quality this book possesses. There is not a situation portrayed that is even close to what is in this book in any books that I’ve ever read. Although there have been other stories about memory loss and things of that nature, the elements of the novel all come together to create an original storyline that pulls the reader in. All in all, Forgotten is a great book, but it does not hold all the requirements to be considered as a work of literary merit. 

From reading picture books as a kid to  chapter books now, I have always found reading books of my choice enjoyable. Some of the books that I have read in school such as Romeo and Juliet, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Great Gatsby are books that I have enjoyed that fall into the realm of works of literary merit.  A work of literary merit has criteria such as, “standing the test of time, realistic characters, emotional complexity, originality, and concern with truth.” (Wikipedia). Forgotten by Cat Patrick is not a work of literary merit due to the fact that it won’t really stand the test of time, the main character is not fully realistic, and there is not a strong concern with truth.

 

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