Book Review: Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry

Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction 
Date Published: March 14, 2017
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

A girl with Tourette syndrome starts at a new school and tries to hide her quirks in this debut middle-grade novel in verse.

Astronomy-loving Calliope June has Tourette syndrome, so she sometimes makes faces or noises that she doesn't mean to make. When she and her mother move yet again, she tries to hide her TS. But it isn't long before the kids at her new school realize she's different. Only Calli's neighbor, who is also the popular student body president, sees her as she truly is—an interesting person and a good friend. But is he brave enough to take their friendship public?

As Calli navigates school, she must also face her mother's new relationship and the fact that she might be moving, again, just as she starts to make friends and finally accept her differences.

Forget Me Not is a debut novel by Ellie Terry. This is a story of a young girl with Tourette’s Syndrome and how she copes with life. I wish there could have been a decent adult in her life. I understand her teachers and admin not understanding what was going on. Especially since she and her mother were attempting to keep it secret, but her therapist was also a disappointment. Her mother had no redeeming qualities. She was selfish and pretty useless. So, Calli's forced to figure out a lot of things on her own. It’s written as a short story, and things were definitely rushed a bit, but it also felt like it was unfinished in the end. I mean there was a clear ending, but it all wrapped up so quickly, and it just felt rushed and like something was missing. It's great that she helped herself.. sorta, but that's not realistic for most people.. and certainly not one so young. I wanted the book to show how she could get help. I'm sure there are young people out there that could benefit from some guidance. I love the concept and the characters. I just feel like it needed more. 

Ellie Terry writes heartfelt contemporary fiction for middle-grade readers. Her middle-grade debut, a verse novel titled FORGET ME NOT, was published in 2017 by Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan. She lives in southern Utah with one husband, three kids, a dog, a hamster, and a snail.

To learn more about Ellie Terry and her books, visit her website. You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.

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