A Book Addict's Bookshelves (Old): Blog Tour + Giveaway

Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn

Release Date: 11/03/15

Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

Imagine a world where your destiny has already been decided...by your future self.

It's Callie’s seventeenth birthday and, like everyone else, she's eagerly awaiting her vision―a memory sent back in time to sculpt each citizen into the person they're meant to be. A world-class swimmer. A renowned scientist.

Or in Callie's case, a criminal.

In her vision, she sees herself murdering her beloved -- and gifted -- younger sister. Before she can process what it means, Callie is arrested, treated viciously, and placed in Limbo―a prison for those destined to break the law. With the help of her childhood crush, Logan, a boy she hasn’t spoken to in five years, she escapes this hellish prison.

But on the run from her future, as well as the government, Callie sets in motion a chain of events that she hopes will change her fate. If not, she must figure out how to protect her sister from the biggest threat of all—Callie, herself.

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My Five Favorite Passages from FORGET TOMORROW

1. They tell me I won't feel so alone then. I'll know, without a shred of doubt, that somewhere in another spacetime exists a future version of me, one who turns out all right. I'll know who I'm supposed to be. And I'll never feel lost again.

Ah, poor Callie. So hopeful at the beginning of the book. So SURE that her future memory will solve all of her problems. The song "Crystal Ball," which David Elliott Johnson and Kimberly Brown wrote for FORGET TOMORROW, perfectly captures this moment. This is probably why I cried when I first heard this song. (Of course, there's also the matter of the song's poignant lyrics and Kimberly's stunning voice!) If you haven't heard this song yet, you can check out a teaser here.

2. "You have the right to remain silent," an officer intones. "Nothing you do can save you, but anything you say may be used against you. [...] You will not be appointed an attorney....You will not be tried in a court of law. Your future memory serves as indictment, trial, and conviction."

This is the speech the officer gives when Callie is arrested, and I modeled it after the Miranda rights. I love this speech because it shows just how different -- and messed up -- the legal beliefs are in this future society.

3.         "One."
            I'm so sorry, Jessa. I never meant to hurt you. I never dreamed it would come to this.
            "Two."
            If I die, then you'll live. That's all that's important now.
            "Three."
            You see, Mom? I told you I'd keep her safe.
            A valley of nothingness looms before me. I jump.

One of my favorite moments in the entire book. I wrote this passage very early on, and although it's jumped around in the timing of the story, the words have stayed intact. In fact, my copy editor suggested some changes to the wording, which I refused. I'm pretty flexible when it comes to edits, but this is one of the few moments I would've fought for. (I didn't have to -- but I would've.)

4. His lips touch mine, as light as a moth dancing on the wind. I'm lost. In school, we learned about the butterfly effect, that something as insignificant as the flapping of insect wings could cause a hurricane on the other side of the world. Well, that's me. There's a storm inside me, swirling violently, threatening to sweep me away. For once, I would be happy to drown.

Eeee!!! The first kiss! I love this moment. LOVE IT. Reading this passage now, I can feel everything that Callie's feeling -- those larger-than-life sensations, the wild frenzy along with the quiet wonder. Logan, Logan, Logan. Ahhhh.

5. I'd like to live in a world where love conquers all. But maybe...when we built a world based on images of the future, we bargained away our dreams. We traded in the passion of our souls...and all we got in return was security. Goals already achieved. A life already lived. [...] Maybe we would've been better off if those memories had never been sent. Maybe we could learn to breathe again if we could only forget tomorrow.

And here it is. Perhaps the most important passage of the book. People have asked me what the lesson in FORGET TOMORROW is, and this is the answer: Live for today. Forget about tomorrow.

***

So there you have it! Those are my five favorite passages from FORGET TOMORROW. Or are they?

Okay, fine. I'll let you in on a little secret. I adore the five passages quoted above, but my absolute, hands-down, first-place-by-a-light-year favorite part of the book isn't included. Why? Because...spoiler!!

So I'm going to adopt my third-grade book-report-giving persona and say: if you want to find out, you'll just have to read the book. But when you do, you won't have any problems figuring out which part I'm talking about. Promise. Cross my heart and hope to die. 😆

About the Author

When my first-grade teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I replied, “An author.” Although I have pursued other interests over the years, this dream has never wavered.

I graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in English Literature and Language. I received my J.D. at Yale Law School, where I was an editor of the YALE LAW JOURNAL. I published an article in the YALE LAW JOURNAL, entitled, “How Judges Overrule: Speech Act Theory and the Doctrine of Stare Decisis,” and received the Barry S. Kaplan Prize for best paper in Law and Literature.

I am represented by literary agent Beth Miller of Writers House. I'm a 2012 Golden Heart® finalist and a 2014 double-finalist. I'm a member of Romance Writers of America, Washington Romance Writers, YARWA, and The Golden Network.

I live with my husband and children in Maryland.

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