Forgetting the Lost

Forgetting the Lost 

Forgetting the Lost is the latest short story to be checked off my to be read list. It is deemed a novella because it is just 67 pages long, so it can be read in one single sitting, and I really appreciate that. 

This is the first that I’ve ever heard of J. Martian, so I was excited to try reading a new author. 

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Have you read Forgetting the Lost? Come on in and let me tell you about it! 

About Forgetting the Lost 

Most children are afraid of the dark. She knows better.

Six-year-old Madeline Galloway knows she’s unlikeable. Unlovable. Uncanny. But when she encounters a strange man she believes to be a fallen angel, her abilities might save her life.

Or ruin it.

Set in coastal North Carolina in the 1940s, this powerful novella can be read as a standalone, or as a prequel to the paranormal/sci-fi novel “Daughters of Men.” Part Southern gothic, part supernatural suspense, this literary work has a bittersweet ending that will haunt you long after finishing. 

Thoughts on Forgetting the Lost 

Forgetting the Lost is the first of J. Martian’s writing that I’ve heard of, so I was excited for the introduction to her writing. 

My problem was I found it really hard to get into. It just didn’t suck me in. The writing is great, nothing wrong with it. I’m just thinking it isn’t my vibe or style I enjoy. But I’m also not sure gothic is my style either. I’m going to try reading a couple others that fall into this category soon, to get a better idea. 

I have a firm belief that books can speak to the reader, and this one didn’t do that for me. But that may simply mean it didn’t find me at the right time. I just finished reading a really tough memoir that made me physically sick, so I wasn’t necessarily in a place to hear the message this one had to say. 

Which is an excellent reason to put it on the shelf for right now and come back to it at another time and see if I’m ready to hear the message in this story. I love reading stories all over again for this exact reason. Sometimes we miss things or it hits differently at different times in our lives. 

I think I need to find a sappy or happy fun romantic comedy to cleanse my brain from my previous book, and I need to pay more attention to things like that when starting new books. 

Final Thoughts on Forgetting the Lost 

I’m going to rate it at three stars, because I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. There was nothing egregiously wrong with it, but it simply wasn’t for me. It’s like a recipe everyone else raves about, but it simply isn’t your thing.

But that is the best part of reading for me, just because it isn’t for me, doesn’t mean it isn’t for you. I’m here to highlight and talk about books I’ve read, no matter how good or bad they are. Bringing attention to it and hopefully sparking your curiosity to go read it is my goal. 

I went to check out other reviews once I had finished, and they are overwhelmingly positive. Which means it is likely that you’ll enjoy it more than I did. 

Discussion 

Have you read Forgetting the Lost or any other writing from author J. Martian? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

About the Author 

J. Martain is a coastal North Carolina native who spends most of her time questioning the way the universe and all the beings in it work. This often leads her down a deep research rabbit hole until she resurfaces with a new theory and a backstory to explain it. Her characters are sometimes human, sometimes not, but they prefer not to be judged on that criteria. 

Purchasing Forgetting the Lost

If you are interested in buying the paperback version of Forgetting the Lost, click here.

Click here for the Kindle version.

Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.

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