Book review: Before I Forget by Tory Henwood Hoen
Genre: Literary fiction
Release date: December 2, 2025
Goodreads rating: 4.49
My rating: 4.0
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I felt drawn to Before I Forget by Tory Henwood Hoen… the concept is quite unique. It follows Cricket, a 26-year-old who is adrift and decides to move back home to care for her father with Alzheimer’s. As she settles into daily life with her father, she notices that he repeatedly makes comments foreshadowing upcoming events… predicting the future. Is her father turning into a psychic?
What I loved about this book is that it looks at Alzheimer’s from a different perspective, as a different dimension of consciousness… despite not minimizing the disease, it also highlights the small moments of peace and grace that the disease can offer (such as forgetting a traumatic event and continuing to live as if it didn’t happen).
The writing flows nicely and the story moves at a steady pace. I was invested until the last page and connected with the different characters, each in different ways.
Cricket’s relationship with her father helps her come to terms with her past and future but mostly, helps her understand the importance of ‘family’ (in the extended sense of the term), the importance of living in the moment, and the importance of building human connections in whatever way feels possible in the moment.
It’s a beautiful love story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
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