Book Review: I Almost Forgot About You by Terry McMillan
I Almost Forgot About You by Terry McMillan
Publisher: Crown
Release Date: June 7, 2016
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
In I Almost Forgot About You, Dr. Georgia Young’s wonderful life–great friends, family, and successful career–aren’t enough to keep her from feeling stuck and restless. When she decides to make some major changes in her life, including quitting her job as an optometrist and moving house, she finds herself on a wild journey that may or may not include a second chance at love. Georgia’s bravery reminds us that it’s never too late to become the person you want to be, and that taking chances, with your life and your heart, are always worthwhile.
Big-hearted, genuine, and universal, I Almost Forgot About You shows what can happen when you face your fears, take a chance, and open yourself up to life, love, and the possibility of a new direction. It’s everything you’ve always loved about Terry McMillan.
When Dr. Georgia Young learns that a former love has passed away, she regrets that they did not keep in touch over the years and that she never told him about the impact he had on her life. She decides to make a list of all her past boyfriends and contact them to let them know what they have meant to her.
This is the first book I’ve read from Terry McMillan and I have to say I wasn’t overly impressed. However, from what I’ve read in other reviews, this book isn’t as good as her most popular books How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Waiting to Exhale. I Almost Forgot About You reads like a typical chic lit novel. There isn’t a lot in the way of character development and the writing is straightforward without much description. It is refreshing to read a book where the main character is in her fifties and still has the capability of feeling both love and lust – as real life fifty year olds do. And Georgia is an average looking woman too, not a gorgeous and thin model type. In these ways, she is very relatable.
Georgia has two best friends, Violet and Wanda. They are both quite different from Georgia. Wanda has been happily married for years and Violet is a single mother who is a helicopter parent to her adult daughter. I liked these characters but their relationship with Georgia seemed superficial for being best friends. The snappy dialogue between the three didn’t seem authentic to me.
I liked this book well enough that I’d like to go back and read her more popular books – I’m not giving up on her. I think I just chose the wrong book to start with. I think die-hard fans will probably like this book more than I did. If you’re new to Terry McMillan, you should start with one of her other books.
(I received a complementary copy of this book for review.)
