Forgotten: Seventeen and Homeless (Secrets) [Kindle Edition]

Melody Carlson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

With absent parents, overdue rent, and no one to turn to, Adele is forced into the hard, cold world of homelessness. While striving to maintain the pretense of a “normal” life, Adele attempts to finish high school, all the while concealing her secret. But is she strong enough to keep up the act?

Forgotten will propel teen readers into a world where promises are broken, life is not fair, and challenges seem unbearable, while still offering assurance that solid faith, loyal friends, and a persistent spirit will prevail.

From the Back Cover

With MIA parents, overdue rent, and no one to turn to, Adele is forced out of her home. She strives to maintain the pretense of a “normal” life while struggling to finish high school, all the while concealing that she is homeless. But is she strong enough to keep up the act?

[series copy]
Every teenage girl has a secret. And every teenage girl loves hearing someone else’s secret. But some secrets are big enough to detour, derail, or even destroy a young person’s life. Each of Melody Carlson’s Secrets novels will propel readers into a world where promises are broken, life is not fair, and challenges can make or break them, while ultimately helping readers discover that solid faith, loyal friends, and a persistent spirit will see them through.

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 1310 KB
• Print Length: 208 pages
• Publisher: NavPress (August 1, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003VYC8UM
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #56,050 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

Melody Carlson has written around 200 books for teens, women and children. That's a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a "storyteller." Her books range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She's won a number of awards (including the Rita and Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog. To find out more about Melody Carlson, visit her website at http://www.melodycarlson.com/

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing Fairy Tale, August 11, 2010

By 

CR (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Forgotten: Seventeen and Homeless (Secrets) (Kindle Edition)

I thought the premise of the book sounded good and for half of the book I was not disappointed. However the author leaves many questions unanswered. What happened to Cybil? What happened to her other friends? Where did she go next?

I think this book is more like a fairy tale where someone waves a wand and everyone lives happily ever after. It doesn't talk about real life. I would have liked to seen this girl work through and achieve her goals she was working towards, not have everything appear as a miracle. With everything just given to her at the end there were no lessons learned. She did not become a stronger person that could handle future disappointment. If anything she became more child-like.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ended too quickly, August 12, 2010

By 

Abooklovingirl (Los Angeles, Ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forgotten: Seventeen and Homeless (Secrets) (Paperback)

All of her life seventeen-year-old Adele has had it pretty rough. When things start to turn around for her and her mom, she feels like she'll finally have a normal life. When she began to attend a new school, she quickly made new friends, and loved that they knew nothing about her life before them. Her life was changing. She had lots of friends, a much better place to live, and a little more money for better clothes. She even thought her mom was going to actually do good at her new job. It all seemed too good to be true, and unfortunately it was all about to end soon.

After her mom walks out on her, she gets a new job to have at least a little money available to her. She soon gets evicted from her apartment and ends up living in an old van she nicknames, "Darth Vader." She keeps her circumstance to herself and does everything possible, including a lot of lying, to keep her wealthy friends from finding out. When everyone finds out about her being homeless, how will she deal with the embarrassment, rejection, and loneliness?

Forgotten is the first book in the Secrets series by Melody Carlson. I think I expected a little more from this story, but it was still a good read. I began reading it before I went to bed and quickly realized that that was a big mistake. I couldn't put it down and I wanted to see what happened next so bad! Even though I felt glued to this book, I still have mixed feelings about it. The story was predictable at times, and I felt like it ended too quickly. I think that's the only disappointment I have, but it's a big factor in a story. This book is for teen readers and I really liked that it's a clean story with nothing inappropriate. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.

This book was provided for review by Navpress. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have express are my own.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't Judge Others, August 14, 2010

By 

Bluerose's Heart "Bluerose's Heart" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Forgotten: Seventeen and Homeless (Secrets) (Paperback)

It never seems to stop amazing me at the childishness and selfishness of some parents. I think this story could be told by entirely too many teens. Although, I do think that Adele's story was very calm in comparison to what happens for many homeless people. This story only gives you a glimpse of what homelessness is like, although I've never been without a home and pray I never experience that hardship. This observation is purely from other books and documentaries. It was still heartbreaking to read Forgotten. It really teaches you to not be so judgemental of others. We should be more accepting of each other.
It made me thankful for my parents!! I'm so grateful to my parents that I never had to worry about if I would get a meal. I can't imagine what that is like.
The only issue I had was the ending. It was somewhat rushed and we never learn what happens with the parents. It's still a book I recommend, especially to teens. There's lots of great messages that can be taken away.

* I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.