Book Review: The Song Remains the Same

'The Song Remains the Same'
Author: Allison Winn Scotch


Format: ARC
Published: Putnam Adult; Apr. 2012
Pages: 320
Genre: Fiction
Grade: B
Source: TLC Book Tours


Synopsis: One of only two survivors of a plane crash, Nell Slattery wakes in the hospital with no memory of the horrific experience-or who she is, or was. Now she must piece together both body and mind, with the help of family and friends, who have their own agendas. She filters through photos, art, music, and stories, hoping something will jog her memory, and soon, in tiny bits and pieces, Nell starts remembering. . . .
It isn't long before she learns to question the stories presented by her mother, her sister and business partner, and her husband. In the end, she will discover that forgiving betrayals small and large will be the only true path to healing herself-and to finding happiness.


My Take: I am starting to think I have a thing for amnesia fiction. Is that a genre? If not, I think it should be! Last year I read What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty (click title for my review) and it was one of my favorite books of last year! Now here I am only a few months later and I am essentially reading almost the exact same book and instead of being bored I am really enjoying it! What is it with the allure of getting to start fresh? Waking up one day and saying, wait a minute I am going to take this life by the horns and do it all over! It's oddly inspiring.


In this latest amnesia fiction, The Song Remains the Same by Allison Winn Scotch, we have Nell Slattery. She is one of only two survivors of a horrific plane crash. When the story opens she is lying in a hospital bed having no idea how she got there, what is wrong with her, or who all of these people are around her. Talk about scary! Slowly people start to fill her on here story but she thinks, "this doesn't sound like me!" and "I have to be a much more exciting person than this!" Since she was essentially given a second chance at life she decides she should try to live this one with more zest.


The people around her: her mother, sister, husband and best friend all are well meaning and some her gut tells her to trust and some she doesn't, but she really has no choice but to listen to what they tell her about her past because she doesn't remember a thing. Slowly as she tries to figure it all out we learn who the real Nell was and who the real Nell might just be in the future. 


I admired Nell and all she had to go through in this novel and how she dealt with it all. If I had one fault with it, it would just be that I felt like I had already read it.


For other opinions on this book, please check out the full TLC Tour here!


Cover Lust: While the colors are punchy, it's really tells me absolutely nothing about what's inside.