The book starts with Portia's arrest for a crime she does not remember committing. Working with a forensic psychiatrist, she recounts the past several years of her life from the time when her mother and sister were killed in an accident, leaving her and her father alone and essentially housebound from anxiety. The psychiatrist believes that if Portia remembers everything about the accident, she will remember why she has been arrested. This wasn't bad. I read it pretty quickly. I didn't love the ending. 3 stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Datura Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Patricia Shanae Smith’s debut novel “Remember” is an emotionally raw, psychologically gripping journey into the fractured mind of a young woman battling memory loss, trauma, and the shadows of untreated mental illness. Though marketed as a psychological thriller, this book leans heavily into psychological fiction, delivering an intimate portrait of a damaged mind struggling to piece itself back together and a chilling reminder of how the mind can twist reality in the name of self-preservation.

At the center of the story is Portia Willows, a young woman whose life was shattered at seventeen when her mother and younger sister died in a tragic car accident. Struggling with debilitating social anxiety long before the crash, Portia becomes even more reclusive afterward, retreating into a life of isolation with her emotionally absent father. Her world is small as it’s reduced to online classes, late-night sitcoms, and beer-fueled apathy until Ethan Torke, the boy across the street, offers her a glimmer of connection and hope.

But five years later, that glimmer is gone. Portia is now in custody, suspected of a violent crime she can’t fully remember. Her memories are shattered, and her present-day conversations with a forensic psychiatrist serve as a chilling frame for a story told mostly through flashbacks where some are real, some distorted, all crucial. The story carefully unspools Portia’s unraveling psyche, revealing secrets buried so deeply even she can’t face them. The central mystery revolves not just around the crime itself, but around the way Portia’s mind has constructed a new version of reality to protect her from unbearable truths.

Smith handles the unreliable narrator device with precision. Portia’s perspective is foggy, biased, and emotionally charged but never confusing. Flashbacks are deftly woven through timelines, showing a girl desperate for love, healing, and understanding. You will likely unravel the truth about her father early on, but this predictability feels intentional. It isn’t about the “what” so much as the “why”—why Portia can’t remember, why she refused to see, and how trauma can disfigure even the most obvious of realities.

Ethan’s role in the story is more surprising. Initially framed as a love interest and lifeline, his true involvement in Portia’s past hits like a sucker punch, grounding the book’s emotional climax in betrayal, fear, and heartbreak. The final reveal is both tragic and satisfying, bringing full circle the themes of memory, denial, and the long-overdue reckoning with past trauma.

The book’s greatest strength lies in its unflinching depiction of mental illness. Smith doesn't shy away from showing the dark underbelly of untreated conditions with how they warp behavior, isolate the sufferer, and are too often ignored or misunderstood by those closest to them. Portia’s spiral feels painfully real, and the book’s ending, while a bit neat in its resolution, doesn't offer a miracle cure. Instead, it promises accountability, healing, and the difficult truth that some scars never fully fade.

Overall, “Remember” is a compelling, character-driven psychological tale that explores trauma, denial, and the fragile construction of memory. With sharp writing, emotionally resonant themes, and a protagonist who is as heartbreaking as she is unreliable, Patricia Shanae Smith has crafted a debut that’s both suspenseful and deeply human.

A nice read that I enjoyed a lot. The plot is flowing nicely and the writing harmonizes with the plot. I also loved how the characters are written. They feel like real persons.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

"This review is for an ARC received through Netgalley!"
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I want to commend the author for the effort put into crafting this book—it's clear that a lot of hard work has gone into it, and for that, I truly appreciate it. However, I must admit that this particular book just isn't for me. I struggled to keep up at times, as some parts left me feeling confused. The shifts in the timeline were especially confusing (or maybe disordered), making the reading experience feel more like a chore at moments rather than an enjoyable escape into a story.

While I respect the complexity of the narrative, the shifts threw me off somewhat. Although the pieces eventually fell into place by the end, the journey to that conclusion felt a bit frustrating and disorienting. It's one of those situations where, despite the cleverness of the plot, it was difficult for me to stay engaged and focused because I had to make sense and grasp the flow.

In the end, my overall impression is a bit of a mixed bag. I can't say I loved it, but I also don't harbour any strong dislike for it either. For me, though, it was a struggle to stay connected with the story.

Suffering with a severe form of social anxiety disorder, recently losing her mother and sister in a horrific car accident, and now being held in a psychiatric hospital for a crime she doesn't remember committing, we meet Portia, a unique protagonist that the reader will adore and root for until the last page is turned.

This was such a gut-wrenching, emotional story that gripped me from beginning to end. The protagonist was a powerhouse, and through all her trauma, she still had her quirky, sarcastic moments, making her even more lovable. We are told this story in past and present timelines and are given the pieces to put the puzzle slowly, but meticulously together. While I saw some of what was coming from the subtle hints we were given, it didn't take away from it whatsoever. This was a solid, heartfelt mystery with a memorable protagonist. This author earned her spot in this genre, and I can't wait to read her future work. Four stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Datura Books, for this ARC.

This book was great.

As a mother of a child with ASD that suffers with social anxiety, this book drew me in due to it being based off someone living with severe social anxiety disorder.

The book tells the story of Portia, a young adult living with social anxiety. It tells of different timelines as we learn about Portia and what she's been through. After something happens Portia is arrested but she has no idea what she's done and why, Forensic psychologist Elizabeth works with Portia to get her to remember things that happened in the past, that lead to the future events.

The books is a fantastic debut from Patricia Shanae Smith. It's quite emotional, you really feel for Portia as you learn what her life has been like and what has happened to her. Then there is a crazy twist at the end I didn't see coming!

"I was broken but the kind of brokenness that didn't come with screaming or shattering glass. It was quiet, insidious. The kind that seeps in slowly, until you're drowning in it."

Remember by Patricia Shanae Smith is a psychological thriller debut that is equal parts compelling and vulnerable. An emotional rollercoaster, this book delves deep into the themes of trauma, memories, and mental health.

Portia's world crumbles when in highschool a tragic car accident caused the deaths of her mother and her sister. Portia has always struggled with social anxiety disorder but she was able to manage it with help from her sister Piper. Now after their death, Portia spends almost all day everyday watching The Big Bang Theory with her father, smoking cigarettes and drinking beer. When one day she meets her next door neighbor Ethan Torke, she starts to feel ready to let someone else in to her life. But now, five years later, Portia has been arrested for a crime she does not remember and is forced to confront a past full of broken memories in order to find out the truth.

This was such a gripping and emotional read! As someone who suffers from anxiety attacks, the representation is everything! The way the narrative is written is so incredibly detailed and immersive. Remember is told in Portia's perspective and has flashbacks that are perfectly placed in order for the reader to stay engaged and invested. This is definitely a book that I would recommend to anyone and I can't wait to see what else Patricia Shanae Smith comes out with!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Patricia Shanae Smith, and Datura Books for this ARC!! Publication date is April 22nd 2025.

As someone who suffers greatly from social anxiety, I really appreciated the representation within this book and very much felt seen.

This book was simultaneously a bit predictable and full of twists and turns that I did not see coming.

Through jumping around the timeline, Smith builds a picture of events, drip-feeding the story of both the deaths of Portia's family and what led her to be on the trial that you see at the very beginning of the story. There is a sense of not really being able to trust anything that you are being told and the pieces not really adding up until they suddenly were. I particularly found the ending to be strong and eerie.

Thank you for the ARC of Remember for my honest review.

This one was very intriguing to me just being a psychological thriller in general that is my favorite type of book. As someone who has memory issues due do a TBI I did enjoy this book. I did enjoy the mental illness part of this story because I feel like that is an important thing to put into books and shed some light on. I know what the mind does to protect us from my own trauma but having it on pages is really great for readers to see. This one is definitely a MUST read. The main character Portia is a GREAT character. LOVED this read!

I just finished Remember by Patricia Shanae Smith, and I’m still processing everything—it was such an emotional rollercoaster. The story follows Portia, a young woman grappling with the devastating loss of her mother and sister, compounded by her struggle with severe social anxiety. Her life becomes a blur of isolation and coping mechanisms until Ethan, a new neighbor, enters her world and challenges her perceptions. As Portia confronts a traumatic past she can’t fully remember, the narrative unfolds with unexpected twists that kept me guessing until the very end.

This book delves deep into themes of memory, trauma, and the complexities of mental health. It’s not just a psychological thriller; it’s a poignant exploration of healing and self-discovery.

Great read, Portia is an interesting character to get to know. Suspense and more. Loved it! This was a fast read for me and I recommend it.

i really enjoyed this story. it was really really well told. the subject matter was handled with such brilliant detail and it felt "known". it felt professional and personal at the same time with the way it handled the very real issues of mental illness. and if anyone or someone they know suffers from mental illness and panic disorders especially then this will feel really well handled which sadly is definitely not always the case. in fact more often that not its not handled well.
this book tells so much into what the mind does to protect us. and what the mind does when its poorly. when the two go together it must be so very difficult. and who do you trust. or who should you trust. add to that our character then loses two people she loves, it can all come crashing down. but then what happens when years pass which you dont properly remember. and you have to piece it all together because somehow you are in custody with blood on your hands.
this book was a brilliant psychological thriller. it has twists,turns and surprises along the way which i didnt see coming. this book was both a great depiction of the heartbreak of those who suffer with mental illness and a great story.

This is an incredible book I couldn't put it down. The story line is full of tension and suspense, the characters are well developed I was so intrigued by Portia, she is a fantastic character. I read it in one very intense sitting

What a read.

This is an intense and complex thriller and Portia is an amazing character.

Portias mother and sister were killed in a car accident... but why is Portia filled with angst and guilt.

Her demons come back to haunt her and as she unravels the story gets more intriguing.

It is superbly written and is a story well told.

Loved this book so much! Top book I've read this year hands down. Thank you for letting me read this in advance!