Never Forgotten by Kelly Risser and Clean Teen Publishing

One minute Meara Quinn is making plans for the summer before her senior year. The next she finds out that her mother's cancer has returned and they're moving away from the only home she's ever known. Every day becomes a struggle as Meara tries to cope with her mother's illness while being forced to move to another country to live with grandparents who are strangers.

Add weird visions of a father who was absent her entire life and top it all off with one whopping secret that everyone seems bent on keeping from her, and Meara has the perfect ingredients for a major melt down. The only things keeping her from coming unglued are some new friends and Evan—the son of her mother's childhood friend—who seems to know Meara almost better than she knows herself.

Together with Evan and her friends, Meara embarks on a new journey to unlock the secrets that will not only tell Meara who she is, but what she is.

I'm really excited about today's post.  This is the start of a new relationship between myself and Clean Teen Publishing, who I will tell you about more and in great detail after my review of this book, Never Forgotten.

First, I do love the cover of this book.  I love when book covers make sense and represent the story held within.  This one is pretty!

I will say that I enjoyed the story here, and the journey of Meara.  To me, this book was more sedate in it's telling.  Maybe gentle and lulling would be a better description.  There were no heart pounding moments or moments of desperation where, as a reader, I wanted to just tear through the pages to find out what was going to happen.  The paranormal aspect is minimal in this book but will definitely pick up in the next book.

I liked all the characters in this book, they were easy to imagine and I felt like I was there, hovering over them throughout the book.  I could easily see in my mind where they were and what they were doing.  Even thinking back now, I have clear pictures in my head.  I love when I get movies in my head!

Meara deals with a lot of heavy issues in this book.  Her mother's cancer, moving to a new place and leaving her life and friends behind, learning about a father she has never known, weird things happening... there is a lot going on.  Meara is a character that is easy to like though.  I was rooting for her.  It was more of in an outside way though.  Me, on the outside looking in on a great story.  I just needed that emotional connection to pull me in and make me a part of the story.

There are sexual encounters in the book.  They are not described in any detail, but you know it happens.  There are some instances of mild swearing and some under aged drinking.

Of course the ending left me hanging, wanting to know more.  I do believe the next book (Current Impressions) will be out soon!  You can purchase Never Forgotten at Amazon.  **As of today 7/28/14 Never Forgotten is FREE on Amazon!!  I don't know how long that will last but get it while you can!

Now, let me tell you a bit about Clean Teen Publishing!  I first came across them when I read the book "Rising" (which I loved).  They had a scan code in the book that led me to a content disclosure.  What?!  I love that!  I was so impressed and I wanted to know more about this publisher and why they were doing what they were doing.  Here is their statement on the matter.

OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR READERS:
AT CLEAN TEEN PUBLISHING, WE BELIEVE THAT OUR READERS DESERVE TO KNOW AHEAD OF TIME WHAT THEY ARE READING. WE DO NOT BELIEVE IN CENSORSHIP; WE BELIEVE IN THE RIGHT TO KNOW. EVERY READER, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR AGE IS, HAS CERTAIN BOUNDARIES THEY DON'T WANT TO CROSS. CURRENTLY THERE IS NO CONSISTENT RATING SYSTEM IN PLACE FOR BOOKS LIKE THERE ARE FOR MOVIES, MUSIC AND VIDEO GAMES. WE BELIEVE BY OFFERING A WIDER RANGE OF DISCLOSURE ABOUT THE CONTENT OF OUR BOOKS, WE WILL GIVE READERS OF ALL AGES AND PARENTS, A STRONGER SENSE OF COMFORT ACCORDING TO WHAT LIES BETWEEN THE PAGES.

WITH THAT SAID, WE WILL NOT DEEM WHETHER A BOOK IS APPROPRIATE OR INAPPROPRIATE FOR ANY PARTICULAR AGE RANGE. OUR DISCLOSURE IS SIMPLY FOR YOU TO KNOW WHAT IS IN THE BOOK AND WE LEAVE IT UP TO YOU TO DECIDE WHAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH READING.- See more at: http://www.cleanteenpublishing.com

This is exactly what I have always wished for.  Honest.  I do not want censorship, I just want to know and be able to make my own informed decisions.  Finally.  This is a publisher I am willing to stand behind.  Not because every book they publish will be books that I personally love, but because they are willing to give me information so I can choose the books I will be most comfortable with and what I believe will be most appropriate for my children.  I love that.  LOVE.  So, check them out.  Visit their website.  Check out the content disclosures.  Tell me what you think!