(2) YA Since "the asteroid hit"--Aaron's term for when his brother died of an opioid overdose--the only book Aaron can bring himself to read is one about the extinction of the dinosaurs. He's sure the catastrophes that have befallen him are as inevitable as that asteroid strike had been for the dinosaurs: the breakup of his parents' marriage, the decline of his family's bookstore in rural Washington State, his own stagnation. But as Aaron, who took ownership of the store on his eighteenth birthday, gets ready to sell the building, he finds new friends (notably Chad, a classic "bro" type who's newly a wheelchair user after a snowboarding accident) and unexpected help (as a group of unemployed lumberjacks starts repairing the store despite his protestations). Aaron is an observer, deeply cynical and highly literate, regularly making assessments of friends and family (his father is "the human incarnation of The Giving Tree"). His close narration leaves readers nearly as in the dark as the protagonist about the angles he's missing (the options available to him, and others' efforts and willingness to help him), which allows for a surprising emotional payoff. ­Forman (I Was Here, rev. 1/15; I Have Lost My Way, rev. 5/18) excels at pacing, and the rich cast of well-defined secondary characters lends plenty of depth.

Reviewer: Sarah Rettger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(2) YA A chance meeting in Central Park leads to intimate relationships among three nineteen-year-olds, each struggling: up-and-coming singer Freya has lost her voice; gay college student Harun is closeted to his Muslim family; and Nathaniel's hiding his true reason for visiting New York. Intermittent flashback chapters deepen these compelling backstories. Forman's latest novel offers a stirring reminder of the great risks of isolation and the immense solace of human connection.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(2) YA Just months after escaping her dead-end hometown on a prestigious college scholarship, brilliant Meg Garcia drinks a bottle of industrial cleaner. Blindsided, best friend Cody slips down an investigative rabbit-hole that leads her deep into Meg's hidden personal life--including Meg's correspondence with a pro-suicide web forum. Cody is a relentless but self-destructive detective; her struggle with grief is intense and affecting.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2015

(3) YA Straight-laced American tourist Allyson meets charismatic Dutch actor Willem in London and impetuously accompanies him to Paris; in twenty-four hours she falls in love, and then wakes up alone. A challenging freshman year of college follows before Allyson embarks on a path to self-discovery (and a serendipitous quest). Readers will look forward to the planned sequel to this sweepingly romantic coming-of-age story.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) YA In Just One Day, Willem and Allyson spent one fateful day together in Paris before getting separated, which devastated her. This companion book tells Willem's side, and follows the Dutch actor as he travels the globe, searching for meaning--and his lost love. Forman does an excellent job of intertwining her protagonists' stories, and fans will gush when they intersect.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(2) YA In this sequel to If I Stay, cellist Mia is making her Carnegie Hall debut while Adam--still consumed with love for Mia--is a paparazzi-hounded rock star. Fate brings the two together in New York City; tension mounts and sparks fly. Forman's angst-ridden narrative offers the appeal of a sensitive rock star whose only hope for salvation is true love.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2011

(2) YA A car accident leaves seventeen-year-old Mia in a coma, her parents and brother dead. She hovers between life and death, watching surgeons bustle around her comatose body. The story moves easily between the present vigil and Mia's past as she considers the unbearable pain of living with so much loss. The stakes are poignantly conveyed through Mia's vivid memories.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2009

(4) YA Ambushed by her father and left at a boot camp for rebellious girls, Brit Hemphill bonds with the usual group of misfits and embarks on a mission to get the place shut down, all the while trying to forgive her father. The plot and supporting characters are nothing new, but the immensely likable protagonist will draw in readers.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby