The Knowing by Sharon Cameron: 5-Star Review & Giveaway!

Posted October 11, 2017 by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction in Giveaways (Ended), Reviews / 12 Comments

The Knowing by Sharon Cameron: 5-Star Review & Giveaway!

The Knowing by Sharon Cameron: 5-Star Review & Giveaway!The Knowing by Sharon Cameron
Series: The Forgetting #2
Also in this series: The Forgetting
Published by Scholastic Press on October 10th 2017
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Pages: 448
Source: ALA
My content rating: YA (Nothing more than kissing, Some violence)
My rating:
5 Stars

Samara doesn't forget. And she isn't the only one. Safe underground in the city of New Canaan, she lives in a privileged world free from the Forgetting. Yet she wonders if she really is free, with the memories that plague her and secrets that surround her. Samara is determined to unearth the answers, even if she must escape to the old, cursed city of Canaan to find them.

Someone else is on their way to Canaan too . . . a spaceship from Earth is heading toward the planet, like a figment of the city's forgotten past. Beck is traveling with his parents, researchers tasked with finding the abandoned settlement effort. When Beck is stranded without communication, he will find more in Canaan than he was ever trained for. What will happen when worlds and memories, beliefs -- and truths -- collide?

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My Take copy3

Oh. My. Goodness. Do I love these books! If you haven’t read my gushing review of The Forgetting, you should go read it. And then come back here and find out why this second book was just as good. The Knowing is a companion to the first book and takes place a few hundred years in the future—so, by this point, Nadia and Gray’s story is ancient history. (If you go in expecting to see more of them, you’ll be disappointed, so I want to set your expectations accordingly. But we do still get a few little reminders of their story.)

What Fed My Addiction:

  • An exploration of memory. So, just like the first book, this book explores how memories shape our lives, but it comes at the subject from a completely opposite angle. Hundreds of years after the events of The Forgetting, we find that Canaan’s society has completely changed and there is a whole new memory anomaly that seems to have replaced the Forgetting. Now, there is a portion of society who remembers everything—every moment of their lives. In fact, they literally can’t forget. Sounds great, right? Except… not so much.
  • Samara’s struggle with her memories. So, the Knowing (as they call those who don’t forget) have to rely on caching their memories—basically compartmentalizing them and pushing them out of conscious thought unless they’re specifically called to mind. Otherwise, those memories will overtake you. Samara isn’t so great at caching. She’s often thrust headlong into a painful memory at very inconvenient moments. And she doesn’t just remember them, it’s like she’s living them again. Unfortunately, Sam has many painful moments to relive. Her one most desperate wish is to cure herself of Knowing. She sees it as a burden, not a gift.
  • Beckett. Beckett is excited to come to Canaan to explore a dead civilization. He wants to discover history. He never expects to be a part of it. So when his story collides with Sam’s he’s more than a little shocked—and he does it all wrong. Everything he knows he shouldn’t do—he just can’t help himself. I loved Beck. I loved the fact that he was so sure of himself in some areas and so utterly and completely unsure of himself in others. I loved that he had principles and values but that he knew that he didn’t necessarily have all the answers.
  • Discoveries. Throughout the book, we learn how Canaan got from where it was in the first book to the current civilization, 400 years later. How did the Knowing come about? Is the Forgetting still a thing? How did their society become so divided? How many of Canaan’s myths were real? We don’t get answers quickly or all at once, but I think I preferred that way. I enjoyed the mysteries as they unraveled!

What Left Me Hungry for More:

  • Bit confusing at first. When you first jump into the book, prepare to be a little confused. The society is much different than you might expect based on The Forgetting (which makes sense, since there’s been a 400 year time jump), and it will take some time to figure out what the heck’s going on. All I can say is, sit back and enjoy the ride!

The Knowing takes the concept of The Forgetting and flips it on its ear. Prepare to be led through a twisting maze of history and deception. Oh, and Cameron gives us plenty of fodder for future companions—little hints that could easily lead to future stories (but don’t leave us with loose ends). I’m hoping she writes more!!!  I give this one 5/5 Stars, and the series stays firmly in my All-Time Favorites list!

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via ALA Annual in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

About the Author

Sharon Cameron was awarded the 2009 Sue Alexander Most Promising New Work Award by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators for her debut novel, The Dark Unwinding. When not writing Sharon can be found thumbing dusty tomes, shooting her longbow, or indulging in her lifelong search for secret passages. She lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee.

Author Links:
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3 winners will receive a finished copy of THE KNOWING. US Only.
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Tour Schedule

Week One:

10/9/2017- Tales of the Ravenous Reader– Interview

10/10/2017- QUITE THE NOVEL IDEA– Review

10/11/2017- Feed Your Fiction Addiction– Review

10/12/2017- The Eater of Books!– Excerpt

10/13/2017- Two Chicks on Books– Excerpt

Week Two:

10/16/2017- Betwixt the Pages– Review

10/17/2017- YA Books Central– Excerpt

10/18/2017- The Book Nut– Review

10/19/2017- Here’s to Happy Endings– Review

10/20/2017- YA and Wine– Guest Post

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12 responses to “The Knowing by Sharon Cameron: 5-Star Review & Giveaway!

  1. I am so happy to see you loved this just as much as the first book. I hope I get my hands on it soon. It looks so good, but your review would have convinced me regardless! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!

  2. I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK!! And seeing you gave it 5 stars is making me even more excited. I scrolled through your review because I don’t want to be spoiled, but I’m going to remember to come back and comment again once I’ve read it. It’s on my kindle and I hope to start this week. 🙂

    S. J. Pajonas recently posted: Sunday Update – October 8, 2017

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