The Mayo Clinic defines amnesia as “the loss of memories, such as facts, information and experiences.” And amnesia is a commonly used plot device in a variety of genres: mysteries and thrillers, fantasy and sci-fi, romance, and more. We hope you remember to read one of these amnesiac novels!
Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
This intricately plotted, fast-paced psychological thriller relates the story of Christine, who after an accident years before must reconstruct her past each day with the help of her husband and a neurologist—but who is telling her the truth?
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The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
Post-Roman Britain, knights, dragons, war, loss, revenge, love, and the power of memory. Ishiguro uses the elements of fantasy and the mists of memory to tell a moving story.
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A Cowboy to Remember by Rebekah Weatherspoon
In this romance a celebrity chef suffers memory loss after a fall, so friends take her in at their luxury dude ranch. But why does the former rodeo champ she meets there seem so familiar?
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An Earl, the Girl, and a Toddler by Vanessa Riley
If you enjoy Bridgerton, you should try this diverse Regency romance, in which our heroine finds herself trapped in the Bedlam insane asylum owing to the amnesia she suffered during a shipwreck. Don’t worry, an aristocratic barrister has taken her case…
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The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohalian
A hard-drinking flight attendant wakes up in her Dubai hotel room next to a strange man. The bigger problem? That strange man doesn’t wake up. Can Cassandra remember enough to piece together who murdered him?
The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes
After a tragic car accident results in amnesia, Jennifer’s world is complicated even more when she finds a mysterious letter asking her to leave her husband. This love story, set in two different decades separated by forty years, builds to a amazing ending.
The Rook by Daniel O’Malley
“The body you are wearing used to be mine.” So begin the instructions sent to—and by—an amnesiac agent in a secret organization battling the supernatural forces of Britain. Funny, fantastical, and engrossing.
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Siri, Who am I? by Sam Tschida
Amnesia? Well, Siri can help you with that! Using her private digital assistant and the record of her social media presence, Mia reconstructs her identify in this funny and savvy romance.
We were Liars by E. Lockhart
A group of four teens who vacation on the same private Massachusetts island dub themselves “The Liars.” At their center is Cadence, who finds herself at the end of one summer with a profound case of amnesia. What’s the shocking secret behind her memory loss?
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Yesterday by Felicia Yap
In this unusual murder mystery, society is divided between people who can remember either one day’s or two days’ worth of memories. And this story features four different perspectives: the murder suspect, his wife, the detective, and the victim. Unforgettable.