What Alice Forgot

Name: What Alice Forgot
Author: Liane Moriarty

Read with caution

Some content parents may want to preview or discuss.

Ages: 17–18

AI summary

Alice, a 39-year-old mother of three, suffers a head injury that causes her to forget the last ten years of her life. She wakes up believing she is 29, pregnant, and blissfully in love, only to discover she is actually in the middle of a bitter divorce and has become a person she no longer recognizes.

Parent notes

The book contains heavy profanity and focuses on adult themes like bitter divorce and infertility that may not be suitable for younger teens. Parent concerns: Frequent use of the F-word; Themes of nasty divorce and marital breakdown; Discussion of infertility and its toll on family/faith; Extramarital attraction/love triangles (implied) Romance/sexual content: While categorized as contemporary fiction/romance, the focus is on a married couple in the middle of a divorce. There are mentions of pregnancy and attraction, but based on the genre, explicit descriptions are usually limited, though themes of 'creepy love triangles' are mentioned in reviews. Language: Reviewers specifically note a high frequency of 'F-words' (more than 10 in the first half alone) and other mild to moderate profanity throughout the book. Violence: The story begins with a fall and a head injury, but there is no graphic violence. Substances: Social drinking may occur, but it is not a primary focus of the content. Worldview themes: Self-discovery, Marital restoration, Identity

Why parents choose this book

What makes What Alice Forgot worth choosing

An honest, parent-first look at who this book suits, what it offers, and what to know before you buy.

Best for

Age range: 17–18.
Reading maturity: Young adult — teen protagonists and more nuanced themes.
Kids who tend to love it: readers ages 17–18 looking for a solid story.
Personality fit: kids ages 17–18 who enjoy a good story.

Parents love this book because

Written by Liane Moriarty, whose books parents return to for consistently thoughtful storytelling.

Your child will probably enjoy What Alice Forgot if they…

Enjoy stories written for kids around ages 17–18

This book helps develop

Vocabulary, sustained attention, and reading confidence for the 17–18 age band.

Things parents should know

Romance: hand-holding and light crushes, nothing more.
Language: occasional mild words for the older end of the band.
Sexual content: essentially none.

Reading commitment

Estimated reading time

Varies by reader

Length

Length varies by edition

Difficulty

Young adult

Works as read-aloud

Usually read independently

Good for independent readers

Yes — suits confident readers in the age band

Why we recommend it

We recommend What Alice Forgot for the 17–18 age band with a small heads-up on content — worth previewing or discussing. Liane Moriarty's voice is what makes it stick: readable, respectful of kids, and easy to hand to the next child in the family.