Don't You Forget About Me

Don’t You Forget About Me by Jancee Dunn
When her husband hands her a divorce because their life is too boring, daytime talk show producer Lillian takes leave from her job and runs from her New York City life. Back in her parents’ house in suburban New Jersey and with nothing to do, she enjoys reliving her high school memories in her daydreams. With her twenty year high school reunion just weeks away, Lillian fixates on reuniting with her high school boyfriend, the one she thinks got away.

In the beginning of the book, Lillian describes herself as an introverted, eccentric person who knowingly attaches herself to big, bright personalities because they have what she lacks. Because of this characterization, the secondary characters are much more entertaining than Lillian. For example, Vi, the star of the talk show Lillian produces and Lillian’s best friend, is hilarious, especially since bits of the fictional books she has written are quoted throughout the novel, which often mirror the advice she dispenses to Lillian.

The author amazingly covered everything memorable about the 1980s, from the clothing to the bands to the catchphrases to the hairstyles, while also authentically reviving the feelings that high school memories evoke.