Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
When I first saw the cover of “Too Cool to Be Forgotten” by Alex Robinson, it didn’t look very exciting. But since Alex also created the pretty entertaining “Box Office Poison”, I decided to give it a shot. Only after reading the plot did I realize that the cover is supposed to look like a cigarette pack! A cool decision, since the story is about a man trying to quit smoking.
“Too Cool to Be Forgotten” opens with a scene of protagonist Andy Wicks, a father of two in his forties, smoking a cigarette outside a center where Dr. Alcola, a specialist, is supposed to help him kick his nicotine habit. Dr. Alcola attempts to hypnotize Andy, who is convinced it’s all mumbo-jumbo, however, he suddenly finds himself transported to the past – it’s 1985, and he’s back in high school, just days before trying his first cigarette. The experience feels disturbingly real, leaving him uncertain whether it’s part of the hypnosis to help him quit smoking or if he’ll be forced to relive life as an awkward teen all over again.
The best thing about “Too Cool to Be Forgotten” is Alex Robinson’s black-and-white artwork; it’s vivid, expressive, and very retro-cool. Some character designs look familiar to those who appeared in “Box Office Poison,” but it doesn’t matter much. Just like in his other works, I like the fact that it’s easy to recognize and differentiate the characters throughout the tale, especially since there are plenty of new teens in the high-school time-travel part of the story.
Alex Robinson doesn’t fully exploit the potential of the ’40-something dude back to being a teen’ trope. The story could have been hilarious, chaotic, or even traumatic, but it ends up as a tepid tale that manages to keep viewers engaged primarily due to the time-travel suspense. You obviously want to know what really happens to Andy: Is he stuck in the past forever? Is he simply having an elaborate dream? And the biggest question of all – will he really be able to quit smoking?
There are some interesting emotional scenes in the story, and Alex Robinson deftly displays how being young again isn’t all that exciting. Andy is mortified to be back in high-school, and has a hard time enduring boring classes. However, he is able to see his parents and siblings in a new light, and gains new appreciation for his future self. Unlike the title though, Andy isn’t all that cool, and can be a pretty annoying protagonist. Overall, this a decent one-time read, with a not so convincing ending.
Rating: 3 on 5. “Too Cool to Be Forgotten” is on Kindle Unlimited.
Also Read: Shubeik Lubeik Review: Fantastic Blend of Magical Realism (audio version below)