Review: From What I Remember by Stacey Kramer & Valerie Thomas

Summary/Cover Image from Authors' Website:

How do Kylie Flores, socially awkward valedictorian, and Max Langston, conceited jock, wind up in bed together in Mexico, on graduation morning? And is it possible they’re wearing wedding bands? When Kylie’s best friend Will, Max’s girlfriend Lily, and Max’s wingman Charlie show up, things get even more complicated as these five teenagers must make their way back over the border in time for graduation.

Hilarious and poignant, FROM WHAT I REMEMBER blends a high-octane adventure story with a romance that gets to the heart of what it means to find yourself. No one is exactly who they seem here and by the end of their roadtrip together, they will all be changed in ways they never could have imagined.

Review:

It's been a while since I've read a book that wholly held my attention from page one all the way to the end, and it's been even longer since I actually stayed up late (past 1 AM late) to finish a book. However, From What I Remember, a witty, fast paced, and fully inventive new YA novel, changed that once and for all.

From What I Remember starts off just as Kylie and Max wake up in Mexico to find not only are they in bed together but they are also wearing wedding bands. Worst of all, Lily, Max’s girlfriend, is standing above them, screaming. How did they end up there, especially considering they have graduation that day? Well, the story back tracks two days and goes from there until that moment to show just what happened…the hilarity, the AWW moments, and most importantly, the amazing bond that all the characters, specifically Kylie and Max, build by the end.  

There was SO MUCH I loved about this one, and one of those aspects was the characters! Kylie and her best friend Will have always been the underdogs in their school, as Kylie’s the token overachiever who always thinks of the perfect retort five years too late and Will, on the other hand, is the token gay boy, the one who dresses in drag just to get a rise out of everyone. Together they form a hilarious duo, and I especially loved seeing from both of their POVS continually in this three day event. Max and Lilly, on the other hand, are their school’s it couple as well as the two most popular kids in the grade…money, smarts, and good looks, they have just about everything they can dream off. The only problem is that not everything is as amazing as it looks. What I especially adored about these characters was how real they seemed to me. There were a part to almost every character I could relate to, and what especially showed this was a great novel in my opinion, was the way in which the characters truly leaped off the page and came to life with ever POV. By the end, I wanted them all to be by BFFS, and more importantly, I never wanted to let their story end.

The plot in this was also kick ass. I love a good thriller, especially when it’s contemporary and filled with funny off the wall jokes. Best of all, the whole plot just unrolled perfectly. Stacey and Valerie knew just how to keep the reader interested in this one. Not only from the constant wonders of how exactly Max and Kylie ended up together but also from the need to know if Kylie and Max would ever end up together, or if Will would get his moment to shine, or if Lilly would every shut up. In addition, Max and Kylie’s relationship/romance thing was incredible, my favorite part of the book, no doubt about it. Here were two people who were from totally different sides of the track (literally and figuratively) and yet over the course of the novel, they helped each other figure different aspect of their lives and personalities, they could have never ever managed. Plus it didn’t hurt that Max was pretty swoon worthy. ;)

As mentioned before, Valerie and Stacey did a fantastic job with this one. The switching of POVS worked beautifully, and it especially helped to this long novel (almost 500 pages long) fly by! I seriously can’t wait to read more by them, especially if the said book is as funny and romantic as this one!

In all, From What I Remember is the perfect summer read. By beach side, pool side, or really anywhere, pick up this book and give it a try! I promise you won’t regret it.

Grade: A+

From What I Remember (Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble) is now out in hardcover/ebook formats!

Source: Authors/Publisher- Thanks Stacey, Valerie and Hyperion!

Find out more about the authors: website/blog/Stacey Twitter/Valerie Twitter