Monday, February 25, 2013

Review: From What I Remember by Valerie Thomas and Stacy Kramer

Title: From What I Remember
Author: Valerie Thomas, Stacy Kramer
Published: May 15th 2012
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
KYLIE: Mexico? What a nightmare! I should be putting the finishing touches on my valedictorian speech. Graduation is TODAY! Wait! Is this a wedding band on my finger
MAX: It started with Kylie's laptop and a truck full of stolen electronics and it ended in Ensenada. It was hot, the way she broke us out like some chick in an action movie. But now we're stranded here, with less than twenty-four hours before graduation.
WILL: Saving Kylie Flores from herself is kind of a full-time occupation. Luckily, I, Will Bixby, was born for the job. And when I found out she was stuck in Mexico with dreamy Max Langston, sure, I agreed to bring their passports across the border - but there's no reason to rush back home right away. This party is just getting started.
LILY: This cannot be happening. It's like some cruel joke. Or a bad dream. I close my eyes and when I reopen them, they're still there. Max and Kylie Flores, freak of the century. In bed together. If Kylie thinks I'm giving him up without a fight, she's dead wrong.

Honestly, I don't remember much of this book other than I didn't get the appeal. It was surprisingly long and really chaotic. I don't even know what happened! It seemed like a fun story, but it was so unbelievable and random that instead of entertaining me, it completely rubbed me the rong way. Oh, and it was from more than 4 POVs and how can I ever connect with a character like this? This book was just frustrating.


What exactly happened last night? I am ablaze with an unsettling mix of passion and panic. I’m sweating now, which can’t possibly be appealing. What have I done? I’ve got high school graduation, a summer internship at the San Diego Arts Council, New York University in the fall, and parents who are going to freak. I’ve been MIA for the past twenty-four hours. I’m in Mexico with Max. And we’re wearing rings that look suspiciously like wedding bands. This is bad. Very, very bad.


So, a bunch of kids are going to graduate and for their last assignment before graduation, a teacher gives them a paper to write about a partner. These partners are completely random and chosen by the teacher so of course the nerd girl gets partnered with the most popular guy in school, her barbie girlfriend is all jealous and so it begins. Can it be any more clichée? Umm.. Yes.

Then the nerd girl Kylie agrees to do Max's paper as well, because she doesn't want her grades to suffer. They go have coffee and what do you say? Her lap top gets stolen. Then they start following the thiefs and suddenly they find themselves in Mexico. What. In. The. World? Really? Are you effin kidding me? My eyes literally hurt from all the eyerolling and why I even bothered to finish this book, I have no idea.

It concentrated on building unlikely relationships and the moral was there, I can even see the entertainment factor, but it's so far out of reach that it became totally ridiculous and completely unbelievable. I could even forgive some of it if there were awesome characters, but they were old enough to not act like 12. Come on! This book is a disaster.


“‘Hey, girl,’” I call out. “‘If you’re from Africa, why are you white?’” 
Kylie looks up at me. “‘Oh my God, Karen, you can’t just ask people why they’re white,’” she says.


I don't remember having such an experience with a contemporary book from the past year and that speaks volume for me. I'd not recommend it, but people on Goodreads love it so I guess you could give it a try. It may work for you just fine, but wasn't for me and I'm pretty sure I won't be reading anything else from these authors, sorry. The only reason this book gets more than one star is that they quoted Mean Girls. The quote above is pretty much considered a classic.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars

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6 comments:

  1. That why are you white line is totally from Mean girls. That whole thing is from Mean Girls... Is that really in the book? WTF? Hm this could be funny or really annoying. I am definitely curious about it. Sorry it was so bad for you, I had been thinking that maybe I would like it because I loved the movie The Hangover so much but now I just don't know. Great review, thanks for the honesty!

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    1. They were hardcore film fanatics. Will and Kylie. LOL, The Hangover was the reason I picked this on up and all those good ratings on GR, but it just didn't do the trick for me. It felt like written for 12 year olds. I honestly didn't think much of this book and I feel terrible, but I can't lie and it wouldn't be fair of me to give it a higher rating just because I'm so sorry and sad that I didn't enjoy it one bit. Hmhh... I hope you'll have better luck if you end up reading it!

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  2. Oh no! This book came highly recommended from a favorite author, and I have it on my bookshelf. Maybe it's a difference of sense of humor. I have a weird one, so maybe I'll like FWICR. Sorry this one was so bad for you.

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  3. Awwww sorry this one didn't work for you Siiri! I think this is a story where you really have to go into it ready to suspend disbelief and just be entertained. There have been a couple books I've read like that lately, and I know I would have been really frustrated with them if I expected serious, believable, and complex:) I hope the next book on your TBR stack is made of win!

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  4. I'm not a contemporary fan in the first place, so when I want to read one, I want to be sure I will like it. This sounds like a book I will totally hate. I will stay away from this for sure. Thanks for the warning Sirtsu and I'm sorry to hear you didn't like it! I hope your next read is much better :)

    Mel@thedailyprophecy.

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  5. Urgh, too bad this one was not not for you. It sounds like the kind of read you just have to go along with, with certainly doesn't work for everybody!

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