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

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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.

Review


What happens when you wake up miles and miles from homes the day of your high school graduation and you're meant to be giving the big speech, your head is pounding with a hangover and then you see one of the hottest guys in school half naked in bed with you.  Then his girlfriend is standing in the doorway as you notice wedding bands on both your hands.  THAT'S ONLY THE VERY START OF THE BOOK!  Welcome to the crazy few days that Max, Kylie, Will and Lily where there is kidnapping, crime, romance, adventure, partying, secrets, high school, tears and good food.

I'd had this book recommended to me by C.J. Skuse last summer and bought the US edition just so I could read it sooner and then noticed it was being published in the UK but I'm still glad I have a nice shiny Hardback because a book this good kinda deserves a nice sturdy cover and to look all fancy on my shelf.  Quite frankly this book was just aces and if it were a cake it would be homemade carrot cake with fresh buttercream and zero fat content (my favourite kind of cake).  I loved this book.  The characters all have their own individual voice and all got their chance to be heard in one of the best strange but true type of stories I've read in a long while. Seriously funny and made my heart go wobbly on quite a few occasions.   

For a movie junkie like myself being handed a book like From What I Remember and being told to have a fun time I was in no doubt that I was going to enjoy myself.  Not only does it come from the mind of a screen writer with that natural flare for the movie dramatics and pacing but it's peppered with quotes and references that had me giggling and smiling.  This book is like every teen movie I grew up watching and wishing I wanted to live in.  Didn't happen but this book may be as close as I'll get to living a teenage dream.

Published by Electric Monkey and is available from here and bookshops now