From What I Remember...

Jul 13, 2012 Mimi Valentine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished-copy-for-review, best-of-2012, boys-i-wish-were-real, pure-awesomeness, reviewed

**Mini interview and international giveaway (for 2 SIGNED copies!) on my blog! You can check it out HERE! ♥**

Rating: 4.5 hilarious stars out of 5!

Oh wow, I have a HUGE and absolute crush on this book! It had me smiling and aching and wishing it could be turned into a movie. I just couldn't get enough!

Mostly taking place over the span of three days, From What I Remember is told through 5 different POVs — which normally wouldn't be my cup of tea, but totally works here! Each of the characters are...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Eunice rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-netgalley-edelweiss, chick-lit, contemporary, cool-covers, damn-gorgeous-males, favourites, multiple-pov, out-2012, realistic-fiction, ya-romance, young-adult

4.5 stars

Normally too many POVs in a book would've peeved me out. Three is my limit but apparently I can actually manage more than that. Because this book has five POVs. Yes, FIVE! Yet I seriously freaking adored it! I didn't expect to enjoy this book so much but boy, no matter how many povs it had or how cliched it was it still kicked my ass! This was a fuuuuuun read but had its deep and insightful moments too that definitely made it more wonderful and enjoying!

The characters were the best par...more 4.5 stars

Normally too many POVs in a book would've peeved me out. Three is my limit but apparently I can actually manage more than that. Because this book has five POVs. Yes, FIVE! Yet I seriously freaking adored it! I didn't expect to enjoy this book so much but boy, no matter how many povs it had or how cliched it was it still kicked my ass! This was a fuuuuuun read but had its deep and insightful moments too that definitely made it more wonderful and enjoying!

The characters were the best part of this book! Kylie and Max were both adorable and fun characters. Despite being flawed their characters seems to be so genuine. They were opposite characters (you guys know how I loved that kind of arrangement) and had zero interest to each other but through their forced and unexpected journey they discovered so much more about themselves and realized things they might actually really liked about each other. I love how these two grew and developed throughout the story.

The romantic build up was great. I adore authors who can manage to write a well developed romance even when the story was set for a short period of time. I loved how Kylie and Max's relationship progressed. The attraction between them doesn't feel forced. It was well paced and very genuine. Their chemistry was really good so when the final moment came, it was absolutely swoooooooooning! It was just so sweet, sexy and cute!

Supporting characters like Will, Jake, Lily and Charles were never left on the side too. They had their own moments that didn't feel unnecessary to the story. Aside from Kylie and Max's pov I really enjoyed Will's! Being inside the head of a gay was just really fun. He was also a very wonderful and caring best friend and I like how much he loved Kylie. Jake's pov (Kylie's younger brother with asperger syndrome) was a touching one and Lily's, although she could be a bit bitchy, I found myself empathizing her situation. The five povs in the story were all so different but what was so good about that was it gave us some level of understanding to these different kinds of people without being one-sided or too judgmental.

With awesome characters, intriguing plot, and sexy and fun romance - all I could do was just to simply adore this book. I would absolutely recommend this especially if you're looking for a fun and sweet read but with great and in depth lessons.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hyperion for providing a copy of this awesome book!

This review is also posted at Book Overdose (less)

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Nov 02, 2012 Tammara added it

I started this before bed (mistake!). Couldn't put it down. The cover and blurb didn't do much for me, but the Kindle sample pulled me right in. From What I Remember was a fun ride. There were a few moments of backing up and rereading - but that probably had more to do with me starting to read around 11 pm than anything else. (Why do I do this? Why?? Like I don't know I could end up awake and still reading at 3am? It's like playing book roulette with my sleep patterns!)

The story begins with Kyli...more

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Aug 17, 2012 oliviasbooks rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, ya-contemporary, e-version, read-2012, love-story-romance, multiple-povs-letters, road-trips

Before I start having difficulties to remember I need to voice my impressions of From What I Remember... by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas, for I thoroughly enjoyed reading the review copy, the publisher, Hyperion, had been so kind to provide me with via Netgalley.

When I first stumbled across the up-coming book’s description, which promised four points of view (I usually love that), flashbacks, a trip – possibly a road trip (Yay!)– to Mexico, fleeing criminals, a high school graduation, and a d...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Janina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: alternating-pov, contemporary, on-my-kindle, young-adult-fiction, lgbt, romance, mean-girls, read-in-2012, road-trip, summer-books

I did not have high expectations for From What I Remember, to be honest. The summary sounds a bit too much like an MTV reality show, and the cover doesn't really do anything to contradict that. Yet, I can't deny that for the time being, the book entertained me. It did not blow my mind, no, but it was definitely a welcome distraction on an otherwise uneventful, (partly) sunny Sunday afternoon on my back porch.

At Freibury Academy, Kylie is an outsider in every possible way. Coming from the wrong s...more I did not have high expectations for From What I Remember, to be honest. The summary sounds a bit too much like an MTV reality show, and the cover doesn't really do anything to contradict that. Yet, I can't deny that for the time being, the book entertained me. It did not blow my mind, no, but it was definitely a welcome distraction on an otherwise uneventful, (partly) sunny Sunday afternoon on my back porch.

At Freibury Academy, Kylie is an outsider in every possible way. Coming from the wrong side of town, scholarship student, determined to succeed and working hard for it (even on the last day of senior year). She and her best friend Will are okay with spending their time alone watching movies, waiting for college to start and life to move on away from Freiburg and its rich posse.

But when Kylie is forced to work together with school heart throb Max to get back her stolen computer and ends in a Mexican border town with him but without passports, things are about to get interesting. While best friend Will comes to the rescue, Kylie has to ask herself one question: Is Max maybe not the dumb and arrogant jock she always thought him to be?

Seriously, does that not sound like one of those movies always starring Freddie Prince junior? Okay, maybe I did my best to make it sound like one, but the similarities are definitely there. Loner heroine who thinks she's ugly but in reality just manages to hide her beauty well (hello there, strict bun and baggy clothes) and spends a lot of time at home taking care of her younger brother. Gay best friend who likes to wear ourageous clothes to attract attention, is somewhat of a drama queen, but really just wants to be accepted like he is. Popular jock who deep down is interested in books and photography and might be rich, but has his own package to carry. Not to forget the beautiful girlfriend ready to scratch Kylie's eyes out.

So cetainly, if you are in the mood for it, you can find heaps of faults with this book. I did try to stop the analytical part of my brain from paying too much attention - I just wanted a few fun hours, after all - but some things just couldn't go unnoticed. I am not completely sure what this book tries to be - does it want to comment on minorities at posh private schools or is that just the most convenient setting for the story to unfold? Does it want to show us what it's really like to live with a sibling with Asperger's, or is that just a way to add tension to the heroine's family dynamics?

More often than not, I felt like problems where just created to add a "special flavour" to the story, not to really explore them. Characters were ladened with issues, but did not truly seem to suffer under them. The altogether five point of views did not really help much with that either. I always had the feeling that the realness in each character only simmered through in rare moments - real depth was often missing.

In the end, the book remained quite forgettable - precicely like all those high school flick starring Freddie - but I had a good time with it nevertheless. Still, I have already forgotten some of the characters names although it has only been two days. That means I honestly can't give out more than two stars.

And, seriously, what are those ellipses doing in the title?!

Thanks a lot to Netgalley and Hyperion for the review copy.(less)

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Sep 01, 2012 Lex rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Lex by: Deniz

Shelves: stand-alone, contemporary, chick-lit

This book is--just as Deniz said--a roller coaster ride in which I think I barely held on. I sincerely liked it from the start. It's really intriguing to have a Prologue like that. Kramer knows how to get the reader's attention, in my opinion. I honestly want to pull my hair out sometimes though. But as I mentioned before, the book is annoyingly good.

One minute, I like it, another minute, I want to bang my head to the wall. Seriously, what's up with you Max? You have some bipolar issues or somet...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Deniz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: high-school, ya, cute-and-fluffy

3.5 stars

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.

Oh this is a total roller-coaster of emotions! a sort of a blockbuster YA novell packe...more

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May 21, 2012 Danny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: imm-april12

Review posted at Bewitched Bookworms

How do you usually find your next favorite books? Well, sometimes they just happen to find you!From What I Remember... was a book I wouldn't have picked up myself, but when I got a Galley I couldn't resist giving it a try. Boy - how glad I was this book jumped my like this!!

Wooot! Smashing Opening & you jump right into this story!

When we open the book, we are confronted with a scene where Kylie lays in bed with gorgeous Max somewhere in ....Mexico. Bu

...more Review posted at Bewitched Bookworms

How do you usually find your next favorite books? Well, sometimes they just happen to find you!From What I Remember... was a book I wouldn't have picked up myself, but when I got a Galley I couldn't resist giving it a try. Boy - how glad I was this book jumped my like this!!

Wooot! Smashing Opening & you jump right into this story!

When we open the book, we are confronted with a scene where Kylie lays in bed with gorgeous Max somewhere in ....Mexico. But, she has no idea how that happened and.. more importantly why on earth Max is lying beside here...

The opening scene was perfection, it teases you to the point where you want, no - where you need to know how the hell all this happned to Kylie! I love beginnings like this!

Different POV - and a sexy, cute & thrilling story

Kylie the the school nerd! Always learning, having the best grades and clearly, she does not belong to the popular crowd.. at all! Her only friend is Will - gay and rich outcast who is the best friend you can always wish for!

Then there is Max - school's most popular and incredibly gorgeous boy who never looked twice at Kylie before. In addition we have Max's grilfriend Lily.

Although I am usually not a big fan of so many POV in one story, here, it worked effordless and each voices was honest and very distinct from each other!However, May and Kylie are the real protagonists and their voices are the driving force of the story!

Who you are from the outside is not Who you really are...

Apart from the fact that this story is simply cute, sexy and fun. There is much more to it. Each character has their own problems none of them truly liked talking about. It's a story about finding your own self. How are you on the outside but who do you really want to be. Self Finding, Growing Up and disvering who you could be! This mix worked perfectly together and truly gave a little depth to this otherwise super fun and romantic storyline.

I simply loved getting to know each one of them better and discover what who they really want to be.

Sexy and Romantic Love Story!

The surprising, unfolding love between Max and Kylie was made of wonderment and cuteness. Those two couldn't be more different from each other - on the outside. But, forced on this trip to Mexico together made them realize that this is not true, in fact they share much more than both of them would have ever imagined! I loved their romance so much, I loved following them falling for each other. I had butterflies in my stomach! Sexy and unbearably cute romantic scenes stirred the emotions that will touch your heart. With me being me, I had tears in my yes so many times - heartbreaking and incredibly touching scenes made sure to trigger emotions!

Bottom Line

Smashing, Cute and Sexy. From What I Remember... is a excitingly beautiful story with love, self-discovery and a thrilling set of characters. If you look for a lovely coming of age novel, that will touch your heart, make you laugh and cry - then you most definitely should pick this one up. This book is movie material, explosive and romantic!

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Sep 03, 2012 Jasprit rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: out-2012, arc-galley, read-in-2012, ya, contemporary, realistic-fiction

Stranded in Mexico with no passports and just a few hours from their graduation is the situation Max and Kylie find themselves in. Kylie’s adamant that if Max had agreed to do their partnered assignment yesterday as planned, they wouldn’t find themselves in this mess in the first place. But if Kylie hadn’t gone sprinting off after two scary thugs who had her laptop Max would have been enjoying his last ever day at school and not be stuck here, that’s what he keeps telling himself. But Max and Ky...more Stranded in Mexico with no passports and just a few hours from their graduation is the situation Max and Kylie find themselves in. Kylie’s adamant that if Max had agreed to do their partnered assignment yesterday as planned, they wouldn’t find themselves in this mess in the first place. But if Kylie hadn’t gone sprinting off after two scary thugs who had her laptop Max would have been enjoying his last ever day at school and not be stuck here, that’s what he keeps telling himself. But Max and Kylie ended up getting a bit more than they bargained for when they ended up stuck together. They’ve never said more than five words to each in the last six years they’ve spent at school together, with Max being the school’s hottest jerk and Kylie considered a social geek their social circles never mixed, that’s until they’re forced to partner up for an assignment on the penultimate day of school. Kylie needs to get it done, she’s school valedictorian and has always handed every piece of work on time, so she’s not going to stop now for all she knows it could affect her GPA. Whereas Max is the complete opposite, he doesn’t give a damn. So both you can say are thrilled to be partnered together.

From What I Remember was a book full of misunderstandings and misconceptions. A lot of the characters went into situations thinking they knew what to expect or what a person was like but time and time again they were proven wrong. I liked the fact that we were treated to five separate pov’s, initially I found myself wanting to zip through the pov’s of certain characters and get back to the pov’s where the real action was happening. But then as the book progressed I found myself warming to all the pov’s, they provided great insights into the characters and proved me wrong in a lot of assumptions I’d made of them too.

Max and Kylie were an unlikely pair, but the more time they were forced to spend together, the more they realised how much they had in common. Kylie’s initial character reminded me a lot of myself. I was always pre-occupied or stressed out about studying and just never had or made the time to sit back and have fun. And so I liked how in Mexico, Kylie was a lot less uptight, she was able to let her hair down and finally have fun. Max also had initially come across as a jerk, but in Mexico he was able to open up a bit more. He was genuinely a sincere and nice character, I may have also been a bit biased towards him because of his floppy hair (this does me in every time) I just loved getting into his head. The secondary characters Lily, Will and Charlie also brought so much fun to the story. When together with their high speed car chase, unexpected announcements and try as they might to make it to graduation on time, made their escapades so much fun. I would have loved to be part of their group!

Stacey Kramer and Valerie Thomas did a brilliant job with From What I Remember. I loved the unusual premise they provided us with, the fun loving characters and the endless banter along the way. I especially loved how the characters were able to take the mick out of themselves from time to time and not take each other so seriously.

“we both smile at the classic misunderstanding.
It’s all so cliché-ridden, it’s embarrassing. I wish
our stay could have some more original twists
and turns. Maybe one of us will turn into a
vampire or something.”

From What I Remember was a fun adorable adventurous read. If you’re looking for something to kick back with over the summer I definitely recommend picking this up.

This review and more can be found on The Readers Den (less)

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Jul 23, 2012 Zoraida rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is totally crush worthy. The slow built to the romance gave me buttah-flys.

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May 02, 2013 Cashawna Unique rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was amazing I laugh i got so excited just reading i felt like I was the one on that journey. I loved all the character and ven though this book was written in in 5 POV it was still so amaze ball.

I am writing this so that i remember exactly what i love about this because i read a lot and sometimes i forget bits and pieces but this book i will always remember mexico and san diego.

I love kylie she was amazing heroine in the book and she was brave kickass lol
I loved the movie lines at the...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Aleeshas2 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, drama, fighting, true-love, orginal-idea, like-but-needed-more, ha-ha

4.5 stars

I will start of by saying , the Blurb sucked! I am so glad I only read Blurbs after i actually read the book , Is it just me or Blurbs tend to give way to much information!. I like to go into books with a open mind , i especially hate it when they say things like will she meet Someone who will change her life forever so I end up reading the book looking out for this mystery guy. Okay way off topic. From what I can Remember (lol, did I mention I love the title) , is one of those reads t...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Deborah Takahashi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-humor

Kylie is an overachiever. Not only is she going to NYU on scholarship, she is the Valedictorian of Freiburg Academy. Although Kylie is the smartest girl in school, she is also a loner and an outcast. Unlike her Freiburg peers, Kylie is not rich and is there on scholarship, which makes sets her apart from everyone else. Max is the exact opposite of of Kylie. Not only is he super popular, but rich and gorgeous. Will, on the other hand, is unbelievably rich, but an outcast like Kylie who isn't shy...more Kylie is an overachiever. Not only is she going to NYU on scholarship, she is the Valedictorian of Freiburg Academy. Although Kylie is the smartest girl in school, she is also a loner and an outcast. Unlike her Freiburg peers, Kylie is not rich and is there on scholarship, which makes sets her apart from everyone else. Max is the exact opposite of of Kylie. Not only is he super popular, but rich and gorgeous. Will, on the other hand, is unbelievably rich, but an outcast like Kylie who isn't shy to express who he is much to the chagrin of the school principal and his parents. Lily, Kylie's nemesis, is not only smart, but she is also rich and beautiful and Max's girlfriend. Kylie's goal in life is to be a writer because, through her characters, she can fully express who she is and nothing will stop her from achieving her dream. However, when Mistress Murphy announces one last assignment before graduation, Kylie's is extremely unhappy with this paper; it's not that it's difficult, her task is team up with another classmate who just happens to be Max. Mortified, and terrified, Kylie just wants to get this over with so she can get out of La Jolla and to New York so she can finally live the life she has always wanted. The only problem is that she has to somehow get Max to meet with her so she can complete their assignment. Surprisingly, this meeting will be the weirdest and the craziest ride of her life. When her laptop is stolen, Kylie does the dumbest thing she could have ever done: chase after the thief. However, she isn't the only one with bad judgment since Max decides to help her out. What they don't realize is that they are about to ruin the plans of some serious thieves. Just when things couldn't get worse, Max and Kylie are left, alone, in Ensenada and all they can really do is talk and Kylie is not about to let this gorgeous, rich boy tell her about how his life is difficult when her own is about to implode if she doesn't get home quick. The irony of it all: spending time with each other turns out to be the best thing that has ever happened to both of them.

I gotta admit, this book was hilarious, heart-breaking, and absolutely wonderful all at the same time. When I picked up this book and, by looking at the cover, I was expecting something light and almost vapid. BOY WAS I WRONG! What makes this story brilliant is that it's told in alternating point of views, which not only adds to the depth of the story, but really conveys to readers that each these characters are the real deal. What I love about this story is that the main characters evolve wonderfully where they are not only able, and willing, to discuss their vulnerabilities, but their vices as well. Max, who seems like world's biggest jerk, is not at what Kylie thinks. Now Kylie, according to Max, is seriously one of the quirkiest persons he has ever met, which makes her unreal. When Kylie not only hijacks his BMW, she hijacks the van that was transporting all the electronics that were stolen, which not only makes her his hero, but someone to admire. When Max is able to walk into a room, and own it, Kylie's admiration for him skyrockets. These two characters have really underestimated each other and it's great to see how humbling this experience is to one another. As for Will, Lily, and Jake, their own stories compliment this story because not only are Max and Kylie struggling with their own insecurities, and fears, Will, Lilly, and Jake are also forced to re-evaluate their own characters as well. I will also admit that I loved, loved, loved, Jake's voice in this story. Jake has Asperger's Syndrome and he clings to Kylie because she knows about everything he likes and dislikes. As reader's dive further into the story, they will learn that their father is practically a ghost. When Kylie is unable to take of Jake for the day, their father is the one who has to step in. For Jake, he has to go out on a limb and give their dad a chance without throwing a tantrum. When he walks out of the house to find Kylie, not is the father given a major wake up call, Jake learns that he has to start communicating with others besides Kylie. As I said, along with the sheer comedy, the characters have some serious issues that will not only be revealed, but have to be dealt with. The ending is perfect and I was completely satisfied. (less)

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Mar 24, 2013 Nadd marked it as to-read

March 24 2013

Judging from the synopsis, it was a fun ride. I giggled when reading Will Birxby introduction. He sounds gay! But seriously, i think he will be my fav char. As for Max, he sounds HOT!

How i pictured them from what i read :

Kylie

Hmmm, i think you're OK. Just fine. Average. Nothing to hate.

description

Max

Max George. Yes. He is a sexy man. Max please do not disappoint me. I hope you are as sexy and gorgeous as Max George and i do hope you have a naughty side too

description

Will

You sound gay, but i pre...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, ya, read-2013

I would give this book 4.5 stars if it was possible to do so. This was a completely madcap and zany book. The series of events that lead Max and Kylie to one another is insane, but if you suspend belief a bit you are taken on an awesome ride.

The opening of the book is really well done because as soon as I read it I had to know exactly what went down. What ended up going down was an accidental kidnapping where Max and Kylie end up in Mexico.

Despite the craziness of the plot, there is some amazi...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Dark Readers rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I got this book I read the first couple of pages and my reaction was "WHAT THE...." to be sucked in on the first couple of pages like that was amazing. Let me tell you why "From What I Remember" is a fantastic coming of age novel about finding who you are, finding your soul mate and having one heck of an adventure in Mexico.

The authors are either huge movie buffs or they have done huge movie research! The amount of movie relation and quotes is fantastic. I loved the fact that it was honestl...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Yei Ling rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 10th-grade

This book is really amazing because it's sort of like a fairy tale, but not really one.
One of the most popular guys in the school falls in love with the valedictorian, a quiet introvert. It's kind of crazy how they end up in another country, knowing they crossed the border without any passports or anything. When Max ends up with Kylie in Kylie's "home country," he learns many things about her, her dad, and what it really means to fall in like, fall in love with someone. Even though he's one of...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Lucy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The last two books I read had fairly serious central themes, and with the festivities over and the cold and dreary January weather settling in I felt like I needed a bit of light-hearted escapism. So I was pretty pleased when I turned the first page of this book and I was in Mexico.
Ensenada, Mexico, is where our two protagonists, Max and Kylie, wake up in bed together after a night to remember… only Kylie can’t remember very much of it at all. The action rewinds 48 hours, two days before graduat...more The last two books I read had fairly serious central themes, and with the festivities over and the cold and dreary January weather settling in I felt like I needed a bit of light-hearted escapism. So I was pretty pleased when I turned the first page of this book and I was in Mexico.
Ensenada, Mexico, is where our two protagonists, Max and Kylie, wake up in bed together after a night to remember… only Kylie can’t remember very much of it at all. The action rewinds 48 hours, two days before graduation at the elite Freiburg Academy in La Jolla, San Diego. From there on the story follows Kylie Flores (top of the class, valedictorian, Token Scholarship Student and social low-life) and Max Langston (squash-playing rich kid and the hottest, most popular guy in school) and unravels how these two social polar opposites ended up in Mexico together with just hours to figure out how to get back in time for graduation – and the ensuing fallout.
I won’t spoil the fun by saying much more about what happens on their adventure together – suffice to say that there is drinking, parties, family secrets revealed, romance, sex, car-jacking, theft, high-speed car chases... In fact, there was a little more fast-paced action than I was really expecting! At times it definitely felt like one of Kylie’s favourite blockbuster action movies or teen flicks, quotes from which are dotted about the text. It was fun to read and I really got swept along by the unlikely sequence of events – think The Hangover mixed with What Happens in Vegas and John Tucker Must Die.
The tale unfolds from alternating character viewpoints – mainly Kylie’s and Max’s, but also some of the supporting roles, such as Will, Kylie’s cross-dressing GBF; Jake, her little brother who has Asperger’s syndrome; and Lily, Max’s girlfriend. I thought this worked really well, and it gave a more balanced view of the main characters and meant that the secondary ones were more fleshed out too. And all of the characters, though on first glance social stereotypes, had more depth to them once you got to know them – they all have their contradictions, and their own family issues, secrets and insecurities bubbling under the surface.
I couldn’t help but like Kylie and Max – two total opposites in superficial terms, but similar in the sense that they continually surprise themselves and each other with their reactions to the situations they find themselves in. There is real chemistry between them. You see the word ‘insta-love’ bandied about a lot in YA fiction reviews – our eyes met across a crowded canteen and we were irrevocably mutually besotted, blah blah blah. Well, in this case you have two characters getting a crash course in each other in 48 hours, but it doesn’t seem ‘instant’. It’s as if weeks and months are compressed into a short space of time.
I can’t say I was surprised by the ending, but I wasn’t expecting all the twists that came along the way. And yes there are cheesy one-liners, over-the-top action and, in the tradition of all good high school comedies, the inevitable feel-good graduation speech climax scene. But it brought a smile to my face and reminded me that you shouldn’t take anything or anyone at face value – including yourself.
Take this book with a pinch of salt, a shot of tequila and enjoy.
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Jan 05, 2013 Luna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Light, fluffy read.

From looking at the cover, I had assumed that some 4 supermodel-looking teens were stranded on an island, with only one hairbrush to share between them. To my surprise, this was not how the book panned out. Kylie and Max find themselves stranded instead in Mexico, where they share an unexpectedly wild night together. The drama ensues when Kylie's super out-of-the-closet BFF Will, Max's girlfriend Lily, and Max's best-friend-with-a-secret Charlie cross the CA-Mexico border to...more Light, fluffy read.

From looking at the cover, I had assumed that some 4 supermodel-looking teens were stranded on an island, with only one hairbrush to share between them. To my surprise, this was not how the book panned out. Kylie and Max find themselves stranded instead in Mexico, where they share an unexpectedly wild night together. The drama ensues when Kylie's super out-of-the-closet BFF Will, Max's girlfriend Lily, and Max's best-friend-with-a-secret Charlie cross the CA-Mexico border to join in on the craziness.

The whole affair between Kylie and Will reminded me of Andie and Duckie from Pretty in Pink. He's the quirky, outgoing BFF, and she's the shy, intelligent girl who's looking for a way out. The gang find themselves in a pickle as they try and head back to La Jolla in time for their high school graduation, especially with so many hangups that get in the way. It was a sweeter story than some YA out there, especially because the relationship between Kylie and Max didn't have that unforgiving, insta-love quality to it. The book is told from 5 POVs, which was distracting at times, but the authors manage to pull it off decently.

There was just one thing that irked me though.. Kylie is supposedly half-Latina, and she's taken Spanish academically to boot. So when she makes the awkward mistake of phrasing something like:

“Ahh, ¿habla usted español, amigo?”

It just rubbed me the wrong way. As someone who has taken Spanish for a good 7 years, I just can't read that line without cringing a little. But this was a minor detail.

Another random question I had though..
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Nov 04, 2012 YA Novelties rated it 4 of 5 stars

Check out this review on our blog!

Over the summer, I read a lot of reviews on this book and everyone (well a lot of reviewers) said that reading this book was like watching tv and I totally agree with them. The pace of From What I Remember was very fast and it always had something going on. The book is told from five people's POVs, Kylie, Max, Lily, Will, and Jake. This thing with a bunch of different POVs is that it can get confusing at times, but that wasn't the case for this book! Although I...more Check out this review on our blog!

Over the summer, I read a lot of reviews on this book and everyone (well a lot of reviewers) said that reading this book was like watching tv and I totally agree with them. The pace of From What I Remember was very fast and it always had something going on. The book is told from five people's POVs, Kylie, Max, Lily, Will, and Jake. This thing with a bunch of different POVs is that it can get confusing at times, but that wasn't the case for this book! Although I loved reading all the different POVs (some more than the others), was Lily's POV necessary? She only had about 10 pages in her POV. Maybe I don't think her POV is that important because I did not like her... Jake's POV was really sweet. Jake is Kylie little brother who has asperger and his POV was just so sweet. Jake kind of reminds me of Gary from the show Alphas, which by the way is an excellent show and Gary is my favorite character!!

The overall plot was pretty predictable, but the individual events that happened weren't. What are the chances of getting your backpack stolen and then retrieving it from a robber's truck, but getting stuck in the truck and going over the US/Mexico border? I guess this is why the genre is call realistic-fiction...

Max and Kylie, the hero and the heroine, are your standard contemporary characters. At first they hated each other, but eventually they fall in love, but because of the social differences (of high school) they don't think they can be together. But I did enjoy Max and Kylie's humor! Who doesn't enjoy a good laugh?

Will, oh the best friend. The best friends in novels are usually my favorite characters; I don't know why, but they just are. Because of their high school's social ladder, Will and Kylie sat next to each other one day in lunch and then they became best friends due to their common interest in movies. Oh! That is another thing that I loved about this book. I love how in every chapter there is a quote from a movie, right under where it says Chapter so-and-so. I also love how Will and Kylie recite various lines from movies. :) Ok, so back to Will. Will is basically the sassy, cool friend that Kylie has. Will is gay and struggles with being different in a community where his differences aren't welcomed. Throughout the book, he comes to a revelation about himself... (dot, dot, dot :P)

Ah the ending! It was so great! (sorry can't say more...You'll just have to read it! (mwahhhh
I wish I knew what happened to Charlie afterwards though.... Perhaps there will be a sequel?? Who knows...

Jenny @YA Novelties (less)

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Jul 26, 2012 E rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: abandoned-hope, not-a-fan

Also Found On: A Book and A Record

I’m ashamed to admit this, because I usually don’t review books I can’t finish, but full disclosure: I skimmed about 85% of the book. Which translates to: I didn’t read it with the same intensity that I normally read books. The reason: this book drove me so completely crazy, I couldn’t focus. There are a lot of reasons why I should have steered clear of this in the first place, but I wanted a fun teen read, which I honestly thought that this would deliver. It di...more Also Found On: A Book and A Record

I’m ashamed to admit this, because I usually don’t review books I can’t finish, but full disclosure: I skimmed about 85% of the book. Which translates to: I didn’t read it with the same intensity that I normally read books. The reason: this book drove me so completely crazy, I couldn’t focus. There are a lot of reasons why I should have steered clear of this in the first place, but I wanted a fun teen read, which I honestly thought that this would deliver. It did not.

Not only did I feel like there were waaay too many points of view; the characters are so one dimensional that I couldn’t identify with a single one. Not only are they all self-centered, arrogant, rude, incredibly stupid and reckless. These kids have no sense of integrity. Reading this book basically felt like the high school version of The Only Way is Essex combined with Jersey Shore. It was incredibly unclassy.

There is a way to make a book like this fun, and in order to do so you would have to drop about 90% of the crass dialogue. I get that high school kids are foul-mouthed, but this honestly took it a little bit too far for me. I’ll reiterate: this is my personal opinion, you may like all of the sexual innuendos, you may find them hilarious, but I didn’t. There is a right way to do flirty writing, and this wasn’t it. This was completely over the top, I didn't feel like there was any sort of affection between the characters they were so shallow. Not to mention that Kylie’s inner-voice drove me completely irrevocably insane. This novel felt like ...just bad. I felt like my brain was turning to goop, and then spent the afternoon hoping not all kids are like these kids. By the time I was finished I was reaching for Jane Eyre, or any basically novel on my bookshelf, just to remind myself that there are good authors and good books that know how to construct a good story.

To be quite honest, I haven’t been this disappointed in a YA read since I read Scott Speer’s Immortal City. I wish I could say that I would continue reading YA books by Hollywood’s bystanders, but I won’t. I will definitely be reading author biographies before I start reading from now on. This felt so contrived it left me wondering if this television screen-writer was just looking to cash in on a genre that has blown up in the past few years. I didn’t feel like this was a story that the authors felt needed to be told, it was a story that was written to sell so that people could pad their already well-padded checkbooks.(less)

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Jul 25, 2012 K rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library, i-bought-it, returned-ppbk-cover-change-is-awful, nook-wishlist

It’s all so cliché-ridden, it’s embarrassing. I wish our story could have some more original twists and turns. Maybe one of us will turn into a vampire or something. (Oops. Spoiler alert?)

No worries. It didn’t need vampires.

Kylie’s the goodie-two-shoes almost-grad who will complete the last assignment her teacher gives her. Max is the Mr. Popularity who couldn’t really care less about some lame last day of school assignment. So of course they get partnered up to complete it. It’s while they’re...more It’s all so cliché-ridden, it’s embarrassing. I wish our story could have some more original twists and turns. Maybe one of us will turn into a vampire or something. (Oops. Spoiler alert?)

No worries. It didn’t need vampires.

Kylie’s the goodie-two-shoes almost-grad who will complete the last assignment her teacher gives her. Max is the Mr. Popularity who couldn’t really care less about some lame last day of school assignment. So of course they get partnered up to complete it. It’s while they’re trying to spend the least amount of time in each other’s company to work on it (on the morning of the last day of school) when it goes down, when Kylie’s laptop gets stolen. Without thinking she goes after it and begrudgingly he goes after her, if only to make sure she doesn’t get hurt before he can ditch her. Cos clearly he’s a good guy. One wacky chase later and they find themselves smuggled across the border in Mexico—with no cell service, no passports, no plan and no love lost between them. They eventually find their way to a phone card and a bar (and to a plan and a pastime, respectively) and have nothing but time until they can be rescued. This is the part where the Nerd Girl and the Popular Boy drop their guard.

The book is actually told from several perspectives. There’re Kylie and Max, but also Kylie’s fabulous best friend, her big kid little brother, and Max’s Queen B girlfriend. The story and voices are all highly cinematic, thanks to the two authors. It makes a humdrum outline of a familiar story so much fun to actually read. I liked the first half of the book—What’s not to like: Chasing bad guys? Clash on the high school social ladder? International bacchanalia?—but the second half kind of flew by, in the best way. The story started with Kylie waking up next to a half undressed Max in an unfamiliar bedroom. We cut to the past few days to go over the beginning of their story and end up right back in bed, where reality is a bucket of cold water to the face. They have just hours to get to graduation where Kylie is still scheduled to give her valedictorian speech. Rescue arrives in the form of a clown car-esque last minute, mad dash across the border. Hopefully. At this point I stopped flipping ahead to see who would be where and just enjoyed this cramped Cracker Jack box of crazy rolling down the road. A bit like the plane ride in Almost Famous—they don’t all make it out as better people, but they do all make it out knowing the score and there’s a certain respect that comes with that. And, seriously, will they make it to graduation??

Fun times. I didn’t miss the vampires at all. (less)

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Jul 24, 2012 Sagine rated it 5 of 5 stars

I don't know why I picked this book up up but maybe something kept nagging me not to judge a book by its cover and that it was time to choose something else beside a book with a girl in a gorgeous dress standing in front of an ominous backgrounnd. But I think what really got me was the prologue which seemed a lot like this wicked cool and way more sugary sweet version of the Hangover. And not only that but this book was LONG - not borring long but action packed long unlike any typical YA Sara D...more
I don't know why I picked this book up up but maybe something kept nagging me not to judge a book by its cover and that it was time to choose something else beside a book with a girl in a gorgeous dress standing in front of an ominous backgrounnd. But I think what really got me was the prologue which seemed a lot like this wicked cool and way more sugary sweet version of the Hangover. And not only that but this book was LONG - not borring long but action packed long unlike any typical YA Sara Dessen book.

And once I got to reading, this book got me hooked. It wasn't even a roadtrip story technically. It involves Kylie Flores A quirky Latina girl with flavor and class Valeictorian who winds up getting assigned to work on an assignment with Max Langston the most popular and gorgeous boy in school. The downside is Graduation is in two days and no one wants to do it and that means Max too. And being the overachiever she is, Kylie just has to get it done, so she forces Max to meet with her at a Cafe the next morning. But what ensues is nothing the two of them could imagine. Kylie computer gets stolen and once again she's the type of girl who would have her whole life on a computer. So she chases after it and Max, despite his asshole, devil-may-care exterior, wants to help her out and not to mention have a little adventure. When the Truck with her stolen computer in it takes a stop and the drivers get out for a moment, Kylie goes in to retrieve the one thing she thinks she can't live without - the comp's got her Valedictorian speech in it - and Max despite himself can't just leave her by herself, so he follows. But the Truck drivers - big scary dudes - come back and drive away without knowing that Max and Kylie are in the back. These two teens are afraid for their lives and I'm pretty much scared shitless too!

They end up in Tijuana, Mexico. When the Truck makes another stop, Kylie changes before Max's eyes, from the girl behind the book to a girl who uses her streets smarts to steal the truck from right under the noses of two scary badguys and cruise all the way down to Ensenada to find refuge in the town her grandmother grew up in, and to Max this is all insanely hot. Not only that but Kylie starts to see Max as more than a dumb jock and they get along well, tell jokes and see everything through a new perspective. Okay and yes it all sounds pretty cliche (I mean come on -Popular rich jock and Nerdy scholarship student?) but its cute and done with an insanely otherworldly spin. In Ensenada things just keep getting crazier, Kylie's loosing her shell and dancing counting her lucky stars that she's with Max, the most gorgeous guy at school and he's definetly not an asshole. And Max is loving how free he's feeling and how great it is to open up to people and actually talk about stuff, especially to Kylie a girl he's starting to think is very kick ass and sexy. But reality sets in quick, Graduation is the next day, and Kylie calls forever faithful sidekick and bestfriend Will to pick them up and bring passports. Will is a fiercely loyal best friend much like Max's best friend Charlie is to him. He was born miles out of the closet and loves to shove his sexuality in the faces of everyone at their stuffy private school by wearing woman's clothes (that he doesn't really like that much).

Sure Will brings their passports and everything but he's no help cuz once he gets a wiff of the party going on in Ensenada, there is no stopping him! And everything from there is just amazing and fun. These two authors show that you don't need to have vampires and werewolves to create and story that has spark and magic. We even get to slip into the mind of Lily, Max's girlfriend. An uber-bitch, classic popular girl and all around harpy who has more going on that meets the eye. Sure in the end, theirs not much redemption found for her but it's nice to see that she's not all bad. The best part of the novel ends up ultimately being the love that begins to bloom between Kylie and Max. Although most of the novel takes place during the course of one day (the day before graduation to be exact) the love is sweet, genuine, slow developing and all around hot. I admit it does get pretty rocky but that just makes you want to keep reading to know whether they make it or not. All the character are very well developed. Max and Kylie not only grow in the eyes of each other but in the eyes of the reader. The change in them is gradual yet immense! Even minor characters like Juan, Charlie and Lily tug at the readers hearts and make you want to savor the pages of this finely tuned book. And Will just makes the book all the more funnier and exciting! I would recommend this book to everyone, thats how good it is!

There seriously needs to be a sequel! And if not a sequel than a movie, because, although I really hate books to movies, this book seems like it was made to be the perfect teen movie to curl up to and watch with your boyfriend or best friend. And if not than curl up alone and read it on a nice hot summer day, You definitely will not regret it, I know I don't.(less)

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Jul 22, 2012 Carmen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this book based on the excited vlog of a reviewer. Set over the space of three days at the end of the characters’ final year at school, the premise is a classic setting characters from opposing ends of the student population against each other to see what happens. Kylie Flores is the hard-working scholarship student who has her perceptions challenged by a wild chain reaction of events that lead to her Mexico.

The story is told from multiple perspectives, and while initially this is somewha...more

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Jun 14, 2012 MaryBookSwarm rated it 5 of 5 stars

Positive: The quotes and pop culture references. At the beginning of each chapter, the authors found a movie quote to match the events--loved it! And there are band names and other current pop culture references sprinkled liberally throughout. Of course, this doesn't lend itself to a timeless novel but that's not the point of this book. It's an "in the moment" kind of story, especially since it's pitched as a Hangover for teens in Mexico.

Positive: The multiple points of view. It's difficult writ...more Positive: The quotes and pop culture references. At the beginning of each chapter, the authors found a movie quote to match the events--loved it! And there are band names and other current pop culture references sprinkled liberally throughout. Of course, this doesn't lend itself to a timeless novel but that's not the point of this book. It's an "in the moment" kind of story, especially since it's pitched as a Hangover for teens in Mexico.

Positive: The multiple points of view. It's difficult writing a multi-POV story, especially with five points of view, but it really works for this story. Through Max and Kylie, we get to know them as people and see what happened that led them to waking up in bed together with wedding rings (eep!). Through Will, Jake, and Lily, we get different perspectives about the main characters as well as see what's going on back home while Max and Kylie are away. And it's still possible to connect with the all characters--there's depth in their personas.

Positive: The inclusion of Jake's POV. Jake is Kylie's younger brother and he has Asperger's syndrome. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Asperger's, it's a disorder in which the person who has it has serious difficulty with social interactions and usually has some significant, restrictive, and repetitive patterns of both behavior and interests (paraphrased from Wikipedia. Don't judge). Jake is a great character and through him, we learn a lot about Kylie, her family, and the reasons she puts so much pressure on herself.

Wish: That the cover wasn't white-washed. The two guys and the blond (Lily) are fine--they're pretty much how I pictured them. But Kylie? She's half Latina and half Jewish. Her best friend Will describes her on p. 21: "Girlfriend wears her gorgeous fro so tightly slicked back it looks like a helmet. She needs to embrace those kinky Latina curls. With her bronze skin, her golden eyes, and those massively long black lashes, she could look like a movie star." Does the brunette match that at all? I think not.

Overall: Loved this book! Filled with sharp-witted dialogue and intriguing characters, FROM WHAT I REMEMBER will have you laughing out loud and speeding through the pages to find out what really did happen to Max and Kylie. I picked this book up after hearing the two authors speak at the Teen Author Carnival in NYC. I just couldn't resist--and I'm so happy I didn't!(less)

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Jun 09, 2012 Lucy Maud rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Kylie Flores has one goal: make it to graduation. She'll give the valedictorian speech and get the heck out, never looking back at her spoiled, rich classmates, depressed and distant father and overworked mother. She'll miss her little brother, sure, but after graduation she's headed to New York University to pursue her life long dream of being a screen writer. The absolute, 100% last thing she needs is a last minute assignment that pairs her with golden boy Max.

Max just wants to graduate too. W...more Kylie Flores has one goal: make it to graduation. She'll give the valedictorian speech and get the heck out, never looking back at her spoiled, rich classmates, depressed and distant father and overworked mother. She'll miss her little brother, sure, but after graduation she's headed to New York University to pursue her life long dream of being a screen writer. The absolute, 100% last thing she needs is a last minute assignment that pairs her with golden boy Max.

Max just wants to graduate too. Without doing that paper. And what is up with Kylie? NYU isn't going to take back her scholarship based on one crummy grade. After this summer, there'll be no more just hanging out and getting by with his best friend and girl friend. Max'll have to go to college where his father wants him to go and get ready to for the career his father wants him to have.

When Kylie and Max accidentally end up in the back of a cargo van full of stolen goods and headed for Mexico, it seems like one of those things that only happens in the movies Kylie loves. But this is real life and those are some scary thieves. Stranded in Mexico, with no passports and no way home, Kylie and Max have to figure out how to trust each other and maybe even find some common ground if there's any chance of them getting back to high school in time for Kylie to give her all important speech.

Throw in Kylie's flamboyantly gay cross-dressing best friend (he doesn't really fit in at school either, go figure) and Max's picture perfect girlfriend (who maybe has a few secrets of her own) who join reluctant forces for a rescue mission and this sleepy Mexican town, and the four teenagers, will never be the same again.

I loved From What I Remember. It was one of those books that you just can't put down, because right when you think nothing else can possibly go wrong, something does. It's the perfect storm of high school misadventure books. The characters are all easily recognizable archetypes- overachieving poor girl from the wrong side of the tracks, golden boy who just wants to be free of expectations excreta, excreta, but Thomas and Kramer manage to make them new and fresh. Even though I had a pretty good idea how the book would end, I had no idea how it would get there and that's what made From What I Remember so exciting. (less)

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Feb 13, 2012 Lanora TM rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 10, 2012 Jodi Papazian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-reads

From What I Remember was such a great concept for a teen read. It has a great opening that will hook readers instantly.

Kylie wakes up on the morning of her high school graduation in bed with one of the hottest guys in school and remembers nothing about how she got there. It doesn't take too long for her to remember that they are in Mexico and have only hours to get home in time for their graduation ceremony. Adding to her complications is the fact that Max's girlfriend has just stormed in on t...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Katy rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was a TOTAL TRAIN WRECK. But I LOVED every minute of it. Man, just when you think it couldn't get any better/worse, Thomas and Kramer throws yet another surprise at you. This was such a FUN book to read, and it kept me on my toes the entire time.

First, let's talk a prologue. Can you get a better hook-in! It was kind of like The Hangover except even more intriguing. It kind of made me want to flip to the end of the book because I didn't want to rewind to two days earlier. But I kept mys...more This book was a TOTAL TRAIN WRECK. But I LOVED every minute of it. Man, just when you think it couldn't get any better/worse, Thomas and Kramer throws yet another surprise at you. This was such a FUN book to read, and it kept me on my toes the entire time.

First, let's talk a prologue. Can you get a better hook-in! It was kind of like The Hangover except even more intriguing. It kind of made me want to flip to the end of the book because I didn't want to rewind to two days earlier. But I kept myself in check, and I read the book in the order I was suppose to.

You would think this book was cliche, and maybe it was, but the story goes so much more beyond that. I admit, the book was a bit long because so much was going on. I mean a special brother, a father who's had a tragic past, overbearing parents with expectations, a father with cancer, gay issues when to step out of the closet, being an uptight valedictorian and looking beyond the surface and getting to really know people. This book also had its deep moments.

And the characters in the book, I just loved each one of them for their own strengths and faults. I love banter as well as the soul-searching conversations between Kylie and Max. I like how each have their own problems and how they learn there is more to each other than they originally thought. I think they had great chemistry, and I think the progression of their relationship from between to end was well paced and exciting.

And I'm not usually a fan of authors who have the token gay best friend who's just overly flamboyant - not because I have anything against gay people but that I'm not a big fan of annoying sidekicks in general - but Will's role in this book fit perfectly. It just somehow worked really well how they would become friends and they connected on a level that's beyond understanding.

And I don't really like it when authors throw in more than two or three points of views - and there were FIVE in this one - but for some reason, it worked in this one too. Somehow Thomas and Kramer managed to take everything I normally hate in a book and twisted them in a way that I really enjoyed. Like I said, a total train wreck but I loved it anyway.(less)

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Apr 27, 2013 Nadine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books

Review also available here

Rating this book turned out to be a difficult thing for me, I like this book a lot more than I thought I would 'cause it's somewhat different from those other contemporary reads. More adventurous. Road trips and all that. The plot was pretty cliche, almost all-predictable like most ya contemporaries are, but I still enjoy every single moment they went through. There's no boring scene and since the book was published by disney hyperion, I think it would make a great disn...more

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