From What I Remember by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas → Starts 30th May

[Mei]

"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."



Join Natasha and I in reading this contemporary novel! :)

[[deleted user]]

Yay!!! I'm so excited!

[Martha]

YEY! I'll join. Can't wait to get back into reading. :) This sounds really good!

[[deleted user]]

YAY!!! Welcome Martha!!!

[Martha]

Thank you! :)

[Mei]

WELCOME MARTHA!!! It's good to be reading with you again! :)

[Martha]

It certainly is! :D

[Martha]

10% - Loving the movie quotes! Not sure what to think about the characters yet though :/

[Mei]

18% (view spoiler)[Started! It had a great start, in my opinion. I loved the movie quotes as well, and I agree about the characters. They're kinda cliche but I hope that changes as we move along. I hope they won't be dull or stale. I want three-dimensional. If Max is an asshole and Kylie is a valedictorian, then I hope there's just more depth into those descriptions.

I'm curious how Jake will play in this story. Well, he's thirteen and has got Asperger's... (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

24% (view spoiler)[I know that Kylie and Max is supposed to be together at the end. Even if you don't read the prologue it's pretty obvious. But I hope the author would've been more subtle on Max's POV on how he finds Kylie. Well, it is expected for him to see her as somehow hot, but I wish it could've been less direct.

And so that's how they end up in Mexico? Because they chased Kylie's backpack? Not at all what I'm expecting... (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

Ch18 (view spoiler)[Well, this book is a total surprise! Will getting their passports, and all those bantering and comebacks right from the car, to the station, and to eating tacos, and sharing stories stories about their families, fetishes, and music taste, the ride was awesome! I'm getting a hang of this novel :) I loved both Max and Kylie! They definitely surprised me and that's what I loved the most. I was really surprised. Their personalities are a bit unexpected. Haha! :) (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

Ch23 (view spoiler)[Wow! WHO KNEW? What are the odds of finding her dad's best friend? That must be so sad, and overwhelming...knowing a lot—and good—stuff about your dad you didn't even know. (hide spoiler)]

[Martha]

18% - Sorry I'm being slow - it's taking me a while to get into this book! (view spoiler)[ Jumping into the back of a van? Pretty stupid Kylie! (hide spoiler)]
I hope there's good character and relationship development!

[Mei]

I hope so, too! That's a big bonus for me in rating my books higher!

Ch25 (view spoiler)[Aaaww, they're cute together!

Javier's story is a lot to take in :o (hide spoiler)]

Ch26 (view spoiler)[Oh nooo! Now Jake's gone out! From his POV, you could pick up about his condition. And how he's obsessed with being predictable. Kinda like obsessive-compulsive. It's amazing how much he prefers Kylie over everything. (hide spoiler)]

[Martha]

Mei wrote: "24%... spoilers removed"

Totally know what you mean! (view spoiler)[ It all seems a bit sudden for me.
No idea what to expect next. I want to hear more from Lily! :) (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

64% (view spoiler)[Well, that was sweet! I admit, I was blown away by Max's words and how he delivered it, but somehow, I don't buy it. Kylie being different from his girlfriends? Hmm, lines you hear commonly. I'm not bitter or anything, HAHA, but it's all just fast I'm finding it hard to believe completely. (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

Martha wrote: "Totally know what you mean! It all seems a bit sudden for me.
No idea what to expect next. I want to hear more from Lily! :) "

I don't know if it's just my preference or it's the book's fault or I don't know but (view spoiler)[something doesn't sit right with me with the timing of the shifting perspectives. We get Will's, Jake's and Lily's once in a while and so much on Max's and Kylie's side. I mean, they are the main characters, but it's like the three's POVs were just there to fill us in on what's happening at the States. I guess I want it to be consistent... (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

73% (view spoiler)[What bullsh*t! I'm so mad right now with Max! I knew this was going to happen! He didn't even deny Lily accused him of! He didn't defend Kylie, nor did he told her they're not okay.

I mean, I DO get it. Lily's family is in shambles, they're broke, her dad's probably going to jail and her boyfriend didn't even called her and wanted her to come to Mexico. Yeah yeah. Probably enough reason to NOT break up with her. But what about Kylie? What happened to everything he said? What. a. jerk.

I knew this would happen, and I know this'll be fixed, and Max will realize it's Kylie but this scene has affected me too much to decrease my rating. I'm being kinda hysterical lol I"m so sorry!
(hide spoiler)]

[Martha]

Mei wrote: "Ch18 [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ Kylie's really surprised me. I'm starting to warm to her now.
But - uh-oh - drinks? Talk of a wedding? Is this how it all starts?
Really no idea where this is going but liking it a bit more now! (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

OMG! You two are so fast! I only started last night and I'm 22%. I really love that the chapters are movie quotes! It's awesome!

[Mei]

91% (view spoiler)[Can MAX AND KYLIE please, JUST TALK ALREADY!!!!

And can Lily have, at least, an upgrade on the character development part? At the end, she's still bitter at Kylie and jealous of her getting the seniors blown away by her speech and for that she hates her. I mean, she did suspect that Max somehow likes Kylie so she went on the first move of breaking up with him and making it easy for him, but it's still the bitter kind of acceptance. Maybe a bit of being open mindedness would do -_- Then she went with Luca!!! Idk, but it feels kinda forced and just there to fill. (hide spoiler)]

[Martha]

52% - (view spoiler)[ Aww really feeling for Jake. He needs Kylie so much. That's a lot of pressure for her... Hopefully their dad is coming around! Getting into this read more now! (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

Martha wrote: "52% - [spoilers removed]"

That's good to hear! I was like that, too, with the book. It gets better.

[Mei]

Finished it yesterday! A good 4-stars. (view spoiler)[I wasn't totaly satisfied with the ending. There wasn't character development for Lily, there wasn't enough closure from Jake and Kylie's parents, or her dad, specifically. I was kinda looking forward that they might visit Manuel, or something like that. (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

I'm 42% And I'm actually really enjoying it!

(view spoiler)[ Even though Max & Kylie are really predictable I still ship them SO much! They're so cute! And OMG I need an awesome and sassy gay best friend like Will! Once Manuel was talking about Javier's story I knew that there would've been some accident that made him the way his in now but I wasn't expecting something that terrible! I feel so bad for him and I understand now why he's so distant. (hide spoiler)]

[Martha]

Mei wrote: "64% [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ Yeah it's sweet but I see what you mean too. I don't think this will last for long... I was expecting it to take Max longer to realise he liked Kylie. But they both connected a bit too easily. Hmm I don't know.. (hide spoiler)]

[Martha]

65% - (view spoiler)[ and now they're getting married?!? Just like that? Haha! (hide spoiler)]

[Martha]

Mei wrote: "73% - (spoilers removed)"

(view spoiler)[ I totally get it, Mei! I'm so mad! Max didn't even fight for Kylie! He ran straight back to Lily without question. What a jerk! I can't believe he just backs down when everything becomes a bit complicated! Ugh!
He's really annoying me now! Get it together Max!!!
Obviously, he's going to end up with Kylie but I think she deserves more than him now... (hide spoiler)]

[Martha]

76% - (view spoiler)[ I can't belive they're all driving back together! If I was Kylie I'd be getting the bus! Ha! (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

Martha wrote: "65% - [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Yeah,but I didn't really think it was that serious though. Haha! But if it is, they must be totally screwed! ;) (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

Martha wrote: "76% - [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I was actually wondering how they didn't consider the bus as an option! They just ran straight to Charlie! Probably money issues... (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

Martha wrote: "[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I most definitely hate it when he said 'temporary insanity', and when Kylie could hear it! How that hurts hearing that after what they spent on! And Max thinks how Kylie must have thought of everything as nothing.. just what? Totally insane! Of course it's not! After what he said will she think otherwise? How dumb! Lol! (hide spoiler)]

[Martha]

Mei wrote: "Martha wrote: "[spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

Oh yeah. It was really stupid of him! :(

[Martha]

88% - (view spoiler)[ I do love a good graduation speech... :) (hide spoiler)]

[Martha]

Mei wrote: "91% (spoilers removed)

(view spoiler)[ YES! I was expecting to see a lot of character development from Lily but have yet to see any. And I don't WANT everyone to make things easy for Max. I think he really needs to step it up. I'm not routing for him anymore, not like I am with Kylie. (hide spoiler)]