Monday, May 14, 2012

From What I Remember... by Stacy Kramer & Valerie Thomas


From What I Remember... by Stacy Kramer & Valerie Thomas
Published: May 15, 2012 by Disney Hyperion
Received: egalley for review from publisher - thank you!
KYLIE: Tijuana WHAT? I should be putting the finishing touches on my valedictorian speech. Graduation is TODAY, and is this a wedding band on my finger.

MAX: It all started with Kylie's laptop and a truck full of stolen electronics Okay, it was kind of hot, the way she broke us out like some chick in an action movie. But now we're stranded in TIjuana. WIth less than twenty-four hours before graduation. Awesome.

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 thier passports across the border--but there's no reason to rush back home right away. This party is just getting started.

LILY: I just walked in on my boyfriend, Max Langston, canoodling with Kylie Flores, freak of the century. Still, I can't completely hold it against him. He NEEDS me. It's even clearer now. And I'm not giving him up without a fight. {goodreads.com}

You guys, one word came to mind while I was reading this book: FUN! and so much of it.  The prologue alone captured my attention and I was pumped to experience this adventure with Kylie, Max, Will, and the whole gang.  What I enjoyed most about this novel is how different it came across to me.  First off all, it's a collaboration between two authors - which can either make or break a novel.  I was pleasantly surprised by how seamless their two voices came across the page.  I never felt like it was two different ideas jammed together to make one story.  They meshed and it worked.

Another aspect of the story which was different, yet totally worked is the background of these two novelist.  They write screenplays for TV shows and movies & it's very obvious in this book.  I could totally see this story played out on the screen.  With the use of multiple characters, alternating between chapters, the reader gets to experience the story through so many eyes.  Again, a concept that could ruin a novel - yet they pulled it off so flawlessly!  Each character has his or her own strong voice, and I was able to connect with them individually - learning their own unique story and how they all end up colliding together at the end of this crazy adventure.

Imagine waking up the day of high school graduation in Mexico, completely hung over, not remembering the night before, and rolling over to see the one guy who you loathe most laying in bed next to you.  Then you look down and see that you both have on matching wedding bands. That is how this crazy adventure begins - but it's the story of how Kylie and Max got there, and all the elements that lead up to this moment which make the story so much fun to read about.  I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an exciting, laugh-out-loud, crazy good time summer read!





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17 comments:

  1. I'm so looking forward to reading this book. As you say, the concept sounds very fun and I love when I can see a story play out like a movie in my head and it sounds like this accomplishes that.

    Thanks for the review.

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  2. Yes, fun is exactly the word that came in mind when I read the summary! I feel like co-authors can be a hit or miss so I'm glad it worked out so well in this story. Adding this on my summer reads, thank you!

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  3. I CANNOT WAIT TO READ THIS! I am for sure taking it on vacation with me this summer. :) Great review, G!

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  4. This book came to me by total surprise!! I got this NetGalley invite and I was so freaking happy I got the chance to read it!! I LOVED it!! Especially since the beginning was already so grabbing :) Couldn't put it down!

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  5. I can't wait to read this! The frist time i read the synopsis i was already drwan to it!

    Great review! =D

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  6. Very excited for this one, as you well know!

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  7. I believe it was a Waiting On Wednesday post when I saw you first mention this and I got super excited. After reading this review I really, really, REALLY can't wait to read it! I am so in need of a fun book right now :)

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  8. Great review!

    Did one of those kids seriously use the word canoodling?

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  9. This sounds SO FUN!! Never heard of this one until I saw you tweet about it a few times and now I'm really excited about it!! I am always nervous about books with two authors but, like you said, sometimes it can be done well (ie. David Levithan/Rachel Cohn or David/John Green) so I'm glad this works!

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  10. Sounds like a light, cute read. Love it! Thanks for the review! I'm looking forward to reading this. :)

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  11. This book sounds awesome. I never had any wild or crazy adventures when I was in school so I might as well read about them, right? :P

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  12. This sounds kind of like the Hangover and um I WANT TO READ IT NOW hahaha.

    Also? It seems like it would be a great poolside read, because if I am reading by a pool, I want a book that is fun and will make me LOL into my margarita.

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  13. I have this on My @Books I would like to See Published in the UK' list :D It sounds fab

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  14. This book sounds like the perfect fun, light, summer read indeed! I'm always wary about collaborations, and about writers jumping formats, because it doesn't always work, but since you're so enthusiastic, I have to at least give it a shot!

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  15. I totally want to read this. It does sound fun. Thanks for the great review! :D

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  16. It definitely sounds like this is one fun read! Perfect for the summer days ahead :)

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