{A Kristin A Review} From What I Remember by Stacy Kramer & Valerie Thomas

Title: From What I Remember
Authors: Stacy Kramer & Valerie Thomas
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
May 15, 2012
Source: Bought (Kindle)

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Synopsis:

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.

I found this book perusing Alison Can Read's Top Ten of 2012. She listed From What I Remember as being one of the funniest books she had ever read, and I have to agree. I giggled and, maybe even, snorted a couple of times.

Sometimes my life seems a bit like Kylie's. I'm sure you know the feeling: The tiniest thing goes wrong and before long your entire day has snowballed into oblivion. Most of our stuff consists of spilling juice on the counter, the baby spitting up on you, forgetting your password, and a list of mildly irritating things that could happen during any given day. Well, we've got nothing on Kylie.

Two days until high school is out--forever. All Kylie wants to do is finish the last project her English teacher assigned and edit her valedictorian speech. Unfortunately, Kylie somehow got assigned to interview the school jock, Max. He's done. Parties have started and he has no intention of doing this little project with Kylie...except, Kylie's NEVER doesn't do an assignment and she's determined to complete this one--one way or another. After many disasters, Max agrees to meet Kylie at a Starbucks and answer a couple of questions. Once Kylie finally shows, Max shocks her with a couple of answers, but then--dun, dun, dun--Kylie's laptop gets lifted from Starbucks. Her life is on that computer: her valedictorian speech, a screen-play she'd written, and other life necessities; non of which had been backed up. Well, Kylie isn't letting go of her laptop that easily, and Max is forced to go along for the ride, in more ways than one.

Kylie thinks Max is the smarmy rich kid with no problems. He lives in a huge house, drives a nice car, and knows all the right people. She believes this because it's exactly what he wants people to see, but on his and Kylie's adventure, she learns there's so much more to him. Max thinks Kylie is a straight A student, ready to get started on college as far away from SoCal as possible. But Kylie's home life is pretty screwy. She spends her evenings taking care of her brother who has Asperger's, while their mom works the night shift as a nurse and their dad works late into the night trying to sell medical supplies. Something only Will, her best and only friend, knows.

Will's a bit of an odd duck, but I loved him so much. He's openly gay, if it's possible, he's a little too open. He decided if everybody was going to make jokes anyway, he'd beat them to the punch. He's taken to cross-dressing at school, although he really has no desire to be a cross-dresser. He loves suits, nice manly suits. College is only a few months away where Will prays people will be more accepting and, perhaps, he'll find his first true love.

From What I Remember is written in first person via Kylie's, Jake's, Will's, and Max's POVs. It's possible I missed a person, and for that I apologize. I enjoy stories with a couple different POVs, but this one overwhelmed me just a little. I had to rethink who was speaking in each chapter, though the chapters are clearly marked. This is the single reason I'm giving it 4 Stars instead of 5.

A belly-aching, tears running down your face, laugh inducing coming of age story. These characters mature, each in their own ways and at their own pace. They face many obstacles, and one-by-one they conquer them, but not before you're completely enraptured and fully entertained.

*A highly entertaining and moving story. A must read*