Review Detail

Remembrance has a very interesting background. It was inspired by an artist's music video and burst into this book, which made me extremely intrigued by its origins and wanting to know more. After months of putting this off, I finally borrowed this from the library and finished it. It was not what I was expecting. At all.

Lizzie is a typical teenager with a boyfriend, a BFF, and a raging desire to own the new boy in town for some reason. Upon the first chapter, we meet her and her boyfriend, and are shown clearly that their relationship is on the rocks, but how they'd get all hyped up over something so trivial I cannot imagine. And then, BOOM, a hot guy appears at her school, one who her BFF, Chelsea, is absolutely infatuated with . . . But of course the new guy rightfully belongs to her. Why? Because she's the protagonist and feels like they've met before. This is not cool. Because one is the protagonist of a story does not mean they're good no matter what.

I typically don't dwell as much on the relationship aspect of books, but I just have to point a few downers in the book out. Firstly, Lizzie and Jeremy's relationship. Jeremy acts condescending and basically wants her to act and be the way the way girlfriends of football stars would. Why won't Lizzie break up with him already? And poof, there's Drew. Sometimes, I don't have a huge problem with insta-love, but this is not one of those times. Furthermore, Lizzie began seeing Drew and macking on him while she was still dating Jeremy. Point against Lizzie.

And of course, Drew has his own problems. I don't see what's so wonderful about him. He kept on leading Chelsea on with no intention to end the fake affair until, surprise, surprise, he couldn't hold in his love for the fair Elizabeth any longer, ditched his girlfriend and went straight to the chick with a boyfriend. And that was after he played the "pull-'er-in, push-'er-out game" aka. Oh-let's-just-pretend-that-I-like-her-and-ditch-her-repeat with our protagonist. Drew will not be earning any boyfriend-of-the-year awards from me.

To say it more frankly, I was absolutely sick of the romantic aspect in the book.

Even more? I felt like everything fell too neatly into place. Oh, you went dress-shopping and found a shop with a kind shopkeeper who thought his wares belonged to you? Whoopsies, you forgot your sweater and a hot boy just happened to come by to check up on you and lent you his sweater? It didn't feel real to me. Everything worked out perfectly without anyone trying. It was just so awfully transparent, something I couldn't stand.

Conclusion? Remembrance had a wonderful original idea, but its execution was less than what I was looking for. I may pick up the next book because: a) I'm a glutton for such fluff or b) I want to see improvement somewhere, anywhere.

Originally posted on Lust For Stories: http://lustforstories.blogspot.ca/2012/12/review-remembrance-by-michelle-madow.html