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

Max Langston and Kylie Flores revolve in completely different social circles. Max is the popular, albeit arrogant jock with the gorgeous, overbearing girlfriend. Kylie is the studious braniac who will soon be giving a speech at graduation as her school's valedictorian.  In one swift move by their masochistic English teacher, Max and Kylie are paired up to help each other write one final paper, two days before graduation. Max decides to blow off the assignment, but with her valedictorian status hanging in the balance, Kylie needs Max to be cooperative.

When he finally agrees to help and meets Kyle at Starbucks the next morning, in a twist of fate, Max and Kylie end up in the back of a truck headed for Mexico with no passports and no way out. What happens next is a thrill-ride through Mexico in an attempt to make it back home before graduation. If you love mad-cap road trip novels, then this is the book for you.

You know how movies like American Pie and Old School are so bad they're good? That's pretty much the gist of this book. It reads like a pedestrian, formulaic movie plot (my Goodreads/Twitter friend Kristin described it as the YA version of The Hangover which is a perfect representation of this book) and yet, one that you don't want to stop watching. It's a great, fun fluff read that would be perfect for someone in need of some brain candy. Given that I read this book just as the school year was ending, trust me, I was in need of some brain candy. Don't be on the lookout for much depth in this book. It was written by two screen writers which is definitely why the book reads so much like a movie plot. Again, this is not a BAD thing, it just means there's not much going on in the literary merit department.


From What I Remember... by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas
Published: May 15, 2012
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 462
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Audience: Young Adult
Disclosure: Library Copy