Remembrance - Michelle Madow
Synopsis: New Hampshire high school junior Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet.
Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she seem to get him out of her mind?
Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, the pair of them soon find that fighting fate isn't going to be easy.
Michelle Madow got the idea for this book from a Taylor Swift song, and that's exactly what it is. It almost seems like a culmination of every song Taylor ever sang, with a bit of the paranormal mixed in. It was sweet, expressive, full of emotion, slightly confused, perhaps a little my-life-is-wonderful-but-I'm-still-tortured, and entirely juicy. There were several points through the book were specific Taylor Swift songs would just surface in my mind that fit the scenario perfectly.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this new trend in YA to have the protagonist fall for her best friend's boyfriend. I don't really know how I feel about it. It's natural instinct to root for the main character, but in most cases we probably shouldn't. I think this is one of those cases, which made me entirely afflicted. Because it was clear that Drew and Lizzie were supposed to be together (I hated Jeremy, who I think was supposed to have some redeemable qualities, but he just didn't), but the obstacles in the way seemed too great. And we're not talking ancient prophesies that forbid them to be together, we're talking about hurting the people they were closest to. And those are the worst kind of obstacles - walls that might be meant to be left alone.
It's these things that made me entirely uncomfortable, with a huge sinking feeling in my gut - but all this in a really great way. Any book that makes me feel something is pretty great. I really like the whole past-lives thing, the destiny thing - I love to believe these things can happen. Michelle Madow also pairs this with Jane Austen parallels - Mr. Darcy (yum) parallels. All these things together, paired with a masquerade ball, brings us back to Taylor Swift - "We were both young, when I first saw you, close my eyes and the flashback starts, I'm standing there..." (from "Love Story") Fits perfectly.
Vengeance is the second book in the series and is told from the point of view of Chelsea - so I'm really interested to see her point of view - because she was the one in Remembrance that I felt for the most. I really can't wait to see where this story is going - it seems like one of those stories where the tables will always be turning.
Remembrance - Michelle Madow
Synopsis: New Hampshire high school junior Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet.
Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she seem to get him out of her mind?
Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, the pair of them soon find that fighting fate isn't going to be easy.
Michelle Madow got the idea for this book from a Taylor Swift song, and that's exactly what it is. It almost seems like a culmination of every song Taylor ever sang, with a bit of the paranormal mixed in. It was sweet, expressive, full of emotion, slightly confused, perhaps a little my-life-is-wonderful-but-I'm-still-tortured, and entirely juicy. There were several points through the book were specific Taylor Swift songs would just surface in my mind that fit the scenario perfectly.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this new trend in YA to have the protagonist fall for her best friend's boyfriend. I don't really know how I feel about it. It's natural instinct to root for the main character, but in most cases we probably shouldn't. I think this is one of those cases, which made me entirely afflicted. Because it was clear that Drew and Lizzie were supposed to be together (I hated Jeremy, who I think was supposed to have some redeemable qualities, but he just didn't), but the obstacles in the way seemed too great. And we're not talking ancient prophesies that forbid them to be together, we're talking about hurting the people they were closest to. And those are the worst kind of obstacles - walls that might be meant to be left alone.
It's these things that made me entirely uncomfortable, with a huge sinking feeling in my gut - but all this in a really great way. Any book that makes me feel something is pretty great. I really like the whole past-lives thing, the destiny thing - I love to believe these things can happen. Michelle Madow also pairs this with Jane Austen parallels - Mr. Darcy (yum) parallels. All these things together, paired with a masquerade ball, brings us back to Taylor Swift - "We were both young, when I first saw you, close my eyes and the flashback starts, I'm standing there..." (from "Love Story") Fits perfectly.
Vengeance is the second book in the series and is told from the point of view of Chelsea - so I'm really interested to see her point of view - because she was the one in Remembrance that I felt for the most. I really can't wait to see where this story is going - it seems like one of those stories where the tables will always be turning.
It's these things that made me entirely uncomfortable, with a huge sinking feeling in my gut - but all this in a really great way. Any book that makes me feel something is pretty great. I really like the whole past-lives thing, the destiny thing - I love to believe these things can happen. Michelle Madow also pairs this with Jane Austen parallels - Mr. Darcy (yum) parallels. All these things together, paired with a masquerade ball, brings us back to Taylor Swift - "We were both young, when I first saw you, close my eyes and the flashback starts, I'm standing there..." (from "Love Story") Fits perfectly. 