It's a Love Story • Remembrance

Remembrance by Michelle Madow

Series: Transcend Time Saga #1

Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: July 27, 2011

Source/Format: Won in a giveaway || Paperback

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? 

Honestly, I'm having a difficult time trying not to gush about Remembrance (because I could probably just type I loved it about a billion times instead of reviewing it properly). It's exactly the kind of book I love - a YA novel filled with romance, a swoon-worthy leading man and a hint of the impossible. And, as I suspected, I couldn't put it down!

Remembrance is entirely based on the premise of reincarnation and the possibility of two lovers meeting and remembering their past life, a theme that struck me as quite original. The story was written very well, with a nice steady flow that carried the reader from the first page to the last. Though it's very simple in terms of the plot, Michelle's great characterization and choice of what to show us and what to hint at helped keep me preoccupied wondering just what was going to happen next. It had some very predictable points, but a couple of twists caught me off guard here and there, which is an excellent thing.

The strongest element of Remembrance was its characters. Lizzie was a protagonist that I could relate to - she's a perfectly ordinary teenager with a particular care for being cautious, whether that pertains to driving, her grades or her own emotions. I found the extra bits about Lizzie - her enjoyment of Pride and Prejudice, her interest in sketching and art - to be some of the most fascinating things about her.

Drew, on the other hand, was swoon-worthy, period. When he and Lizzie interacted and sparks fly, I would find myself shrieking out loud or giggling or just smiling non-stop. He's mysterious, he's smart and he gave off a bad-boy-with-a-good-heart vibe at first (though we find out later on that he's really a good guy). Though there were occasions when I wanted to tell him off for his actions, I couldn't help falling in love with him as Lizzie did.

A few more characters that I liked (and hope we get to see more of in the next two books) are Chelsea, Jeremy and Keelie. I have a feeling they each have their own story to tell (well, maybe not so much Keelie), and I'd love to hear it. (In fact, the next book Vengeance is told from Chelsea's POV!).

If you're a fan of YA romance, then definitely go pick up this novel! Remembrance was an adorable and very unique love story -- and I honestly can't wait to see what happens next.