Keep Me In Mind by Jaime Reed - Book Review (Spoilers Warning!)
Keep Me In Mind by Jaime Reed
The Pitch
The Notebook set in modern California beach town
Summary
Ellia's recovering from an accident that made her lose memories of her last two years. Liam tries to make her remember their star-crossed romance by writing a book detailing all that they did. Romantic rivals and bad parental decisions ensue. In the end, the pair decided to start anew.
The Good
I really like the great character building. Jaime Reed didn't make it easier on herself with Ellia's character. It was fascinating to see the difference between the post-accident Ellia, who basically reverted to her past character, vs the pre-accident Ellia. For Liam, I'm happy to see a YA contemporary romance novel that builds a much more complex character than the typical "very hot guy for readers to gush over".
Lastly, as someone who grew up in California, I'm so glad that finally there's a piece of media that acknowledges the existence of Asians and Hispanics in a California high school.
The Bad
The only problem is that this has the same basic plot as The Notebook. However, as they say, there's no such thing as an original idea.
Overall Rating
5 of 5
An excellent standalone YA contemporary romance novel!
Romance Realism Scale
5 of 5
Keep Me In Mind is a very realistic take on romance, something that you don't typically find in romance novels (whether for adults or YA). Ellia did not simply recover her memories and return to being madly in love with Liam. Rather, the book ends with the pair agreeing to a fresh start to their relationship.