Review: keep me in mind by jaime reed

A girl who doesn't remember. A boy who can't forget her. A wise, witty, and heartbreaking love story for today's YA generation.

Ellia Dawson doesn't recognize the handsome boy who sits in tears by her hospital bed. But he's telling her that he's Liam McPherson, her boyfriend. Boyfriend? Ellia thinks in shock. She has no clue who Liam is, let alone whether or not she once loved him. She remembers her family, her friends, and the fact that she wants to be a fashion designer. But Liam is a big blank in her life.

Meanwhile, Liam is devastated that Ellia, the love of his life, who suffered an accident while they were running together on the beach, has lost her memory. He is desperate to win her back, rebuild what they once had, but Ellia keeps him at an arm's length. She's much more comfortable with a new boy she meets at the hospital, who understands more what she's going through. So Liam begins writing the story of the two of them, piecing together the past in the hopes of having a future with the girl he loves.

Told from alternating perspectives, this is a lyrical, clever, and surprising novel from Jaime Reed. ~ Goodreads

Source: Amazon Vine review program in exchange for an honest review on their site

Review:

I’m not usually a fan of stories about amnesia but I decided to give Keep Me in Mind a try anyway, thanks to all the positive reviews. I’m glad I did because it, mostly, works thanks to Reed’s handling of amnesia as a real medical condition that has repercussions for, not only the patient, but for family and friends as well.

Ellia and Liam’s relationship is thrown into a tailspin after Ellia falls, bangs her head and slips into a coma for 3 days and wakes with no memory of him. Liam is left struggling to try to make Ellia remember him and all they've shared.

As I mentioned, Reed shows how confusing it can be for Ellia to have no recollection of the person who was supposedly the love of your life and to hear, second hand, about all the things you used to enjoy, like sewing, all the wild things you did – and have zero desire to be that person again.

Friends and family have to find a way to bond with this new version of Ellia. Some people want her back the way she was and some, like her family, are quite pleased with the way she is now because she was so wild and uncontrollable before. Not to mention - no more Liam.

As much as I enjoyed how the author dealt with the amnesia aspect, I had problems with the way the actual story was told.

It’s written in alternating POV’s between Liam and Ellia. Liam is an aspiring writer and mostly tells of their former relationship in flashbacks that also reveal cracks in the supposedly perfect couple facade. That created a distance for me, as Liam’s writings were often over the top and awkward.

Add in a mystery about the accident, that isn’t really a mystery, and interfering parents and my attention started getting pulled in too many directions.

I really wish the book stayed more focused on the amnesia (I can’t believe I’m saying that!) and the complex family dynamics and less on the anti-climatic mystery of the fall.

Things I liked: That it dealt with an interracial romance, a realistic teen relationship, amnesia as medical condition – not a plot device. While this is a YA romance, I wouldn’t say it’s a conventional romance. It’s a little messy and a lot realistic, including a nice but not tidy/perfect ending.

Not so much: making a bigger deal out of the initial accident than it was to get the plot to where it needed to go. Liam’s POV’s were often distancing to me.

This book might appeal to fans of the Vow and The Notebook, although in this book the romantic elements aren't as strong as in the movies.