Say You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry Published by Harlequin Teen on January 30th 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary
Pages: 400
Source: Blog Tour, NetGalley
My content rating: YA (Characters do more than kissing, but it's all implied and not shown)
My rating:
When Drix was convicted of a crime--one he didn't commit--he thought his life was over. But opportunity came with the new Second Chance Program, the governor's newest pet project to get delinquents off the streets, rehabilitated and back into society. Drix knows this is his chance to get his life back on track, even if it means being paraded in front of reporters for a while.
Elle knows she lives a life of privilege. As the governor's daughter, she can open doors with her name alone. But the expectations and pressure to be someone she isn't may be too much to handle. She wants to follow her own path, whatever that means.
When Drix and Elle meet, their connection is immediate, but so are their problems. Drix is not the type of boy Elle's parents have in mind for her, and Elle is not the kind of girl who can understand Drix's messy life.
But sometimes love can breach all barriers.
Fighting against a society that can't imagine them together, Drix and Elle must push themselves--Drix to confront the truth of the robbery, and Elle to assert her independence--and each other to finally get what they deserve.
Say You’ll Remember Me is just what I’ve come to expect to Katie McGarry. It’s the type of contemporary that makes me laugh and makes me cry and leaves me truly thinking about all the complexities of the themes. These are my favorite types of contemporaries!
What Fed My Addiction:
- Elle’s Complex family dynamics. Elle’s family life is complicated, to say the least. But I love that McGarry doesn’t give us straight-up villainous, controlling parents. At so many points through the book, they show that they truly care about Elle and think that they’re looking out for her best interests. They pressure her into a lot of things, but they really do try to give her a choice, at least from their perspective—they sit down with her and talk to her about her role on the campaign and ask if she’s okay with it. It’s not that they don’t give her a choice, it’s that they’ve made her feel like she won’t be good enough for them if she says no. As a mom, I know how hard it can be to let your kids live their lives, bad choices and all. How you want to keep them from failing that class or in that social situation, etc. I really thought that McGarry got all those complexities across and showed a family that loves each other but that’s still messed up. (And they are messed up—especially toward the end of the book.) Elle’s parents have many faults, but not loving their daughter isn’t one of them. They just often go about showing it in really wrong ways.
- Drix’s inability to control his own life. A huge theme of this book is how hard it can be when you truly have no control—this plays out in both Elle’s and Drix’s lives, but it’s especially poignant for Drix. He has spent the past year making up for a crime he didn’t commit. His life is now beholden to a political candidate and he feels like he has to go along with everything that’s given to him because he owes Elle’s dad his life. Even though he didn’t commit the crime, the program really did turn his life around, and he’s truly grateful for that. In some ways, he feels he’s better off, even with people’s negative impressions of him. Because of that, he’s constantly being pulled in different directions—how much does he truly owe Elle’s dad? Is there anything he can say no to? Will he ever get past his bad reputation for a crime he didn’t even commit? Again, the issues are super complex, and McGarry delves into them all unflinchingly. I love that!
- The political side of the story. Elle’s dad might be the most interesting character in the book. Elle loves him deeply and she believes in him. She knows his heart and his desire to truly help people through his political position. And then politics itself gets in the way. In a lot of ways, this story is an exploration of how even good people struggle to stay that way once they’re in a position of power. I thought that this was done thoughtfully, realistically, and in a way that helped you see all sides.
- The romance. Okay, this book is a romance, so I should probably mention it, right? Honestly, the romance is the main focus of the book, and I absolutely adored it—but it’s just not as interesting to think about or talk about as the other elements of the story. To me, that’s a good thing. I got a romance that made me swoon with a story that kept my brain engaged! Drix and Elle were both fabulous characters individually, as well, so that made the romance that much better.
What Left Me Hungry for More:
- Not much. I mean, sure, there were things. A few elements of the story felt a little over the top or unrealistic (for instance, the perfect Second Chance program that absolutely transformed each and every life it touched—or the fact that all of Drix’s friends were somehow musical geniuses), but those elements were really small in comparison to the things I loved.
This is a story about how difficult it can sometimes be to gain control over your own life. I think this is a theme that will resonate with a LOT of YA readers. Once again, McGarry delivers.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley and Inkslinger PR in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
Check out the Pre-order Campaign!
Pre-order SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME, register and you will receive AND THEY ALL LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER, a novella that features your favorite Pushing the Limits and Thunder Road characters!
From the Pushing the Limits series, Noah, Beth, Isaiah, West and Logan are all grown up. Catch up with your favorite characters as one of them finally says, I do.
Pigpen, Eli and Addison from the Thunder Road series: Three separate personalities who still needed to find love…and still had someone important to meet.
This is a limited time offer! So hurry! Registration ends on February 3, 2018! You must register your preorder to receive AND THEY ALL LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
About the Author
Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.
Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine’s 2012 Reviewer’s Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.
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Katie McGarry’s SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME –Tour Schedule:
January 22nd
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Book Boyfriends
January 23rd
January 24th
January 25th
January 26th
MrsLeif’s Two Fangs About It Book Reviews
January 27th
An Asian Chick & Her Cat Walk into a Book Blog
January 28th
January 29th
Rants and Raves of a Bibliophile
January 30th
January 31st
Fictional Rendezvous Book Blog
February 1st
Katy and Zetti’s Book Ramblings
February 2nd
Angie and Jessica’s Dreamy Reads
February 3rd
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44 responses to “Say You’ll Remember Me by Katie McGarry: Review & Giveaway”
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I love a book that can make me laugh and cry – sign of a great writer. This one sounds very real. No caricature-style personas but real people. Great review, I will check it out!
Yes—McGarry does a fantastic job of creating realistic people we can care about.
I had high expectations for this one – because it’s Katie McGarry – and it didn’t disappoint. I loved Drix and Elle’s story. My heart broke again and again for Drix and the impossible situation he found himself in. He was so selfless, so mature, and was trying so and to do better/be better. I enjoyed reading your thoughts on it as well!
Yeah, I totally cried at the end of this book because my heart was broken for them (plus that otherthing that happened).
So glad you enjoyed this one, I’ve heard nothing but great things about this book and about all of Katie McGarry’s work.
Thanks for sharing,
~Brittany @ Brittany’s Book Rambles
I’m a big fan of McGarry, especially her more recent books.
You know, I’ve never read anything by this author but I feel like I should. I’m glad to hear it was MORE than just the romance. Sounds like a good read.
-Lauren
It’s definitely a contemporary romance, which I don’t think is your go-to genre, but I think you’d enjoy this one!
I love that you found so much to focus on apart from the romance. That elevates it for me. But I already love Katie McGarry so I was easily persuaded 😀
Exactly. The romance was great, but the other elements were what made it stand apart from the rest.
Beautiful review! I am really happy you enjoyed this book so much, it sounds like the kind of book I could love 🙂 I never read anything by this author just yet, but I think I’ll have to start. I love that there are strong family dynamics in this, this always makes me love my contemporaries a bit more 🙂
There was just so much going on in this book besides the romance—that’s the type of story I really love!
I felt so similar to you – I laughed, I cried (a few scenes even made me bawl my eyes out), I rated the book 4.5 stars (I’m on the tour too, but scheduled for this Wednesday) and I absolutely loved all of the themes that could be found throughout the story. I’m so happy to see you loved it so much too! Fabulous review, Nicole!
I’m actually thinking about bumping my rating up to 5 stars even, which I don’t do all that often anymore. The more I think about the book, the more I love its complexities!
There were SO many complexities! It was such a fabulous, well rounded book that took such an amazing look at life, family and friendship. Mine’s stuck at 4.5 Stars because I realllllllly struggled with one of those scenes near the end that made me sob hysterically. It was a huge trigger and I completely lost it and poor Chelsea received a billion hysterical texts from me in the middle of the night. If I didn’t have that issue, then I definitely would have rated this book at a solid 5 Stars. But I love when books keep weighing on your mind begging for you to increase the rating, love it!
I know exactly what scene you’re talking about, of course.
I haven’t read Katie McGarry yet but I like how this one sounds–it definitely sounds like it has all the aspects I’d enjoy!
I would definitely read this one!
Gosh Nicole, I hadn’t thought I wanted to read this one, and now here you are making me reconsider everything. This is why I can’t get a handle on my TBR! 😀 Great review, I am really glad you enjoyed it!!
I agree that TBRs are impossible to tame while reading book blogs. (Just remember, I MADE you do it.)
Ahh, McGarry just knows how to write a good story, right? I will say that I’m kinda happy that Elle’s family, although complicated, isn’t absentee or uncaring. Both Elle and Drix sound like incredible characters though and I’m anxious to meet them. Great review, Nicole!
Elle’s family definitely has issues, but being absent or uncaring aren’t part of them. 🙂
Thank you so much! ~Jessica, InkSlinger PR
Thanks for including me!
So glad you enjoyed this one! I love Katie McGarry and have already pre-ordered this so, it should be arriving soon! She does a great job of creating relatable characters and I just love her for it! Hope you have a wonderful week!
Hope you love it!
Innocent people in prison is one of the most emotional topics for me. It is indeed to devastating to lose control of your life like that! This book sounds awesome with all that politics and complex family dynamics!
Yes, it’s a horrible topic to think about!
The cover of this is beautiful. And I really need to read a book by this author some day. I should add it to my TBR.
You definitely need to read McGarry—I think you’d really enjoy her books based on your reading tastes.
McGarry has this skill of getting me to love books and storylines I am convinced I won’t like so I am so excited to read this. I know she does the kid from the wrong side of the tracks thing a lot but she does it so well and always gets me caring about her characters. I will be buying this soon, I think.
I agree that this is a common theme for her, but she does it well!
Hi There! I read at Gina’s blog that you list reading groups. I would love help advertizing my four, at this URL! https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/headquarters-2018/
Can your giveaway be a gift certificate from the Canadian website if a Canadian wins? I have to ask because giveaways tend to be American but most people say “yes”. It is only a matter of getting it at Amazon.ca instead of .com. Sincerely, Carolyn.
I added your challenges to my list! Thanks for pointing them out to me. Sorry I didn’t get back to you soon enough about the giveaway—most giveaways for tours are run by the blog tour site, not the individual blogger, so I don’t make the rules for those.
That sounds like a really good book. I love books that make me laugh and cry!
Me too!
Elle’s family was really complicated, and it saddened me, that they could not appreciate how wonderful she was. But Drix’s family was all about love and support, and I was glad they “adopted” her. Great review!
Yes, I agree—family in this book was very complicated.
A crim and the governor’s daughter–this sounds like a recipe for fraught-ness!
It is, but it’s great!
Cool giveaway; I love Katie McGarry’s books. 🙂
She never fails to impress. 🙂
Umm… did you say politics? I do love my politics in real life, but for some reason I especially love reading about it in my books too! And I love love love the sound of the complexity of this one. When it comes to the inability to control life, and also the family representation. Basically, your review has this one sold to me <3
I’m normally not a big fan of politics in books, but I found the political aspects of this book pretty fascinating because it wasn’t ONLY about politics but also about human nature and how politics can change people.