A Dream Within A Dream: I Remember You Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for I Remember You! Today I'll be sharing my review of the book - and don't forget to enter the giveaway! To follow along with the tour, click on the banner above.

I Remember You

Author: Cathleen Davitt Bell

Genre: YA Science Fiction/Time Travel

Release Date: February 10, 2015

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Description:

For fans of THE FUTURE OF US comes an engrossing story of two teens, whose love for each other is tested by time and fate.

Lucas and Juliet couldn’t be more different from each other. But from the moment Lucas sees Juliet, he swears he remembers their first kiss. Their first dance. Their first fight. He even knows what’s going to happen between them—not because he can predict the future, but because he claims to have already lived it.

Juliet doesn’t know whether to be afraid for herself or for Lucas. As Lucas’s memories occur more frequently, they also grow more ominous. All Juliet wants is to keep Lucas safe with her. But how do you hold on to someone you love in the present when they’ve begun slipping away from you in the future?

I Remember You is an enchanting young adult contemporary romance with a unique twist to its plot. The story happens in the mid-1990s, which is the present time and when everything occurs. Our leading lady, Juliet, is a great main character. She's incredibly smart, a good student in school, a loving and devoted daughter and friend, and has her life pretty much planned out. That's why she doesn't let anything in her life now - during high school - bother her. She's focused on getting into a good college and then going to law school. Enter Lucas, the hockey player Juliet knows a bit from school, but hasn't really spoken to. They share a moment during the summer before school when she returns from camp, but she doesn't think much about it. When Juliet walks into her physics class that fall and turns to see Lucas sitting behind her, smiling at her, gradually talking to her more and more each day - she's totally confused by the attention he's giving her and doesn't understand what's going on. Lucas eventually tells Juliet that he remembers things from a different future - things about Juliet, the world, himself - that haven't happened yet, but he remembers them like it was yesterday. Juliet doesn't believe his story - it's too weird and impossible. But she falls in love with him anyways and it doesn't seem to matter as much. When Lucas finally breaks and reveals that his dreams are real memories from the future and he can remember more and more each time - down to minute details like smells and what something feels like. He tells Juliet that somehow - he doesn't know or understand how - he's come back from somewhere - from the future - for one reason: her. What is Juliet supposed to do with this information? It's impossible and yet things Lucas has remembered and told her about months beforehand are coming true. Lucas believes that his time is limited and running out fast - which leaves Juliet with a huge decision: can she find a way to keep him with her in the present or does she let him go - possibly losing true love?

This was a real roller coaster of an emotional ride. I was sucked into the story right from the beginning - during the prologue actually. I loved Juliet's character right away - she reminds me of myself in high school; serious about getting good grades and getting into a good college, not letting small or petty problems get in her way. Her character undergoes a huge transformation in the book after she's spent some time with Lucas. I liked watching her character change and grow in different ways - becoming more in tune with her feelings, allowing herself to fall in love, risking a broken heart. The story was told from Juliet's point of view, which made it easy to slip inside her world and her mind. We get to know her on a very personal level - her inner thoughts, dreams, fears, everything. This writing style is fantastic, in my opinion, because it makes the story personal and conversational in tone - and it also flows more naturally and easily. By the end of the book I felt like I actually knew Juliet thoroughly and could really empathize with her.

The plot wasn't incredibly original, but the author was able to make it stand apart from others in the genre using various methods - the writing style, first person point of view, the quick pace and the way the time travel works - among several other traits. There was an element of suspense mixed into the story because of the time travel aspect. You could feel things getting more intense and serious - suspenseful - as the story continues, until you're reading as fast as you can to see what's going to happen next; not to mention to see how it ends. It was a beautiful and mesmerizing story of true love, heartbreak, and fate. No matter how the book ended, you knew it was going to shatter your heart one way or another. The further into the story I got, the more intensely I felt the story along with the emotions of the characters. I don't normally get really emotional while reading a book, so when that happens - especially if it can make me react physically, like crying - I know that I've come across an author with true talent. This book was an emotional whirlwind - going from sweet to funny to angry and upset and heartbroken. I won't lie - I cried. Hard. In my opinion, this was an incredibly well written novel that tackles the concepts of true love and the distance you would go for it. It was nothing short of mesmerizing, poignant, and bittersweet. I couldn't recommend this book enough to fans of YA contemporary romance along with those who enjoy science fiction, time travel, and love stories in general.

I was born in Princeton, NJ in 1971 and lived there until I was twelve, when we moved with my mom moved to West Hartford, CT.

My dad and mom had been divorced when I was two, and my dad lived in Williamstown, MA. I spent summers and school vacations with him.

I went to college in New York, at Barnard, and stayed in New York after I graduated. I worked as a newspaper reporter for three months, as a salesperson for a multimedia publisher for three years, and as a market researcher, and finally a copywriter.

I’m married and have two awesome kids ages two and five. I lived in Manhattan for sixteen years, but now am in Brooklyn, living downstairs from my sister and her family. I have two dogs named Oscar and Oprah. My favorite food is pizza and, strangely, in my thirties, I’ve developed a great love for playing catch. Slipping is my first book.

Author Links:

Website: http://www.cathleendavittbell.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CathleenDavittBell

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/cdavittbell

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1158766.Cathleen_Davitt_Bell

Buy Links:

Kobo