Remind Me How This Ends

Remind Me How This Ends
Written by Gabrielle Tozer
Contemporary, Romance, #LoveOzYA
352 Pages
Published March 27th 2017
Thank you to Harper Collins Australia
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★★★★★
It's the summer after high school ends and everyone is moving on. Winning scholarships. Heading to uni. Travelling the world. Everyone except Milo Dark. Milo feels his life is stuck on pause. His girlfriend is 200 kilometres away, his mates have bailed for bigger things and he is convinced he's missed the memo reminding him to plan the rest of his life. Then Layla Montgomery barrels back into his world after five years without so much as a text message.

As kids, Milo and Layla were family friends who shared everything, hiding out in her tree house, secrets made at midnight, and sunny afternoons at the river. But they haven't spoken since her mum's funeral. Layla's fallen apart since that day. She pushed away her dad, dropped out of school and recently followed her on again off again boyfriend back to town because she has nowhere else to go. Not that she's letting on how tough things have been.

What begins as innocent banter between Milo and Layla soon draws them into a tangled mess with a guarantee that someone will get hurt. While it's a summer they'll never forget, is it one they want to remember?

My Thoughts

Ambivalent eighteen year old Milo Dark is adrift after choosing to remain in the small country town of Durnan. His girlfriend flourishing at university in Canberra while Milo endures the intermediate. Isolated, dubious and detached. Milo Dark is a wonderful young man who is tormented by adulthood. His peers have abandoned the small country town of Durnan for university while Milo remains working in the Dark family bookstore and navigating a long distance relationship. Most adolescents spend thirteen years within the educational system only to apply for university dependent on tertiary requirements, compromising and negotiating. Milo's narrative echoes those overwhelming sentiments and parental expectations. As his long distance relationship begins to dissolve, childhood friend Layla arrives in Durnan after a five year absence.

It's been five years since Layla Montgomery and her father disappeared, the emotional trauma of losing his wife unbearable as is the prospect of raising his daughter alone. Layla has now returned to Durnan and resides in share accommodation with her narcotic dealer partner, desperate to recapture her life once more. Layla's partner is manipulative and emotionally abusive, exploiting her insecurities and displacement while dealing narcotics despite Layla's plea.

An unconventional romance, two young adults seeking solace in one another while their lives transition into adulthood, a reconnection as friends exploring a physical relationship. It was a comfortable, consensual relationship in which Milo and Layla found strength. It was wonderfully refreshing considering often young adult novels only explore all encompassing or toxic relationships between characters. Often friendships and physical relationships can be comforting, offering stability and release, adding a further level of maturity throughout the storyline.

Layla shares an estranged relationship with her father. Having lost her mother at an incredibly tender age, her father immersed within his own grief was unable to offer Layla stability. Her father now has a wonderful long term partner who's supportive and nurturing and it was a moment of rejoice as Layla escaped her manipulative relationship. Milo's parents attempt to offer support which involves disappointment, misleading suggestions and ultimatums. They refuse to allow Milo to dwell within Durnan but in their attempt at motivation, it further highlights why adolescents need encouragement, not ultimatums.

Both Milo and Layla felt emotionally fragile to varying degrees and reminiscent of my own further education, I experienced similar feelings of resentment and depressive moods. Education is important but as Milo's narration demonstrates, it's important to forge your own pathways, experience life and to find who you are and your place within our ever changing world.

It was phenomenal.

Gabrielle Tozer is an exceptional author who creates vivid narratives and characters that are relatable and remarkable. Remind Me How This Ends is emotional, impactful and absolutely superb.

22 comments

  1. This looks really interesting. I'm always searching for goo contemporay that will break my heart and make me cry my eyes out. Absolutely in need too find more emotional books.
    I'm going to add in my whislist.

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    1. It's remarkable and such an important read for those reaching the end of their high school education as well. A great reminder how common it is to feel as though you're adrift. It was a feeling I shared too when I finished school and wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life. Such a wonderful read.

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  2. I've seen this one floating around and have been curious. Of course it's perfection! Can't expect anything less from an Aussie. :D Absolutely dying to get my hands on a copy.

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    1. Aussie young adult authors kick ass. Just brilliant stories without the drama. I loved her Intern duology which was incredibly funny but Remind Me How This Ends is in another league. It's perfection.

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  3. Wow, this raises a lot of questions about education and what expectations take you on the different journeys we go all go through. A book exploring the ways we navigate into adulthood seems like a very relatable read!

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    1. I can imagine many teens will be able to relate to Milo's narration especially. That period between completing high school and starting university can be filled with hesitation and even regret. I experienced the same crisis and seen myself within Milo's narration as well. Layla is also such a brilliant character that readers will fall in love with.

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  4. This sounds like a really well done novel. I like that the two of them have each other to lean on but aren't magically saved by each other either. It sounds realistic, which I love.

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    1. It is Lauren. It's about finding yourself and finding your own path and those who help us along our journey. I love books that explore non romantic relationships and it was so wonderfully written.

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  5. Amazing review Kelly, I absolutely adored this one as well! Milo and Layla's characters were both so well developed, and the focus on figuring out where life heads next after school finishes is something so relatable. Thanks for sharing :)

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    1. Thanks Eugenia. It's one of those books that will appeal to any generation. I experienced the same feelings at that age and no doubt generations after us both will also experience the same. I loved it.

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  6. The summary make sit sound quite a bit lighter than your review. More like a romance than and exploration of pending adulthood.

    It sounds wonderful!

    For What It's Worth

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    1. Ultimately it's a story of journey's converging and finding our own way. I loved how it explored expectations verses feelings of displacement as well. Beautifully written and really lovely. The ending was very surprising but perfection.

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  7. Gabrielle Tozer has penned another fantastic #LoveOzYA title by the sounds of it :-) :-) :-)

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    1. She has! And so wonderfully Sarah. Definitely add this one to your list.

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  8. This sounds like a great book and I am going to put this on my to read shelf. I have seen this book around and thought about reading it. Great review thanks for making up my mind to read this!

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    1. You're very welcome Cindy, it's a wonderful read. Looking forward to seeing what you think of it.

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  9. What a lovely review of what sounds like an even lovelier book. I am always searching for those that seem simple on the surface but are rich & dark & complex & gorgeous beneath - the balance of highs & lows is an incredible mix, no? Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, friend. xx

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    1. Thanks Topaz and I couldn't have said it better myself. It's a lovely mature young adult that most teens and adults can relate to. Forging your own path into the world verses becoming an adult and parental expectations.

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  10. I'm so glad you loved this one. It sounds like such a phenomenal read - I really need to read it!
    Megan @ http://wanderingsofabookbird.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. It's magnificent Megan, I would love to see what you think of it and isn't that cover absolutely gorgeous!

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  11. Whew, what a read this is. It feels like she's encapsulated and nailed what teens? kids go through at that (this) time of their lives, I think.

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    1. It was brilliant Verushka and so many teens will be able to relate to Milo especially. That parental pressure to become something more than they are, it's very much a universal feeling isn't it.

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