Keep Me in Mind

by Jaime Reed

Overview

A girl who doesn't remember. A boy who can't forget her. An incredible novel from a striking new talent.

Ellia Dawson doesn't recognize the handsome boy who sits in tears by her hospital bed. He claims he's her boyfriend, Liam. But to Ellia, he's a stranger. She remembers her name. Her parents. Her best friend, Stacey. But Liam is a total blank in her life.Liam McPherson is devastated. His girlfriend, Ellia, suffered a terrible accident--maybe because of him--and now she's lost her memory. But the harder Liam tries to reach Ellia, and remind her of what they had, the more she pulls away. As Ellia begins on the slow road to recovery, Liam begins work on a secret project that he hopes will bring back the girl he loved. But can there ever be a future when the past is in pieces?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545883832
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	04/26/2016
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
Lexile:	760L (what's this?)
File size:	7 MB
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Jaime Reed is the author of The Cambion Chronicles series and Keep Me in Mind. She studied art at Virginia Commonwealth University. She now lives in Virginia, where she works part-time as a line producer for a small independent film company. But mostly she writes and watches '80s movies. Learn more about her at jaimereedbooks.com.

Read an Excerpt

From Keep Me in MindThere he goes again. Same time, same place every morning for the past week without fail. At exactly 5:30AM, he'd emerge from the dark and unkempt foliage of my neighbor's yard across the street, cut across the high grass, then commandeer the sidewalk as his personal gym. The streetlamp served as both a spotlight and warm-up bar as he stretched, flexed, and shook loose his limbs for a good five minutes before taking off toward the beach for his run. He'd leave for about forty minutes then return to the same spot, dripping with sweat, sea water or whatever made his running shorts stick to his body like shrink wrap, then he'd reclaim the walkway for the cool-down portion of his workout. On a good day, I'd catch a flash of ripped abs whenever he lifted his shirt to wipe his face. I'd be lying if I said that the view wasn't worth the price of admission -- the dude was hot. But if he wanted to take this show on the road, he should lose the T-shirt and maybe pick up some dance moves. He embodied the typical California boy with his sandy blonde hair, lean build, and an all-over tan. Unlike the rest of the beach boys of Quintero, he gave off a sad and gloomy aura that seemed to pour off him in waves as he glanced up at my window. The lights were off in my bedroom, but the intensity of his stare made me wonder if he can see me through the sheer curtains. Unless this boy had mutant X-ray vision, it was highly unlikely. Even still. That stare ... The funny part was, his morning vigil didn't scare me -- I was just confused as to why I'd wake up at the exact same time he'd come around. 5:30AM. Every day.

Editorial Reviews

04/25/2016
Ellia Dawson and Liam McPherson were madly in love until Ellia had a terrible accident while on a morning run with Liam, losing her memory and sense of identity. Now, two years later, high school junior Ellia has no idea who Liam is. In chapters that alternate between the perspectives of both teens, Reed (the Cambion Chronicles) uses Ellia's retrograde amnesia to test the depth of their romantic bond, à la Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. As Ellia tries to move forward with her life, Liam sits down and writes the entirety of their love story, which Reed includes in lengthy italicized passages in Liam's chapters. Though there are hints of racial tension between their families (Ellia is black; Liam is white), Reed focuses more on how Ellia's parents blame Liam for their daughter's accident. With many fits and starts, Liam and Ellia eventually find their way toward a new beginning in this touching if predictable romantic drama. Ages 12–up. Agent: Kathleen Ortiz and Danielle Barthel, New Leaf Literary & Media. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Keep Me in Mind:

* "Reed delivers solid high school romance with a twist. It is refreshing to see two characters that are both realistic and stray from the starry-eyed, misunderstood-WASP-youth trope.... Examining the power of memory and shifting the perceptions of teenage love, this novel delivers a powerful journey of self-discovery and rebirth." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Reed develops her teen characters with style as well as substance; Ellia and Liam are given distinct, believable first-person voices in alternating chapters, and their friends vary between playfully goofy and helpfully pushy in realistic succession.... what Reed pulls off here is far more interesting than a clichéd love triangle: a scenario where a mature reflection on an immature first love makes plot sense and still leaves room for seeing a path forward." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Reed's superb dialogue highlights lost love and lost memories, and she deftly uses humor to keep the narrative well paced and refreshing. An effective open window into the lives of two teens as they struggle to discover who they are and how they love." -- Booklist

"The writing style is engaging and well-done, and the characters are memorable; young adults will be rooting for the interracial couple. This tearjerker will have emotions running -- high and low." -- School Library Journal

From the Publisher

05/01/2016
Gr 9 Up—Ellia Dawson and Liam McPherson are the school's "it" couple. Then one day everything changes. Ellia suffers a bad accident and loses her memory. She can remember her life growing up and her old friends, but she can't seem to place the boy who has been by her side through her recovery. The teen fights to remember two years that are lost from her memory. Throughout the story, she learns not only who she was but who she is at present, how to deal with the changes that are happening, and how to now understand the people around her. Though the pacing moves slowly at times, the narrative, told in alternating perspectives, will captivate teens and keep them reading to the end. The writing style is engaging and well-done, and the characters are memorable; young adults will be rooting for the interracial couple. This tearjerker will have emotions running—high and low. VERDICT Purchase for collections looking to fill their teary-romance shelves.—Caitlin Wilson, Brooklyn Public Library

School Library Journal

★ 2016-03-02
Ellia Renée Dawson cannot believe she is a junior in high school. Yesterday she was a freshman, because that's all she can remember. Ellia and her athletic, brooding boyfriend, Liam McPherson, were the star odd couple at Léon High School until a traumatic fall snatched away any memory of the past two years of her life. In alternating first-person chapters, the black girl struggles to regain her sense of self while the white boy impatiently waits for his girlfriend to reappear. Ellia's childhood best friend, Stacey Levine, and Liam's scandalously young uncle, Wade McPherson, help them confront old ghosts and their strange new reality. Reed delivers solid high school romance with a twist. It is refreshing to see two characters that are both realistic and stray from the starry-eyed, misunderstood-WASP-youth trope. Apart from diverse backgrounds, this interracial relationship is devoid of the usual pitfalls. Ellia and Liam acknowledge each other's differences, including skin tone, and deal with them; their relationship is not a colorblind fantasy. Reed injects immediacy and high-stakes emotions while sidestepping the usual angst-y histrionics teenage characters are subject to. The maturation of each character marches in time with the plot as each unexpected discovery challenges their convictions. Examining the power of memory and shifting the perceptions of teenage love, this novel delivers a powerful journey of self-discovery and rebirth. (Romance. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews