Review: Remember when by t torrest

Our 4 star review by guest reviewer Dawn Mazzeo

Remember When is a romantic comedy, and is the first in a trilogy by t torrest. Reading it reminded me of why I get sucked into the Young Adult genre in the first place: it makes me feel like a young adult, full of hope, promise, and uncharted feelings! Book One focuses on the connection between Layla Warren and Trip Wilmington their senior year in high school (before Trip becomes a famous, panty melting actor). When we meet up with him, he is a blond haired, cerulean blue eyed, panty dropping charmer.
Although Layla has friends and is in the popular crowd, she is a sensitive girl who has been marked by the abandonment on her mother when she was twelve. She confides, "When you're a child who's been abandoned, it's the very center of who you are as a person." Before Trip comes into her life she is a bit adrift and broken, her books and her best friend, Lisa, being the glue that holds her together. I enjoyed their friendship. Layla describes, "She armed me with a bottle of Love's Baby Soft and a tube of Zinc Pink lipstick and gave me a complete beauty lesson, showing me how to put on make up to suit my 'season'..." Oh did I mention this book takes place in the 90's? I mean, really, who doesn't like an angsty high school romance complete with Ally Sheedy and Anthony Michael Hall references? Lisa also gets a pretty decent romance herself in this book, more of which I hope will be explored in Book Two.
 
Layla has spent her whole life with the same friends since kindergarten in the small town of Norman, New Jersey. Her senior year is more than shaken up (more like consumed) by the arrival of Trip Wilmington, sex god extraordinaire. For Layla, it is love at first sight, and we spend most of the book going back and forth wondering if Trip looks upon her really good friend, or if he harbors the same deep feelings for her (we do get our answer). They have a wonderful banter, and their being together is pure magic once they find their way. The few love scenes that are in this book teeter on the erotic. And then, just like in Grease, graduation day is upon us and Sandy and Danny Zucco must part. Layla is off to NYU and Trip is off to travel the world. But is it truly good bye? Me, thinks not. Me thinks, "goody, goody, it's a trilogy!!!" The ending did not leave me feeling depressed like some trilogies. I admit, I had tears streaming down my face, but I was in a good place. I will not count the days on pins and needles until Book Two is out in July (I hate that feeling!) but I will find solace that it WILL be out, and be the first to read it.

Ms.Torrest writes with an original, witty voice and a gal like me loves coming upon an author who can make me laugh, feel like a teenager again and shed a tear or two!




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