3.5 Stars ( )

"I hate the word beautiful. Hate it. The word beautiful somehow gives the world permission to make wrongful assumptions about me, like that I don’t have a brain. Beautiful somehow gives men permission to say the phrase as a secret password in my direction, and I should therefore fall at their feet. Beautiful makes people believe they can say anything they want about or to me and that I shouldn’t be angry. Nothing in the universe could be more wrong."

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Also, the quote I used may have changed or been altered in some way, but I am quoting from what I received.

Katie McGarry knows how to tell a story. She's able to capture my attention from page one and never let it go. I was fascinated with Drix and Elle, their friends and family, their lives, and the two totally different worlds they lived in. I was able to relate and make connections with every single character, which is pretty effing amazing.

My heart hurts for Drix and the life he's lived. I cannot even begin to image what someone in his situation has gone through. This particular story might be fiction, but the concept is real. There are too many people suffering and barely getting by, our justice system is flawed, and there are so many kids out there that need help. They need someone to be there for them and help them find a better path in life. Someone needs to believe in them and what they can do. Everyone has something to offer the world, and they shouldn't be dismissed or made to suffer because of past mistakes. A person can go to jail, serve their time, and come out a better person. They just need to be given a chance.

Elle's dad and his program give Drix that second chance. I wish there were more programs like it in the world. If people cared more about others than themselves, I think we'd live in a very different reality.

Elle is incredibly strong. She wants to make the world a better place, and she thinks honesty is the only thing that should ever be given. I hated how desperately she wanted to please her parents, even at the expense of herself and her happiness. No parent should ever ask their child to change for someone else. I was so angry every time her mother pressed her to alter her appearance in some way. A parent should just love their child and accept the person they see in front of them. Yes, children need guidance and all that, but they also need to be loved, appreciated, and wanted for who they are.

Drix has a wonderful family, and not all of them are blood related. I ached for Dominic and Kellan, Holiday, Axel and Marcus. I would love for any one of them to have their own story. They've all been through so much in their short lives, and they still try to do what is right and always put family first. It was eye-opening to view life from their different perspectives, and I cannot fathom how a parent could be so cruel or neglectful.

I thought Say You'll Remember Me was a wonderful story that highlights significant issues in our society. Drix and Elle had very different lives, problems and expectations, but they managed to find love and happiness. Their relationship was passionate, encouraging, and they gave each other what everyone needs: hope.


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Right from the start, I knew this book was going to steal my heart...and it TOTALLY did.

Drix is a great character, right out the gate, and though when we are first introduced, he is a little broken, there's no doubting the well of strength that dwells within. Though convicted of a crime with more shadows than truth, I never once feared his character. He was clear on his convictions, put family first, fought for the greater good, and while yes, some of that grew from the program he was forced to go through, the seeds had to be there in order to take root. He lives a hard life, but it is a life lived and worth living...even more so now that he's found his way out of the darkness that was pulling him under.

Elle is a force of nature all her own. What she lacks in street smarts, she more than makes up for in heart, the strength of convictions, and letting her moral compass be her guide. What can I say...mommy and daddy taught her well, and though it's gonna break a million hearts when things go south, they can only blame the supposed flaws in her character on themselves. GASP! Imagine that...a kid that actually LISTENED when growing up? *smirk* Seriously though, Elle may live in a higher class society wise, but she's just as much a puppet on invisible strings as Drix...maybe even more so since he at least KNEW (for the most part) what he was getting into; she was simply trusting those that borne her to have her best interests at heart. I was right there my her side cheering her on when all heck broke loose and it brought a mighty big smile to my face when she laid out exactly what was to be. (YOU GO GIRL!)

All in all, I was glued to each page and enjoyed the slower progression of the story. It's in those little moments, the small choices that add up to the big picture, that we really get to know these characters and feel that much closer to them. It's not a book to rush through, but rather savor...and word to the wise, bring tissues.


**ARC received for review ( )

I love these books, but I get so frustrated with the MC's relationship with their parents. I know parents want the best for their kids, but they always go way overboard in Katie McGarry's books. In this one, Ellison's parents control pretty much her whole life. They decide who she can be seen with, what she looks like, including her mom making her dye her hair and get colored contacts which INFURIATED me. How are you going to tell your daughter that her hair and eye color isn't pleasing enough to people and you need to change?! I would've flipped out, but Ellison is this perfect daughter who does what she's told, until she meets Hendricks and begins to change. I loved that he thought she was perfect and wanted her for her real self. He was such a good guy, taking the fall for a crime he didn't commit and doing the best he could for his family. Their love story was sweet and adorable. Ellison and Hendricks really brought out the best in each other.
This was a fun story and I enjoyed listening to it. ( )

I loved Say You’ll Remember Me so much! Easily one of my favorite reads this year! I read it in a little over two days, and I would have read it in one if I hadn’t stopped and willed myself to savor every page! It was over before I knew it. I wish there were a sequel, perhaps even a prequel, or at least an extra two hundred or so pages I could stick into the back of the book to keep Drix and Elle’s story going! Why must good things always come to an end?

I enjoy seeing books with families who stick together through everything, in spite of everything, and the Pierce family was just that. Drix struggled to be what a brother and friend should be, battling his issues and either overcoming them or learning from them. Axle strived to give the best he could to his younger siblings. And Holiday was the strong little sister who was stubborn and never backed down (seriously, I kept thinking “though she be but little, she is fierce” should be her motto throughout the entire book). They were perfect in the fact that they were imperfect, and I loved that.

Drix and Elle and all the other characters felt so real – I found myself wishing I could live in this book and celebrate my own birthday with them, and bake a sheet cake with Holiday and, well, I save that part of the book for you to read. Drix’s and Elle’s birthday celebration was one of my favorite scenes! I laughed so hard and wanted to disappear into the pages and join in the family fun! Nearly every character was relatable in some form, flawed yet loveable.

And then there was the romance. The tension, the heartbreak, the secrets, the fact that this wasn’t some cheap insta love story – it was so good!

The message in this book was very important: everyone deserves a second chance at life, and everyone needs a path, a guide, a friend to help make that chance count. Apologies don’t erase what happened, but they still mean something. Forgiveness can be slow, and that’s alright. Say You’ll Remember Me was so true to life, so well-researched, so heartfelt. And though the message was clear, it was not so pressed that it was shoved down your throat which, to me, is the mark of a good story.

There is a playlist, too, in the back of the book, and I was happily surprised to see some familiar Christian songs in the list. It was unexpected, something I don’t often see, but pleasantly accepted nonetheless. All the songs seemed to fit very well with the story too. When I do a reread (when not if, because this book certainly deserves a reread!), I’m going to read along with the playlist.

The one thing about this book that I didn’t quite get was the title: Say You’ll Remember Me. Perhaps I missed something, but it didn’t seem to fit perfectly with the book. It sort of fit in some parts of the book when I think about it, but as a whole, it wasn’t quite obvious how the title fit. Still, with a beautiful cover and story like this, a title shouldn’t matter too much.

I hope Katie McGarry writes more books like this one in the future – I will definitely auto buy!

***

Mild cussing throughout, violence, some innuendos, etc…I’d recommend this book for 16+ ( )