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Remind Me How This Ends
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 200km 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?
A boy-meets-girl-again story from the award-winning author of The Intern and Faking It.
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?
A boy-meets-girl-again story from the award-winning author of The Intern and Faking It.
342 pages, Paperback
First published March 27, 2017
35 people are currently reading
2096 people want to read
About the author
Gabrielle Tozer
13 books169 followersGabrielle Tozer is the award-winning and internationally published author of young adult novels The Intern, Faking It and Remind Me How This Ends. She is a contributor to HarperCollins’ Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology, and her debut picture book, Peas and Quiet (illustrated by Sue deGennaro), is out now. Gabrielle's first middle-grade novel Melody Trumpet hits stores in 2019. Based in Sydney, Gabrielle loves sharing her passion for storytelling and creativity, and has appeared at festivals, schools and conferences around Australia.
Say hello: gabrielletozer.com, facebook.com/hellogabrielletozer, twitter.com/gabrielletozer and instagram.com/gabrielletozer.
Say hello: gabrielletozer.com, facebook.com/hellogabrielletozer, twitter.com/gabrielletozer and instagram.com/gabrielletozer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
April 2, 2017
This review appears on Happy Indulgence. Check it out for more reviews!
Rating: 4.5 stars
Finishing high school is an emotional time, particularly when you’re parting with people you’ve been seeing everyday for most of your life. For the first time, you have a choice of what you want to do in life, where you want to study, if you choose to study, work, travel or do nothing at all.
This is a confusing time for many, and often the expectation of going to uni or further study is placed upon us by our parents and by society. Remind Me How This Ends explores the process of figuring out what you want to do after high school, for two teenagers in the small Aussie town of Durdam. One of them is dealing with grief, the other one who is soul searching. When they reconnect, sparks fly, memories resurface and their life changes.
Featuring one of my favourite romantic tropes of all time, Remind Me How This Ends has a beautiful best friends to lovers romance. As friends who used to spend every minute with each other, Layla and Milo have an easy friendship built upon memories, banter and routines. While we weren’t there at the start of their friendship, we witness them reconnecting with one another and it’s a journey filled with emotion. The chemistry between Layla and Milo was so strong, shown through their text messages and the way they teased each other. I loved their flirty banter and the way they challenged and supported each other.
Both of these characters just felt incredibly vibrant like they could be real people. Layla is dealing with grief from losing her mother, and dating her boyfriend who deals pot. She doesn’t really have anyone else to rely on, as someone who has constantly moved from town to town and someone who’s lost contact with her father. Layla hasn’t properly worked through her emotions and every step forward she takes is a big deal. That includes reconnecting with Milo, who helps her through her emotional journey.
Milo on the other hand, is dealing with the confusing emotions of finishing high school, and not knowing what he wants to do. As teenagers, your choices are always forced upon you – you need to study, you need to clean your room, and you need to go to university. It was refreshing to have someone who so clearly needed the time to work out what he wanted to do, and to take the time to do this with his family, despite his parent’s pressuring him. Sometimes, we don’t have all the answers from the start and all it takes it a little inspiration.
I loved the presence of Milo’s family in his life, which was a stark contrast from Layla not having anyone. The brotherly relationship he shares with Trent felt so realistic, often antagonistic, competitive but also dependent. Everything about the novel was developed extremely well, rounding out the characters, their circumstances and their thoughts and actions.
Remind Me How This Ends also approaches relationships in a meaningful way, particularly where you get together during high school, and are expected to be the ‘golden couple’ who ends up together. This very rarely happens, and Milo shows his disconnect with his girlfriend Sal, even before she moves away for college. It is also shown with Kurt and Layla, as someone who has relied on her boyfriend for emotional support, even though it’s clear he cares more about partying and having a good time. It often takes us a while before we realise, the people we are with aren’t the right ones for us, and I loved how the book explored this.
Featuring a best friends to lovers romance, a small town setting, coping with grief and just figuring out what you want in life, Remind Me How This Ends gave me so many feels. It dealt with so many multiple emotions in such a realistic way and I really felt like the stories of Layla and Milo are reflected in real life stories. For a relatable Aussie YA read about finding your own way, pick this one up! It’s not often I rave about contemporaries, and this was one I loved wholeheartedly.
I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4.5 stars
Finishing high school is an emotional time, particularly when you’re parting with people you’ve been seeing everyday for most of your life. For the first time, you have a choice of what you want to do in life, where you want to study, if you choose to study, work, travel or do nothing at all.
This is a confusing time for many, and often the expectation of going to uni or further study is placed upon us by our parents and by society. Remind Me How This Ends explores the process of figuring out what you want to do after high school, for two teenagers in the small Aussie town of Durdam. One of them is dealing with grief, the other one who is soul searching. When they reconnect, sparks fly, memories resurface and their life changes.
Featuring one of my favourite romantic tropes of all time, Remind Me How This Ends has a beautiful best friends to lovers romance. As friends who used to spend every minute with each other, Layla and Milo have an easy friendship built upon memories, banter and routines. While we weren’t there at the start of their friendship, we witness them reconnecting with one another and it’s a journey filled with emotion. The chemistry between Layla and Milo was so strong, shown through their text messages and the way they teased each other. I loved their flirty banter and the way they challenged and supported each other.
Both of these characters just felt incredibly vibrant like they could be real people. Layla is dealing with grief from losing her mother, and dating her boyfriend who deals pot. She doesn’t really have anyone else to rely on, as someone who has constantly moved from town to town and someone who’s lost contact with her father. Layla hasn’t properly worked through her emotions and every step forward she takes is a big deal. That includes reconnecting with Milo, who helps her through her emotional journey.
Milo on the other hand, is dealing with the confusing emotions of finishing high school, and not knowing what he wants to do. As teenagers, your choices are always forced upon you – you need to study, you need to clean your room, and you need to go to university. It was refreshing to have someone who so clearly needed the time to work out what he wanted to do, and to take the time to do this with his family, despite his parent’s pressuring him. Sometimes, we don’t have all the answers from the start and all it takes it a little inspiration.
I loved the presence of Milo’s family in his life, which was a stark contrast from Layla not having anyone. The brotherly relationship he shares with Trent felt so realistic, often antagonistic, competitive but also dependent. Everything about the novel was developed extremely well, rounding out the characters, their circumstances and their thoughts and actions.
Remind Me How This Ends also approaches relationships in a meaningful way, particularly where you get together during high school, and are expected to be the ‘golden couple’ who ends up together. This very rarely happens, and Milo shows his disconnect with his girlfriend Sal, even before she moves away for college. It is also shown with Kurt and Layla, as someone who has relied on her boyfriend for emotional support, even though it’s clear he cares more about partying and having a good time. It often takes us a while before we realise, the people we are with aren’t the right ones for us, and I loved how the book explored this.
Featuring a best friends to lovers romance, a small town setting, coping with grief and just figuring out what you want in life, Remind Me How This Ends gave me so many feels. It dealt with so many multiple emotions in such a realistic way and I really felt like the stories of Layla and Milo are reflected in real life stories. For a relatable Aussie YA read about finding your own way, pick this one up! It’s not often I rave about contemporaries, and this was one I loved wholeheartedly.
I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 14, 2017
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.
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.
April 8, 2017
What a gorgeous book. One of the best shared POV novels I have read in ages, where the characters voices are completely distinct and authentic. This took me right back to my senior year of high school and the chest tight panic when I realized almost everybody knew what they were going to do the next year except me! O_O That omg, what am I doing with my life? How does everybody else know? Why don't I know?! Sheesh! So, I really appreciated this exploration of transition, the uncertainty, the fear of getting it wrong, of being left behind. Threaded through this coming of age narrative is a tender exploration of grief. Gabrielle Tozer handles painful subject matter my favourite way, mixing humor with sadness so that you can't help by smile at the bittersweet as you cry. And yes, I cried. It was lovely. The writing is snappy, Tozer at her best. I was totally absorbed, had to top up the hot water in my bath several times tonight as I finished the final quarter, so thanks for the prune skin Gabby! I won't give anything away but I loved the ending! All the stars.
October 15, 2017
This is one of those awkward situations where I am struggling to understand the hype. Tozer is a much beloved Aussie author. I’ve been meaning to read The Intern for seemingly ever but well, I am a tad disappointed (to put it mildly). Remind Me How This Ends’s main problem was that it was boring as unbuttered toast. The characters lacked personality. The plot was stale. The writing was… just odd. It just missed so many marks and I’m crushed.
The premise of this story was really what drew me in initially, on top of all the recs from the OzYA community. There are so many books out there following characters who have their shit together and their life plan all sorted. I was keen for a different story, something more relatable that explored that awful ‘what do I do with my life now that high school is over and I realise I have no real skills or ambitions’ phase. Instead? We followed two characters who had absolutely no personality. I understand that a big part of their character arcs was the fact that they lacked ambition and were uncertain about most things in their lives but… it also made them vague and uncertain as characters. They had no real passions or interests, whatsoever. They were defined by their aimlessness and even that lacked the nuance it needed to be such a central part of the story. Milo and Layla's dullness left me feeling distanced from the story. I was not invested. I didn’t even feel like I knew the characters well enough to care.
The secondary characters were a mixed bag. Milo’s father was an actual douchebag and his brother was not much better. I could not stand either of them or the way they treated Milo. I did think that Layla’s boyfriend was well-written, however. He was not someone who I could personally relate with - or even feel empathetic at his life choices - but he was such a believable, realistic voice in a sea of blandness that he stood out. I also would have liked to see a lot more of Layla and her family, to help flesh out her characterisation.
Their romance also did nothing for me. I always struggle with love triangles and cheating. While that was note quite the case here, it was enough to dampen my spirits. It didn’t help that I struggle with them both as individuals and could not see them together. The fact that the plot revolved so much around the romantic shenanigans and, strangely, gelato did not help. It was dull. I was bored. I needed more, particularly from the ending. I was so disappointed that .
Tozer's writing style was also very Aussie... to the point that it did not feel realistic. Slang was used constantly in an over-the-top manner, and it made me feel a bit uncomfortable (even as an Aussie myself). It did not feel natural or organic, at all.
Overall? I cannot say I am happy my first Tozer story was such a flop. I wanted more nuanced characters and discussions about the stress of that terrifying post-high school phase of aimlessness. I needed less drama in the romance and more… spunk, I guess. Just more. I think I will try out The Intern still but I will keep my expectations slightly lowered.
The premise of this story was really what drew me in initially, on top of all the recs from the OzYA community. There are so many books out there following characters who have their shit together and their life plan all sorted. I was keen for a different story, something more relatable that explored that awful ‘what do I do with my life now that high school is over and I realise I have no real skills or ambitions’ phase. Instead? We followed two characters who had absolutely no personality. I understand that a big part of their character arcs was the fact that they lacked ambition and were uncertain about most things in their lives but… it also made them vague and uncertain as characters. They had no real passions or interests, whatsoever. They were defined by their aimlessness and even that lacked the nuance it needed to be such a central part of the story. Milo and Layla's dullness left me feeling distanced from the story. I was not invested. I didn’t even feel like I knew the characters well enough to care.
The secondary characters were a mixed bag. Milo’s father was an actual douchebag and his brother was not much better. I could not stand either of them or the way they treated Milo. I did think that Layla’s boyfriend was well-written, however. He was not someone who I could personally relate with - or even feel empathetic at his life choices - but he was such a believable, realistic voice in a sea of blandness that he stood out. I also would have liked to see a lot more of Layla and her family, to help flesh out her characterisation.
Their romance also did nothing for me. I always struggle with love triangles and cheating. While that was note quite the case here, it was enough to dampen my spirits. It didn’t help that I struggle with them both as individuals and could not see them together. The fact that the plot revolved so much around the romantic shenanigans and, strangely, gelato did not help. It was dull. I was bored. I needed more, particularly from the ending. I was so disappointed that .
Tozer's writing style was also very Aussie... to the point that it did not feel realistic. Slang was used constantly in an over-the-top manner, and it made me feel a bit uncomfortable (even as an Aussie myself). It did not feel natural or organic, at all.
Overall? I cannot say I am happy my first Tozer story was such a flop. I wanted more nuanced characters and discussions about the stress of that terrifying post-high school phase of aimlessness. I needed less drama in the romance and more… spunk, I guess. Just more. I think I will try out The Intern still but I will keep my expectations slightly lowered.
October 20, 2017
Man this was just such an adorable piece of fluff! It also got a surprisingly enormous amount of bonus points for being set in Australia because it was just so damn relatable without overdoing it on the Aussie stereotypes.
I loved how honest it was, and how it made a point of everything being pretty bland, with just the two lights of Milo and Layla in all the murkiness. How many 18-year-olds have been in Milo's position? That feeling of pressure to make something of yourself but not even knowing what you want or who you're supposed to be? That resonated with me so much, because I was exactly the same. It took an interstate move for me to finally start finding out who I was, and even then it's still a work in progress. I love that this novel explores that without drilling it home, and I love that the relationship between Milo and Layla really draws you in so you stop thinking about all those outside issues for a bit. It was very real to me, but it also created this fantastic, fun relationship that was just enjoyable to experience. Layla was so kooky and unique and I really liked that they seemed like opposites that fit together perfectly, with their own similarities providing the glue. The side characters of Sal and Kurt were easily forfeited for the (re-?)blossoming friendship between our two protagonists.
Really enjoyed how uncomplicated this one was, and just the simplicity of a friendship in a tiny Australian town. I loved the effortless Aussie slang, and how at times I could forget the setting as I got swept away by the story, which is a real highlight for me when I read Aussie fiction because it's so rare.
Highly recommend this one for lovers of fluff and easy YA reads, especially if you are Australian, or grew up in Australia. I wonder how this'll fly with a non-Aussie audience, though?
I loved how honest it was, and how it made a point of everything being pretty bland, with just the two lights of Milo and Layla in all the murkiness. How many 18-year-olds have been in Milo's position? That feeling of pressure to make something of yourself but not even knowing what you want or who you're supposed to be? That resonated with me so much, because I was exactly the same. It took an interstate move for me to finally start finding out who I was, and even then it's still a work in progress. I love that this novel explores that without drilling it home, and I love that the relationship between Milo and Layla really draws you in so you stop thinking about all those outside issues for a bit. It was very real to me, but it also created this fantastic, fun relationship that was just enjoyable to experience. Layla was so kooky and unique and I really liked that they seemed like opposites that fit together perfectly, with their own similarities providing the glue. The side characters of Sal and Kurt were easily forfeited for the (re-?)blossoming friendship between our two protagonists.
Really enjoyed how uncomplicated this one was, and just the simplicity of a friendship in a tiny Australian town. I loved the effortless Aussie slang, and how at times I could forget the setting as I got swept away by the story, which is a real highlight for me when I read Aussie fiction because it's so rare.
Highly recommend this one for lovers of fluff and easy YA reads, especially if you are Australian, or grew up in Australia. I wonder how this'll fly with a non-Aussie audience, though?
December 10, 2016
IT’S FREAKIN’ AMAZING! Not that I’d expect any less from a past winner of the prestigious Gold Inky Award, but Tozer has outdone herself with this contemporary YA boy-meets-girl-(again!) story.
April 16, 2017
for my thoughts, read my full no spoiler book review here: https://sprinkledpages.blogspot.com.a...
June 21, 2017
- #loveozya (aussie af)
- dual pov
- bittersweet
- realistic soul searching
- dual pov
- bittersweet
- realistic soul searching
March 30, 2017
*This review also appears on my blog Genie In A Book*
4.5 stars
Thank you to HarperCollins Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
So you've finished high school...what next? In this heartfelt and adorable read, Gabrielle Tozer explores the time 'in between' the teen years and reaching adulthood. What I've come to love about this author's work from The Intern and Faking It is the humour and awkward-but-hilarious moments which we can all probably relate to on some level. Aside from the lighthearted banter between the characters, there is enough depth to what they are experiencing which really makes you think.
When we first meet Milo Dark, his life is almost on pause. Working in 'The Little Bookshop' in the small town of Durnan and his girlfriend Sal who seems to be having an amazing time at university hundreds of kilometres away, he's not really sure where to go from here. The pressure from his parents to go out there and 'make something' of his life like so many of his peers seem to have done is something which transcends fiction, and his journey which follows in the novel continues to reflect the challenges teens face today. From coming to the realisation that the excitement of a first love may not be forever, to slowly forging your own way in the world, Milo's character development seemed authentic.
When Layla, Milo's best friend from childhood enters back into the picture after five years, it's certain that both of their lives are about to change. It was interesting to see how they both had been in relationships that were fundamentally flawed, stuck in a rut where their partners didn't truly appreciate or understand them as people. The friendship and flirty banter which soon develops between the pair and their text messages was a sweet touch, though I like how Tozer didn't shy away from addressing Layla's grief over her mother's death and how this had an enduring impact on her own sense of self. The alternating POV's between Milo and Layla worked well here, as we had the opportunity to see them reach their own conclusions about not only where the relationship was heading, but what their lives could be like outside Durnan and all the possibilities that lay beyond.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Yes, this is a 'boy meets girl (again)' story, yet also so much more. Where Gabrielle Tozer truly shines is in her ability to portray characters who are equally endearing and realistic. She has captured the uncertainty and the thrill of growing up; both the pain and the joy of leaving your old self behind to begin a new adventure.
4.5 stars
Thank you to HarperCollins Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
So you've finished high school...what next? In this heartfelt and adorable read, Gabrielle Tozer explores the time 'in between' the teen years and reaching adulthood. What I've come to love about this author's work from The Intern and Faking It is the humour and awkward-but-hilarious moments which we can all probably relate to on some level. Aside from the lighthearted banter between the characters, there is enough depth to what they are experiencing which really makes you think.
When we first meet Milo Dark, his life is almost on pause. Working in 'The Little Bookshop' in the small town of Durnan and his girlfriend Sal who seems to be having an amazing time at university hundreds of kilometres away, he's not really sure where to go from here. The pressure from his parents to go out there and 'make something' of his life like so many of his peers seem to have done is something which transcends fiction, and his journey which follows in the novel continues to reflect the challenges teens face today. From coming to the realisation that the excitement of a first love may not be forever, to slowly forging your own way in the world, Milo's character development seemed authentic.
When Layla, Milo's best friend from childhood enters back into the picture after five years, it's certain that both of their lives are about to change. It was interesting to see how they both had been in relationships that were fundamentally flawed, stuck in a rut where their partners didn't truly appreciate or understand them as people. The friendship and flirty banter which soon develops between the pair and their text messages was a sweet touch, though I like how Tozer didn't shy away from addressing Layla's grief over her mother's death and how this had an enduring impact on her own sense of self. The alternating POV's between Milo and Layla worked well here, as we had the opportunity to see them reach their own conclusions about not only where the relationship was heading, but what their lives could be like outside Durnan and all the possibilities that lay beyond.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Yes, this is a 'boy meets girl (again)' story, yet also so much more. Where Gabrielle Tozer truly shines is in her ability to portray characters who are equally endearing and realistic. She has captured the uncertainty and the thrill of growing up; both the pain and the joy of leaving your old self behind to begin a new adventure.
May 14, 2019
Trigger warnings: car accident, animal death, grief, alcohol abuse, death of a parent (in the past)
2.5 stars.
This honestly felt like a mediocre version of Words in Deep Blue set in a country town and in which I didn't care about the characters... *shrug*
I wanted to like it, really I did. I've heard nothing but amazing things about Gabrielle Tozer and her writing. But this just...didn't really work for me. I didn't especially care about Layla or Milo. The secondary characters were predominantly dickheads. And the ending felt very abrupt. So all in all, this was meh for me.
2.5 stars.
This honestly felt like a mediocre version of Words in Deep Blue set in a country town and in which I didn't care about the characters... *shrug*
I wanted to like it, really I did. I've heard nothing but amazing things about Gabrielle Tozer and her writing. But this just...didn't really work for me. I didn't especially care about Layla or Milo. The secondary characters were predominantly dickheads. And the ending felt very abrupt. So all in all, this was meh for me.
December 17, 2016
Gosh. Haven't read any of this author's earlier work. Is it like this? Cutting through crap and telling it like it is? Bittersweet romance that feels real? Deeply damaged families floundering for meaning?
Another one I need to ponder about while I search for the right words.
(Stayed up long after midnight to finish it).
Another one I need to ponder about while I search for the right words.
(Stayed up long after midnight to finish it).
March 4, 2018
I'm conflicted.
This is a good book but also a very heart-breaking one.
I.
Can't.
Function.
This is a good book but also a very heart-breaking one.
I.
Can't.
Function.
August 21, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It took me by surprise a little, just how quickly these characters got under my skin.
Layla and Milo were both beautiful messes, and Layla's journey through her latent grief for her mum was painful and believable. As was Milo's indecisiveness about his future.
Remind Me How This Ends is at times heart-breaking, but it's also warm, funny and full of textured characters - not to mention awesome dialogue.
And I loved that it ended in a way that was full of hope, and was true to where both Milo and Layla needed to be.
This is another great read from Gabrielle Tozer - my favourite yet.
Layla and Milo were both beautiful messes, and Layla's journey through her latent grief for her mum was painful and believable. As was Milo's indecisiveness about his future.
Remind Me How This Ends is at times heart-breaking, but it's also warm, funny and full of textured characters - not to mention awesome dialogue.
And I loved that it ended in a way that was full of hope, and was true to where both Milo and Layla needed to be.
This is another great read from Gabrielle Tozer - my favourite yet.
April 14, 2018
What a beautiful story of old childhood friends meeting again a few yrs down the track. I didn't want their story to end just yet....
October 6, 2017
Remind Me How This Ends is the classic girl-next-door story, except it's not. It's real-life YA fiction with wonderfully flawed characters who'll win your heart fast.
Cue a rural Australian town and Milo Dark, a guy whose girlfriend left him to go to uni in Canberra. Milo's left behind to work in his parent's bookshop without a clue about what to do now that high school's over. Being left behind is a strong theme throughout the book.
Layla Montgomery (the girl next door) has been untethered for the last five years since her mum's sudden death and her Dad dragged them both out of town to escape their memories.
Layla and Milo share the POV and narrative as the story unfolds and the pair navigate this transitory and ultimately awkward phase of their lives. When Layla arrives back in town there are a ton of awkward moments and plenty of humour.
The brilliant dialogue throughout this bittersweet tale was what truly won me over.
"It's been a while since I've seen someone's face beam like that when they see me.
'Hey, yourself,' I get out. 'Weird, huh? This bumping into each other.'
'It is Durnan. There's like three of us in town, remember?'
'I'll pay that.' I hold up my cone stuffed with melting gelato. 'Turns out this stuff is good. Who knew?'
'Me. Tried the boysenberry.'
'Salted caramel here.' I pause, already out of words, realising too late I should've never approached her. Damn my self-fulfilling prophecy. 'So, ah, guess, I'll leave you to it...just saw you there and thought I'd say a quick hi.'
She smiles again. 'Well, a quick hi back atcha, MD. See ya.'
I say goodbye and walk off, wondering what the statistical probability is that we run into each other again."
This is a sweet read with an honest story. Teens travelling grief will relate to Layla and her journey.
Cue a rural Australian town and Milo Dark, a guy whose girlfriend left him to go to uni in Canberra. Milo's left behind to work in his parent's bookshop without a clue about what to do now that high school's over. Being left behind is a strong theme throughout the book.
Layla Montgomery (the girl next door) has been untethered for the last five years since her mum's sudden death and her Dad dragged them both out of town to escape their memories.
Layla and Milo share the POV and narrative as the story unfolds and the pair navigate this transitory and ultimately awkward phase of their lives. When Layla arrives back in town there are a ton of awkward moments and plenty of humour.
The brilliant dialogue throughout this bittersweet tale was what truly won me over.
"It's been a while since I've seen someone's face beam like that when they see me.
'Hey, yourself,' I get out. 'Weird, huh? This bumping into each other.'
'It is Durnan. There's like three of us in town, remember?'
'I'll pay that.' I hold up my cone stuffed with melting gelato. 'Turns out this stuff is good. Who knew?'
'Me. Tried the boysenberry.'
'Salted caramel here.' I pause, already out of words, realising too late I should've never approached her. Damn my self-fulfilling prophecy. 'So, ah, guess, I'll leave you to it...just saw you there and thought I'd say a quick hi.'
She smiles again. 'Well, a quick hi back atcha, MD. See ya.'
I say goodbye and walk off, wondering what the statistical probability is that we run into each other again."
This is a sweet read with an honest story. Teens travelling grief will relate to Layla and her journey.
January 12, 2024
I didn't write a review along the reading of this book like I usually do because I had a little issue pinpointing why this book slightly annoyed me.
Don't get me wrong. I didn't hate it. I found it entertaining enough to finish it in 4 days. Plus, Gabrielle Tozer always impresses me. The Intern is still one of my favorite books.
However, Since reading two other books after this and slowly thinking about key moments of this book for the past 5 days. I think I have figured out why this book meteorically leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
The reason The Intern was so good was because Gabrielle Tozer knew some of what she was writing about in that book. She knows the pressures and passions of writing and what the environment of journalism entails.
I don't know Tozer's life story but, I feel her way of writing both Layla's grief and sense of loss, as well as Milo's issues with the future and pressure was something on kin with a 12-year-old writing a mafia/one direction AU fanfic on Wattpad (don't lie, that's how all of you got into reading.)
No feelings or actions were well explained. There is supposed to be a sense that Milo and Layla trust each other more than anyone else, yet I feel they told each other nothing other but proceeded to mess around.
that being said. I have been rereading teen fiction for a few months to see if some of the old books I loved still lived up to the level of amazing I once shone on them (most of them don't) but this one still has a level of innocence to it that you don't see much in young adult. Plus, it has a realistic and fantastic ending. I wish more young adult books had endings that were healthy like this.
Don't get me wrong. I didn't hate it. I found it entertaining enough to finish it in 4 days. Plus, Gabrielle Tozer always impresses me. The Intern is still one of my favorite books.
However, Since reading two other books after this and slowly thinking about key moments of this book for the past 5 days. I think I have figured out why this book meteorically leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
The reason The Intern was so good was because Gabrielle Tozer knew some of what she was writing about in that book. She knows the pressures and passions of writing and what the environment of journalism entails.
I don't know Tozer's life story but, I feel her way of writing both Layla's grief and sense of loss, as well as Milo's issues with the future and pressure was something on kin with a 12-year-old writing a mafia/one direction AU fanfic on Wattpad (don't lie, that's how all of you got into reading.)
No feelings or actions were well explained. There is supposed to be a sense that Milo and Layla trust each other more than anyone else, yet I feel they told each other nothing other but proceeded to mess around.
that being said. I have been rereading teen fiction for a few months to see if some of the old books I loved still lived up to the level of amazing I once shone on them (most of them don't) but this one still has a level of innocence to it that you don't see much in young adult. Plus, it has a realistic and fantastic ending. I wish more young adult books had endings that were healthy like this.
May 30, 2019
I feel awful giving this a 2 star (actually 2.5) rating, but unfortunately it's what I'm giving it. I can't say I absolutely loved it, because I didn't. It was an ok read, that had some fun stuff and ok characters, enough to keep me reading I guess. But towards the end I had to make myself sit and read a few chapters just so I'd finish it. I can't pinpoint exactly what was missing, I think it was just lots of little things. There wasn't enough romance, excitement, humour, heartbreak to make me FEEL something for the characters. I just feel a bit meh/ok about the whole thing. I'm glad to say I did finish it though.
September 12, 2022
this book was honestly really good, i love the way it was written as it was an easy read and i also enjoyed the concept. i’ve never really enjoyed books based in australia but i quite enjoyed this. would definitely recommend.
February 10, 2019
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 stuck. Stuck in Durnan. Stuck without direction. Stuck with no idea what he wants to do with his life. His girlfriend is 200km 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. 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?
This was a super sweet book. With the challenges that many teenagers face when they finish school and have to decide what they are going to do for the rest of the life. With the added pressure from his parents to decide, and the pressure from his girlfriend for him to join her, he has no idea what to do. Layla is battling demons too, and trying to continue through the grieving process. When these two reconnect, they are forced to face the demons in their lives head on. A lovely story of boy-meets-girl.
This was a super sweet book. With the challenges that many teenagers face when they finish school and have to decide what they are going to do for the rest of the life. With the added pressure from his parents to decide, and the pressure from his girlfriend for him to join her, he has no idea what to do. Layla is battling demons too, and trying to continue through the grieving process. When these two reconnect, they are forced to face the demons in their lives head on. A lovely story of boy-meets-girl.
April 13, 2017
4.5☆
This was such a beautiful and heartbreaking story. I just knew I was going to cry and it did not disappoint. Thank you for such a lovely story Gabi!
Although it is about the relationship between Milo and Layla (hello, but cutest names ever) I feel like the focus is more on personal and emotional growth. The banter between the two was ridiculously cute and they both felt realistic.
This is also one of those rare times where parents actually play a role in the story and affect the actions of our main characters. They both have very distinctive and opposing home lives and they each have their own issues that stem from these, yet you can see how they make each other stronger.
This was such a beautiful and heartbreaking story. I just knew I was going to cry and it did not disappoint. Thank you for such a lovely story Gabi!
Although it is about the relationship between Milo and Layla (hello, but cutest names ever) I feel like the focus is more on personal and emotional growth. The banter between the two was ridiculously cute and they both felt realistic.
This is also one of those rare times where parents actually play a role in the story and affect the actions of our main characters. They both have very distinctive and opposing home lives and they each have their own issues that stem from these, yet you can see how they make each other stronger.
December 12, 2016
I concur with Danielle Binks. This book is pretty rad.
June 13, 2017
Remind Me How This Ends has a lot going for it. I have just finished high school so I totally dug that vibe...but the characters didn't seem to have much of a personality. I think in a lot of ways RMHTE lacked the charm and quirkiness of The Intern, even if it was true to small town Aussie life.
So let's talk about finishing high school. It's a weird time, especially if you (like me) are not going to university immediately. You want to get out from the place where you've always lived but you feel more connected to it than ever before. It's a time of uncertainity and transition, and Gabrielle Tozer NAILED that sensation. I think Milo and Layla are both lost souls, and they help each other figure out what it mean to be independent adults. I loved that they both challenged the stereotypical (middle to upper class) uni-job-marriage-house thing, because a) that's increasingly not happening and b) media needs to represent all the different alternatives. That sense of figuring-it-out really held the story together, far more than the romance, and made it an interesting read.
Both Milo and Layla are aimless and wandering and wondering...but I found that they weren't much more than that. Unfortunately banter and a lack of ambition does not a personality make. They didn't know what they were doing with their lives, and that made it sort of hard to understand them. Like, they didn't seem to have any interests other than vaguely videogaming, whinging about their parents, and each other. Their romance was interesting and realistic, and I loved how their dynamic was written...but they just weren't that interesting. And I"m not saying that you have to have goals to be interesting. I don't know how Tozer could have done it, just that it irritated me.
The setting of the medium-sized town, the opression of everyone-know-everyone and hey there are social problems! was done really well, and that made the narrative quite interesting where it otherwise would not have been.
I will definitely read another Gabrielle Tozer book again. This was such a great use of multiple narrative sand (obviously) felt really authentically australian ,and I loved that. I just wished that the characters had a bit more spunk.
So let's talk about finishing high school. It's a weird time, especially if you (like me) are not going to university immediately. You want to get out from the place where you've always lived but you feel more connected to it than ever before. It's a time of uncertainity and transition, and Gabrielle Tozer NAILED that sensation. I think Milo and Layla are both lost souls, and they help each other figure out what it mean to be independent adults. I loved that they both challenged the stereotypical (middle to upper class) uni-job-marriage-house thing, because a) that's increasingly not happening and b) media needs to represent all the different alternatives. That sense of figuring-it-out really held the story together, far more than the romance, and made it an interesting read.
Both Milo and Layla are aimless and wandering and wondering...but I found that they weren't much more than that. Unfortunately banter and a lack of ambition does not a personality make. They didn't know what they were doing with their lives, and that made it sort of hard to understand them. Like, they didn't seem to have any interests other than vaguely videogaming, whinging about their parents, and each other. Their romance was interesting and realistic, and I loved how their dynamic was written...but they just weren't that interesting. And I"m not saying that you have to have goals to be interesting. I don't know how Tozer could have done it, just that it irritated me.
The setting of the medium-sized town, the opression of everyone-know-everyone and hey there are social problems! was done really well, and that made the narrative quite interesting where it otherwise would not have been.
I will definitely read another Gabrielle Tozer book again. This was such a great use of multiple narrative sand (obviously) felt really authentically australian ,and I loved that. I just wished that the characters had a bit more spunk.
April 26, 2018
This is a story about a girl who learns to trust again, and a boy who realises that he's going to need to go outside of his comfort zone if he wants to find himself. And, of course, they are in each others' lives, teaching each other, as they come to these life lessons.
Layla and Milo knew each other five yers ago, having grown up in the same small down of Durnam. But then Layla's mum died, and she and her dad travelled suddenly to Sydney to escape from the suffocating sadness of grief.
Now she's back, but she really doesn't know how to be back. Everything reminds her of her mum. Everything seems more real and painful than she's willing to engage with.
And then there's Milo. As kids, they lived next door to each other. She knew his family as well as he knew hers; including her mum. And even though they're both adults now, Milo hasn't gone off to university like most of their class.
Milo's still dating Sal, long distance, and Layla is dating Kurt. This isn't a romance novel in the strictest sense, although there are romantic elements to it. More this is about the healing power of friendship, and how those important relationships encourage people to grow in ways they didn't know they were still capable of.
Layla and Milo knew each other five yers ago, having grown up in the same small down of Durnam. But then Layla's mum died, and she and her dad travelled suddenly to Sydney to escape from the suffocating sadness of grief.
Now she's back, but she really doesn't know how to be back. Everything reminds her of her mum. Everything seems more real and painful than she's willing to engage with.
And then there's Milo. As kids, they lived next door to each other. She knew his family as well as he knew hers; including her mum. And even though they're both adults now, Milo hasn't gone off to university like most of their class.
Milo's still dating Sal, long distance, and Layla is dating Kurt. This isn't a romance novel in the strictest sense, although there are romantic elements to it. More this is about the healing power of friendship, and how those important relationships encourage people to grow in ways they didn't know they were still capable of.
April 22, 2017
I very much enjoyed reading this novel. and yes, this is a 'boy-meets-girl-again' type of story, yet it is so much more. Gabrielle Tozer truly beams in her ability to create characters who are equally lovable and realistic. She has produced the thrill and accuracy of growing up; the pain and joy of leaving your past self behind to begin a new chapter of your life.
I really recommend reading it if you want a new contemporary 'boy-meets-girl-again' read that will stand out from the rest.
Full review: http://aussiebooknerd.blogspot.com.au...
I really recommend reading it if you want a new contemporary 'boy-meets-girl-again' read that will stand out from the rest.
Full review: http://aussiebooknerd.blogspot.com.au...
May 18, 2017
This was an easy, enjoyable read. However as a middle-aged mother of 3, it was probably not my typical book genre. I found it difficult to relate to the characters and what appeared to be their lack of drive and determination, but the childhood friendship turned teenage love "dilemma" made it an endearing story. I felt a little let down at the end, but probably because I wanted to understand whether Milo and Lyla eventually returned to each other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2017
I loved this book, and I wasn't expecting to. I expected to like it, but it was really beautiful. Exceptionally real and well written, and as somehow who was just out of high school not THAT long ago, I totally related to what Milo was going through. Full review about to go up on my blog =) Link in my profile x
June 23, 2017
I think it's a bit higher than 4 stars, but still not 5... BECAUSE OF THE ENDING! Seriously, it was SO GOOD, but the end... argh. It annoyed me.
What I did like about it is that it's set in Australia. Road trip to Canberra and Newcastle? I know where that is!!!
What I did like about it is that it's set in Australia. Road trip to Canberra and Newcastle? I know where that is!!!
September 8, 2017
The book opens with Milo, who is in Canberra visiting his girlfriend in Canberra. Whilst his girlfriend and all his mates are now basking in their newfound freedom now that they've finished high school, Milo hasn't worked out what he wants to do yet. Though the people around him think it's a disaster that he has no purpose yet, he's 17/18, and that's totally okay (I didn't either!). The book follows Milo as he decides what he wants out of life — whether it's to go to university, travel the world or remain working in the family bookstore.
Enter Layla. Milo hasn't seen his childhood neighbour and best friend for over 5 years, and suddenly she's back in town. Things feel different this time. Both begin to feel sparks that move beyond their playful friendship. Since the death of her mum, Layla has been unsettled, moving to different towns and is in a dysfunctional relationship with a drug dealer. The reemergence of Milo in her life has a calming effect on her and is a reminder of what he life felt like before things went off-track.
The romantic sub-plot will see you turning the pages quickly, but it's not the driving force of the book. What keeps you interested is watching two lost individuals work through their uncertainties of the future and what they truly want. The coming-of-age aspect of the book reigns supreme over the romance. Whilst I love a happily-ever-after ending, I also want an ending that feels real and I believe Remind Me How This Ends achieves this.
Remind Me How This Ends will take you on a journey through a range of emotions, but ultimately, it shows us that it's okay to not know what you want. You'll work it out in your own time.
Enter Layla. Milo hasn't seen his childhood neighbour and best friend for over 5 years, and suddenly she's back in town. Things feel different this time. Both begin to feel sparks that move beyond their playful friendship. Since the death of her mum, Layla has been unsettled, moving to different towns and is in a dysfunctional relationship with a drug dealer. The reemergence of Milo in her life has a calming effect on her and is a reminder of what he life felt like before things went off-track.
The romantic sub-plot will see you turning the pages quickly, but it's not the driving force of the book. What keeps you interested is watching two lost individuals work through their uncertainties of the future and what they truly want. The coming-of-age aspect of the book reigns supreme over the romance. Whilst I love a happily-ever-after ending, I also want an ending that feels real and I believe Remind Me How This Ends achieves this.
Remind Me How This Ends will take you on a journey through a range of emotions, but ultimately, it shows us that it's okay to not know what you want. You'll work it out in your own time.
November 10, 2018
I loved this book! This was such a great book and definitely wasn’t as cheesy as other YA books.
The characters were all so different but all so relatable. The writing was good too. And it’s always nice to read an Oz book.
Overall, I definitely recommend this book.
The characters were all so different but all so relatable. The writing was good too. And it’s always nice to read an Oz book.
Overall, I definitely recommend this book.
April 6, 2020
This was a beautiful piece of YA fiction filled with characters that we as resilient as they were real.
Tozer had me googling her age when I finished this book because her colloquialisms had me feeling like I was talking to a friend in the playground at high school while I was reading her book.
Tozer had me googling her age when I finished this book because her colloquialisms had me feeling like I was talking to a friend in the playground at high school while I was reading her book.
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