Review: The Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klavan

Title: The Last Thing I remember 

Author:  Andrew Klaven
Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publishing Date: April 26th 2009

Pages: 325
Genre: YA Mystery Thriller

Series:  The Homelanders #1
Source: Paperback

 

Charlie West just woke up in someone else's nightmare.

He's strapped to a chair. He's covered in blood and bruises. He hurts all over. And a strange voice outside the door just ordered his death.

The last thing he can remember, he was a normal high-school kid doing normal things--working on his homework, practicing karate, daydreaming of becoming an air force pilot, writing a pretty girl's number on his hand. How long ago was that? Where is he now? Who is he really?

And more to the point . . . how is he going to get out of this room alive?

Another book I have had on my TBR list for a very very long time. I found this in Barnes and Noble on one of my many meanderings though the store. The premise sounded good and I love to read suspense thriller books. I love to be on the edge of my seat, unfortunately for me the book world of Young Adult didn’t offer many at the time, fortunately for me, I found this book.

Charlie West lived a normal teenage life. He did good in school, had high morals that he lived by. He was pretty centered, disciplined, and kind. Life was good until the day he wakes up with no memory of his life and he is wanted for murder. Something tells him to run and he does.He runs for his life and for answers to clear his name. 

This book is a fast paced, action packed, mind boggling, really clean fun. The main character is s stand up guy. The world we be a better place if teenage boys would think and act like this boy. He is sharp, loyal, and just good hearted. The author does an amazing job of making the reader feel for this guy. He wakes up to find himself being held captive by some men who talk about killing him. By his quick thinking and fast reacting he is able to escape and finds himself on the run. From who, he has no clue. He runs for his life as he tries to piece together the bits of memory he has from the moment before he woke up strapped to the chair.

The book does jump from the present to his past memories back and forth, but is really easy to follow, and even though it is easy to full, I felt the confusion and the fear just as I would if I was running right beside Charlie. I can’t remember the last book I read that had my heart thumping and my mind racing like this book did. Be forewarned….. You do not find out much by the end so be ready to read the series in a row. I have yet to read the second book but it is on my reading list to be read in the next couple of months.

I highly recommend this book. It is a great book for guys and girls. 

Award winning author, screenwriter and media commentator Andrew Klavan is the author of such internationally bestselling novels as True Crime, filmed by Clint Eastwood, and Don’t Say A Word, filmed starring Michael Douglas. Andrew has been nominated for the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award five times and has won twice. His books have been translated around the world. His latest novel for adults, The Identity Man, has been praised by Nelson Demille as “fast paced, intelligent and thought-provoking; a great read!” Television and radio host Glenn Beck says “Andrew Klavan never disappoints…one of the best illustrations of the power of redemption that I’ve ever read.” His last novel Empire of Lies was about media bias in the age of terror, and topped Amazon.com’s thriller list. Andrew has also published a series of thrillers for young adults, The Homelanders, which follows a patriotic teenager’s battle against jihadists. The books have been optioned to be made into movies by Summit Entertainment, the team behind the mega-successful Twilight film series.
Andrew is a contributing editor to City Journal, the magazine of the Manhattan Institute. His essays and op-eds on politics, religion, movies and literature have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, The Washington Post, the LA Times, and elsewhere. His video feature, “Klavan on the Culture,” can be found at PJTV.com. Andrew is a frequent media guest on television and radio stations from coast to coast, where he is known for his quick wit, humor and commentary on politics and entertainment.
As a screenwriter, Andrew wrote the screenplay to 1990’s A Shock to the System, which starred Michael Caine, and to 2008’s One Missed Call, which stars Ed Burns and Shannyn Sossamon. He lives in Southern California.