The last day Charlie West can remember was a perfectly normal day. He was a regular high school kid doing regular things like his schoolwork, practicing karate, chatting with his friends, and getting nervous around the girl of his dreams. He was a good kid who listened to his parents, prayed, treated girls with respect, and loved his country. But now, Charlie has just woken up in a living nightmare. He's strapped to a chair and covered in his own blood and bruises. Someone outside his torture chamber just ordered his death. Charlie has no idea where he is or how he got there. He doesn't know why he's so beaten up and supposed to be killed. And more importantly, he has no idea how he's going to escape from his room alive.

There is no doubt that The Last Thing I Remember is an action packed story. However, an action filled plot by itself never made a complete story. Once everything else is added in, the results are not so savory. My largest issue had to with Charlie's character; I just did not like him. He was too much the good kid, respectful of his parents and elders, religious, nice to pretty much everyone, and a tad too patriotic. People this good I find unrealistic unless they've got some other huge problem eating at them, but Charlie's life was pretty much golden until he woke up in practically a torture chamber. Even then, I only had a little sympathy for him because the entire first part of the novel, I didn't get what the point of the story was. Yes, the kid is in trouble and running from danger, but so what? Even through the rest of the novel where things take a turn for the slightly more interesting, I didn't care much for Charlie. It was frankly annoying how much Charlie relied on religious faith and patriotism, sometimes even to questionably justify his actions. And what I liked least was the inclusion of terrorism, particularly the central role it plays in Charlie's tale. All of this added together felt too much like a not-so-sneaky spoon feeding of right wing mentality; nothing against it, but is there's one thing I hate being force fed besides religious views, it's political ones. Tie in writing that's sometimes cheesy and definitely nothing special, and you get this pretty mediocre action book.

The Last Thing I Remember appeals primarily to the teen male audience, especially those who enjoyed action flicks like the very similar Bourne movies. I'm not sure I'm interested in checking out the sequel, The Long Way Home since this novel was not one I particularly enjoyed.

The Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klavan



This novel has an exciting opening; Charlie West is tied to a chair, battered and bruised with no idea how or why he got there. The last thing he remembers is going to bed after a great day at school. And so the adventure begins...

The premise of this novel is really interesting, but I didn't have to remind myself that this was a young adult novel. The dialog is sometimes flat and trivial. The characters are intriguing because you don't know the "why" of what is going on. There are flashbacks to Charlie's life and I think it adds to his background and gives insight to his character and his life before the incident. I do like this book and I will continue the series however I will wait for the rest of the series to come out in paperback. I wish that Amazon had half stars as this is more than a 3 star read but not quite a 4 in my opinion.

The Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klavan



This novel has an exciting opening; Charlie West is tied to a chair, battered and bruised with no idea how or why he got there. The last thing he remembers is going to bed after a great day at school. And so the adventure begins...

The premise of this novel is really interesting, but I didn't have to remind myself that this was a young adult novel. The dialog is sometimes flat and trivial. The characters are intriguing because you don't know the "why" of what is going on. There are flashbacks to Charlie's life and I think it adds to his background and gives insight to his character and his life before the incident. I do like this book and I will continue the series however I will wait for the rest of the series to come out in paperback.

My 14 year old son, who is not much of a reader, has taken this book to read at school. He's about half way through it now and he says it is really good. It's suspenseful and has honestly kept his attention. I'm so glad because I was hoping to find a book that he could get into and might discover the love of reading. I know this book is for teens but I plan on taking a look at it myself once he is finished. From what my son has told me, it does sound like an interesting story.

At the beginning of "The Last Thing I Remember," Charlie West wakes up to find he's bloodied and tied to a chair. He has no idea how he has gotten here. The last thing he can remember is doing the normal kind of things an average American teenager would do. What's going on?

The thriller is best-selling author Andrew Klavan's first foray into juvenile fiction and overall the book really succeeds. It has enough mystery and intrigue to keep the young reader interested even when the plot slows to provide character info and background material.

I won't get too much into the details of the plot since the premise and the twists should be experienced during the reading. I will say that the reviews that mention this as being a Bourne series for teens pretty much have it right. I'd also add that this book uses a similar formula (young protagonist + over-the-top action + hyped-up political backdrop = fun) and tone that made the TV show "Alias" popular. (It even deals with matter of "lost time" and memory in ways similar to that series.)

One big plus for some teens and parents will be the book's lack of the sexual and transgressive material found in most juvenile fiction nowadays. Teens or their parents who don't want to read that kind of innuendo-laced material have typically been undeserved by the publishing industry. I would have no problem giving this book as a gift to any teenager.

NOTE: Since this the first book in the "Homelander" series, some big questions are left unanswered. This might be frustrating to some readers, but I credit most teens understand how a series works. They didn't get all the answers upfront in the early Harry Potter books, for example, and yet they stuck with them. I see the same thing happening with this series.

A teenage boy awakes in a cell with no recollection of how he got there. What follows is an exciting thriller such as Hitchcock would have made into a film in his day, with twists and turns and unexpected danger.

As I was reading this book I kept thinking I have seen this story before. It didn't hit me until the end when the big reveal hit and book was setting the reader up for the sequel. I realized I was reading a teen version of the Bourne Identity.

I also felt like the book was full of filler in the way of backstory and the main character's past. A lot of that was not needed and slowed down the book. It was like a roller coaster- fast present day action sequences then calm backstory.

Not sure if I can recommend this one or not. On the fence about it.

Charlie, the main character, lives a perfect life with his family, until he goes to sleep in his bed one night and wakes up, bleeding, strapped to a chair the next morning. With no idea why he's there and what's happened, it definitely lays the groundwork for an interesting read.

There are already quite a few reviews on this book, and some of them are pretty comprehensive, so here's the good and bad (no ugly with this book):

Good:
- The author uses flashbacks as a vehicle for explaining the backstory while keeping the reader in the "now" with the current Jason Bourne-like adventure.
- There is a conspicuous absence of sex and hardcore violence (minus some karate and car crashes), which would make this book an easier choice for parents buying books for teens just getting into novels.
- It's fairly simplistic in its ideals. Depending on how you look at things, this could be a good or bad thing, but considering the audience this books is written for, I view it as a positive. There's no mucking about with the grey areas of morality, although something tells me this might change with future installments of this series.
- Without going into too much detail, there's a nice twist in the plot about halfway through that surprised me (sorry, no spoiler here).


Bad:
Quite a few of these are going to depend on the reader. Some of the previous reviews concern me because I feel some of the complaints are from an adult's point of view - not from an early teenager's, and teens are the intended audience for this book. That said:
- The book is *blatantly* patriotic - no grey areas here. There is a definitive line drawn between good and bad, and it mirrors the most simplistic American view of the world today.
- It's also blatantly religious. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but when it starts to distract from the story line, it can become a bad thing. To tie into this, it's also fairly simplistic in its ideals - Muslim extremists are going to destroy the country and only a Christian karate expert can save the day.
- The ending leaves many more questions than answers. This can be kind of tough when the next novel isn't going to be out for a bit (feb 2010), so be prepped to be left wanting more when the novel ends.

Overall:
This is a great book to get teens reading. I'm a 38 year old man, and I found it to be a pretty good page-turner. Some have complained of the pace being too off; flashbacks being used to explain the backstory can have that affect. However, I feel it's a great way to break up an exciting scene and build anticipation. The oversimplification of the conflict is a bit irritating, but once again, this book wasn't really written for me. If you have an early teen that would enjoy a Bourne-style adventure novel, I'd highly recommend this one. Just don't blame me when they finish it in a weekend (as I did) and come to you asking for the next novel in the series. :)

The high concept description of The Last Thing I Remember might be "it's the Fugitive meets Karate Kid, and the bad guys are terrorists." The protagonist, a high school senior who wows the school with a martial arts display at assembly, wakes up in a cell with no idea how he got there and a big chunk of his memory missing. He escapes and discovers that not only has he become a convicted criminal during the period he can't remember, but he is embroiled in -- and is the only person that can stop -- a terrorist assassination plot.

The story is entertaining and a good read. It is also clean, upbeat and inspiring, with a strong "never give up" moral, and unabashedly pro-American and pro-traditional Americal values. I'd be happy to give this book to any teenager I know. The book ends clearly anticipating sequels, and I look forward to the next installment.

I wanted to write a two word review simply saying "this stinks" but I figure I better tell you why this book is terrible.



For starters, the writing style is just lousy, its all sharp little sentences poking you in the face, most of which start with "I" followed by four or five words. "I ran down the hall. I look behind me. I hear them following." etc... I know its supposed to be fast moving and dynamic, but it just comes off as amateurish and pandering. I know this book is aimed at preteens, but "writing FOR seventh graders" and "writing LIKE a seventh grader" are two very different approaches. This author doesn't seem to know that.

Secondly, why is this book so unabashedly patriotic? Its cartoonishly black and white about America being great and everyone else being wrong when they disagree with how great and perfect America is. I don't want to sound like I hate this land (I absolutely DON'T) but as nice as the USA is, it most definitely isn't perfect. Apparently no one told that to the kid in this book, because you'll find more balanced and objective views of the good ol' USA on the T-shirts of people at a Toby Keith concert. Jeez, this stuff is being marketed towards children? In that case, its halfway towards being nationalistic propaganda.

Thirdly, this book is slow, it takes 100 pages to cover a 5 minute escape, its characters are hopelessly generic and the flashbacks are all to stuff that couldn't be less interesting.

Did I mention it doesn't have an ending? I know its book one in a series, but I won't be reading further installments of this pandering, brainless drivel.

I have no doubt that Andrew Klavan is capable of better writing (you don't get accolades from Stephen King writing this garbage), but this book is awful. Its actually insulting to its target audience.

Shame on you, Andrew Klavan, you're better than this. I have no idea who you are or what you're capable of, but I still say that because ANYONE can write a better novel.

Seriously, anyone. Anyone at all can write better than this.

The main character, Charlie West, is a decent kid who is a black belt in Karate, somewhat religious, and secretly longs to be a fighter pilot in the Air Force. The story begins with him somehow being held against his will and being tortured. The last thing he can remember is yesterday which was a somewhat normal day at school. He later realizes that yesterday was really a year earlier and that he has strangely forgotten the last year of his life. He finds himself dealing with some very strange individuals along the way. I can't say much more without ruining the plot, but there are some really surprising twist and turns. It had me wondering who was good and who was evil throughout the entire book. The book left me wanting more, but not in a bad way. After reading this first book in the Highlander series, I will definitely be looking forward to the next one. This would be a great book for high school-aged kids. There is no profanity at all and I can see where they could relate to this boy and the other characters in the story.

The first comparison that came to mind after I read this was it was like a Jason Bourne novel for the younger set. It's got tons of action and is very well written for a young adult book. I didn't notice any objectionable content for young adult readers which is refreshing. I think both girls and boys will enjoy this book as it is very exciting and fast paced. This book treats the spy genre in an adult manner without using all the crass swear words and sexual innuendo that are prevalent in some other "young adult" works of fiction. Overall I think this is an excellent and exciting book for young adult readers.

A high-energy action-packed novel for teens. I can totally picture this as a movie! The protagonist, 18-year-old Charlie West escapes captivity and prevents a terrorist attack. There are still enough mysterious happenings to leave the door open for a sequel.

This book started off really, really good that hooks the reader from page one. Charlie West, 16, wakes up but he's not in the same place he went to bed. As he wakes up, he feels that his arms and legs are bound to a chair, he can't get out. Worse yet, he's been tortured. It seems that he has a lot of information that some very bad people want, but Charlie can't remember anything. He doesn't know who these people are, or why they kidnapped him, or any of the information that the bad guys want. He can't remember. He'll do whatever he had to in order to survive.

Sounds like a great plot, and the first part of the book is really good. It hooks the reader in from the first page and we go with Charlie and see how he survives, and tried to piece together who he is and what the men want. Again, that's a great start to the book. This book has great writing in the first half, and great characters and fantastic character development with some really nice plot twists.

The problem for me is that we, as the reader, we read over and over and over and over again that how Charlie loves America and is full of patriotism and how Charlie has a solid belief in God. For me, it was over done, almost to the point it was getting on my nerves. I have no problem with Charlie telling other characters how much he loves America, and God, just don't tell us all the time. Mention it once, maybe twice, but that's it. I'd rather if the author spent less time on Charlie's patriotism and his religious beliefs, and more times tellings us about the bad guys who are after Charlie and who Charlie really is.

This is a great book to get boys in 6th grade on up hooked on reading. This book has non stop action that will draw them in, and the writing style is simple and straight to the point. Actually, I did like that about the book.

Over all, it wasn't a bad read, and I'll look forward to reading the second book in the series.

This fast-paced teen thriller features lots of exciting action sequences surrounded by scenes right out of the latest teen high-school movie/tv show. Klavan writes with grace, and uses his tight prose to propel the plot along. If someone enjoys suspense, they will definitely enjoy this.

Ever had a book start off great and then all of a sudden switch gears on you?
I understand that authors have to find a way to grab your attention and also fill
in back-story, but the way it was done in Klavan's "The Last Thing I Remember"
really threw me for a loop. The story jumps between now, and some past "Then" that
the main character remembers as if it were yesterday. Not only did I find this
confusing, but it also greatly diminished my enjoyment of the book.

So, what would you do if you woke up only to find yourself bloody and strapped
to a chair surrounded by instruments of torture? Oh, and in a few minutes someone
is going to come in and kill you. Its an interesting start and instantly grabbed
my attention. However, a sudden flashback that really doesn't do much more than
explain the characters almost superhuman martial arts skill interrupts the flow.

I am not saying this is a bad book. I did enjoy reading it and I will probably
get the next one (since the backs tory flashbacks have to be mostly done). Just
be prepared to put it down now and again so your brain can put the two stories
into some type of believable framework. If nothing else, the "timewarps" are the
perfect opportunity to take a break before continuing.

How can a reader possibly pass on a book with a first line like this one: "Suddenly I woke up strapped to a chair?" THE LAST THING I REMEMBER is non-stop action from start to finish.

Seventeen-year-old Charlie West goes to sleep one night, and the next thing he knows, he wakes up battered and bloody just over a year later. He tries to piece together the memories of his last day as he sits strapped to a chair. He remembers getting up, going to school, and even getting lucky enough to have a conversation that might lead to a date with the girl of his dreams.

However, these memories don't include any explanation for the situation he finds himself in at the moment.

Charlie's difficulties mount as he struggles to escape. He overhears a conversation outside his cell that leaves little doubt that his life is about to end. Inspired by his karate master and a quote from Winston Churchill, he gains the focus necessary to overpower his captors and escape to a nearby woods.

But that is just the beginning of a confusing search to figure out what got him into this mess in the first place.

THE LAST THING I REMEMBER is the first in a new series called THE HOMELANDERS. Andrew Klavan is an accomplished author of adult suspense novels and the winner of two Edgar Awards. If the excitement created in this new series is any indication of what is to come, he is sure to be a success with YA readers, as well.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

It's no wonder that Stephen King lauded Andrew Klavan, author of The Last Thing I Remember (The Homelanders) as "the most original novelist of crime and suspense since Cornell Woodrich." Klavan weaves a prickly suspense of barbed wire and words.

Charlie West is a middle-class teenager, studying karate, dreaming of his future, dreaming of Beth Summers. Suddenly, everything is in turmoil when Charlie realizes that he's one year past the last thing he remembers: going to bed on a school night. Is it some weird time travel, or has Charlie been kidnapped?

Is he guilty of the crimes of which he's accused? or is the whole thing a horrible dream? His karate skills and quick wits will get him out of some of the deadly traps, but it will take more than a clever mind with what Charlie's up against.

The cliffhanger ending will leave the reader waiting, with bated breath, for the sequel to The Last Thing I Remember.

I saw some of the acclaim for the author and thought I'd give the book a chance.

I must say that I'm quite disappointed. Two thirds of the book are spent on flashbacks (that seem to add little to the story) and an uninteresting escape from some compound. The other third does not do much to help rescue the book. The ending is unimpressive at best.

The book seems to be the first of a series but I am not at all tempted by what's to follow.

An interesting premise -- but good grief, is this author, Andrew Klavan, long winded! How long does it actually take to describe a five minute escape?? Apparently, at least 97 pages. Some may love the minute attention to detail -- and usually I might even be considered one of them -- but Klavan made this supposed high-paced thriller, drag, and drag, and drag... I hate to admit it but I found myself skimming entire passages, sometimes pages -- just to get to another action or scene. And then he repeats everything the poor hero is thinking over, and over, and over... to really make sure the reader gets the point. Is it really necessary to repeat Churchill's quote over, and over, and over? Really, there's dramatic effect-- and then there's redundancy. I get it all ready: "Never give up." So, I didn't "give up" on the book, and hung with it until the end-- just to find that all of this could have been summed up in a nice, three page Prologue... to lead us to the real adventure, which is sure to come in Book 2, called The Long Way Home -- scheduled for release in February 2010. Seriously, The Long Way Home? Could it be any longer than this 336 page novel that said so much of absolutely nothing. I give it two stars for being an interesting story concept about a thoughful, smart, conservative teenage boy. I really wanted to like this book for those very reasons. But really, I can't with good conscience recommend this when there is so much better to choose from. Like "The Hunger Games." Oh, the cover is also nice.

This story is aimed at teen boys and I think it is well constructed for that audience. However, you should be aware that, while the book raises some excellent mysteries, it answers none of them. It's really just a setup for the next book, ending with a cliffhanger that left me turning the pages and thinking, 'That can't be the end! Where is the rest of the story???'

Andrew Klavan is a good writer...I have read some of his adult fiction and I would say that he's very skillful at grabbing and holding the reader's attention. My problem with this book has nothing to do with the quality of the writing, it has to do with the storytelling. I really hate 'part 1 in a series' books that have no self-contained story. If you want answers, you will need to come back in February, 2010 and read part 2. Maybe there will be clarifications, maybe not.

This would be a good series, I think, to interest a teen boy in reading. I would suggest, though, that you wait for additional books because the last thing you want to do is have your kid throw the book across the room because half the story is missing.

America is a great, perfect, shining beacon. A grand city on a hill, founded by a group of Christians to be a nation of God, freedom, and liberty. It's a nation constantly at threat of being brought down by evil Muslims, many of whom are terrorists and are hell-bent on destroying this fine, Christian land! In times like these, these troubled days we live in, it's up to small groups, or sometimes a single person, to preserve all that's glorious and wonderful and to save this nation for God!

Or so the writer of this book would have you believe.

Yes, if you like your politics distinctly right-of-center, your books rather poorly written and contrived (with, admittedly, some good action scenes), and a hero that's a perfect, flawless Adonis, struggling against the government (though only the bad parts of it), and against Islam, then this is the book for you.

I am, it must be said, not in the target audience for this book. My politics are decidedly left-of-center, and I'm an atheist who has a somewhat more realistic view of history and the world today than the writer of this book. My ability to suspend disbelief began to be seriously tested in the first few pages (why would the bad guys try to kill Our Hero by injecting him with slow-burning acid when a gunshot would've done the job and not brought them into range to be caught?), and collapsed entirely at the end when what's going on is sort-of revealed to Our Hero.

I harp on the politics and religion here, but that's because they're an integral part of the plot. This book reads like an especially bad day on "24", complete with all that show has, from a God-fearing, America-loving hero who is being unfairly persecuted to Islamic terrorists all over the place. Don't get me wrong: I love my country, too, but I have to roll my eyes more than a little at someone who writes a character so uber-patriotic that he actually bows to an American flag, an act that would've had the likes of Jefferson twitching with unease.

I have zero interest in reading anything further in this series or by this author. From a technical standpoint, the writing is competent, but the rest? Guh. Just not worth bothering with.

What I mostly dislike about this novel is that it is a lead into a series.
The action is nonstop from the first with flashbacks.
We have a young karate master who has lost his memory
and is forced to run from the police.
It seems he has just escaped from a group that calls themselves the Homelanders,
when he is picked up by the police.
This is all about terrorism in the USA and for some reason Harley-Charlie is right in the middle of it. His motivation sounds like Superman's: truth, justice and the American way;
and then, there is his girl friend who loves him.
Who are the good guys and who are the bad guys:
how do you tell them apart.
Ask the crazy bag lady who has escaped from the hospital.

Author Andrew Klavan has been hailed by authors such as Stephen King and is the recipient of two Edgar Awards. Other titles include: True Crime, Don't Say A Word, and Empire of Lies.
Charlie West just woke up in someone else's nightmare. Covered in blood and bruises while strapped to a chair, Charlie tries to think of the last thing he can remember. He was a high school teenager practicing karate, doing homework, and dreaming of being an air force pilot. Where is he now? Who is he really? Most importantly, how was he going to get out of this room alive, because the stranger's voice outside the door just ordered his death!
Listed as Book One in The Highlander Series, this YA novel is told in first-person point-of-view. There were a lot of things in this book worth mentioning. I loved that Charlie kept a Churchill quote in his pocket. This book addresses the poor choices teenagers can make and the drastic outcome, as well as the pivotal shining moments that one remembers all their life. This is a fast-paced book to keep you glued and very well-written. The ending may disappoint and leave you hanging, but the next book, The Long Way Home, is coming soon.
Recommended!

Kelly Moran,
Author and Reviewer

This book is very of-the-moment.

The main character is a boy who wakes up to find himself strapped to a chair, but doesn't remember anything about how he got there.

The story revolves around him trying to find out what happened to him and why.

(No spoilers, don't worry!) The imprisonment has national security and terrorist implications.

Elementary school kids and junior high school boys who aren't used to reading much will really like the simple language, streamlined concept, and conventional plot.

Anybody older, however, should give this book a pass. This is not a "crossover" book like Harry Potter or Twilight; it's simply not as well written or well planned.

Basically, it's "beach reading" for the under 15 crowd. Three stars for the interesting concept, and the attempt to make children that don't normally read pick up a book.

Award-winning writer Andrew Klavan has penned a humdinger of a suspense thriller for the young adult market. And he's not holding back the trademark action, pacing, and psychological tension that mark his other books. Not only that, he channels a riff from The Bourne Identity in the creation of his hero, Charlie West.

The book seized my attention immediately by opening with Charlie tied to a chair by unknown assailants next to a table filled with blood-curdling torture tools. It's really like a 007 opener in one of the movies. Then it shifts to what Charlie last remembers, going back to when he was a tongue-tied seventeen year old karate black belt who was still afraid of asking out a pretty girl.

This back-and-forth between present and past put me off a little at first because it felt like stalling, then when I realized that the past actually held clues to what Charlie was doing there, I read both with equal interest. Honestly, I might not have been nailed to the book if I'd just gotten introduced to Charlie while he was in school struggling through young love and working out at the dojo. And I couldn't have handled the sustained tension of the escape without knowing more about the character.

Klavan pulls both off, then makes a hat trick of it by hiding how long it's been between those two points in Charlie's life and what has happened in between. The Last Thing I Remember is a great mixture of thriller and psychological puzzle. Even as Charlie makes his first escape, the author drops in hints and pieces of the puzzle and lets the reader know they're not getting to see everything he's got up his sleeve.

I sat with this book from beginning to end, pulled in two directions. I wanted to know more about what Charlie was going to do, and I wanted to know more about what had been done to him. And I couldn't decide which I wanted worst.

When it comes to writing nerve-wracking suspense or bone-crunching fight scenes, Klavan is a champ. He doesn't waste or mince words, driving straight to the tension or the action. The pages on this book turn way too easily and will keep unwary readers glued to the story until they finish it. The subject matter is a little heavy-handed in regards to nationalism versus story. I appreciate the author beating the drum upon occasion, and the story plot is definitely tied to these views, but every now and again it did detract me from the story.

The Last Thing I Remember is a great book for reluctant readers, especially male readers, because it focuses a lot on the young male mindset. Charlie may be a little too "good" and "straight-laced" for some kids, but others are going to definitely see him as hero material.

Since this book is obviously marked as Book 1 of The Homelanders Series, expect the deliberate cliffhanger ending. The next installment comes out the first of 2010 and readers are going to be anxiously awaiting it. However, there is a teaser chapter at the end of this book that will even further whet appetites, so at least readers will know a little of what is coming.

The Last Thing I Remember is a very well written juvenile fiction. While the first few chapters are a little slow, they're needed to get the full scope of the character personalities. Regardless, the book is an action-suspense for the modern young reader.

Of course, there are a couple points to make:
1. This is book one in a series. My advance copy does not denote "Advanced Reader Copy" or anything, so I can only assume I have the same version as other readers (including other Vine readers.) With that said, the cover of the book says "BOOK ONE" plain as day on it. If that wasn't a tip-off that this would be a series, I don't know what is.

2. While this is targeted to young readers, and Andrew Klavan did an excellent job writing the book, the vocabulary in the book seems to be for a younger audience than the book is for. Basically, there isn't a single word in the book that the intended readers' little brother wouldn't know. I'm not sure if it was "dumbed down" to appeal to more people, or if it was simply kept simple to keep the tempo up, but I hope the sequel uses a bit more advanced language. (This isn't to say it's a bad book at all...but a spot that could potentially be improved on.)

Overall, it was a very quick reading because of the writing style and action, and I look forward to Book 2 since this one only had half of an ending....

I read this prior to giving it to our teenage grandson. Couldn't put it down and was delighted to find out that it is only part one. Now need to decide if I should give volume one to grandson now or wait until Christmas which will be closer to publishing of part 2 in Feb 2010.???????

A truly excellent book, The Last Thing I Remember, has a sense of intrigue about it that makes reading this book a thrilling page turner. Periodic flashbacks throughout the book give the reader insight to the complex character that is Charlie West, a high school student and karate master turned hero. The story begins when Charlie, who had gone to bed the past night a normal teen, wakes up in a chair with voices sounding outside his room...plotting to kill him. Then, his epic adventure begins with the tale of his survival and escape. Then, the excitement really begins. This book is the first in the Homelanders series, the next book of which I eagerly anticipate.

One ordinary September night, seventeen year old Charlie West is at his computer. He's trying to finish up a school assignment while IM'ing a school friend. When ten o'clock rolls around, his mother tells him it's time for bed. Within thirty minutes, he's sound asleep.

When he awakes, he's in a strange room, strapped to a chair. There is a tray of bloody instruments next to him and he's covered in blood. He's sure this is a nightmare, but he can't seem to wake up. Then he hears two words that chilled him to the bone. "Kill him."

As Charlie works at staying alive, he continually flashes back to the previous day, trying to piece together what has happened. He soon learns he has no memory of the past twelve months. The more he learns, the deeper the mystery becomes. The ending doesn't provide the answers Charlie is seeking, but it also doesn't leave the reader just hanging there. This is a nice setup for the next book.

THE LAST THING I REMEMBER is book one of the The Homelanders Series. It's a hard-to-put-down young adult action thriller.

Halfway through this book I began to get the feeling that the ending might be a problem and it was. It has no ending. This is a book that actually ticked me off. No where did it say this book was Chapter 1 in a multi book story (that is what it appears to be now). The sequel (which I assume will be the ending) does not come out until Feb 2010.
Personally, this is the worst type of writing that I've encountered. If the author had clearly stated that this was part of a series and would not end until then next book then I would not have even wasted time reading it.

The target audience for this book is young adults, and when Rush told us that the liberal media hated it, I bought a copy for my grandson.

One can certainly see why the effete media would pan it. The hero is a white teenager who has parents that are actually married to each other. He still lives at home, doesn't smoke, drink or cuss. Worst of all, he believes in God and even prays! I almost forgot, he loves America and wants to be an Air Force fighter pilot.

This story is a combination of "The Fugitive", "Mirage" (1965 movie with Gregory Peck), and the short-lived 1967 TV show "Coronet Blue." Our hero is in mortal danger and doesn't know why. You will be kept guessing even beyond the end, as this is the first in a series.

Buy a copy for your grandson!

It's a great book. A mix of suspense, action and some good old fashioned butt kicking, combined with chivalry, love of god and country, where good triumphs over evil and all without sex or vulger language. It's a book I can feel good about sharing with my 10 year old grandson. I highly recommend it. I just wish I didn't have to wait until January for book 2.

If they had half stars this would be a four and a half star book, it needed just a bit more clarity among all the action and adventure. The book is a page turner - my middle school son read it cover to cover in two hours. It reminded me a bit of The Bourne Identity (amnesia) with a bit of The Fugitive (wrongly accused) so that adults will have a point of reference if you've read those books. The story of Charlie waking up and finding out (eventually) that he has no memory of a year of his life is compelling with lots of action as he seeks his answers. My son loved Charlie West's ability to get out of dangerous situations and his many skills like karate. When Charlie is trying to find out the truth about his life, a detective tells Charlie that his whole life has been a lie. Charlie is clearly a good guy throughout the novel and a character that young adults can relate positively to but also a kid constantly in trouble and on the run, which will also appeal to young adults. We are both looking forward to the sequel.

First I must admit to being a middle-aged mom; not the target demographic at all. But I like to read YA Adventure/Fantasy when my teenaged son does, and then compare thoughts with him. We both LOVED this book and couldn't put it down. I was up til 3am the first night I started to read it, and finished it the next afternoon. My son took only one day longer than that. That is high praise from me; YA doesn't usually hold my interest like that.

Further high praise from me: there are 2 (mildly) annoying things about this book - and I rated it 5 stars anyway. Firstly, it's written in the first person. I have a peeve about that. I feel that it takes a really singular voice to succeed with first person and I feel that many authors (including Klavan) fall into the trap of describing things with a narrator's voice, not with words the character would really use. For example, our hero Charlie describes people's appearances with phrases like this: "He had a light in his dark eyes, a sort of breathless smile playing at the corner of his lips". Does a 17 year old boy talk like that? In my experience, no, and that sort of thing usually sets my teeth on edge. But in this case, Charlie is likable and the story is so gripping that, after the first 20 or so pages, I stopped noticing the first person issues. The second thing that would normally irritate me is the "Mary Sue"-ness of Charlie, the holier-than-thou goody-goodyness of him and his views. But again, he's so likable that I forgave him our differences and rooted for him with every passing page.

As has been recounted in these reviews, Charlie wakes up strapped to a chair, overhearing voices planning his death, and remembers nothing at all of how he got there - the last thing he remembers is what he thinks was the day before... a normal(ish) day at school. The plot - Charlie's attempts to both escape death and figure out what is going on - is a page turner and both my son and I had trouble putting it down. It kept us guessing (and dying to know what was going on) to the last page... and beyond.

As this is the first book in a series.... it does not answer many questions. That may irritate some but I appreciate a good mystery and a good cliffhanger, and I am very much going to buy the sequel (February 2010)the day it is released.

Bottom Line: My 15 year-old son and I could not put this intense, exciting and compelling book down. We can't wait for the next installment.

Let it first be said that I hold the so-called Young Adult and Teen genres to the same standards that I hold books aimed at an older audience. Just because kids and teens happen to be younger does not mean their books should be of lesser quality in any way.

And so that's what I have in mind as I write this review--which I may rewrite one day in the future, after I read the other novels in what could potentially be an incredible series. But whether this Homelanders series becomes another Great in the realm of YA/Teen really rather depends. It depends on how complex, both in terms of plot and thematic concerns, this series becomes.

Should The Homelanders fulfill the potential I sensed in the 3 hours in which I devoured it (we'll get there later), I'd rewrite this review in a heartbeat and give The Last Thing I Remembered a hearty 5-star. However--and I don't want to spoil anything--if Homelanders doesn't go to that level of depth that it could achieve, it'll get a 3-star for being a run-of-the-mill, America-rules-EveryoneElse-drools thriller. I'm not a fan of those whatsoever.

But since I haven't read the sequels, I'll tell you what I do know about The Last Thing I Remember.

1. It's ridiculously fast-paced. It took me 3 hours to read, but I was reading late at night and into the morning, where I was reading at 2/3rds if not half speed.

2. It's 100% kid-friendly over the age of, say, 10. No bad words, no suggestive language, the main character is a morally-grounded good student.

3. It was a lot of fun to read, part of its appeal. I found myself trying to think of all the reasons Charlie woke up in this chair. Aliens, wizards, alternate universes, ultracomplex conspiracies. It gets your imagination going, that's for sure.

In the end, though, I still struggle to arrive at a conclusion. I can tell you that I recommend this book, even if just for a fun read to kill a few hours, to both adults and teens, but whether I can say if it's "good" or "bad" just...depends.

It could be any number of bad Bond movies, or like CSI Miami, where the main character can do no wrong, where America and the rest of the West can do no wrong, like any number of thrillers that features a good ole American boy facing down stereotypical Nazis and Russian Communists, only a bit more modernized.

Or, The Last Thing I Remember could join the ranks of the Bourne novels/movies, or any other number of fantastic thrillers/action works.

If truth be told, I have a lot of hope for this series. Even though it is somewhat predictable, and even though certain elements revealed in the second half of the book (I won't say which, because I don't want to spoil them) left me worrying that this series will go the shallow route, I have reason to suspect--I see the potential--for Homelanders to be, in a word, awesome.

Foremost among those clues is the fact that I'm so determined not to spoil anything at all. And with that said, I'm not going to drag this thing out any longer, because I don't know. I just don't know how this series is going to go, and unfortunately, that's dominating any thoughts I have on the book itself.

I read this book and then gave it to my two sons, ages 17 and 11. We all thought it was a very fun and exciting book. It's a good adventure story, and plays up the importance of family and home. We can't wait for the next installment!

This book is a good fast read, nothing much but trying to encourage the idea that no one is ever really alone. Having never read or heard of the Homeward series before this book is still easy to read and stands alone. Some questions wont be answered as fully because its part of a series but you are happy with the way of things at the end.


Very enjoyable but not so grabbing that I would want to read all the books in the series just to know all of the characters better.

This book is kind of a "Jason Bourne" story for the teenage readers with a morality lesson tossed in.

I didn't like this book at all. It was nothing but a bunch of cliches. Don't get it.

Bought this book for my 14 yr. old science dude son.Not much of a bookworm, but I had read a good review of it on BigHollywood.com. Handed the book to him on his birthday and he read 50 pages the 1st night. He says it's exciting and he loves it.

It is clear that Andew Klaven and I share different politics, a point that he makes repeatedly thoughout the book and that's fine. The book is full of action and moves along briskly. If you've read much tween/teen fiction, the characters will be familiar, especially Charlie, the normal (cool, but not TOO cool kid).

Klaven adeptly handles the action and those are the best passages in the book. I can't imagine any teen boy not eating this one up.

I read this book before giving to my grandchildren. Absolutely wonderful. Recommended for ages 10-20; however, I cannot wait for the next book. Often difficult to find good books for teens, I must admit it is one of the best books for this age group, especially compared to the vampire "stuff" currently out there.

Charlie is an unassuming, average American kid. His older sister drives him bonkers, he loves his parents, he makes good grades and argues with his radical history teacher, and he pines for Beth, the pretty, smart, nice girl in school. When he wakes up bloody, battered, and strapped to a chair, he has absolutely no idea how he went from one of the most perfect days of his life to the absolute worst day. Then when he is on the run, he discovers that the last year of his life has been terrifyingly out of character for him - only he can't remember any of it.

This book is crammed full of action. Charlie uses his martial arts skills and his smarts to get himself out of some tight situations. His first-person narration helps the story by keeping the reader just as much in the dark as he is about his predicament. Who are the Homelanders? Is Charlie right to trust in his innate character? Who is he under pressure?

My issue with the book is its over-simplification of Charlie's situation. I appreciate that he maintains his love of god and country and lets this center him through some intense situations, but would his primary concern while running from murderers and torturers really be that people would think he's not a patriot? Klavan has Charlie express his patriotism and his faith rather frequently even though this is established quite well early on in the book. Perhaps it is because of the age of the targeted audience that this is reinforced so often; however, it made me think I was reading the same page over and over.

All in all, this is a decent book, although not necessarily enough to make me want to read the remaining books in the series. There is a lot of violence, but given how much violence kids take in through movies, games, etc., this probably isn't anything above their heads. Oh, and I hope that Klavan brings back Crazy Jane in later installments of this series!

... is that you'll have to buy the sequel. But you'll have to wait until February of 2010. Jumping on the growing "Homeland Security" bandwagon (see LITTLE BROTHER, for instance), Andrew Klavan serves up a new series called "The Homelanders" and defines them as white Americans enlisted by Islamic terrorists to commit acts of violence in and against the U.S. Enter our hero, 18-year-old black belt, Charlie West. Enter Charlie's problems, too: he can't remember the entire past year, he opens the book strapped to a chair while people outside the door discuss how to kill him, and he has both the good guys (Feds, police, FBI, etc.) and the bad guys (Homelanders, undercover Secret Service double agents, and most any other new character who shows up in a chapter and looks suspicious) after him.

It all adds up to an irrestible page-turner that should hold huge appeal to adventure fans and plot lovers. In the YA market, it doesn't hurt that the cover is cool, too, looking like an action shot from a movie trailer. Of course, I could complain that a key plot event leading to one of Charlie's escapes is completely unreasonable, unfeasible, and unbelievable, but who am I kidding? The escape keeps the fun rolling. So I ignored it and continued to flip pages.

Highly recommended for young, book-phobic readers who crave action early and often. Hard-to-sell boys will embrace it especially. This is what James Bond would look like if he were American and still 18. As a reader, then, you'll be both shaken AND stirred. Enjoy.

I realize this is the first book of the series, but this book just did not move the overarching plot forward enough to make me care about the second installment. Yes, there are clues, but the clues seem to confuse things even more, and by the end of the book it's hard to have any idea what happened to this guy to get him in this predicament. I might read the second book, but if it follows the path of the first one it will just keep everything ambiguous to try to get me to read the third. Just annoying.

The constant use of flashbacks worked for me, but I know a lot of people, especially young readers, hate them, so take that into consideration when buying this book.

However, even though the book annoyed me by keeping so much obscure, on a page-to-page level the book was reasonably compelling. There is serious violence in this book and really dangerous situations, so it's definitely for teens or tweens who can handle knife/gun fights, terrorism, and torture.

All-in-all, it's "fair to middling." Not a bad book, but not one of my top choices, either.

This is a book. It has a lot of short sentences. It has very few long sentences. The sentences don't vary in style. They are all very simple. Very few have more than one clause. This is appropriate for a small child's book. This isn't a small child's book. The plot is very good. The writing style needs work.

I really enjoyed this book.

The action is absolutely non-stop, from the time the central character wakes up bound in a chair, an entire year of his life gone from his memory, and in danger of his life at the hands of a couple of thugs.

From then on it's incident after incident, with the character learning a bit more about book ending as the character heads away to his next adventure.

I won't cover the plot details, so, no spoilers. What I liked about this book was the life lessons it teaches: respect for others, respect for God and country, perseverance, doing the right thing. It's a very positive book with good lessons.

Recommended.

This book is a very fast read with large print and very few words on each page. More than likely it was printed this way either to cater to teens or to fill up a book (maybe both). The subject matter is perfect for a teenage boy looking for an easy read and make him want to take up karate. I would expect that most adults, myself included, would feel a little empty from storyline.

Overall, this book has some entertainment value hence the 3 stars, however, you can get more entertainment and detail out of the Bourne Identity movie.

Charlie West is 17. He goes to high school in his small town, has some friends, likes a girl (Beth), and has a nice family of a mom, dad and, of course, pesky younger sister. Charlie is not into regular sports but is a black belt in karate and has studied for some years.

Charlie wakes up after going to sleep one night to find himself hurting all over, strapped to a chair and with no memory of how he got there or why. This is really only the first of many situations that Charlie will need to try to get out of and discover what has happened to him, why and what he is now supposed to do!!

I really enjoyed the fact that the author did not feel it necessary to use profanity in the book. There are a few "bleeped" out words but overall a very nice and clean read which is a real joy to me since as a mom I've seen the majority of the books that my kids when in middle school and high school brought home contain more profanity that I've ever heard in my life!

This author was very good and building the premise and suspense. I did find some of Charlie's escapes a bit incredible but overall a well put together story for Book 1 in the series. I look forward to reading the next installment and seeing what Charlie can accomplish with a little outside help!

I and my son, who is 10, really enjoyed this book. It is full of bravery and morality, that kids really want to read. It left us hanging, though, for a sequel due out 2010.