Review: Remind Me How This Ends

Remind Me How This Ends by Gabrielle Tozer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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.

(view spoiler)[Even the watered down ending felt right to me, though it wasn't what I was hoping for. It was nice that they at least got a taste for each other (ha ha) but it felt right that they went separate ways to focus on their own needs. I really, really appreciated that. To me, it felt that much more real. Tell you what, though: if there were to be a sequel where the two were reunited, I'd be all over it. (hide spoiler)]

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?

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