Book Review: The Parts I Remember by A.K. Mills

Summary: 

Act first. Think never. Remember nothing.

Welcome to Kelly Rockport’s existence at Haysville University, where responsibility is just an elective. After all, fake IDs, alter egos, and one-night stands are all part of the college experience, right? So what if she blacks out from time to time? Memory is overrated.

When freshman year lasts about as long as a one-night stand and is quickly followed by the Year of the Blackout, Kelly projects junior year to be nothing shy of amazing. But as shots, beer, cocaine and men mesh together in an intoxicating haze, Kelly’s reckless ways get her into serious trouble. The only problem is, she can't remember what happened.

As she hovers along the edge of consciousness, Kelly forces herself to think past her pain to piece together the shards of her life. This is her story, told in her words: The Parts I Remember.

Release Date: March 1, 2013

Age Group: New Adult

Source: Review copy from author

Review:
I like the premise of The Parts I Remember.  It is sort of a cautionary tale about what not to do in college.  It's told in flashbacks, a writing style that I really enjoy.  I like it when main characters recount previous actions with the wisdom of experience, knowing that they would have made different choices if they knew then what they know now.  

Kelly's story starts with a car accident.  She wakes up in the hospital and has no idea how she got there or what happened.  As Kelly thinks back to what she does remember, the book goes back in time to the beginning of her freshman year in college.  

I was your stereotypical 'good girl' in college, more like Kelly's obnoxious religious roommate, Angela, than wild child Kelly.  So, I had a hard time understanding some of Kelly's choices.  To drink to the point of blacking out is foreign to me.  I've only had a few drinks in my life and wasn't impressed with the ones I had.  (Maybe I was doing something wrong?)  

Anyway, Kelly was an enigma to me.  To not have any direction in your college career, to just be there to have fun and get drunk/high all the time is inconceivable.  Kelly had a lot of casual sex as well as the drinking and drug use.  I know that this happens all the time now, and I am probably considered a prude (in fact, I have been called as such here on this blog), but I just hate reading about casual sex.  To take something so meaningful and intimate and make it so casual makes me sad.  

I had a hard time connecting with Kelly because of these issues.  She took so, so, long to finally learn from her many bad experiences, that by the time she did change, I was emotionally distanced from her.  

I think The Parts I Remember was a good read, and would definitely recommend it.  It is a new adult book and would be a great for anyone about to go into college.  The Parts I Remember was very powerful and emotionally charged.  I liked the ending and that Kelly finally learns from her actions.  I liked Mills' writing style and would definitely read her work again.