Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Call number
F KLA
Publication
Thomas Nelson
Description
High school student Charlie West awakens bloody and bruised in a concrete bunker, only to discover that he has lost a year of his life and remembers nothing about escaping from prison after being convicted of murdering his former best friend, or why he is being pursued by both the law and a group of terrorists trying to bring down the government of the United States.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Reacherfan
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
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.
Show More
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.
Show Less
LibraryThing member sdbookhound
Very suspenseful - some parts really had me at the edge of my seat so to speak. I was disappointed that we did not really find out more about what had happened in the year Charlie can't remember. Looking forward to the second book.
LibraryThing member skstiles612
This action packed book is one I believe my students will love. Charlie West wakes up to find himself strapped to a chair. He’s been beaten, tortured and hi has just heard the orders given to kill him. What he doesn’t know is how he got there, who the people are, what they want and most
Show More
importantly why they want him dead. This story is told through flashbacks and reflects a lot on his karate training. Although he escapes from his captors he must find the answers to all of his questions. I actually received the second book in the series to review and realized I wanted to read the first one before reading the second book. What follows is my review of the second book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Tinasbookreviews
“Charlie wakes up in the beginning of the novel in a torture room. His memory is gone, and the last thing he remembers is going to sleep after the best day of his life. He was the king of school when he dazzled his classmates with a karate demonstration and had the girl he’s loved for months
As Charlie tries to make sense of the situation he soon realizes he’s about to be killed and with a little luck and a little karate he manages to escape….only then when he’s running for his life does Charlie learn of the horrible reality as it crashes down around him. In the midst of the shootouts, spinouts and hand to hand fight scenes do we get the full effect of Jason Bourne meets Shooter in which Charlie faces incredible oppositions and takes us down this non-stop, fast paced action thriller. It grabs your attention with a hero to cheer for and delivers a first person narrative of a strong believable character.
Show More
agree to go out with him.As Charlie tries to make sense of the situation he soon realizes he’s about to be killed and with a little luck and a little karate he manages to escape….only then when he’s running for his life does Charlie learn of the horrible reality as it crashes down around him. In the midst of the shootouts, spinouts and hand to hand fight scenes do we get the full effect of Jason Bourne meets Shooter in which Charlie faces incredible oppositions and takes us down this non-stop, fast paced action thriller. It grabs your attention with a hero to cheer for and delivers a first person narrative of a strong believable character.
Show Less
LibraryThing member cmbohn
Charlie wakes up strapped to a chair. He's in a locked room with no way out but the door. He can't remember how he got there. But he knows that they are coming to kill him.
That's how the book starts, and naturally, Charlie finds a way out of the room, or the book would be pretty short. But Charlie
I liked this fast-paced book and I liked Charlie. I wasn't quite so crazy about the occasional pro-America stuff, but it didn't keep me from enjoying the book. After all, Charlie is hoping to be a fighter pilot, and there's nothing wrong with loving your country. It just sort of seemed a little heavy-handed. And I liked the spiritual aspect in it, but I wasn't expecting it.
Charlie finds some of the answers he's looking for, but it obvious that he has a lot of work ahead of him if he wants to clear his name and get back at the people who are after him. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. I think this would be a good one for my 13 year old to read. He'd really enjoy it.
That's how the book starts, and naturally, Charlie finds a way out of the room, or the book would be pretty short. But Charlie
Show More
is off on a big adventure. Not only does he have to figure out how to get away, but he needs to know who these people are, why they are after him, and what happened to get him into this trouble in the first place. He can remember being at school, hanging out with his friends, his family, his karate demonstration, but he doesn't know how he got to where he is now.I liked this fast-paced book and I liked Charlie. I wasn't quite so crazy about the occasional pro-America stuff, but it didn't keep me from enjoying the book. After all, Charlie is hoping to be a fighter pilot, and there's nothing wrong with loving your country. It just sort of seemed a little heavy-handed. And I liked the spiritual aspect in it, but I wasn't expecting it.
Charlie finds some of the answers he's looking for, but it obvious that he has a lot of work ahead of him if he wants to clear his name and get back at the people who are after him. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. I think this would be a good one for my 13 year old to read. He'd really enjoy it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member JRlibrary
Talk about first sentences that grab a reader!
"Suddenly I woke up strapped to a chair." That's how this book starts, and the action is pretty much non stop after that. 17 year old Charlie West escapes from his initial predicament, and starts to recall tantalizing bits and pieces of what turns out
THE LAST THING I REMEMBER is the first in a new series called THE HOMELANDERS.
"Suddenly I woke up strapped to a chair." That's how this book starts, and the action is pretty much non stop after that. 17 year old Charlie West escapes from his initial predicament, and starts to recall tantalizing bits and pieces of what turns out
Show More
to be an entire year that has gone missing from his memory. Those memories include school, and a girl that he likes, but the reader doesn't get to find out what happened between them. Charlie has no memories that explain why he is strapped to a chair and is about to be killed.THE LAST THING I REMEMBER is the first in a new series called THE HOMELANDERS.
Show Less
LibraryThing member DebbieMcCauley
Waking up in a strange place strapped to a chair with a bleeding body is Charlie West's nightmare. How did he get here and how is he going to get away? An adventure packed first book to the Homelander Series. Too much emphasis on 'God' and 'America' to appeal to New Zealand readers.
LibraryThing member BrynDahlquis
A very enthralling beginning, in which Charlie West wakes up strapped to a chair after being tortured. He can't remember how he got there. The last thing he remembers is going to sleep on a normal day. We get flashbacks to that last day as he slowly remembers the details, but he never gets any
First of all, the writing isn't too great. Andrew Klavan tends to use repetitive structure, to often beginning with 'I'. By the thirtieth page, the story is not exciting enough to get away with dramatic short sentences, either.
And then you get to the ending, and you're left with a, "what?" running around in your head. The entire book feels like a buildup to something that doesn't happen. Maybe the second book will finally bring a climax, but this whole novel feels more like a prologue.
Show More
further than that night. The flashbacks and present scenes are mixed very well, keeping me interested in both settings, but after a while I started to notice some...things.First of all, the writing isn't too great. Andrew Klavan tends to use repetitive structure, to often beginning with 'I'. By the thirtieth page, the story is not exciting enough to get away with dramatic short sentences, either.
And then you get to the ending, and you're left with a, "what?" running around in your head. The entire book feels like a buildup to something that doesn't happen. Maybe the second book will finally bring a climax, but this whole novel feels more like a prologue.
Show Less
LibraryThing member MrsDayClass
Lots of adventures and a twist.
LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
A quick and thrilling read, Charlie West wakes up embroiled in a literal nightmare. He's a likable character mostly because he's got a streak of integrity a mile wide. We could only wish that more almost 18 year old boys could be this upstanding. I already want to read the sequel to find out more!
LibraryThing member br13niya
The book The Last Time I Remember is about Charlie West. A 18 year old high school student who is kidnapped out of his home and is held captive by the Homelanders. A group of terrorists who recruit Americans to do things that they with their Middle Eastern traits cannot. Charlie can only remember
The Last Time I Remember was a fantastic adventure story that captured the heat of battle with pure greatness. The storyline is deep and twists and turns are never rare. Andrew Klavan, the author also perfectly explains the sadness and pain Charlie deals with each day as he runs through the streets as a highly wanted fugitive.
I would recommend this book to people who love to write and read hardcore action. The constant twists and turns keep you on your feet and force you to continue reading until you find the back cover. The only negative to the book was that it didn’t record the events of a long time, it felt as though that the book only recalled two or three days at most.
Show More
back to last night, where he fell asleep in his bed, with a pretty girls number on his hand. Now, strange men outside are ordering for Charlie to be killed. How will he escape?The Last Time I Remember was a fantastic adventure story that captured the heat of battle with pure greatness. The storyline is deep and twists and turns are never rare. Andrew Klavan, the author also perfectly explains the sadness and pain Charlie deals with each day as he runs through the streets as a highly wanted fugitive.
I would recommend this book to people who love to write and read hardcore action. The constant twists and turns keep you on your feet and force you to continue reading until you find the back cover. The only negative to the book was that it didn’t record the events of a long time, it felt as though that the book only recalled two or three days at most.
Show Less
LibraryThing member MashaK99
This book has been billed as "24" for teens. In a way it is. What attracted me to it (as an adult), aside from the author's reputation, is that by today's standards, Charlie West is an unlikely hero. He is not a rebel- he loves his family, his country, his life; he even gets good grades. He is not
A couple of warnings. There's a lot of violence for a teen book, which is not unexpected given the subject matter, but it's not as graphic as it could be (cleverly, the torture part happens before the book opens). Also, this definitely qualifies as a conservative book and even borderline Christian fiction, so be warned if that's not your cup of tea. Finally, this is Book One of 4, and it's not self-contained. If you get into the story, don't be disappointed it does not get resolved. The mystery of Charlie's memory loss unfolds over time, intermingled with some pretty awesome action sequences. Be patient and you will be rewarded if you stick with the series till the end.
Show More
a brooding loner- he has friends and even a girlfriend. He is strong, physically and mentally. He prays. A lot. Given all of that, how does an author make such a character interesting? By putting him in an impossible situation and seeing what happens. That of course is where Klavan shines as a writer, exploring what makes this character tick, and in a way making the readers question their own personalities. If everything you have and know is stripped away, what is left? What makes you carry on? These are really questions that go well beyond the YA genre, and Klavan deserves a lot of credit for bringing them up under the guise of a simple thriller.A couple of warnings. There's a lot of violence for a teen book, which is not unexpected given the subject matter, but it's not as graphic as it could be (cleverly, the torture part happens before the book opens). Also, this definitely qualifies as a conservative book and even borderline Christian fiction, so be warned if that's not your cup of tea. Finally, this is Book One of 4, and it's not self-contained. If you get into the story, don't be disappointed it does not get resolved. The mystery of Charlie's memory loss unfolds over time, intermingled with some pretty awesome action sequences. Be patient and you will be rewarded if you stick with the series till the end.
Show Less
LibraryThing member br14bifa
I thought this was a okay book.the reason it wasn't great was because I know what was gonna happen from the start. But other then that it was good
LibraryThing member Karin7
Charlie West, teen black belt, wakes up strapped to a chair, burnt, bruised and confused as the last thing he remembers is going to bed at home. He apparently has been tortured as part of an interrogation and his persecutors are told to kill him. Thus begins the story of his escape from the room
I began this to pre-read it to see if my son would like it (he will once he finishes the series he's reading now) and to see just what a Christian y/a thriller might look like. It gets a 3 because it kept me interested enough to continue even though there was more action and violence than I typically care for in one book. This book is "Christian light" as in no scriptures or real prayers, although the sequel a bit less light.
Show More
alternated with flashbacks to the last day he remembers as he fights and flees throughout this y/a thriller.I began this to pre-read it to see if my son would like it (he will once he finishes the series he's reading now) and to see just what a Christian y/a thriller might look like. It gets a 3 because it kept me interested enough to continue even though there was more action and violence than I typically care for in one book. This book is "Christian light" as in no scriptures or real prayers, although the sequel a bit less light.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ddbrown201
This book is a fast paced page turner.
LibraryThing member Menshevixen
Gave this book 100 pages and then gave up. I really did not like the narrator's voice--it didn't sound like a teenage boy's, and Charlie's personality was not appealing either.
LibraryThing member Jaynee
This young adult novel had an interesting premise - sort of a Bourne Identity for the teenaged set. Not bad. Decent enough that I started Book 2 of the series today.
LibraryThing member cbcmedia
This series is geared toward teenagers, but I really enjoyed it. I read it in a little over a day and can’t wait to read the sequel. The story is captivating, interesting, intense, and was hard to put down. I liked the characters and the intrigue is really holding my attention and I want to know
Show More
what is going on. Show Less
Awards
Utah Beehive Book Award (Nominee — Young Adult — 2013)
Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award (Nominee — 2013)
Iowa Teen Award (Nominee — 2012)
South Dakota Teen Choice Book Awards (Nominee — 2012)
Florida Teens Read Award (Nominee — 2011)
Original publication date
2009-04
ISBN
9781595545862
Series
Homelanders 1
Similar in this library
CHOSEN by TED DEKKER
CHAOS by TED DEKKER
Green by Ted Dekker