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    Remember Me Like This: A Novel
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    Remember Me Like This: A Novel
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    Remember Me Like This: A Novel
    Audiobook12 hours

    Remember Me Like This: A Novel

    Written by Bret Anthony Johnston

    Narrated by Mark Bramhall

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
    The New York Times Book Review • Esquire • BookPage

    A gripping novel with the pace of a thriller but the nuanced characterization and deep empathy of some of the literary canon's most beloved novels, Remember Me Like This introduces Bret Anthony Johnston as one of the most gifted storytellers writing today. With his sophisticated and emotionally taut plot and his shimmering prose, Johnston reveals that only in caring for one another can we save ourselves.

    Four years have passed since Justin Campbell's disappearance, a tragedy that rocked the small town of Southport, Texas. Did he run away? Was he kidnapped? Did he drown in the bay? As the Campbells search for answers, they struggle to hold what's left of their family together.

    Then, one afternoon, the impossible happens. The police call to report that Justin has been found only miles away, in the neighboring town, and, most important, he appears to be fine. Though the reunion is a miracle, Justin's homecoming exposes the deep rifts that have diminished his family, the wounds they all carry that may never fully heal. Trying to return to normal, his parents do their best to ease Justin back into his old life. But as thick summer heat takes hold, violent storms churn in the Gulf and in the Campbells' hearts. When a reversal of fortune lays bare the family's greatest fears-and offers perhaps the only hope for recovery-each of them must fight to keep the ties that bind them from permanently tearing apart.

    Editor's Note

    Masterfully restrained...

    A kidnapped child miraculously returns home, but all is not right. Told with masterful restraint, Johnston’s novel reveals the complexities of family relationships and the impossibility of knowing one another completely.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateMay 13, 2014
    ISBN9780804191944
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for Remember Me Like This

    4/5

    166 ratings43 reviews

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    • 4/5

      Johnston has achieved near-perfect realism in this story about a family choking on the strain of surviving a child's abduction. These are quiet people who love each other but are still learning what exactly that means, in the wake of a nightmare, and who feel completely inadequate to communicate an overwhelming crush of emotion. The narrative does not overdraw the abductee's experience, but stays with the family as a whole, relying mostly on the younger brother's first love to add warmth, excitement, and a feeling of spontaneity. The rest of the novel is admirably unsensational, or I should probably say "unsensationalist".

      Readers seeking a realist's exploration of a traumatized family's daily life will find much to relish in Johnston's elegant storytelling; thrill-seekers should look elsewhere.
    • 4/5
      Fast read and a bit of a page turner--which is somewhat surprising, given that the victim kidnapped in the book is recovered rapidly. Does a great job of illustrating how the loss of a family member under terrible circumstances sends shock waves throughout a family.
    • 4/5
      I was impressed with this book. It covered very well how each and every one of the family members felt and were affected by the disappearance and return of Justin, the oldest son.It was torturous at times how slowly it moved but, of course, it's not a story that could be told quickly and seem realistic.I was amazed, and relieved, at how well Justin seemed to get along with everyone after his return. I'm not sure that part is very realistic, but I really want to believe it could be. All of the other member's parts did feel realistic to me.
    • 4/5
      A gripping, literary tale set in the sweat and heat of Corpus Christi. A family disintegrates even as it perseveres after their 11-year-old son disappears. The entire community hunts for him--or for his corpse--with no result. But four years later, he is returned. Can his family recover? Can he?
    • 5/5
      Remember Me Like This. Bret Anthony Johnston. 2015. Wow! Can this guy write! The plot and the characters are carefully and completely developed. We are able to really feel what the characters feel and understand them. We see the inner workings of each family member, Justin Campbell disappeared 4 years ago. His parents and brother have gone through agony trying to find him and wondering if he dead or alive. Suddenly his father gets a call from the police. Justin has been found. He returns home and he and the family struggle to adjust, to come to terms with what has happened. This is a beautifully written novel of family life.
    • 4/5
      Drags for a while, but an interesting idea... just too much yammering- Almost seemed like the author was trying to teach us some psychology. I did like the ending - maybe a little too neatly folded, but it made me give it 4 stars rather than 3. Yeah. There's a great review hahahahah... sorry.
    • 4/5
      Justin Campbell was twelve years old when he went missing. His parents and younger brother spent this time trying to deal with, or in some cases not deal with, the loss of Justin.Then wonders of wonders, he is found due to an observant lady who notices him and calls the police. A man is arrested, a pedophile who feeds on the young, and a man who is the son of someone Justin's grandfather knows. It is here that the story really begins.A family trying to put their lives back together, brothers who must rediscover a bond. Guilt, ideas of revenge and many other emotions that can affect a family and tear it apart. Is it possible to rebuild lives after such a horrible event. Will it ever be the same? The ease of just being together? How to keep the quest for justice from tearing everything wide open.While the kidnapper does play an integral part, not so much what he did to Justin but just the fact that he exists, it is more about this family, their bonds, their thoughts and actions. I believe that this is the author's first book of fiction, previously writing non fiction, and he does a wonderful job. He doesn't try with his prose to wring every last ounce of heartbreak out of his readers, but presents the story very realistically, at least I thought so. After all the story itself, the circumstances alone provide enough emotion.ARC from librarything and the publisher.
    • 3/5
      OK story but didn't hook me, really had to work to finish it. Had some interesting spots but there was just too much going on yet I didn't care much about most of it.
    • 4/5
      A well written story of the psychological impact a child abduction has on the entire family. Reminded me of the Steven Staynor kidnapping decades ago. Enjoyed listening to this on audio.
    • 3/5
      Overall, this was not a book I got into. The book had a good storyline, just in some ways not believable. The way the family acted when the child returned home, was not the way I would act, so for me it was hard to relate to. It could be a good book club novel, because the discussion would be interesting on how others would react, feel, or interact with the family.
    • 3/5
      Bret Anthony Johnson spins a haunting and emotional tale of the happy before, shocking during and confusing adjustment to an altered reality after a boy disappears from a family and its perfect mundane Texas life and returns a scarred teenager. No one said happily ever afters are easy or painted with a single stroke. This book delivers an emotional narrative from the five primary members of the unfortunate Campbell family, each more deep and aching than the other. A must read this summer.
    • 4/5
      Bret Anthony Johnston's book, "Remember Me Like This," hooks the reader from the very beginning. The characters are well-developed an in no time at all, you find yourself caring about them and their well being. As the story and mystery progressed, I thought I could anticipate the direction it would take.However, once Part II started I realized that this book did not have a predictable trajectory. Highly recommended!
    • 4/5
      I'm thrilled that I was chosen to early review this book. The author had me from the very first few pages. The book took some interesting twists and kept me guessing. The family the book is centered around are an everyday group of people that we can all relate to and sympathize with. Absolutely recommend it.
    • 5/5
      This story was heartbreaking, touching and full of hope and familial healing. It tells of a young boy, Justin Campbell's return to his family after four years from a horrific kidnapping. The story focuses on how each family member has dealt with the pain of the kidnapping in the years Justin was missing and how they must now cope with his return. Each character is finely drawn and fully fleshed out and I really felt the writer did and good job of explaining their motivations and how they now must now learn to deal with their feelings, mainly those of guilt and anger over the kidnapping, and how to move on. Excellent writing and very interesting story. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      Most books written about abducted children tell the story of the abduction and all the horrible details that go with it. However, this book is unique in that after four years, the child returns home, and the story doesn't really delve into the horrendous situation suffered by the child. It hints at it, and it is implied that all those unimaginable things taken from the headlines happen, but the main focus is on the family of the returned child and the psychological impact of the family as a whole.Justin, the kidnapped child isn't even given a voice in the story. But he doesn't need one, because through each of the other family members the author allows us to feel all the emotions and implications a family would suffer when the happy event of the return is marred by the fact that every member of the family is changed by the past events and unsure and fearful of the future. This story is sad, yet hopeful and deals with a situation that no parent would want to go through. It's very well done and a book I would recommend.
    • 5/5
      This story is gripping from the very first page. Justin is kidnapped and later is found and returns home. No one ever returns home the same person that he or she was; they are changed forever after a kidnapping. The story deals with the emotions and trauma of what happens - what if the child is dead, what if the child is suffering, and what if the child comes home. The story is well written, the passages are descriptive, and the plot is amazing. A new twist on the kidnapping story which typically focuses on the kidnapping itself, this story focuses on the aftermath, how the family deals with the changes and the acceptance. A beautifully written novel about a family that is faced with one of the worst nightmares possible having a child abducted and how they come to grip with reality once Justin returns home. I was selected an early reviewer of this novel and I was very pleased as this is one of the best books I have read this year and I hope Brett Anthony Johnston has great success.
    • 5/5
      This was a very moving and rare look into one families life after their kidnapped son is found and returned home. Justin has been missing for four years and is now 17 years old. The story is more a characterization of each family member, Justin's mom, dad, younger brother Griff and grandpa Cecil.It was both haunting and realistic. Not much is mentioned about what happened during Justin's four year ordeal nor why he did not try to escape. Instead it explores how each person, including Justin, attempts to pick up life where they left off four years earlier. I wished I had the time to read this book in one sitting, it was that good. It also explores the issue of guilt that each person feels.Excellent writing, storyline with a very satisfying conclusion. Can't wait to read more from this author. I received a complimentary copy as part of the Librarything Earlyreviewers.
    • 5/5
      The story of Eric, Laura, Justin and Griff and Eric's father, Cecil grabs the reader at the first page. This is the story of a family whose oldest son, Justin, is kidnapped and after 4 years is found and returned home. The reader is drawn into the story as emotions and feelings are expressed by each of the family members. This is a well crafted story and I highly recommend it. Thank you, LibraryThing for selecting me to review this book. It is excellent.
    • 5/5
      This is a debut novel? Well done, Mr. Johnston.Four years after their oldest son, Justin, disappears at age eleven, Eric and Laura Campbell continue to coast through life wondering what happened. Their younger son, Griffin, and Eric's father, Cecil, also founder with how to live without knowing what happened. Then the unbelievable happens - Justin is found and returns home. This key piece of information is in the blurb on the back of the book, but I did not read that. I loved not knowing what was going to happen. Perhaps that tidbit should not be included in the final packaging of the novel.Through a well-designed division into a prologue, four parts, and an epilogue, we learn about these characters in stages. How has Eric been coping with this major unknown in his life? By distributing fliers about his missing son, teaching summer school as well as regular classes, and having an affair with Tracy.How has Laura been coping? By working at the dry cleaners, buying birthday and Christmas gifts and keeping them in Justin's room, volunteering at Sea Lab with a rescued dolphin, and going through the motions of every day for the benefit of Griffin.How has Griff been coping? By feeling guilty about the fight he and Justin had that last day, working out his feelings about his "girlfriend" Fiona, and skateboarding at the derelict Teepee motel.When Justin returns, the family changes drastically. Eric stops seeing Tracy. Laura stops volunteering at Sea Lab, and Griff moves forward with Fiona.But what about Justin?How Justin fits back into the family is the most intriguing part. Chapters are told from multiple points of view, but not from Justin's. We learn little from him about the details of the four years Dwight Harrell held Justin captive. He lets out small bits through conversations with Griff, but very little.Those four parts detail the characters lives before Justin's return, right after it, after his captor is released, and the couple of days around the discovery of a body in the channel (that was detailed in the prologue). The novel slowly reveals the intricacies of human behavior in response to trauma, relief, happiness, guilt and so many more emotions. Wonderfully written and designed.
    • 4/5
      Four years ago, 11-year old Justin Campbell vanished, leaving behind his devastated parents and younger brother. In the time since, the family has begun to erode and crack open, unable to bear the weight of the unknown. And then, one summer day, Justin is found and the family is reunited - made whole again. It should be a happy ending, but this family still has much to go through before it can move on.I really enjoyed this novel - it provides a perspective I think few of us think about when presented with news stories about families reunited, children found, etc. Johnston is a strong writer, and the sense of place (a south Texas beach town) is really well done. The story is told from multiple perspectives - the parents, the younger son, and the grandfather (interestingly, Justin's perspective is omitted; we only see him through the eyes of others). I would have rated this a very strong 4.5 stars, except I had two problems with the book I couldn't get past: the younger son is 13 years old but seems far older. I understand he'd probably be "wise beyond his years" or whatever but his experiences and narrative voice rang very false to me despite him being my favorite character when considered from other POVs. My other problem was that I wasn't fully convinced by the actions and decisions of the father and grandfather toward the end. It seemed like a switch was just flipped and all of a sudden they had decided to do X.Despite those two issues, I would recommend the novel, which is at turns incredibly sad and beautifully hopeful. Much of it rang true, and I appreciated Johnston's showing the other side of a familiar story.
    • 5/5
      Four years have passed since the disappearance of eleven year old Justin Campbell. His parents, Eric and Laura, and his younger brother, Griff, have never stopped hoping he was alive. Their life has been in limbo ever since; his room is a shrine filled with the Christmas and birthday presents he missed. His mother even buys new clothes for him in the appropriate sizes so when he returns it will be like he's never been gone. Then, unexpectedly, Justin is found alive, living with a man a few miles away. He returns home and this seems like the start of the happy ending right at the beginning of the book. The author then tells us the story of the next few months from several perspectives, but never Justin's. The gaps in our knowledge about Justin's mindset generate a lot of tension as we observe how his parents and others adapt to his reappearance.

      The author never depicts the events of the abduction or what happened to Justin but we get some clues throughout the book. I was just fine with this since I believe I already know more than I care to about child abduction from numerous other books as well as countless episodes of Criminal Minds.

      This isn't a typical psychological thriller about the apprehension and/or prosecution of a criminal. I thought it was a tremendously gripping and complex portrayal of a family struggling to put their life back together again after horrific events. I thought the characters were vulnerable and flawed and the story was beautifully written in a way that kept you from putting it down until you reached the end. I believe this is the author's first novel, aside from a collection of short stories. I'll definitely be looking forward to his next work.
    • 5/5
      Just finished this book this morning. I couldn't put it down. Justin Campbell disappeared at age 11 and has been gone for 4 years. Then he's found. The story is about how this whole situation effects his family and the whole town. Written from multiple POV, you feel the anguish of each of the main characters except for that of Justin. The book opens up with a scene that you cannot get out of your head as you read the book. It made me want to put the book down because I just didn't want to get to that part ever. However, impossible to do that so I just kept reading. That's all I can say without spoiling the story but this is a book you don't want to miss. Highly recommended!
    • 5/5
      I found this book to be both disturbing and compelling. Disturbing from the perspective of being a mother and thinking about how you would react if this happened to your family. The compelling part comes from the writing. It is written like a literary novel, but paced like a thriller. The mix is my perfect mix of genres. I loved the characters and felt they were very authentic. The book leaves you wondering but it was the perfect ending. Highly recommend!
    • 4/5
      Not QUITE 4 stars, but pretty doggone close. Read my full review here. bit.ly/1iXc238
    • 4/5
      What a great story...there was nothing predictable about this book! It will grip you from the start and keep you turning pages because the mystery unravels bit by bit! Such an engaging read....4 stars!
    • 4/5
      Where has Bret Anthony Johnston, the author of this book, been? Why was his name unfamiliar? His writing is so excellent, this book probably deserves a five-star rating. So here's a prediction: Johnston will be well known soon.In spite of that, in the end, REMEMBER ME LIKE THIS gets four, not five, stars. Although the detailed view of each main character is really necessary to this story, and Johnston's descriptions are perfect, it seems that he could have added more suspense by concentrating earlier on Eric's and Cecil's plans. And maybe he could have elaborated on Jason's nightly drives (which most fathers would have caught on to after the first night).But this is an author you want to read. His writing is so good, he'll make you want to reread paragraphs.I won an ARC of this book through librarything.com.
    • 5/5
      In "Remember Me Like This," we follow the Campbell family from a different point of view. Many novels conclude when a kidnap victim returns home. In this well conceived story, it is the start. Justin Campbell went missing at age eleven.There were 'missing' posters placed around the area and law enforcement searched everywhere, even divers searched under water but with no findings. Townspeople in the community outside of Corpus Christi, Texas, were compassionate and supportive but less so with each passing year.Then, Justin is found. He's returned and his kidnapper arrested. But, how did the family adjust? His parents reacted differently and his younger brother, Griff, now age fourteen, has his world turned upside down once again.Many families split up when a child dies or goes missing. Unjustly, they often blame themselves for what happened. They'd give anything to change back to life before their loss.We observe what happens to Laura and Eric, Justin's parents. There is bitterness with the kidnapper but eventually there seems a betrayal at the legal system.Griff has a new girlfriend and a teenager's life that is filled with changes encounters more as some people wonder why Justin didn't attempt to escape from his captor.With Griff and Justin being teenagers experiencing how cruel life can be this writer was reminded of the young characters in "To Kill a Mockingbird."This would be a great read for a book club with unforgettable characters and a dandy plot. One of the best books of the year.
    • 5/5
      A Stunner! A true page turner. I read this (not even in audio) in less than 24 hours. Could not put it down. Set in hot, muggy Corpus Christi Texas, it tells the story of the psychological impact of child kidnapping, missing children search, on not only the immediate family of the victim but the community at large. The characters are drawn in fine lines...we feel every emotion, we ride the emotional roller-coaster with them, and as a reader, you do not put this down until you're finished. I can't tell the story without spoiling it, but it's definitely going into the hopper for my book club to discuss sometime this year, and it will be on my list of those I want to advance from the long to the short list for the Maine Reader's Choice Award. 5 stars.
    • 5/5
      This is a novel about a family in crisis. They had been in crisis mode for so long that they didn't know how to react when their situation changed for the better. Four years before the story begins, their 11 year old son Justin disappears. The mom, dad and remaining son spend those four years searching for Justin and re-creating their family around his loss. As the novel begins, Justin is found. He has been kidnapped and is living only a few miles away. The family is thrilled but there is a new family crisis on how to integrate Justin back into the family. Interestingly enough, the story is told in the voices of all family members, except Justin so the reader never learns exactly what happened to him during those four years. The novel is well done and the characters are believable. The story alternates between extremely sad and very hopeful for the future as the family struggles to learn how to become a family again.
    • 4/5
      A family's identity revolves around the unimagineable heartache of the disappearance of a pre-teen son four years earlier. Both parents and the grandfather have continued to grieve in their own ways, and the younger brother has become isolated from other kids. When the missing son is found and reunited, instead of a focus on what happened to him during the interim, the story revolves around the ripple effects of his absence on the present for each of the family members. Each person's reaction to his kidnapping and the perpetrator becomes intertwined, leading to a believable and suspenseful climax.