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You Don't Know Me

   (7 reviews)
Genres: Romance
Sub-genres: General Romance

What would you do with a second chance?

Copyright © 2018 Dabeagle; All Rights Reserved.

Story Recommendations (10 members)

  • Action Packed 3
  • Addictive/Pacing 9
  • Characters 10
  • Chills 1
  • Cliffhanger 1
  • Compelling 3
  • Feel-Good 3
  • Humor 2
  • Smoldering 5
  • Tearjerker 3
  • Unique 10
  • World Building 3
  • Like 18
  • Love 20
Select Chapter
Table of Contents
  • 1. Chapter 1
    • 4,214 Words
    • 8,164 Views
    • 12 Comments
  • 2. Chapter 2
    • 7,237 Words
    • 5,547 Views
    • 24 Comments
  • 3. Chapter 3
    • 7,582 Words
    • 5,734 Views
    • 23 Comments
  • 4. Chapter 4
    • 3,634 Words
    • 5,343 Views
    • 18 Comments
  • 5. Chapter 5
    • 5,632 Words
    • 5,135 Views
    • 19 Comments
  • 6. Chapter 6
    • 4,995 Words
    • 4,535 Views
    • 18 Comments
  • 7. Chapter 7
    • 6,750 Words
    • 4,969 Views
    • 19 Comments
  • 8. Chapter 8
    • 4,829 Words
    • 5,006 Views
    • 16 Comments
  • 9. Chapter 9
    • 8,528 Words
    • 4,722 Views
    • 14 Comments
  • 10. Chapter 10
    • 5,752 Words
    • 5,057 Views
    • 21 Comments
  • 11. Chapter 11
    • 6,794 Words
    • 5,255 Views
    • 39 Comments

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Graeme

Graeme 16,836

   7 of 7 members found this review helpful 7 / 7 members

The kickoff for this story is science fiction, but the story itself is pure romance with no SF after the start. If science fiction is not to your liking, just keep reading; you won't regret it.

 

Drake is a stranger in a strange land: a old mind in a teenage body. Not only that, but that body has a past that isn't attractive, and Drake struggles to convince people that it's a new Drake who is front of them, and not the jerk they all knew. His first challenge is the boy who's caught his eye...

  • Like 5
  • Love 4
Scary

Scary 325

   6 of 6 members found this review helpful 6 / 6 members

This story develops one of the purest, most heartwarming romances I have eaver read on GA. I don't think the idea of someone getting another shot at life could have been implemented any better. This story will leave you with a happy, fuzzy feeling - it is definitely worth the read, and it will remain one of my all-time favorites.

  • Like 4
  • Love 4
ChillFire

ChillFire 68

   3 of 3 members found this review helpful 3 / 3 members

You Don't Know Me is an interesting twist on the standard "fix past mistakes" trope. Instead of sending a person back in time to fix their own mistakes, the protagonist is transported to an alternate universe’s Earth and put in a new body. For his second chance, he “assumes control” of the body of Drake Mathews, a teenager whose previous consciousness died in a car crash. As Drake, the protagonist will face new challenges and perhaps even find love in the small town of Milton Falls. 

What I Loved

The protagonist used his adult knowledge and experience in his new life as Drake. (Conversely, he also appears to succumb to his teenage brain and body at points.) I especially liked how some of the authority figures were surprised at Drake's knowledge and assertiveness in getting what he wanted. They must not be used to that!

I really like how the others’ opinions of Drake gradually changed from hatred to friendship as he spent more time with them. The changes were never rushed, forced, or unrealistic.

Kyle is best boi and must be protected at all costs.

Spoiler

Drake taking a risk and holding Kyle's hand was really cute. He must've had some gigantic balls to make that move!

The scene where Kyle confronts Drake in the deserted school hallway is by far the most memorable scene from this story for me. Also, Kyle's flustered accidental correct guess about "someone else being put into Drake's body" (paraphrased) was amusing.

What Could’ve Been Better

Spoiler

Would Drake really send Kyle lewd messages and pictures considering that Kyle's parents have access to his phone and have already confronted Drake using it? If I were him, I'd be terrified that they might see the nudes! Seems like a plot hole.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

In chapter 2, the bartender points out something I never thought of, and I've read a few romances with this 'back-in-time' trope. Even if the protagonist is sent back to his youth, he would still be under the "usual" societal pressures and norms. I highly doubt that he would've thrived in that sort of environment.

I realized while writing this review that we never learned Drake's... well, dead name, for lack of a better term (hence why I’ve been calling him “the protagonist” when not talking about his new self… if that makes any sense). I think this deliberate exclusion makes a lot of sense - You Don't Know Me is about the protagonist leaving his old life behind and becoming Drake, after all. While we do have some glimpses of his past, the primary focus is his present and future.

Verdict

You Don't Know Me is a heartwarming romance with great characters and a strong plot. I found following Drake's new life journey (or at least the start of it) to be a joy to read.

This is, quite honestly, my number one favourite story on GA thus far.

5 stars.

Response from the author:

Thank you for taking the time to make such a deep dive into YDKM! It was a lot of fun to write and the story started in my head with the hand-holding scene and everything else was written to get to that point! Also the football game, right after Kyle confronts Drake was the original ending.

As to why Drake would send lewd texts...while I will first admit to not thinking about it overly much in plotting, I think it's reasonable on two levels. First we don't know the circumstances of Kyle's parents control on his phone - for instance he may have been told to unlock it and hand it over (happens with my kids) or it may simply be hormones overrode good sense. For those reasons I didn't go too far down that rabbit hole, with the exception of noting how Drake's attitude had shifted from his previous ideas of what was acceptable on a phone (Drake's former girlfriend sending nudes) versus what he was doing with Kyle.

Thanks for the opportunity to have another discussion about the story - it did well when it was released and I'm glad people are still finding it.

  • Love 4
BigBen

BigBen 3,053

   2 of 2 members found this review helpful 2 / 2 members

Like any good story by @Dabeagle, this one improves with each re-reading.  The events are told from the point of view of an unnamed fifty-something-year-old man, dying of cancer, who yearns for a chance to do his life over, and who is given that chance.  He finds himself in the body of a fifteen-year-old boy who otherwise would have died with his parents in a car crash.  The means by which it happens is unimportant, and any reader who finds that part of the story contrived should just keep reading.  The real story is about how our narrator uses his second chance.  In an excellent twist on the amnesia trope, our man has to pretend to have amnesia, because he has no access to the memories of the kid whom he has displaced.  But this is just one of the many challenges he faces.

We probably all wonder how we would have handled situations from our youth, knowing what we know now—well, here's a superb story, in which a guy gets to find out.

  • Love 3
chris191070

chris191070 113,617

   5 of 6 members found this review helpful 5 / 6 members

A fantastic story from Dabeagle. This follows a boy called Drake Who’s been in an accident and loses everything precious to him, including his memory. We see Drake gradually rebuilding his life, learning about his past and learning how to be better person. It follows all his trials and tribulations whilst he discovers his sexuality, new friends and family. I highly recommend this as a great read.

  • Like 6
  • Love 1

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