Review: Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

Summary

In her imaginative second novel, an unusual love story, the highly acclaimed author of Elsewhere offers a unique exploration of teenage identity and self-discovery. The heroine, a teen who is forced to re-invent herself and reconstruct her life after she suffers a head injury that leaves her with a four-year memory loss, grapples with many issues teens will find familiar: romance, changing friendships, and a dysfunctional family. But this teen s amnesia gives her the perspective to see herself and others clearly for the very first time. At times funny and always thought provoking, this tale effectively touches upon themes of chance, loss, and choice, in a moving story readers won t soon forget.

My Take

Imagine falling down a flight of stairs, and you cant remember the last four years of your life. And all your friends and boyfriend cant understand why you are acting so weird, That is what happens to Naomi Porter, Naomi lives with her dad. She came to her parents when they found her in an old type writer case. Naomi gets upset thinking that she is an orphan. Before her accident she was heavily involved in the yearbook committee at her school, along with her best friend Will Landsman. Naomi has a boyfriend named Ace Zuckerman. Will and Ace are nothing alike. Will is the nerdy type who likes to make music mixes for every occasion. Ace is they sporty popular type who does tennis. Naomi's home life is not so great. Naomi's parents are divorced after her mother had an affair with her high school boyfriend and now has a daughter named Chloe. Her father is a best selling author who writes about the Porters life's. He is getting re-married to a tango instructor named Rosa Rivera. Naomi resents her mother for abandoning them. During the story Naomi has to try and remember her life, and the people in it. The guy who found her when she fell is named James. James has a troubled past that somehow links him to Naomi.

I found this book just alright. I wasn't sure what Naomi's character was supposed to be, the sporty popular girl that talks about people behind their back? or the nerdy girl who works on yearbook. It seemed like the author was trying to make her both. I also wasn't sure what the relationship between Will and Naomi was supposed to be at the end of the book. At times it seemed like it was heading toward a romantic relationship, then it would just say they are friends. I wasn't sure about all the characters. I just wasn't sure of their role.

My Rating

* * * *

4 out of 5 stars