Home    Reviews    Review Policy    About BAM    Double Dose

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

Gabrielle Zevin

Published 2007

271 Pages

Rating: B


Sometimes a girl needs to lose.

If Naomi had picked tails, she would have won the coin toss.

She wouldn't have had to go back for the yearbook camera, and she wouldn't have hit her head on the steps.

She wouldn't have woken up in an ambulance with amnesia.

She certainly would have remembered her boyfriend, Ace. She might even have remembered why she fell in love with him in the first place.

She would understand why her best friend, Will, keeps calling her “Chief.” She'd know about her mom's new family.

She'd know about her dad's fiancée.

She never would have met James, the boy with the questionable past and the even fuzzier future, who tells her he once wanted to kiss her. She wouldn't have wanted to kiss him back.
But Naomi picked heads.

(taken from back of book)


I had read Zevin’s first book, Elsewhere, find Briana’s review for that here. So I was intriguied to read this book written by her. It seemed very interesting, and the story was something that would catch my attention anytime. Its about a girl who forgets everything from the past four years and doesn’t understand the life she lived before the accident. I honestly don’t know what I would do if that happened to me! I’d be freaked out!

Naomi was the best friend of Will. The girlfriend of Ace Zuckermen, the jock. Co-editor of her high school yearbook. And the daughter of her parents, her divorced parents. But now Naomi doesn’t know what her life is all about. She doesn’t remember the last four years of her life. She doesn’t remember meeting Will and becoming best friends with him. She doesn’t remember ever having feelings for Ace. She doesn’t remember why she has any interest in the yearbook. And she definitely doesn’t remember her parents splitting up. As she tries to put back the pieces of her old life, she deals with family, friends, school and love. Losing your memory from the past four years has its toll, and Naomi is wondering why her old life ever made her happy.

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac is a book that captures your interest right from the start. It could be more exciting and more thrilling, but I think it is a good story. It'd be interesting to lose your memory and have to start over again.

-Arielle.

Question:: If you had lost your memory but could choose to remember one thing, what would you want to remember?

-does that make sense? Ha.


P.S. I start my sophomore year of college tomorrow, so I am not sure how often I will be able to post stuff, but I know I will try and read as many books as I can! And hopefully I will have the will-power to write reviews on them. :)

10 comments:

  1. Good luck in college!

    I would want to remember all of my friends and family. I'd want to forget some bad memories, though!
    I read Elsewhere and really liked it, so I've been wanting to check this one out for a while...Great review!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nice review. I have Elsewhere on my TBR shelf. This book looks interesting, I'll have to check it out!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have Elsewhere on my TBR shelf too...but I think I'll read this one first...

    if I lost my memory but chose to remember one thing? that's really difficult...I think I'd like to remember that I was my mother's daughter and the love I feel for my mom. My mother is my best friend, and it'd be heartbreaking for her if I couldn't even remember I was her daughter.

    Aww, good luck on your sophmore year! I'm actually starting my freshman year of college the 31st. (next week I think? yikes!) We can be jittery together? :)

    Briana-Hush Hush is awesome! I suggest you immediately read it right after The Amanda Project (what is that about anyways?)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Awesome review! This sounds like an interesting read

    Good luck w/ college :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great review! I read this in 5th grade when it first came out... um, I THINK I liked it? lol :) I've been meaning to reread it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's kinda scary to think about losing your memory, nothing would make sense anymore!

    It would be difficult choosing just one memory, I think remember my family would be one of the most important though.

    ReplyDelete
  7. pirate penguin - We can definitely be jittery together! ha. Good luck to you in college! You will have a lot of fun! but dont forget to study hard and dont procrastinate! I have done that way too many times!

    And Arielle -- It was weird seeing Arielle as a comment, it kinda threw me off since my name is Arielle too. Ha.

    Good luck to those of you who are going back to school or going to college!!!

    -Arielle.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ha I know, I'm not used to it either. I actually never met anyone called Arielle before!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Neither have I! Well I think I have met someone named Ariel, but I dont count that since it isnt spelled like my name. But your's is spelled exactly the same! Kinda crazy! ha. Its nice to meet a fellow 'Arielle'. :)

    -Arielle.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am reading this right now. I`m only on page 44 but it`s very good so far.

    ReplyDelete

Don't be shy! We love to hear from you!