Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

Reader reviewed by mlecompt

After Naomi takes a fall down the steps at her school, she can't remember anything that happened to her after age twelve. She is missing four years of her live and doesn't remember her parents' divorce, meeting her best friend, or her boyfriend. The doctors don't know if she will ever get those memories back, so Naomi starts her junior year of high school with a blank slate, only vaguely recognizing some people she knew in middle school.

As she moves through the year she beings to question how she became the person everyone else thinks she is. What did she ever see in her boyfriend, Ace? Why did she want to sit at the popular table? And what on Earth possessed her to spend hours and hours being co-head of the yearbook committee?

This book is a wonderful examination of a girl who is able, because of her amnesia, to take a step back from her life and judge herself based on her own actions. Naomi makes some good changes, but also experiences some missteps which make the story interesting and her character all the more compelling.

Reader reviewed by Kate

I loved this book. I found it funny, heart-warming, and serious all at the same time. The concept of amnesia may seem really over-used-- but this book handles it beautifully. There are actually real emotions and real situations that everyone can identify. You don't need to have amnesia to be questioning your place in life and wonder who you are. It is something universal and all a part of growing up-- which I think is what the author is trying to convey. A blank slate may seem ideal, but is it really? I loved the romances and the whole "Chief" thing made me smile every time. I loved Naomi's character and found her really easy to identify with, just like the characters in Zevin's other novel (which is wonderful as well) Elsewhere.

A must read-- i recommend it!

Reader reviewed by The Story Siren

It all started with a coin toss. Naomi picked heads and now she cant remember the past four years of her life. Well there was a little bit more to the accident than the coin toss, there is the part about falling down the stairs head first, but the coin toss was the ultimate downfall.

She doesnt remember her best friend Will, she doesnt remember her boyfriend Ace, she doesnt remember her parents divorce, but she does remember James the boy who found her after the accident.
Everyone tries to tell Naomi the kind of person that she is, but she isnt sure that she wants to go back to being that person. Did she really like working on the yearbook staff with Will? Was she even in love with Ace? Now that Naomi has a second chance, will she be able to find the courage to take it?

This is my first time reading Zevin and I really enjoyed her writing. Im looking forward to reading Elsewhere another one of her books. As for Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, I loved Naomis search into her identity and her self realization. This book was not only thought provoking but also entertaining. The characters were well rounded and helped balance the story. The themes were mostly serious but again it was balanced with humor. I loved this story and I recommend it as a great read!

Reader reviewed by Kelsey

If Naomi had picked tails, she would have won the coin toss. She wouldnt have had to go back for the yearbook camera, and she wouldnt have hit her head on the steps. She wouldnt 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. Shed know about her moms new family. Shed know about her dads 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 wouldnt have wanted to kiss him back.

But Naomi picked heads.

This book was just fabulous. Nothing about it was a disgrace. I was intrigued by the plot that was so creative. Zevin's debut novel was astonishing. So, I had high hopes for this book. It didn't leave me disappointed, either. The decisions Naomi makes and the way she reacts and just the overall apperance from the characters was so appealing to me. I couldn't of wished for anything different.

Reader reviewed by Tasha

If only Naomi hadnt picked heads. Her life would have been so different. She wouldnt have fallen down the steps and woken up with amnesia, she wouldnt have met James, and most importantly she wouldnt be questioning herself. When Naomi wakes up from her fall she finds herself in a hospital bed not remembering anything past 12 years old. This means she doesnt remember her parents divorce, her tennis star boyfriend, and why her best friend Will calls her Chief. With the help of her dad and Will Naomi slowly starts to piece her life back together. The only thing is shes still not sure who she used to be and really isnt sure if she still wants to be that person. Naomi even begins to question what she ever saw in Ace and wonders why she cant get James out of her mind. As the weeks go by Naomi finds it difficult at times, especially dealing with rude kids in school, but over time she starts to build her life back up, even if its not the same as it used to be. But she always wonders if she will ever remember again.

This was a breathtaking and emotional book. It was stupendous to say the least. I loved the story line and thought it was completely original. I loved how Naomi got to reinvent herself. I mean who wouldnt want to make themselves the real person that they were meant to be? Not only was the story good, but Gabrielle Zevins writing style was phenomenal. She created three dimensional characters who you wished were your best friends. They dealt with real issues and felt real love. Also there was a deep level of emotion written into the pages. The last chapter of the book made me so sad, but not sad sad, almost like a happy sad. This was the first time a book had made me feel this way and I really liked how the author was able to provoke feeling with just her words. This was an all around great book that I think is a must read for any teenager. It provides realism with a bit of humor and just really couldnt get much better!

Reader reviewed by Lauren

This book was great!! Naomi fell down the stairs and now has a quite serious case of amnesia, not remembering her parents divorce, her boyfriend, or even her best friend. Yet her best friend Will is still always there reminding her what she has forgotten. She no longer finds anything in common between her and her jock boyfriend Ace and moves on to, as Will put it, a "moody soap opera star, with a cool haircut", boyfriend James. As Naomi lives her new life, she learns new things, yet when she suddenly remembers everything, her world is even more confusing.
This book was really good, riveting, it held my attention, and I even read it twice.

Reader reviewed by abscae

Naomi Page Porter wakes up on her way to the hospital. She has no memory of the past four years. Not of the divorce between her parents, not of her suddenly-new younger step-sister, not of her friends, and nothing of who she was. Suddenly, Naomi doesn't entirely like what she sees. And with the mind of an outsider looking in, she realizes that she just might not like who she has become through high school after all. Yet, as the story progresses, Naomi takes upon new challenges, exploring a different side of herself. In the end, the search is definitely worth it.

All I can say is that Gabrielle Zevin has done it again. Her ability of taking a normal teenage life and twisting it with a phenomenal plot is fabulous: there is always a fresh look to everything; a new zing to every story.

Reader reviewed by bookworm9

On a very simple level, this is a book about a girl, Naiomi, who has three guys in her life-- her boyfriend Ace, best friend Will, and mysterious new guy James. Add in the fact that Naiomi has amnesia (and doesn't remember her friendship with Will-- though they quickly renew it-- or remember why she even liked Ace), and you've got a pretty interesting plot. The best thing about this book, though, is the writing and the characters-- scenes between Naiomi and Will are particularly humorous/ wonderful. A few subplots are a bit weak, but this is well worth the read.

Reader reviewed by nhunggnguyenn

excellent. i loved this book. its a relatively quick read but maybe thats because i finish all my books the day i start them, that is, if theyre good. i loved how the author doesnt start the book giving us a background of the girl who loses her memory but instead just goes to the accident because it makes me wonder what she was like and i knew it would unravel eventually. this book made me imagine certain scenes. its quite inspiring, and makes me wonder what i would do if this ever happened to me. crazy!

Reader reviewed by Brianna

there was something about this book that i loved. i read the whole thing in less than two days. this is one of those books that you could read over and over and not get tired of it. Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac is one of my favorite books. I think the reason i liked it so much was because i could relate to the main character.

I loved the whole idea of the book. it was creative and well written. i dont know how else to explain it. but i loved it!