Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

Reviewed by Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius" for TeensReadToo.com

When sixteen-year-old Naomi Porter takes a header down the front steps of Thomas Purdue Country Day School, she loses a lot more than her pride. Although she remembers the ride in the ambulance to the hospital with James Larkin, and recalls that her blood ended up on his shirt, and even remembers that he assured the ambulance driver that he was her boyfriend, she's having a really hard time remembering anything prior to that. Anything, say, that happened in the last four years.

Awake and alert in the hospital with her dad by her side, Naomi knows that something's wrong. She knows her name, and she knows where she is. What she doesn't quite understand is that the last tangible memory she has happened when she was twelve. She can tell by the way her body feels that she's not twelve any longer. And then comes the first of many shockers: her parents are divorced. Oh, and her mother is remarried to her high school sweetheart, and they have a toddler named Chloe, who happens to be her half-sister. And she has a boyfriend named Ace, who conveniently enough is away at tennis camp. And her best friend, William "Coach" Landsman, is also the co-editor of the school paper, The Phoenix, a position she shares. And on and on the list goes, until all Naomi wants to do is scream.

In the course of a few minutes and one bump on the head, Naomi has lost four years worth of memories. She still knows she's adopted, she recalls her life up until the age of twelve, but everything between seventh grade and her current position as a junior in high school is a blank slate. For some, she's a girl to be pitied. For others, she's just another teen looking for attention. For herself, and her father, and her best friend, and her boyfriend, and the boy she begins to fall in love with, she's something else entirely -- an enigma, a girl without a past who must forge ahead to make her own future.

I truly enjoyed MEMOIRS OF A TEENAGE AMNESIAC. The tone of the story is a perfectly balanced mix of humor, seriousness, and the search for identity. There are moments that are sad, and even downright heartbreaking, mixed with scenes of hilarity. Ms. Zevin, the author of one of my favorite books ever, ELSEWHERE, has penned another story that will leave you wondering and thinking long after you turn the final page.

29 out of 31 people found this review helpful.

Not quite what I had hoped.

The moment I read the synopsis of this book in Barnes & Noble, I was hooked. The title alone was enough to kindle my curiosity, and I bought it without a second thought, in hopes that the story would captivate me as much as the cover. I chose this one as my book club novel without reading it first, and I'm sad to say that this might have been a mistake. It was not a bad book, nor was it boring. The writing was simple and delightful to read, but it was the character development that I wasn't impressed by. Sure, the main character [Naomi] grew throughout the story, but from page 200 on, I felt as if the author got tired of writing her story. Naomi just didn't seem real to me -- I couldn't relate to her at all -- and neither did her relationships with the other characters. The beginning, however, was exactly as I had hoped it would be, but towards the middle and end, I became less and less interested. I guess 3 stars will have to do, given my mixed feelings on this novel.

7 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

Excellent read

In this book, Naomi Porter falls down a flight of stairs and hits her head. After the fall, she can't remember anything since sixth grade. She can't remember her best friend, her boyfriend, or her parent's divorce.
This book was definitely written in an intriguing way. From the very beginning, I was hooked. Gabrielle Zevin mixes in the perfect amount of mystery and romance throughout, and I thought that it was an enjoyable, yet thought-provoking book. The character descriptions were flawless, and I was kept guessing until the end. I wasn't sure what Zevin would bring to the story, because I was slightly disappointed with Elsewhere when I read it, but she pulled this book all off in an easy way that makes this novel a quick and easy read, but one that will not soon be forgotten.

6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

Beautifully written dealing with sensitive issues

As you would expect from the title, it is written in 1st person narrative dropping us straight into Naomi's life following an accident where she gets a nasty head injury wiping out her memory of the past few years. Only certain aspects like all her personal life yet she can still remember things like maths & science. Funny how the brain works :)

The book is written in 3 sections. The 1st section is called I was. It deals with Naomi trying to piece together the type of person she was before the accident. It gives her new insight into events that have occurred within the years the is unable to remember. She is also able to look back at her previous reactions objectively which helps give her a different perspective.

The 2ND section is called I Am. Where although Naomi is still unable to remember the last few years she takes the opportunity to redefine herself into the person she feels like on the inside rather than the person everyone but herself can remember. She cuts her hair, dumps her boyfriend, drops a few things at school and starts a new relationship with James, the boy who was at the accident, finds some new friends and takes a part in the drama production. Gabrielle Zevin does a wonderful job of depicting the horror that is depression within the narrative. Although we as a reader can see that the romance between Naomi and James is doomed, you can also appreciate the qualities that draw Naomi to James. At points I literally wanted to scream at Naomi to leave James as she couldn't help him and was only hurting herself. Powerful writing to inspire that sort of reaction don't you think?

The 3rd section is called I Will. Although Naomi regains her memory she doesn't tell anyone for awhile afraid to fit the 2 halves of herself together, the Naomi before the accident and the Naomi she created in order to redefine herself. The narrative gives wonderful insight into the difference between how we feel about ourselves and how other people see us. As Naomi comes to terms with all the events in her life she puts into practice the new perspective she has gained and discovers true love in the process.

A beautifully written book dealing with some sensitive subjects one of which is depression. Terrific music references again. A really good read :)

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Is it weird that I wouldn't mind being an Amnesiac after reading this...lol

This book was amazing! There is a lot of symbolism in this story as well (in the first few page you know who the love story will refer to I U typo..once you read it you will know what I mean). Will is just about the best friend that I could imagine having. He is always so understanding and always puts Naomi before himself and what he wants (obviously Naomi ). I recommend this book to all!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

It wasn't good

I was so excited to read this book. The reviews were great, it had a high rating... Then I wasted my money on a book I wish I never took off the shelf. The story line is good, don't get me wrong, it's just...it wasn't good overall. The main character annoyed me for some odd reason, and I don't know...I just didn't like the writing style at all. If you love the author's books, then you'll probably love this one. I personally have never read any of her books and I don't think I'm going to anymore. I've read better and it just doesn't compare to my favorites. Check it out from the library before buying. I wish I did...

2 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

Could have been good.

The idea of a teenage amnesiac is a really good idea for book. But Noami comes off as, well, pathetic and at times bratty. You would think that losing years of your memory would make you really think about your life and you would be crazed with trying to figure out who you really were. But all she cares about throughout the book is James. Don't get me wrong, I am sucker for cute romance stories, but when he leaves her at the beach for hours, shes doesn't even care. Any normal girl with reasoning would be spiting mad. Her journey in recovering her memory was boring. I only recommend to read it if you are in the mood for a quick, easy, and non-realistic book.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Anynomus

This book sucked

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Okay Book.

This book is interesting, it kept my attention, but it isn't that good of a book. It kind of dragged on and on very slowly which was annoying. I didn't like James because he was really strange and weak and pathetically mopey. Will was okay guy. I liked the scenes involving her parents. Overall, it was just so-so.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Eww!

Man, I don't know why this book got such great reviews. It was horrible. Gabrielle Zevin GREATLY needs to learn how to write; it was painful. The story idea was good, but somehow it turned into another boring teen "He-likes-her" and "she-likes-the-same-guy-as-her" story line. I stopped half way through. Don't read it. And if you do, don't buy it. Borrow it, but don't throw away your money.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

It was Okay

This book was alright. I remember wanting to read this book so bad but when i actually got it from the library it wasnt that great. I read this awhile ago and don't really remember the names of the characters. But, i just remember being disappointed.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

What I thought of it

I've heard from magazines and from some close friends that this book was amazing. I was so excited to read it so I had to book it online, wait a couple weeks for it to come in the library, and as soon as I heard it was in, I was STOKED. However, when I started to read it, I lost concentration and had to force myself to read it... I was dissapointed. This isn't a very good read, espeacially if you're on a 7 hour airplane ride.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

okay...

the book was ok.. it started out good but later james turned out to be a mentally unstable person and the ending is very cliche. stereotypical, but it's ok.. not great, nor the best.. but an ok book to read.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

“memoirs of a teenage amnesiac” by Garielle Zevin is

“memoirs of a teenage amnesiac” by Garielle Zevin is a story about a 17 year old girl who falls down a flight a stairs and suffers a head trauma. Naomi is the main character and because of the head trauma she “loses” the past four years of her life. This story is told from her point of view and begs the reader to ask themselves that if they lost the past four years, would they be the same person?

In this story the focus is mostly on Will (aka Coach) who is Naomi’s best friend, Ace who is her boyfriend, James who is the bad boy, and Naomi’s dad. As Naomi tries to reconstruct the past four years of her life, she finds that she didn’t necessarily like the person that she was. As a reader, I find that I didn’t particularly like the person Naomi was before the accident. She is portrayed as a spoiled popular girl who is primarily focused on herself. Since her accident, Naomi has essentially become the opposite. Since her last memories were of sixth grade, she is amazed at how much has changed in the interim. Her mother is remarried with a daughter (when did her folks get divorced?), her dad has a girlfriend (does Naomi like her or not), she is dating the athlete (really, what did she see in him), and what exactly is her relationship to her best friend, Will. As we go with Naomi on this journey, we learn along with her what type of girl she was and what type of girl she wants to be.

This was a good YA book. The title immediately caught my attention and drew me in. Ms. Zevin does a good job with her characters and capturing what it might be like as a teenager in high school. There were a couple of moments that were a little far-fetched such as when Naomi is left on a beach for 5 hours without any idea when her boyfriend (who said he would be back in an hour) will return. When he does, she isn’t mad. I don’t know many people who wouldn’t be furious if that happened to them.

Overall this was a fun read. I felt that the author did a good job and that teens and adults alike would enjoy this story.

Have you ever imagined what it’s like to lose your memory?

Have you ever imagined what it’s like to lose your memory? Well, that’s what happened to Naomi Porter. She hits her head on the stairs at her school, gets amnesia, and completely forgets the last four years of her life. Thus, she must restart her life from the beginning. Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac is a great book around rediscovering who you are and a strange romance. I strongly recommend this book for people in their teenage years, and it’s one of my favorites because it teaches a great lesson about truly knowing yourself. For people who love realistic fiction and mystery, this book is for you!

Not what I wanted

Memoirs of a teenage amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin was an okay book. The main character is named Naomi Porter. She loses her memory and deals with the drama of life and high school. She rebuilds her life, reunites with people who become friends. She goes through high school life with a different attitude than before.
I must first say this book really depends on the person on what age they should read it. There is some language and some sexual mentioning. It’s nothing horrible just a little bit so I would suggest it for approximately above sixth.
My thoughts on the book was it wasn’t very good. I thought by the title that it would be a different original storyline that hadn’t been used much before. It is different in some ways but my problem with the book is it can’t choose what to be. It starts like its going to be a girl trying to figure out who she was and building her life back. Then later on it turns out to seem like a love story. It’s almost like the author was trying to please everyone with it.
I think that it only deserves 2 stars because it had potential but it wasn’t what it turned out to be. It seemed to jump around from a “love” story back to let’s see how to get Naomi’s memory back. I think I could have enjoyed it but the switching back and forth like we couldn’t make up our mind what we wanted to do was annoying. I also hated that Naomi was a complete brat, she had a horrible attitude. It later changes which is what made it okay. It depends on what you enjoy to read but I didn’t think this book was very good.

Ok

I dont remember that much but and icey step and her loving her best friend. Not that great but good i guess.

Great and original read

Naomi lost her memory at school one day and has to struggle through her life as if had started over. It's a really interesting topic and it's different than a lot of books out there for young adults. Although it has some mild adult content, it's not a big deal, and I highly recommend this book to any girl looking for a sweet, romantic, and creative story that hasn't really been explored by YA authors too often. I loved this book because Naomi had to work through a lot, including her d-bag boyfriend (don't be fooled) and her parents' difficult relationship situation. I thought the characters were created wonderfully, and although I checked this out at the library and did not buy it, it was a really great read. It's not a must-have, but it'd be a great rainy day book. Give it a chance, you could end up liking it as much as I did!!!! A review by Aura-Cela Zee

Re: to who wrote on feb 3 2012

Thanks for summing it all up! Im not the 1 who wrote on feb 3 2012 though and this bok sounds stupid as h*** im soo glad i didnt waste time reading it. And best believe im glad i didnt buy it...i hate books/ stories with happie endings!

To who wrote on february 3, 2012

Girl has accident. Girl loses memory. Girl cant remember who she is. Girl goes through "alot" to remember who she is what her life was like before the accident... yadda yadda yadda. Girl has best guy friend hes in love with her she doesnt know then she finds out and rejects him. Girl gets her memory back doesnt tell anyone. Friend finds out is upset with her she realizes maybe she does feel something for him. They talk become friends she has her memory again and they skip off into the sunset. Yeah thats pretty much it. Predictable.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.