Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
When Naomi Porter re-joins the world once again, she’s in for shock. After suffering from a dramatic fall down the dreaded school steps, she wakes up in a hospital room with no idea of her life from the past few years. She doesn’t recall her parent’s divorce, who her best friend is or even if she’s currently in a relationship. It turns out her amnesia accident started with a coin toss. A coin toss which would give her another take on the life she once led.
As Naomi begins to piece parts of her mysterious puzzle back together, she begins to discover who the Naomi Porter she left actually was and whether she really wants be reunited with her.
Coming from the young adult genre, this interesting, easy to read novel focuses on three major themes: Family, friendship and love. I think these were intended to be directed at a teen audience to give them an insight to someone else’s life where they have to make decisions. When you are in a relationship or like someone then you should question yourself, why do I like this person? And if the answer is based on looks alone, then is it worth it? This is something which Naomi soon realises. She also begins to realise who she really connects with, and her whole friendship base ends up changing all together. I think Zevin really portrays the themes well and her writing style is excellent for the young adult audience.
In found Naomi's best friend Will to be the strongest character. Although little detail is included in the description of any of the characters, Will’s personality and determination seems to really push through. Primarily Will drives the story because you are frequently left wondering about him. He’s meant to be Naomi’s best friend, yet there’s something more.
Overall, the story is intriguing, exciting and relatable but I felt the ending was slightly disappointing. I was expecting a little more and it was pretty bland, however I think this is still a book worth reading.
Anita
