A Review of 'Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac' by Gabrielle Zevin

“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 was in love with him in the first place.

She would understand why her best friend, Will, keeps calling her ‘Chief.’ She’d get all his inside jokes, and maybe he wouldn’t be so frustrated with her for forgetting things she can’t possibly remember.

She’d know her mom’s new family.

She’d know about her father’s fiancée.

She wouldn’t have to spend her junior year relearning all the French she supposedly knew all ready.

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.”

Another Gabrielle Zevin novel (insert endearing smile here). You must think I’m obsessed/a super fan.

This was one of those books where I read it once, but it was such a long time ago that I needed to reread it in order to write a decent review. I’m so glad I did!

I really liked amnesiac Naomi as opposed to “normal Naomi.” Even minor characters throughout the book admitted that, usually to her face. Some confessed that they were jealous of her memory loss because there are just some things that we would all rather forget. I agree that there are things that are better off forgotten, but would you really go so far as to call Naomi’s situation desirable? Every part of our pasts makes us who we are—yes, even the embarrassing moments…

Will was such a sweetheart. Everyone needs a Will in their lives; someone who looks out for you even when you might not know it, someone loyal, and someone honest.

James was a rocky character that I really didn’t know how to feel about. When he was stable, he was likeable enough, but when he wasn’t and he was on the verge of a break down, he was kind of scary and it felt unfair to Naomi. It was very commendable that he went and got himself help when he felt that he was too unstable. It showed that he was trying to be responsible.

I liked the details in this book. Naomi was found in a typewriter case outside of a church in Russia when she was young and before she was adopted. Will makes mix CDs with titles like, ‘Songs for Acting Liked You’re at Your Therapist When You’re Really Just Acting.’

It was the little things that made this book excellent for me; the plot, the characters, the details… all great.

I give this book:

Thanks for reading!

--Jude