Paperback: 288 pages. /Published: Sep 2007
Why did I read this? I read Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin a few months back. I was looking for a nice, young adult book. In contrast to the sad title, the front cover was colourful and bright enough for me to want to pick it up. More importantly, I was very curious as to how a person who lost their memory would deal with it.
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Summary: After a fall down the front steps of her school Naomi forgets the last three and a half years of her life. She must re-discover the fact that she has a best friend, that she has a boyfriend and that her parents are divorced-she even has a half sister. Essentially, she has to find out who she was and who she is. Naomi finds out that she has changed. On the way to discovering the last three and a half years of her life, she realises that she isn't the same person anymore. Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac is about loss, love, family and most importantly, the journey to finding your own identity.
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Strengths: I liked the sad tone of the book. I liked the easy and companionable friendship between Naomi and her best friend 'Coach'. Also, I enjoyed the relationship between Naomi and James-just another person trying to find his identity. The last scene between Naomi and James was one of the more memorable and emotional scenes.
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Weaknesses: At times, I felt the pace of the story was slow and some scenes could have been cut out to stop repitition. Also, at the beginning, Naomi's reaction to her loss of memory seemed somewhat too calm for someone who has just lost their memory.
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Cover: I like this cover more than the other cover for the book. It's light, summery and relates well to the book-music is important in the book.
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Recommend: I would recommend this book.
Rating: 4/5
Lookie! They're making a movie for it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_g0YseGHYU
