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81st out of 919 books
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Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac
by
Gabrielle Zevin (Goodreads Author)
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 fell in love with him in the first place. She would und...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
August 21st 2007
by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
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there may be spoilers*, but mild and gentle ones, not "it was earth all along" spoilers. this is a book i was reading for school, not because i am a big fan of realistic teen fiction. if you are a teen girl wondering if you should read this book, this is probably not going to be the review for you. in fact, you should stay away from most of my reviews because i am careless and i don't want to be responsible for shattering any beautiful innocence about life or anything. stay gold and al...more
view all 45 comments
This is the kind of book that reminds me why I am not a middle school or high school librarian. I need to be able to choose two-and-a-half stars. There were things I really liked about this book, and other things I really did not like.
The idea of a teenager who has, basically, "lost" 4 years of her life is compelling and thought-provoking. That would be so strange. Interesting to think about, and I liked that part of the story. I wanted to find out what happened to Naomi. B...more
The idea of a teenager who has, basically, "lost" 4 years of her life is compelling and thought-provoking. That would be so strange. Interesting to think about, and I liked that part of the story. I wanted to find out what happened to Naomi. B...more
Naomi Porter regains consciousness as she is being put into an ambulence. She hears an unfamiliar voice claiming to be her boyfriend and opens her eyes to see him sitting beside her on the way to the hospital. The pain in her head is so severe that she doesn't worry about the fact that she has no idea who the guy is holding her hand and telling her everything is going to be okay.
In the hospital, Naomi learns that she fell down the steps of her high school and hit her head hard enou...more
In the hospital, Naomi learns that she fell down the steps of her high school and hit her head hard enou...more
This author’s got talent! It is such a rare treat to read such remarkable and undeniably realistic characters. Zevin weaves the tale of Naomi’s self discovery with extraordinary skill and creates characters that are so alive, I feel like I know them and experienced the events of this story right along with them as opposed to merely reading about them.
In one misstep, Naomi lost years' worth of memories. After hitting her head on the steps after school, she wakes up in an ambulance, ...more
In one misstep, Naomi lost years' worth of memories. After hitting her head on the steps after school, she wakes up in an ambulance, ...more
When you hear people talk about voice, this is what they are talking about. The voice in this book is fabulous: strong, funny, and intelligent. I loved it, and I loved that Zevin tells us absolutely nothing. She shows it to us. She never tells us whether to like Naomi or always what she's thinking or what to expect her to do or want or become. I can see how that could be frustrating for girls who are used to books that tell them what to think, but I thought it was refreshing and made the book al...more
In high school, no one knows who they are, right? Well in her book Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, Gabrielle Zevin takes this truism one step further. When Naomi Porter finds herself waking up in a hospital bed, stranger at her side, she truly has no idea how she got there - or who she is.
After the seventeen year old Naomi takes a tumble down the school stairs, she loses all her memories after the age of twelve - she has no idea how old she is (though she "feels" older), doe...more
After the seventeen year old Naomi takes a tumble down the school stairs, she loses all her memories after the age of twelve - she has no idea how old she is (though she "feels" older), doe...more
This book really could have been good if I hadn't disliked the main character and her love interest so much.
Towards the end, it got a little bit better, but up until then, I was mostly feeling annoyed by Naomi and her behaviour. Especially since she decided to treat the characters I really liked, namly her dad and Will, rather badly. And didn't even care enough to apologize to them later when she realized she had been mean.
Towards the end, it got a little bit better, but up until then, I was mostly feeling annoyed by Naomi and her behaviour. Especially since she decided to treat the characters I really liked, namly her dad and Will, rather badly. And didn't even care enough to apologize to them later when she realized she had been mean.
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac is well worth the read. It is truly a novel written for teenage girls, not just well written young adult fiction. The plot is good, taking you to places that you don’t anticipate. The pace is good, everything well timed. The characters are not two dimensional.
I had some problems with the first person voice. Zevin used that in her other novel, Elsewhere. It is very distinctive, made the heroine of each novel blend. At first I thought that they were...more
I had some problems with the first person voice. Zevin used that in her other novel, Elsewhere. It is very distinctive, made the heroine of each novel blend. At first I thought that they were...more
This book was fun - that's about it. You go through the book from Naomi Porter's point of view... problem is she has major amnesia- she can't remember anything from the last four years.
Naomi goes through the book as a different person, learning about how she was and trying to be who she wants to be. She has different friends and her interests just aren't the same anymore.
I feel like Gabrielle did a fantastic job of remembering to keep Naomi in the dark about everythin...more
Naomi goes through the book as a different person, learning about how she was and trying to be who she wants to be. She has different friends and her interests just aren't the same anymore.
I feel like Gabrielle did a fantastic job of remembering to keep Naomi in the dark about everythin...more
FINAL RATING: 1.5 STARS
Where to begin?
First off, I suppose I should say that I wanted to read this book the moment I laid eyes on it in the bookstore. I bought it that same day and squealed as I took it home. Yes, I was that eager to read it.
Before I could do that, I had to get through City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, Clockwork Angel, Paranormalcy, and Supernaturally. Each of these books was exquisite and original, so maybe that's why this book sucked so ...more
Where to begin?
First off, I suppose I should say that I wanted to read this book the moment I laid eyes on it in the bookstore. I bought it that same day and squealed as I took it home. Yes, I was that eager to read it.
Before I could do that, I had to get through City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, Clockwork Angel, Paranormalcy, and Supernaturally. Each of these books was exquisite and original, so maybe that's why this book sucked so ...more
Brooke
rated it
The story begins with a coin toss. Naomi lost. She had to go back and get the Camera from the Yearbook room at her school. She fell.
Naomi can't piece together the last four years of her life after slipping and hitting her head in a freak accident. She wakes in an ambulance with a stranger telling the paramedics he's her boyfriend, only she has no idea who he is. This boy turns out to be James, mysterious, with an even clouder past and some nasty rumours which may or may not be true. ...more
Naomi can't piece together the last four years of her life after slipping and hitting her head in a freak accident. She wakes in an ambulance with a stranger telling the paramedics he's her boyfriend, only she has no idea who he is. This boy turns out to be James, mysterious, with an even clouder past and some nasty rumours which may or may not be true. ...more
Kristi (The Story Siren)
added it
It all started with a coin toss. Naomi picked heads and now she can’t 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 doesn’t remember her best friend Will, she doesn’t remember her boyfriend Ace, she doesn’t remember her parents divorce, but she does remember James the boy who found her after the accident.
Eve...more
She doesn’t remember her best friend Will, she doesn’t remember her boyfriend Ace, she doesn’t remember her parents divorce, but she does remember James the boy who found her after the accident.
Eve...more
Above all, mine is a love story. Unlike most love stories, this one involves chance, gravity, a dash of head trauma. It began with a coin toss. The coin came up tails. I was heads. Had it gone my way, there might not be a story at all. Just a chapter, or a sentence in a book whose greater theme had yet to be determined. Maybe this chapter woul've had the faintest whisper of love about it. But maybe not. Sometimes, a girl needs to lose.
I read Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabri...more
I read Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabri...more
in a sentence: a suspicious fall down the school stairs leaves naomi with amnesia...which doesn't turn out to be SUCH a bad thing (at first).
naomi wakes up on her way to the hospital with the emo-hottie james, only to discover that she remembers nothing of the past 4 years of her life. she doesn't remember that her parents are divorced, she doesn't remember her best friend Will (who is adorably obsessed with making CD mixes), or her boyfriend Ace (hot jock). she struggles with the co...more
naomi wakes up on her way to the hospital with the emo-hottie james, only to discover that she remembers nothing of the past 4 years of her life. she doesn't remember that her parents are divorced, she doesn't remember her best friend Will (who is adorably obsessed with making CD mixes), or her boyfriend Ace (hot jock). she struggles with the co...more
If you happen to be one of those teens who just wants to forget what has happened the last few years, here is what you do: throw yourself down a flight of stairs!
Crazy I know! but this is a sweet book. Here is one of my favorite passages:
page 259:
"It happens, baby." Dad nodded and patted me on the hand and then he read my mind. "You forget all of it anyway. First, you forget everything you learned-the dates of the Hay-Herran Treaty and Pythagore...more
Crazy I know! but this is a sweet book. Here is one of my favorite passages:
page 259:
"It happens, baby." Dad nodded and patted me on the hand and then he read my mind. "You forget all of it anyway. First, you forget everything you learned-the dates of the Hay-Herran Treaty and Pythagore...more
As you can probably tell from the title, the book is about this girl, Naomi, who loses the memory of her life (selective amnesia).
Basically, there are three boys there. Ace, her boyfriend, Will, her best friend and James, the tortured depressed um...person.
Anyways, I HATED James. And I especially hated how he was an attention whore - this says a lot coming from one. I hated those fits he threw and I especially hated how he was so negative about everything, and his I'LL KI...more
Basically, there are three boys there. Ace, her boyfriend, Will, her best friend and James, the tortured depressed um...person.
Anyways, I HATED James. And I especially hated how he was an attention whore - this says a lot coming from one. I hated those fits he threw and I especially hated how he was so negative about everything, and his I'LL KI...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Things would have been different if only Naomi had chosen tails. But she chose heads, and so she had to go back to get the yearbook camera. And so she slipped on the stairs and hit her head, and now she can't remember the last four years of her life.
She can't remember her boyfriend, Ace, or what she saw in him in the first place. She can't remember what happened to her parents' relationship. She can't remember all of the in-jokes she shared with her best friend in the world, Will...more
She can't remember her boyfriend, Ace, or what she saw in him in the first place. She can't remember what happened to her parents' relationship. She can't remember all of the in-jokes she shared with her best friend in the world, Will...more
Caroline Potterf
rated it
Recommends it for:
young adults, girls, romantics who like good stories :)
Recommended to Caroline by:
I saw it at Borders
There are many reviews of this book, and I agree with most of them.
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac was a good book in general. I really enjoyed it. But to tell the truth, the inside flap was written better than the story.
This book is a story of a girl who gets amnesia - and for the first part of the book, cannot remember anything for the past four years. This means she doesn't remember her best friend Will Landsman, her boyfriend Ace, or her parent's divorce. I won't try to...more
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac was a good book in general. I really enjoyed it. But to tell the truth, the inside flap was written better than the story.
This book is a story of a girl who gets amnesia - and for the first part of the book, cannot remember anything for the past four years. This means she doesn't remember her best friend Will Landsman, her boyfriend Ace, or her parent's divorce. I won't try to...more
Lisa Vegan
rated it
I wasn’t expecting this book to be funny, but much of it was quite amusing.
I’ve always been interested in amnesia. To me, we are our memories. If we lose our memories are we the same person? Do we like and dislike the same things/people, have the same beliefs? It’s one reason I was so interested in reading this book, and I think the story did a good job of addressing this issue.
This book had been languishing on my to-read shelf so I’m very grateful that the YA Book Club h...more
I’ve always been interested in amnesia. To me, we are our memories. If we lose our memories are we the same person? Do we like and dislike the same things/people, have the same beliefs? It’s one reason I was so interested in reading this book, and I think the story did a good job of addressing this issue.
This book had been languishing on my to-read shelf so I’m very grateful that the YA Book Club h...more
I admit. The title got me. I'm a sucker for a clever title. And the book was worthy of the title.
Naomi is a typical popular teenage girl, dating the star of the school tennis team, inexplicably best friends with a yearbook nerd, and all around school royalty when she loses a bet to said yearbook nerd and has to go back to the school to get a camera they've left behind. Coming back down the stairs, she falls and hits her head, and awakes to discover she's forgotten absolutely everythi...more
Naomi is a typical popular teenage girl, dating the star of the school tennis team, inexplicably best friends with a yearbook nerd, and all around school royalty when she loses a bet to said yearbook nerd and has to go back to the school to get a camera they've left behind. Coming back down the stairs, she falls and hits her head, and awakes to discover she's forgotten absolutely everythi...more
What if you were given a blank slate? One day you wake up and you can't remember the past four years. You have no idea what your tastes are, who your best friends are... Would you still love the people you thought you loved before? Would you find that there were things you liked out of habit that now have no appeal? Would you want to find out everything you could to recreate the you that you were? Or would you start over?
Naomi Parker has been given a blank slate. She fell down the s...more
Naomi Parker has been given a blank slate. She fell down the s...more
So. Some of the passages were really just lovely. But overall this gets the three-star treatment 'cause just, you know, I felt like it easily could have been reimagined as a book without an amnesiac protaganist. The best-covered themes had the amnesia running sidecar to them, and certain aspects of the memory loss are just blown by with such a quickness that you got the feeling well, she really wants to be telling this growing-up story. And it's a good growing up story! It's actually a really go...more
I didn't find this book as appealing as her earlier book, "Elsewhere." The protagonist, Naomi Porter, was barely likeable, and came off as extremely selfish, cranky, and just generally bitchy for no apparent reason. I'm not even sure why this book is called "Memoirs" since we get very little insight into her amnesia (she loses her memory and has to deal with the resulting high school drama, or lack of). I also disliked how there was very little resolution w/the mother-daug...more
Adriana
rated it
I think to sum it up this one was good, but not great. It just didn't wow me. It's a good teen read with a protagonist who was probably already grappling with self-identity issues before falling down some steps accidentally and getting temporary amnesia. She loses the last four years of her life, which is when her parents divorced, she got a boyfriend, she grew an interest in tennis, and also developed a close relationship with a guy-best friend. After the fall she has no idea who she is any...more
Hirondelle
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Hirondelle by:
Hallie
Shelves:
young-adult
I know I should not have started reading this just as soon as I finished reading Elsewhere, I should have rationed it, but could not resist just reading the first couple pages and from then on, I was hooked. So the good news is I found a new favorite author, the bad news is that after a couple days I now only have one more book of hers to read ( write more, please).
It´s a great book about being a teenager, about choices and love and relationships. It could use more dogs ( I know I s...more
It´s a great book about being a teenager, about choices and love and relationships. It could use more dogs ( I know I s...more
Disappointing so far. The amnesia just seems to be a not-terribly-well executed device for a "nasty girl turned nice" story. I'm hoping it will improve, because I was a huge fan of "Elsewhere" but so far the amnesia is not convincingly realised--it's very pick and choose what Naomi can remember, and she makes references to things she simply wouldn't know about if she's lost the last four years--and anyway, I'm not terribly interested in her. I don't like her very much, which ...more
This was such a good book!!!!!!! I would recommend it to one and all!
It is really good so far, I wish I could be reading it all the time, it is so hard to put down!
One little coin flip and her life will never be the same. After a head injury, Naomi must face the fact that 4 years of her life are missing to her. She doesn't remember her best friend, her boyfriend or why her parents are divorced. She can't recall why she was going to drop her photography class or how she came to be so passionate about being the editor of the school yearbook. Life moves on however, and so does Naomi.[return]I absolutely loved this book. Every character Zevin created was inten...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Mega-Mara...: Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac | 1 | 5 | Feb 03, 2012 07:41pm | |
| ending | 7 | 43 | Jan 14, 2012 06:02pm | |
| Moral/important idea | 2 | 17 | Jan 14, 2012 06:01pm | |
| Personality Change? | 3 | 16 | Jan 14, 2012 05:51pm | |
| Teen's Utopian So...: Which Guy should it be? - MEMOIRES ... | 2 | 11 | Nov 30, 2011 05:09pm | |
| Teen's Utopian So...: Your Thoughts on Amnesia - MEMOIRES ... | 2 | 9 | Nov 15, 2011 02:07am | |
| YA Book Club: Amnesia (spoilers) | 19 | 68 | Feb 28, 2011 02:11pm |
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Gabrielle Zevin (born 1977) is an American author and screenwriter. She is a Harvard graduate and currently resides in New York City.
Her first novel Elsewhere was nominated for a 2006 Quill Award, won the Borders Original Voices Award, and was a selection of the Barnes and Noble Book Club. The book has been translated into sixteen languages.
She was nominated for a 2007 Inde...more
More about Gabrielle Zevin...
Her first novel Elsewhere was nominated for a 2006 Quill Award, won the Borders Original Voices Award, and was a selection of the Barnes and Noble Book Club. The book has been translated into sixteen languages.
She was nominated for a 2007 Inde...more
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“You forget all of it anyway. . . You forget who was cool and who was not, who was pretty, smart, athletic, and not. . . You forget all of them. Even the ones you said you loved, and even the ones you actually did. They’re the last to go. And then once you’ve forgotten enough, you love someone else.”
—
159 people liked it
“Someday, we’ll run into each other again, I know it.
Maybe I’ll be older and smarter and just plain better. If that happens,
that’s when I’ll deserve you. But now, at this moment, you can’t hook
your boat to mine, because I’m liable to sink us both.”
—
149 people liked it
More quotes…
Maybe I’ll be older and smarter and just plain better. If that happens,
that’s when I’ll deserve you. But now, at this moment, you can’t hook
your boat to mine, because I’m liable to sink us both.”
