Is switching from 1st person to 3rd effective for Amnesia?

[H.]

For a book I am writing I need some feedback on how to handle the perspective.

I could just stick to third person but for a small chunk of the story the main character loses her memories.

I was thinking of using 1st person when she has her memories (reader self insert), then 3rd person when she has amnesia. I'm hoping this would create the impression that she is almost a new character without her memories and the reader only returns to being her (1st person) when she regains them.

Do you think that would be effective or would you find it unnecessary/ too confusing for majority of readers.

[V.M.]

That's a tricky one. It sounds like a good idea to me, but I'm unsure exactly how other readers would take it.
You could use deep POV for the beginning, then draw back a bit fot the amnesia part. Perhaps the other way round. Might be better, though. Or even keep in deep POV all the time. Readers would then be with your protagonist, inside her head, feeling her emotions and thoughts at the beginning, then the confusion she is feelingduring the amnesia . I think that it's important to feel her confusion.

[Meg]

That sounds like a really interesting device, and I think readers would get it. A couple of good betas would probably be able to tell you if it works. I would suggest writing it all in 1st person, then making a copy of the amnesia section to 3rd (or vice versa). That way, you can switch back to all 1st person if the device doesn't work.

[Alex]

Several considerations. When you say third person are you thinking close third person or third person using an external narrator (one who knows more about your character than she does herself)? What is the extent of her amnesia? Does she forget everything (perhaps even language itself) or is it partial? Do you want your reader to really think they're meeting a new character?

[H.]

Thanks for the feedback. I've had other, very polarised, opinions so I've rethought the entire amnesia subplot. I've decided that it will actually add to the tension/ drama if she only pretends to have amnesia to protect her identity. That way I can stick to the more traditional 3rd person, have other characters treat her as a new character, whilst the reader has omniscience.