Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

Naomi has a problem. She doesn't know this person sitting next to her in the ambulance, claiming to be her boyfriend (but he isn't). In fact, she has a bigger problem...she doesn't remember the last four years of her life! Including her parents' divorce, her mother's remarriage, her step-sister, her boyfriend Ace, her love of yearbook...just to name a few. Her best friend, Will, tries to fill her in...but somehow, it seems like she doesn't fit in her own life.

She begins to wonder what she ever saw in Ace, and begins to think more about James-the boy claiming to be her boyfriend, who incidentally called the ambulance after her fall. She tripped on the stairs, and that's what caused the amnesia. After learning she and Will are co-chief editors of the yearbook, she tries to find what it was that drew her to it in the first place. It seems like a whole lot of time to spend on something people are barely going to look at. In fact, several of her activities seem like a waste of time...

The more she learns about her life, the less she wants to know. She struggles with personal identity, and the strained relationship she shares with both her parents. Turning to James, she looks for someone else who isn't quite whole. This is a Gateway Award Nominee, with just enough teen angst to satisfy readers. Humor plays a role as well, and in the end, everything comes together nicely. Great for a wide range of interests.

"As I cut, it occured to me that it might be pointless to even try to look like the girl in the yearbook. It might be easier to be somebody completely different instead. I cut pieces from the back and the front, until all that survived was a choppy short mane. With each piece, I felt like I was getting rid of someone's expectations of me: goodbye, Mom, Dad, Will, Ace, those kids at lunch, my teachers, everyone," (Zevin pg. 109, 2007).

*Library Link*

If you liked this, check out:
Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

Zevin, Gabrielle. (2007). Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac. Farrar Straus Giroux: New York, NY.