Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac was an excellent read. I had heard good things about author, Gabrielle Zevin, and the book definitely lived up to its potential. It was so refreshing to read a teen novel that made me think. The narrator wasn't the typical teenage sappy girl pining over the typical teenage heartthrob [refreshing: major!]. Anyway, it was one of those things that makes you put it down and go, "damnnnn," rather than be all sappy and romance-y. As much as I love that cheesy teenage romance I've come to write about, there are times when I crave character complexity, And this novel brings that to the table.

A quick synopsis of the novel would be that it follows the story of Naomi, a junior in high school that hits her head and loses her memory of the last four years. The novel then takes you through the things she struggles with, as she tries to figure out the decisions she's made--who is this guy, Ace, that calls himself her boyfriend? Is she sleeping with him? And Will--her best friend? What's with this nickname Chief? Why hasn't she had a good relationship with her mother? How much can change in four years? Find out! Read Zevin's book!
4/5
Nota Bene: The book's high rating is largely due to the careful crafting of complex characters [say that three times fast]. I wouldn't recommend this if you're looking for a light, fluffy, feel-good read. It's not. Reading level would probably be from 13-18, I guess.

I'm currently also invested in some smut vampire novels [the Southern Vampire Novels] that aren't YA. They get a little racy and the narrator seems to think about sex far too much, but other than that, they're alright. I also happen to know [via wikipedia] that the narrator goes through guys really quickly and there's not one guy she sticks with in the series. This irritates me. Why should I get involved and invested in one guy if she's going to be on to the next one soon? Furthermore, the book seems to be driven by little peaks of action. Rather than be part of a larger plot, it seems as if events just keep happening to push the book along. I think that's why I was reaching for a guy to at least have something to look forward to in the novel. But there's really nothing to keep me interested. I don't know. I'll give an official report after I finish the next two books in the series.

-Book It Girl!