Realistic+Fiction

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The last four years are a blank for Naomi after she hits her head falling down the school steps. She has lots of questions - like why does she go out with Ace (her boyfriend), why she eats with a bunch of mean girls and why won't she speak to her mother. You'll keep turning the pages while Naomi is trying to figure it all out.=====

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What if you were given a blank slate to rewrite who you are? An accidental fall gives Naomi Porter just about that, wiping out the past four years of her life. Naomi remembers nothing after sixth grade and now has to piece together who she has become at age sixteen. Her devoted best friend, Will, helps fill in many of the blanks, including their prized roles as co-editors of the school yearbook. Naomi recognizes neither Will nor her boyfriend, popular tennis jock Ace, though Will instantly feels "comfortable and broken-in like favorite jeans," while she wonders what she and Ace ever had in common. More intriguing is mysterious new boy James. The book is a page-turning novel of self-discovery, drawing readers on as Naomi uncovers facts about her own life: birth control pills in a drawer, a half sister she's refused to meet. Zevin, author of Elsewhere (rev. 9/05), portrays the amnesia as neither blessing nor curse: it causes Naomi to relive some painful experiences (her parents' divorce, her mom's infidelity) but also opens new doors (a role in a school play, falling in love). Given the opportunity to view her life almost as an outside observer, she makes choices both praiseworthy and questionable, much like any other teenager. Honest and complex characterization grounds a thoughtful, suspenseful examination of memory and identity. =====