Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

3 Stars (-2 for language and sex)

"If Naomi had picked tails, ... 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'd know about her mom's new family. She'd know about her dad's fiancée. She never would have met James ... and she'd understand why her best friend, Will, keeps calling her 'Chief'. But Naomi picked heads."

Yeah. This could have been a fascinating read about a girl with no memory of her immediate past, who gets a second chance to redefine herself and be who she wants to be; who has better relationships with those around her, and comes to understand and appreciate all the good in her life. I know, it SOUNDS like an interesting book, right? Sadly, wrong. It was NOT interesting. It was driveling. There were a very few bright points in Zevin's writing (she obviously has some talent--wish she'd kept at it until the rest of it came up to par!), and it was a predictably sappy teen novella. Boo. Don't bother. And based on this book, I would be hesitant to pick up anything else by this author, as well.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

4 Stars -3 for content (Yes, meaning it actually gets only 1 Star...)

"The novel, set in post–Spanish Civil War Barcelona, concerns a young boy, Daniel. Just after the war, Daniel's father takes him to the secret Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a huge library of old, forgotten titles lovingly preserved by a select few initiates. According to tradition, everyone initiated to this secret place is allowed to take one book from it, and must protect it for life. Daniel selects a book called The Shadow of the Wind by Julián Carax. That night he takes the book home and reads it, completely engrossed. Daniel then attempts to look for other books by this unknown author, but can find none. All he comes across are stories of a strange man – calling himself Laín Coubert, after a character in the book who happens to be the Devil – who has been seeking out Carax's books for decades, buying them all and burning them." (Taken from wikipedia.)

I'm only posting this, because based on the synopsis you might actually be tempted to read this book (the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a mysterious book character burning a certain author's life's work, unusual setting, etc.). It starts out with so much promise! Ruiz' writing style is very lyrical and beautiful, and in the beginning there are lots of interesting and poignant interactions between Daniel and his widowed father. It carries on in this lovely way for about 60 or 70 pages and then, WHAM! Random sex scene. And then lots of garbage-y suggestive language for pretty much the rest of the book. :( This book is about 1/5 "Great Expectations", 1/5 "The Historian" (by Elizabeth Kostova), and, unfortunately about 3/5 parts smutty and salacious talk, gritty encounters, and people being absolutely horrible to one another. Boo. I hate when a very gifted author gives in to the temptation to make his book more "exciting" by adding a lot of unrealistically grimy atmosphere and language. I find it very difficult to believe that the vast majority of Spaniards in the 50s had such horrible marriages, and I scoff at the apparent take-home message that sexual intimacy is very rarely a good thing and that only when it's between young, unmarried, and inexperienced individuals. Again, boo. I have to admit that I did not read the whole book, but because of Ruiz' compelling storytelling, I skimmed about the last half of the book to find out the answers to the mysteries presented. An interesting plot-line, unique European setting, occasional flashes of hope and genuine human emotion, and an intriguing search for answers are, unfortunately, not enough to save this dark tale from the smelly pit into which the author has chosen to cast it.