Blank by Trina St. Jean

Pages: 299
Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: Real life / Trauma
Notes for Parents: There are a few mature scenes and mild coarse language.

The Back Cover

It’s all fun and games until someone loses an I.
Jessica’s life is one big question mark.
She doesn’t remember a thing about the accident that put her in a coma.
She doesn’t recognize her family and friends.
Her moods range from sadness to full-on rage.
Would she be better off running away and starting a new life?
Or should she stay where she is and accept that she may never remember her past?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the author’s first novel.

What’s good?
So much of who we are develops from our life experiences. So who do we become when we can’t remember those experiences? This story is a fairly easy treatment of what is a very complicated issue. The main character, Jessica, as well as most of the supporting characters, struggle with what comes next after Jessica loses her memory. Short chapters and a simplified plot highlight the frustration and uncertainty that everyone feels, especially Jessica, who doesn’t even recognize the face she sees in the mirror. The characters are well-drawn. Jessica’s parents, little brother, old friends, and new friend all contribute to her efforts to get to know the person she was before – and decide if that’s who she wants to be again.
Best Part: the dog.

What isn’t good?

The story moved slowly. While nothing about the book was terrible, nothing really stood out for me either. I could sense Jessica’s frustration, but never really related to her situation. Her memory loss seemed inconsistent at times, making her situation feel less dire than what was probably intended. A lot of her weariness came from misunderstandings and impatience.
Worst part: Nothing was terrible.

Recommendation þþþoo

It was good, but not great. Again I’ll say, there was nothing bad, there just wasn’t anything overly original. She had amnesia, yet there were hints, even at the beginning when she knows her brother’s nickname, that suggests the damage won’t be permanent. The fear and frustration were palpable, but the necessary urgency wasn’t there.

St. Jean, Trina. Blank. Victoria, B.C.: Orca Book Publishers, 2015.