Imagine waking up, in incredible pain from an explosion that blasted you across the yard, not knowing where you are or even who you are. This is what happened to J.D. (short for Jane Doe). After being taken to the hospital, J.D. quickly recovered from her physical injuries. Unfortunately, her amnesia remained. The doctors couldn't explain it and since no one was coming forward to claim her, they shipped her off to the Chester Center for Juvenile Services. Unfortunately for J.D. her celebrity status did little to help her here. The other kids thought she was a freak, "Hey, its the Girl without a Past! More like the Girl without a Clue to me." Luckily for J.D. there was another kid that was on the outside looking in, his name was Daniel, and the two quickly became friends.
Soon enough, J.D. found herself fighting with the others to protect herself and Daniel. During one of these fights, J.D. finds out that she might not be as normal as everyone else. Somehow she managed to throw another girl against the wall, breaking a couple of bones, but the thing is J.D. doesn't remember touching her. Right after the fight, she is called into the administration office. It turns out her Mother has finally come to get her. One problem though, J.D. doesn't remember her.
Once J.D. got home, things went from bad to worse. Daniel, her only friend, is still at the Center, and she isn't allowed to go and see him. Worse still is that her Mother, her house, the pictures of her growing up, none of them seem familiar or help her to remember who she is. Finally her Mother suggests they talk to a Psychiatrist. J.D. readily agrees, but as soon as she sees Dr. Styron, she recognizes him, recognizes him as someone that has hurt her in the past. J.D. and Daniel reunite and they fight to find out who J.D. is, or more importantly who she was. In a world where J.D. has been lied to, brain washed and forced to run for her life, how can you trust anyone to tell you the truth? Who exactly was J.D. and why is everyone trying to kill her?
Chasing Yesterday was an interesting book, I enjoyed the fast pace that Robin Wasserman set. It is definitely not boring. One thing I didn't like was that Wasserman wrote this as an installment in series. You are left with far too many questions unanswered at the end of the book. I think it would have been more enjoyable for me if she would have made this book stand on its own and wrote others to go with it, rather than forcing the reader to read all of them in order to understand the full plot.
4 comments:
This sounds similar to the book I read, Fragments.
I don't know why this makes me think of "The Giver" by Lois Lowry. Maybe because the central character is living life as though he doesn't belong in the place that he is. He doesn't have amnesia, but he senses something different about himself from his family, friends, and others in his community. The Giver also left you wondering what happens at the end. Although the author "ends" the novel, the specific details of what comes next are omitted. The reader is left wondering what the author's intentions were, and the author is clearly wanting the reader to "write the ending". Well, I don't really like books like that <:)>. As a teacher you this writing style can be used to help children write their own story ending to a novel that seems to leave them wanting more. I'm sure I will do this with my students, but it doesn't quite leave me satisfied.
Good review Kristy.
Kristy, you made this book sound extremely interesting. If I was an adolescent I would want to read this book even though you said the ending left you wanting for more. As a kid I always thought I'd have the time to read so a series would have excited me because it meant a good book never had to end. Also, you know that a series makes more money for the author and publishers than one book does,so of course they're going to go that route :)
I liked your review as well! As adults, or in my case, 23 year olds, I don't think we appreciate the wonder that is a series. I think kids do want more if they like a first one, so this might be a good thing. And it kind of falls into that saying 'whatever gets kids to keep reading!'
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