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When Lexi Smart wakes up in a hospital room after taking a blow to the head, the newspaper says it’s 2007—but she’s pretty sure it’s 2004. When she takes a look in the mirror, though, she can’t believe what she sees: her frizzy hair is perfectly flat, and the teeth that earned her the nickname “Snaggletooth” are now perfectly straight. Even more surprising, though, is the huge diamond ring that the nurse finds in Lexi’s cupboard.
Clearly, things have changed a lot in the three years that Lexi’s completely forgotten. She’s somehow become thin and pretty. She’s now a tough, straight-laced executive, running the department in which she used to be a nobody. And she’s married to a gorgeous—and super-rich—guy named Eric. But as she begins to settle into her wonderful new life, she begins to realize that it’s not as wonderful as it seems.
Though the whole amnesia plot has been done a million times before, Shopaholic author Sophie Kinsella’s style is so fresh and fun that she’ll make you forget that you’ve read it all before. The story may be somewhat predictable, and the chick-lit happy ending may not be all that surprising, but Kinsella still manages to keep you guessing. Though the story itself may not exactly be a mystery, there are plenty of little mysteries along the way to keep things interesting—most importantly, how 2004 Lexi turned into 2007 Lexi.
Lexi is a truly likeable character—or at least 2004 Lexi is. So when she wakes up in 2007 to find that she’s somehow become a spoiled rich woman who won’t eat carbs and who micro-manages her employees, she can’t believe it (and you’ll be pretty stunned, too). The two characters are so different, in fact, that you won’t be able to think of them as the same person. And Kinsella writes the character(s) so well that you can’t help but root for 2004 Lexi to win in the end.
Remember Me? isn’t a flawless book—and it’s not Kinsella’s best, either (see my reviews of Shopaholic and Sister, Shopaholic and Baby, and Can You Keep a Secret? for more on some of her other novels). There are plenty of details that she leaves out along the way—and plenty of nagging little questions that she chooses to leave unanswered. But Kinsella is such a talented writer that even when she’s not at her best, she’s still capable of cranking out a thoroughly enjoyable novel. She injects every page with wit and humor, and she packs her story with delightful characters. So it may not be Kinsella’s best, but it’s still a great way to add a little bit of fun to an otherwise drab winter day.
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