1. The story starts off with a girl, Lexi Smart, and her friends waiting outside after a party in London. Lexi's boyfriend forgot to come pick them up and there are no taxis in sight. Lexi decides to walk down the street while it's pouring rain to hail a taxi and when she sees one she runs down cement steps, slips, and hits her head. That was in 2004. When Lexi wakes up it's 2007 and she is in the hospital. The doctor diagnosed her with amnesia because she does not remember the last three years of her life. Everything has changed, she's married, she is boss of her department, she lost weight, fixed her teeth, died her hair, and lost her friends. Lexi thinks her life in 2007 is perfect but under all the gloss it is more complicated then she knows. Lexi from 2004 doesn't know why she decided to change her look or what drove her to become a top business woman. Her husband, Eric, and her new best friend, Rosalie, don't leave her many answers, but her "lover" and Eric's best friend, Jon, knows basically every detail and wants Lexi to love him again.
2. The theme of the story is there is more than meets the eye. At first glance Lexi thinks her life is perfect but as she experiences it more there are just as many flaws as her life in 2004.
3. The tone of the story is confused and stubborn.
"What else can I do? Defuse a bomb? Assassinate someone with one blow of my hand?" p. 106
"'Are you Gianna?' I say cautiously. 'Oh my Lord in Heaven.' She crosses herself and kisses her fingers. 'Eric warned me. You're not right in the head, poor girl.'" p. 120
"Okay, I need my memory back. I've had it with amnesia. I've had it with people telling me they know more about my life than I do. It's my memory. It belongs to me." p. 204
4. Foreshadowing- "I just wish" p. 177
Alliteration- "'I'm not the kind of person who wears beige suits! I'm not the kind of person who wears her hair in a bun everyday. I'm not the kind of person who pays a thousand quid for wine. I'm not the kind of person who. . . who sells out her friends. . .'" p. 281
Cliche- "'I nearly had a heart attack,'" p. 55
Epiphany- "'Mum, I've got amnesia.'" p. 45
"Okay. Things are starting to make sense." p.. 327
Hyperbole- "Here I am, zooming along the Themes Embankment, with my handsome husband, in his open-top Mercedes. I say zooming. Actually we're going at about twenty miles an hour." p.
Imagery- "Metal grilles are descending everywhere, over the windows, the paintings, the waterfall. All the rich guests are clinging to each other in the middle of the space like hostages, apart from one portly man who's trapped next to the waterfall." p. 260
Personification- "From huge yellow monsters reaching up to the sky, down to young flowers," p. 337
Rhetorical Question- "How can you just stand there?" p. 275
Symbol- "'The Cobra,' I say wincing. I still can't believe I got nicknamed after a snake." p. 330
Characterization
1. Kinsella used direct characterization by describing the characters through Lexi's thoughts and how she saw them. "This man is seriously, achingly good-looking. Like, Armani model good-looking. He has medium-brown curly hair, cropped short. He has blue eyes, broad shoulders, and an expensive-looking suit. He has a square jaw, impeccably shaved." p. 61 Kinsella used indirect characterization to describe supporting characters. "'Now, let's go and say hello to Simon and the others. You remember Simon Johnson, the MD?'" p. 135
Kinsella uses both approaches to get a visual of the character and to get the esssence of that character.
2. The authors syntax and diction doesn't change when describing different characters. The syntax and diction remain the same throughout since the story is told through one perspective. "Bastard. He didn't even bother waiting until he was out of earshot." p. 146 "'He's Hitler. If he could round up every loaf of bread and put it in a camp, he would.'" p. 200
3. The protagonist (Lexi) is a dynamic character, she changes throughout the story from a free spirit to confined and then becoming free again. Lexi is a round character and has different opinions and is in her late twenties so she has developed different traits but her character is tricky and some of her ideas change because of her amnesia.
4. After reading this book I feel like I have met a real person. The troubles she faces happen to real people and her story is intriguing. I love reading stories that are told in first person because I am interested by the characters thoughts and ideas which made Lexi more real to me. "'Now, don't worry.' Rosalie's hand is on my arm. 'Eric and I have a plan. Everyone's going to stand up and introduce themselves to you at dinner.' Her brow wrinkles. 'Sweetie, you look freaked.'
'No!' I manage a smile. 'Not freaked!'
This is a lie. I'm totally freaked. As i find my place at the long glass dining table, nodding and smiling as people greet me, I feel like I'm in some weird dream. These people are allegedly my friends. They all know me. And I've never seen them before."
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