Thursday, May 13, 2010

Enchanting Review: My Double Life

MY DOUBLE LIFE
JANETTE RALLISON
Contemporary YA
Putnam
ISBN# 978-0-399-25262-4
272 Pages
$16.99
Hardcover—Available May 2010

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Alexia Garcia can't believe the offer that comes her way after a mean girl's prank on her backfires when the photo catches some surprise attention. With her uncanny resemblance to pop star Kari Kingsley, Kari and her publicist want her to play the role of Kari's double, filling in for Kari at a handful of events and small concerts so the real Kari can concentrate on working on her long delayed album. The offer seems too good to be true, and her mother is decidedly against the idea, especially when she confides the identity of Alexia's father, something that's been a secret all of Alexia's life. The girls' resemblance isn't so much a coincidence, as the two are half sisters, a piece of knowledge that spurs Alexia to quickly agree to the plan and move to California for a chance to get to know the half-sister she never knew existed and for a chance to meet her father.

I really enjoyed MY DOUBLE LIFE. While Alexia struggles to fit into her role as Kari's double, including a complete make-over with hair extensions, dance classes, a designer wardrobe and more, she finds herself facing some unexpected issues of her own. With the physical distance between her and her mother and grandmother, things aren't exactly the way Alexia thought they'd be. Add in her developing feelings for fellow teen star Grant who thinks she's really Kari, and not only is Alexia confused, she's also torn between doing exactly what everyone expects her to and what she feels is right. I have to say I really liked the friendship of sorts that forms between Alexia and Kari and the way that Alexia wants to help her half-sister out of the trouble she's in, which I wish would have played into the story a little more. However it didn't make the book any less enjoyable. I have to say my favorite scene that still makes me smile is when Grant goes to drop 'Kari' off after their date and instead of taking Alexia to where she's living with the publicist, he takes her to Kari's home. Alexia panics but it looks like maybe no one is home, until she hears footsteps in the house. Between dealing with a very confused poolman who tells her that she just argued with him in the driveway (obviously the real Kari) and Kari's real boyfriend showing up after Grant leaves, it's one enjoyable mess.

Janette Rallison lives in Chandler, Arizona with her husband, five children and enough cats to classify her as "an eccentric cat lady." You can visit her online at her website, http://www.janetterallison.com/


Lisa
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
March 2010

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