From Inside Jacket: My life in suburbia is about as far away from a rock star's life as one can get. So I was more than surprised when, out of the blue, I was offered the job of being Kari Kingsley's double. I may not have Hollywood skills, but I am her dead ringer, and the job will pay for college and get me closer to meeting the dad I've never known. Being Kari has its other perks too. Last month I couldn't even get a date, and now I'm hanging out with Grant Delray, who I've stared at on magazine covers for years. He's everything a girl could want - everything I want. There's just one problem. He thinks I'm Kari. Isn't it ironic that when I do finally find my father and the love of my life, I'm not allowed to tell either of them who I really am?
My Rating: 4 hearts
Thoughts on the Novel: Although the premise sounds pretty far-fetched, I was interested to see how Janette Rallison would explain the eerie resemblance of Alexia to Kari. The reason given has been known to happen in reality but it would have been slightly more sensible if Alexia looked similar to Kari and not exactly like Kari’s identical twin (with the exception of her nose).
The characters were the greatest strength of the book. Alexia is a likeable character that readers can easily relate to. Her yearning to know her father so that she could finally feel complete, her confused feelings about how she would tell her father who she was and how she should feel about him, her worry over whether Grant would like her for herself and her desire to help Kari were all portrayed genuinely.
The evolution of Kari and Grant were also well done and shows that there is always more to people than meets the eyes. While Kari initially appears to simply be a dumb blonde, spending some time with her allows Alexia to learn that unscripted situations with tons of cameras cause Kari to freeze up and make stupid comments. In the meantime, Alexia’s initial attraction to Grant seems more based on his physical looks. Later on however, she realizes that aside from being handsome and rich, Grant is also an unpretentious, funny and amazing guy.
Though Rallison’s My Double Life has a serious message or two in it, it was mostly a light and breezy novel that will keep readers hooked because pretending to be someone else is just a disaster waiting to occur. Throw in some humorous scenes and a happy ending and Rallison leaves the reader with a pretty satisfied feeling.
My Double Life was released by Putnam Juvenile in May 2010.
Comments About the Cover: I have mixed feelings about the cover. I really liked the idea of the paparazzi with their cameras taking pictures of the model because much like any celebrity, Kari is continually being photographed and asked questions about her life. The paparazzi also play an important role in how things turn out for Alexia and Kari in the later part of the story. However, the model on the cover doesn’t look at like she’s Latina
I never gave much thought about why they would look similar, but you have me curious now. I love how Janette Rallison combines more serious messages with humor and fluff.
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