Nyxen's Review of "My Double Life"

My Double Life by Janette Rallison
272 Pages
Putnam Juvenile 2010

You know how they say everyone has a twin somewhere in the world, a person chance has formed to be their mirror image? Well, mine happens to be rock star Kari Kingsley. My life in suburbia is about as far away from a rock star's life as one can get. So 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. I have to take it, even if my mom is dead set against it.

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?

I was so excited to read this, and not just because it was personalized. I like to read novels that involve paparazzi, concerts, famous rock star boyfriends. Don't judge me. :P

I think what Rallison did was very entertaining. I couldn't put it down despite the fact it was a bit cliche. It was a fun, light read. If you don't count the fact that the main character, Alexia, grew up fatherless and she's trying to find him. I really connected with her. It was like we were best friends because I instantly knew how she was feeling. I connected with her on a deep level and it felt good to relate to a character without actually relating to her. Does that make sense?

The characters were pretty believable but I would have loved it if they had more depth to them. Kari just seemed like your average, problematic celebrity trying to get help and it didn't give a reason to like her. Grant was pretty much the same (without the problems) but very, very gorgeous. I kept picturing Zac Efron as him. (Like I said, don't judge me.) Everyone else didn't seem to pop out.

The beginning starts off pretty slow, with her describing things and giving us a short back story. I would have loved if the story jumped right in but I understand what she did. The middle is where it starts picking up and by the end of it you're wishing there was more to the story.

All in all, I think Janette Rallison did a pretty good job at capturing what life could really be like as a celebrity. And I hope that never happens to me. Hahaha.

I rate this novel Three Stars.

Nyxen's Review of "Reincarnation"

Reincarnation By Suzanne Weyn

It starts in prehistory. A young man and a young woman fight over a precious jewel. Their time together is short, but the reverberations are lasting. The attractions they feel is eternal.

Years pass. Generations pass. Centuries pass. But fate keeps drawing them together. Whenever their paths cross, there is that strange attractions. That unexplainable affinity. That feeling that they've been together before, even if they can't remember when and they don't understand how.

Theirs is a love haunted by history. From Egyptian slavery to Greek society. From Massachusetts witch trials to Civil War battlefields. From Paris in the 1930s to the present day. Circumstances will fight them... but a greater force will reunite them. Because some people are meant for each other - no matter how long it takes.

Let me tell you a little story about this book. It has been sitting in my bookshelf for about two-going on three-years, untouched. Remember those Scholastic Book Orders we got in elementary and middle school? Well, that's where I bought it, in seventh grade. I bought it because of the amazing cover. There's nothing special about it but just seeing the two lovers leaning into a kiss made my heart flutter. I thought it was going to be an epic love story. And, it sort of was.

Reincarnation is a historical novel about a man and a woman that takes place throughout time. It starts off in prehistoric times and gradually makes its way to present day, 2007. From the day these two lovers crossed paths in prehistory, they were destined for each other. Along with this man and woman reincarnating, a precious emerald jewel always happens to pop up too. Throughout the novel we see the young man and woman try to become something more but they're always facing obstacles, causing them to die. I didn't know what to expect from this book even though it's been out for quite some time.

Suzanne Weyn is a very intelligent writer and this book was very good but I was expecting something more. The plot caught my attention but only for a short time. At some points I got so confused that I didn't know who was who anymore. The descriptions were magnificent but the story was a little blah. It went at a very slow pace and all I wanted to do was get to the end. Towards the middle of the book there wasn't anything special.

Something I did like about this book was that you can learn dates and certain events that happen. Of course, nothing beats a real history book. I wouldn't recommend it but only if you have nothing to read.

I rate this Three Stars