Author: Lauren Morrill
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Shelves: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publication Date: January 7th, 2014
Source: Delacorte for Review
Format: Physical ARC
Synopsis: When fate gives you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity... do you take it?
Sloane Devon Jacobs and Sloane Emily Jacobs could not be more different, despite their very similar names. Sloane Devon is a championship hockey player with more than enough anger issues and a broken past. Sloane Emily is a figure skater, well on her way to the top, until the one secret that destroyed her career comes back to threaten her again. This summer, Sloane D. and Sloane E. are headed to training camps they'd rather not be at, and when they bump into each other, fate sends each girl down the other's path. Trying to hide their own secrets and maintain the other girl's identity proves even harder when both meet two boys who change their lives. Told with humor and sensitivity, Lauren Morrill's Being Sloane Jacobs is a fresh new contemporary about how just one person can be the one thing we need to find our place in life.
Review: First, a HUGE THANK YOU to Random House Kids/ Delacorte for sending me this ARC for review! I have a HUGE love of contemporary novels. I have to say that one of my favorite genres to read is YA contemporary. When I heard about Lauren's really cute-sounding, really cute-looking new contemporary, I knew I just HAD to read it.
Romance: Let's start with the romance, shall we? I, personally, am a fan of a developed romance and gradual feelings in relationships in literature. In Being Sloane Jacobs, I was really disappointed with the way the relationships turned out. It all felt a little too "insta-love" for me. Both Sloanes fell hard for boys they barely knew. I think this was my biggest issue with this book. Neither of the Sloanes really knew anything at all about the boy they liked. I don't even remember Matt and Sloane Emily discussing Matt's family, or anything about him besides hockey. The romance in this book fell a little flat for me, and I was a little disappointed by that.
Characters: And this is where the saving grace comes in! Lauren Morrill has two truly spectacular characters with Sloane Emily and Sloane Devon. Both were so unique, yet, they brought out they best in each other. Although Sloane Devon was portrayed as the more "badass" of the Sloanes, Sloane Emily was definitely strong and courageous too. Sometimes the depth of their true natures was hidden a little TOO deep in the story, but overall, these are two characters you are sure to root for.
Storyline/ Plot: I was scared that Being Sloane Jacobs was going to be too similar to The Parent Trap for my liking.
classic Parent Trap.
But it turned out to be perfectly fine. Besides the whole "switcharoo" thing, the plot completely diverges from the cliched, Parent Trap style. It was fast paced, and easy to follow.
Writing: Although it felt a little off at times, Lauren Morrill's writing was generally humorous and light. I loved that Lauren clearly marked a boundary between how each of the girl's thoughts worked, and what their opinions were like. This just means that it was easy to tell the difference between the two Sloanes.
Conclusion: Although it fell a little flat of my expectations, Being Sloane Jacobs is still a fresh new twist on classical contemporary- in the world of competition and skates.
A story that involves ICE is always welcome, notherless ice skating! I am putting that into my to-read list!
ReplyDeleteAs great as the characters seem, I think the fact that the romance is, well... not, is too big of a deal for me to look past, especially considering that the book seems to revolve around the romance. I am glad that you enjoyed it, though. And the one thing I can't find any complaints with is the cover!
ReplyDeleteI struggled a bit with her first novel. Though I've been hearing that most who've read both enjoyed this more. I'm rather eager to read it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing such a thorough review that doesn't spoil the story. I saw another review that said the whole switch-ice-sports premise wasn't quite believable. I have a little experience figure skating, so I imagine I'd find it hard to suspend disbelief that a girl with hockey background only could pass for a figure skater. But I might check this out sometime, if I can find it at the library.
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