Customer Reviews

Fake ID (Takeaway S.)

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Title: Fake ID
ISBN: 0734404425
Publisher: Lothian
RRP: $12.95

Review: After her grandmother's funeral, Zoe begins to unravel the mystery of Gran's identity. Why had she been using a fake ID for years? What happened back in the old country that would make a person go underground? And who are these strangers in a batch of photographs?

With the help of the Internet and her nerdy friend Luke, Zoe discovers a whole new world of geneology, cyber-history and sites where electronic 'final thoughts' can be launched after a person's death.

This is an interesting and novel approach to the issues of identity so often found in novels for teens and young adults. Ostensibly aimed at 12-15 year-olds, I wondered if perhaps the book will be more interesting to those a little younger. Nevertheless, the sleuthing theme with its up-to-date technology should keep readers sufficiently engaged.

Review by Bella

REVIEW

Fake ID, by Hazel Edwards Lothian Takeaway series ISBN 0-7344-0442-5
$12.95

Fake ID introduces the reader to the addictive and rewarding hobby of genealogy or tracing family history. Although the profile of a typical genealogist has been shown to be a female aged fifty plus with tertiary education the main character in this story is Zoe, a fifteen year old secondary student, who together with her friend Luke embark upon tracing her family history over three generations.
The author, Hazel Edwards introduces the reader to some of the ideas of true research using many differing techniques including, personal interviews, checking historic records, DNA testing and by making appropriate contacts over the "world-wide-web" by e-mail.
The results of these searches, set against a background of the political situation in Hungary in the 1950's and the Melbourne Olympic Games, allow for the super sleuths to construct much more than a chart of names and dates. They are able to place family events into context and understand the actions of Zoe's grandmother and her need for a fake ID.
This thriller is a must read for the family members of all genealogists as it may assist them to understand the nature of the hobby and its impact on their own family life where mundane things such as house-work may have to take second place to a trip to a cemetery or a visit to a library to find the missing piece to their family puzzle. Readers will be caught up with the ingenious plot and the truth uncovered by step-by-step research.
Kath Ensor
Genealogical Researcher: State Trustees