The Girl She Used to Be [Hardcover]

David Cristofano (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 19, 2009

When Melody Grace McCartney was six years old, she and her parents witnessed an act of violence so brutal that it changed their lives forever. The federal government lured them into the Witness Protection Program with the promise of safety, and they went gratefully. But the program took Melody's name, her home, her innocence, and, ultimately, her family. She's been May Adams, Karen Smith, Anne Johnson, and countless others--everyone but the one person she longs to be: herself. So when the feds spirit her off to begin yet another new life in another town, she's stunned when a man confronts her and calls her by her real name. Jonathan Bovaro, the mafioso sent to hunt her down, knows her, the real her, and it's a dangerous thrill that Melody can't resist. He's insistent that she's just a pawn in the government's war against the Bovaro family. But can she trust her life and her identity to this vicious stranger whose acts of violence are legendary?

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

After 20 years in the Federal Witness Protection Program (WITSEC) and eight aliases, Melody Grace McCartney hardly knows who she is. On the run since she and her parents stumbled on a gruesome murder by mobster Tony Bovaro when she was six years old, Grace saw WITSEC’s promised protection fail her mother and father when they were killed 12 years later. Now she feigns personal danger to be relocated just because she’s bored and wants a change. But before her new case officer can move her from suburban Maryland to rural Wisconsin, Tony’s son, Jonathan, tracks her down to present an alternative: protection from his family and a life of more safety and freedom than she has ever known. While federal officials pressure her to stay in WITSEC and show her Jonathan’s violent side, her attraction to him grows, and she must decide a course for the rest of her life. This is a compulsively readable, skillfully constructed first novel with well-drawn characters and a plot that twists and turns to what seems the best possible conclusion, marking Cristofano as a writer to watch. --Michele Leber

Review

"What a riveting and remarkable first novel! The story grabbed me on page one. As the events spin forward, with crackling dialogue and earned surprises, you can't help but root for this most unusual, and lovable narrator--whatever her secret name or home may be at the moment. I didn't want the book to end; I didn't want to leave the wild, wooly wonderfully frightening world that David Cristofano has created. With a poignant and literary flair, this novel fixed my jones for "The Sopranos.""

--Lolly Winston, New York Times bestselling author of GOOD GRIEF and HAPPINESS SOLD SEPARATELY

"...something special..."
--New York Times Book Review

"Intense...the emotions of a woman caught in Melody's unlikely scenario ring deliciously, scarily true."
--People

"David Cristofano's debut novel is alternately thought-provoking, poignant, and darkly funny. THE GIRL SHE USED TO BE hooked me from the very first page."
--Lesley Kagen, New York Times bestselling author of WHISTLING IN THE DARK and LAND OF A HUNDRED WONDERS

"Intense, romantic debut...Cristofano's mad love scenario sizzles like garlic in hot olive oil."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"This is a compulsively readable, skillfully constructed first novel with well-drawn characters and a plot that twists and turns to what seems the best possible conclusion, marking Cristofano as a writer to watch!"
--Booklist

"THE GIRL SHE USED TO BE is everything I want a book to be. A humorous, poignant, and compelling page-turner that kept me guessing all the way to the end. I marveled at how utterly I was drawn into Melody's world and what a vivid picture David Cristofano created."
--Patricia Wood, New York Times bestselling author of LOTTERY

"I absolutely fell in love with David Cristofano's writing, and couldn't wait to see Melody's mystery unfold. THE GIRL SHE USED TO BE is that rare novel...it's the one you've been looking for when you wander the bookstore aisles, hoping to find something that will grab hold of you and not let go. Eloquent, haunting, and totally enthralling--I was swept in from page one."
--Johanna Edwards, nationally bestselling author of HOW TO BE COOL

"David Cristofano artfully explores the meaning of identity and home, heroes and villains, in this story of a woman who loses herself, then finds herself again in the most unlikely place. THE GIRL SHE USED TO BE is a roller-coaster ride, both thriller and riveting psychological drama, and Cristofano is definitely a writer to watch for."
--Elizabeth Arnold, bestselling author of PROMISE THE MOON

"David Cristofano's debut novel captures the essence of the human spirit, and delivers a story that is simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking."

--Brad Listi, author of ATTENTION. DEFICIT. DISORDER

"There's no hiding the fact that THE GIRL SHE USED TO BE is a brilliant debut by a magnificent new novelist."

--Will Clarke, LORD VISHNU'S LOVE HANDLES and THE WORTHY

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (March 19, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446582220
• ISBN-13: 978-0446582223
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (96 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #782,116 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Cristofano has earned degrees in Government & Politics and Computer Science from the University of Maryland at College Park and has worked for different branches of the Federal Government for over a decade. His short works have been published by Like Water Burning and McSweeneys. He currently works in the Washington, D.C. area where he lives with his wife, son and daughter. THE GIRL SHE USED TO BE is his first novel.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars David Cristofano IS an Author To Watch, March 30, 2009

By 

Kelly Slater "kalea_kane" (Prescott, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Girl She Used to Be (Hardcover)

I thought this would be an interesting read. I have always been fascinated by the witness protection program, and I often thought about what happens if you are found? I had no idea how much I would enjoy this book.

There are few authors who can keep me reading all night until I finish a book. David Cristofano just may be one of them. I did have to put this book down because I had things that I HAD to do that were work related, but boy was it hard!!!! The very act of his writing in Melody's point of view was incredibly believable. It was nice hearing a woman's voice that sounded so true. I don't know how he did it so well. The man really had a touch on the pulse of this character. I have often groaned at how perfect a female is played or how sappy. It was great reading about a character who is lovely in description without being described as the typical full lipped, bright eyed exotic beauty with the typical too full hips and breasts. It gets a little dull picturing blond, brunette and read headed Angelina Jolies all the timme. David Cristofano created a character in Melody that was simply beautifully real. I could relate to Melody. She was quick witted and quirky.

Pros...romantic but not wishy washy in your face with butterflies and birds chirping on every page. Romantic tension built up and played out superbly.

Pros...characters you wanted to see succeed. I became immediately invested in both Melody and Jonathan.

Pros...realistic. In the long run the ending totally makes sense and is true to life.

Cons...the book ended. I loved it and wanted more!

I will definitely be keeping my eye open for more books by David Cristofano. This was an absolutely splendid piece of work. Cristofano is definitely an author to watch.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Who wouldn't want a "do-over" every once in a while?, August 29, 2009

By 

Novel Bookworm "Kelly" (Santa Clarita, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Girl She Used to Be (Hardcover)

In the debut novel, The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano, little Melody McCartney was only six years old when she and her parents witnessed a brutal murder. The family was placed into the federal Witness Protection Program and Melody spent her childhood moving from one city to another, from one name to another. Twenty years later, Melody is alone, using the Program to start over when boredom and ennui strike her. During the process of "starting over", a man approaches her and calls her by her real name. Melody finds the lure of being with someone who actually knows her, knows her past, her name, the real her, so irresistible, she defies the feds and goes with the man. This man is Jonathan Bovaro, the son of the mafia crime boss who started everything when Melody was six. Who can she trust? The federal government who she knows sees her as a pawn in their effort to bring down the Bovaro crime family? Or Jonathan, the son of the man who destroyed her life?

First, a disclaimer, I don't usually like Mob books or movies. I know, it's a wildly popular genre, but I've just never been all that interested. That said, I really liked The Girl She Used to Be. I've read many reviews that commented how difficult it was to believe that the author was male, and I've thought, "Hm, that's an odd thing to mention". But now that I've read the book, I understand what they mean. Cristofano's dialogue and thoughts are spot on, and the voice of Melody is authentic. And the other reviewers are right, when I stopped to think about it, it did seem surprising.

The Girl She Used to Be works on many levels. Superficially, it's an interesting story, about a young woman finally discovering whom she could be when allowed to choose for herself. But it's also a story about new beginnings, about each of us. Who hasn't looked at themselves at least once during their lives and thought, "That's it, I'm done. I want a do-over." This book shows that "do-overs" aren't all they're cracked up to be, and by sticking it out and choosing our own paths through life, we finally can get the life we want.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good premise, but execution lacking, May 26, 2009

By 

M. E Hauck "Carlin" (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Girl She Used to Be (Hardcover)

The concept of this book was fascinating, and the first fifty pages had me hooked. But as the story unfolded, I found myself more and more irritated by the characters' portrayal. They said things and did things that no person would really do, and at the end, I felt like the whole story had just unraveled and left me very unsatisfied.

It was very apparent that it was a man writing a woman's point of view, as the protagonist seemed extremely unplausable. There was no strong female character. She was weak and will-less.