Me, Just Different (The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt) [Paperback]

Stephanie Morrill (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt | Publication Date: July 1, 2009

Welcome to the world of Skylar Hoyt, a high school senior whose exotic Hawaiian looks have propelled her to the height of the "in" crowd, but who's no longer sure that's where she really fits. New friends, old friends, a reluctant romance, and a family crisis swirl around Skylar as she tries to keep it together and figure out who she really wants to be.

Debut novelist Stephanie Morrill opens her first young adult series with a compelling story about characters every teen will recognize and relate to. Morrill addresses real teen issues, like popularity, friendship, sexuality, and more, with grace and style.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Getting a fresh start is harder than it looks.

Skylar Hoyt is a girl who seems to have it all--she's pretty, popular, and has a great-looking boyfriend. Her senior year should be the best one yet. But a horrible experience at a summer party has changed everything. Now she's vowing to make better choices, including going back to church. But as Skylar tries to gain new perspective on life, the world as she knows it begins to fall apart.

Her parents are constantly fighting. Her younger sister has a big secret that Skylar is forced to keep. The guy she's dating is annoyingly jealous. And the new guy down the street is just plain annoying. In the midst of the chaos, Skylar starts to wonder who her real friends are and, even more importantly, who she is.


Stephanie Morrill is a twentysomething living in Kansas with her high school sweetheart-turned-husband and their daughter. She loves writing for teens because her high school years greatly impacted her adult life. That, and it's an excuse to keep playing her music really, really loud.

About the Author

Stephanie Morrill is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association and the Teen Lit writers' group. When she isn't writing or traveling, she's likely reading or experimenting with new recipes. Morrill also serves in youth ministry. She lives in suburban Overland Park, Kansas, with her husband and young daughter.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Revell; 1 edition (July 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800733770
• ISBN-13: 978-0800733773
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,514,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stephanie Morrill is a twentysomething living in Overland Park, KS with her high school sweetheart-turned-husband and their young daughter. She loves writing for teens because her high school years greatly impacted her adult life. That, and it's an excuse to keep playing her music really, really loud.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't Put It Down, August 1, 2009

By 

Kasey Heinly (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Me, Just Different (The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt) (Paperback)

When a summer party ends in a near disaster, Skylar Hoyt decides it's time to rethink her life. She vows to stop going to parties and head back to church. But will her popular friends like this new Skylar?

Home becomes a war-zone as her parents constantly argue. A secret between Skylar and her sister sits like a pin-pulled grenade. If Skylar tells, will it blow apart what's left of her fragile family? Can she keep up the brave face at school despite the growing tension inside her? Who can she trust with the truth about what she's going through?

I loved this story. Skylar struggles with who her real friends are, how to make choices different than the ones she made all summer, and dealing with secrets too big to be kept. It was easy to identify with her, both to share in her hurt and to laugh at her wit. I'm already anxious to read what happens in the next book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Debut Novel!, July 23, 2009

By 

Erica D. Vetsch - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Me, Just Different (The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt) (Paperback)

Stephanie's writing is fresh, relevant, and fearless. She tackles tough subjects, and asks the tough questions. Me, Just Different strikes at the heart of being a Christian teen in an un-Christian world. Skylar's struggles at the crossroads of faith and life are spot-on.

I can't wait to read more in this series. As a mom who is always looking for good books for my teenagers to read, this one is a home run!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Authentic and as real (honest) as Christian fiction gets., July 18, 2009

By 

Michelle Sutton (Arizona) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Me, Just Different (The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt) (Paperback)

Me, Just Different was well-written, insightful, and impossible to put down. It's the real deal in that it's an authentic representation of some serious issues. I zipped right through it. There was one point in the story where I cried real tears. That, for me, is a great sign that I cared about the characters. I was so into the story world that I felt something strong enough to be sad over. But it wasn't a depressing sad. It was a healing sad. Sometimes when your life is falling apart, that's when you know who your real friends are. And I loved that in this story the hero doesn't give up but continues to be honest with Skylar. Sure, she hates it at first, but doesn't every woman really want to know the truth from someone you think is an enemy rather than being lied to and wounded by a so-called "friend?" I also adored the subplot involving her sister, Allie.

Bottom line, this book is awesome and hits on all of the important things that teens often deal with. However, I didn't feel like I had to be a teen to read it. You just have to remember feeling that way and most grown people remember their high school years. Sure, we'd like to forget a lot of the stuff we did. Like lying to our parents to sneak out of the house to see our boyfriends, for example. And going to parties and getting stupid drunk so that you put yourself in a vulnerable position with someone you may not even like. Anyway, I can't say enough good things about this book. It's a must-read as far as I'm concerned and it's making my best of 2009 fiction list.