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My Double Life

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MY DOUBLE LIFE
JANETTE RALLISON
Contemporary YA

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Alexia Garcia can't believe the offer that comes her way after a mean girl's prank on her backfires when the photo catches some surprise attention. With her uncanny resemblance to pop star Kari Kingsley, Kari and her publicist want her to play the role of Kari's double, filling in for Kari at a handful of events and small concerts so the real Kari can concentrate on working on her long delayed album. The offer seems too good to be true, and her mother is decidedly against the idea, especially when she confides the identity of Alexia's father, something that's been a secret all of Alexia's life. The girls' resemblance isn't so much a coincidence, as the two are half sisters, a piece of knowledge that spurs Alexia to quickly agree to the plan and move to California for a chance to get to know the half-sister she never knew existed and for a chance to meet her father.

I really enjoyed MY DOUBLE LIFE. While Alexia struggles to fit into her role as Kari's double, including a complete make-over with hair extensions, dance classes, a designer wardrobe and more, she finds herself facing some unexpected issues of her own. With the physical distance between her and her mother and grandmother, things aren't exactly the way Alexia thought they'd be. Add in her developing feelings for fellow teen star Grant who thinks she's really Kari, and not only is Alexia confused, she's also torn between doing exactly what everyone expects her to and what she feels is right. I have to say I really liked the friendship of sorts that forms between Alexia and Kari and the way that Alexia wants to help her half-sister out of the trouble she's in, which I wish would have played into the story a little more. However it didn't make the book any less enjoyable. I have to say my favorite scene that still makes me smile is when Grant goes to drop 'Kari' off after their date and instead of taking Alexia to where she's living with the publicist, he takes her to Kari's home. Alexia panics but it looks like maybe no one is home, until she hears footsteps in the house. Between dealing with a very confused poolman who tells her that she just argued with him in the driveway (obviously the real Kari) and Kari's real boyfriend showing up after Grant leaves, it's one enjoyable mess.

Janette Rallison lives in Chandler, Arizona with her husband, five children and enough cats to classify her as "an eccentric cat lady." You can visit her online at her website, [...]


Lisa
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
March 2010

Another great book by Janette Rallison! I just love her books! My Double Life was about a girl named Alexia who lived in a small town called Morgantown, West Virginia, (which ironically is that same place I lived for 1 yr. on my teen yrs.). She lives with her mother and grandmother and has never met her father and doesn't even know his name. Her life is pretty boring and normal until someone sees her picture and says she is an exact look alike of a famous rock star named Kari Kingsley. Suddenly her life changes when Kari asks her to play her double and go to events pretending to be her and be paid thousands of money for each event. She finds out who her dad is and that if she goes with Kari to be her double she'll get a chance to meet him. Soon enough she is pretending to be Kari and enjoying all the perks that go with it, like a hot famous boyfriend, paparazzi, clubs and concerts. Things get really complicated when she can't even tell her boyfriend or her dad who she really is.

Like I said, this is another great book by Rallison! The reason I love her books is because there just a simple book about a teenagers life. They make me laugh and there always a fun read. This story line was very cute! Everyone pretends they are a celebrity at one point in their lives and how amazing would it be to actually professionally pretend you are your celebrity look alike! Very great story, easy going, up-beat and just an enjoyable read!

A self-described "half-Latina" from a small-town, working-class family, Alexia Garcia is a dead ringer for twenty-something pop sensation, Kari Kingsley, who is also half-Latina. The amazing resemblance leads to a lucrative job offer to serve as the secret double for Kari at some of her public appearances so Kari can focus on completing an overdue album. Alexia's mom is strongly against the masquerade because, as she confesses for the first time in Alexia's 18 years, Alexia and Kari share the same father. He's pop legend, Alex Kingsley, the lead singer of The Journey Men--a fact that both Alex and Kari have been kept in the dark about as well. Alexia is furious at her mother for hiding this crucial information from her, knowing how much all her life Alexia has wanted to know about her father. Since Alexia is legally of age and doesn't need her mother's permission, she takes the job Kari's publicist is offering and heads for Los Angeles.

In adult romance novels, there is a classic story line called the "secret baby plot," in which the heroine had a baby years before that the hero never knew about. This is the first time I've ever personally heard of a novel where the "secret baby" is the heroine. What a great twist!

I am a huge fan of Janette Rallison and have read every one of her young adult novels. I must confess I was a bit disappointed initially on realizing that, other than a couple of scenes of comic relief, this story is light drama, not her usual laugh-out-loud comedy. But I quickly got into the book because, no matter what type of story she chooses to tell, Rallison is a great writer. All of the things I normally enjoy in a Rallison YA novel are here in spades: vividly three-dimensional characters, strong conflict, and compelling love stories, both familial and romantic.

Alexia is a dynamic and compassionate heroine, and her efforts to get to know her half-sister are emotionally moving. The complications created by Alexia's pretending to be her sister are both painful for Alexia and occasionally very funny for the reader. I particularly enjoyed Alexia's romance with teen heartthrob Grant. It is extremely well done, and I really liked Grant, who is not just gorgeous and sexy, but a thoroughly decent guy. One of Rallison's strengths has always been her ability to write a good romance plot, and as usual, she shines at that here.

Perhaps most moving of all is the growth in Alexia's relationship with her mother and the eventual outcome in Alexia's quest to know her father. The resolution of that portion of the book brought tears to my eyes. It was also a nice change to be able to experience YA-novel parents as caring nurturers. And not only that, but as deserving of a chance at achieving romantic happiness as well.

Alexia Garcia has always been told she looks exactly like the celebrity Kari Kingsley. Not that this resemblance has made her popular or given her a better life. However, this all changes when Alexia is offered a job as Kari's double. This offer is Alexia's ticket to Hollywood, money, and her father. All that is too much for Alexia to resist, and so, despite her mother's warnings, Alexia takes the job. Posing as Kari, Alexia can get almost anything she wants: nice clothes, adoring fans, maybe even rock star Grant Delray. But the more that Alexia gets into her role as Kari, the more she loses sight of herself. Alexia might be able to meet her father, but he'll think she's someone else. And that just might be the problem. How can Alexia be true to herself when everyone thinks she's Kari Kingsley?

I have only read one other novel by Rallison, but that was enough to make me love how she combines humor, family, and fame into a meaningful and thoroughly enjoyable story. My Double Life shares many similar elements with Rallison's Just One Wish, including most importantly strong familial relationships and celebrities. It's always fun to read about famous people, whether real or fictional, because it makes all stories more glamorous. Rallison counters this sometimes false sparkle with something solid: family. This deepens what would ordinarily be a rather shallow story. There is just something so sweet and charming about My Double Life that makes the story stick with the reader.

My Double Life will be enjoyed by fans of Just One Wish, also by Janette Rallison, The Elite series by Jennifer Banash, Absolutely Maybe by Lisa Yee, and Love, Meg by C. Leigh Purtill. I look forward to reading more from Rallison.

Alexia Garcia has always been told that she could pass for the twin of pop star Kari Kingsley. The only difference between the two is that while Kari is living the life of glamour and wealth, Alexia and her family are unglamorous and poor.

So, when Alexia's enemy, Teresa, posts a mean-spirited photo of Alexia on the Internet, no one is more surprised than Alexia that it goes viral. Soon enough, things get a little weird when Alexia gets a phone call from Kari Kingsley's manager asking her if she'd like a job working as Kari's double.

Who could resist the call of Hollywood over real life?

Alexia takes the job, even though her real motive is to go to Hollywood to find her father, who she never knew. While there, Alexia meets gorgeous rock star Grant Delray, who she ends up falling for. The only problem is that he thinks she is Kari. Can their relationship possibly last if he knew who she really was?

MY DOUBLE LIFE is addictive and fun. It has everything a girl could want - celebrities, drama, and romance. Thoroughly enjoyable!

Reviewed by: Angela S.

My Thoughts: We are introduced to Alexia who is in high school. The thing I really liked about Alexia is she is actually smart. Like really smart and you can see she is smart by just the way she talks and acts. She's not annoying. She's real. She also looks just like singer Kari Kingsley! Put blond hair on her and change the nose a little bit and she would pass as her double! Alexia is just trying to make it through high school, and go to college on a scholarship. Her mom never had much money but they get by. She asks a boy to a dance and he ends up making out with her enemy! Things can't get any weirder for Alexia. That is of course until Kari's manager shows up to ask Alexia if she'll take a job as a double for Kari so Kari can focus on her album and not have to make guest appearances for other things.

Alexia eventually agrees and she goes on to live the celebrity life. She meets her celeb crush Grant and starts to fall in love with him. But he thinks she's Kari so things can never work out between them. How can she tell him the truth that she's a nobody from a small town?

What happens between Alexia and Grant? What happens between Kari and Alexia, do they become friends? Who else does she get to meet?

Overall: I really enjoyed this one. I've read Just One Wish by Janette Rallison and this one is just as cute. I love how this book focused on celebrities and the way Alexia got to meet her real world celeb crush. There are also many side plots, such as Alexia finally getting to meet her father who went out of the picture a long time ago. The duet between Alexia and Grant was smoldering! It was romantic and I wish it would happen to me! A Girl Can Always Dream. I recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a fun book especially if your a celeb look a like or have a crush on a celeb (mine is Chad Michael Murray).

Cover: Love it! I love the way she looks confident and all the details on the cover. For example, the wedding ring on the camera man's finger. The cover is very detailed.

Alexia Garcia looks enough like famous pop singer, Kari Kingsley, that she could pass for her twin. Because of this coincidence, she gets the chance to serve secretly as a stand in for Kari, who is so busy making an album, she doesn't have time to keep all her commitments to meet her fans. Alexia's mom objects strongly, but Alexia is 18, and ultimately the decision is hers. So she heads to LA and a life of fame, fortune, adventure--and romance!

I had never read this author before, but I'm certainly going to read her again. This book is often very funny, but it has a serious, and moving, undertone of important family dynamics as Alexia discovers who her father really is and why her mother raised her all alone for so many years. Alexia also learns a lot about herself and what is most important in life during the time she pretends to be someone else.

This book is a good read for all ages, but teenage girls will especially appreciate spending time with Alexia. She's a strong, determined heroine whom I admired and enjoyed.

It's official, Janette Rallison has managed to woe me yet again with a fabulous, funny, and touching book filled with a whole lot of heart!

One of my favorite parts of Janette's books are usually the characters, and with My Double Life, this trend continued, thankfully. Since all of them were so well-written that they just jumped of the page and came to life. I loved how all of them were real in the way that while, like anyone, they said stupid things and did stuff they would latter regret, they were also smart, charming, and someone who just supported each other fully. My favorite out of the bunch would have to be My Double Life's protagonist, Alexia, since she was all of these things and more. It was interesting yet heartbreaking to see her struggle with the fact that she never knew her dad and felt that if he, along with her half-sister and Grant, wouldn't love her simply because she wasn't wealthy. Also her relationship with Grant was done perfectly. I loved how while it was innocent in a way that only first love can be, you could also see just how much these two loved it each other even with the struggles that were often hurled their way. Lastly, I don't think this review would be done if I didn't mention Kari. Kari was someone who at first look, simply seemed dumb, but as you got to know her, you got to see that often celebrities aren't the person there are portrayed to be, leaving her to become someone who you simply adored.

The premise of this is one that's intriguing. I loved the idea of a story dealing with celebrity doubles because it proved to cause drama, drama, and more drama that continually kept me hooked and flipping the pages, eager to find out what was going to happen next.

And the writing of this is another part that made this story the awesome one it was. Since while it's easy and to the point, it's portrayed with a lot of heart, showing that Janette is a talented writer that I know for sure I'll be reading more by.

In all, if you like stories with a lot of heart and happy endings, My Double Life is one to pick up because I'm sure you'll love it!

Grade: A

Alexia Garcia looks almost identical to pop sensation Kari Kingsley. One day, a picture of her becomes viral on the the internet, and Kari's manager, Maren, calls her. Maren offers Alexia the chance to work as Kari's double. At first, Alexia is reluctant, but then she learns that this may be her one chance to meet her father.

Hollywood is completely different from Alexia's hometown, Morganstown, West Virginia. For one, the guys are a LOT more hunkier. Alexia soon finds herself in a romance with Grant Delray. The only problem is, he thinks she is Kari Kingsley! Will Alexia ever be able to tell Grant her true identity, and will he want anything to do with her afterwards?

I really enjoyed reading My Double Life. On first glance, the novel seems like sugary sweet goodness, without any true substance. Rallison, however, cleverly adds in a family plot line, that not only gives the book substance, but also makes it unique. I also liked how Rallison made Alexia half-Latino. Doing this allowed Alexia to be a memorable character. Another character I enjoyed was Kari Kingsley. Rallison's portrayal of Kari revealed that even Kari, who has always been surrounded by Hollywood, struggles with her fame. Humanizing Kari allowed readers to sympathize with her situation, even if the sympathy was little.

Another reason I liked My Double Life was that the book allowed me to view an event I have fantasized about. I mean, we have all dreamed about becoming famous right? Like the rest of us, Alexia dreamed about it, and she got to fulfill her fantasy. It was a fun adventure, and I was definitely swooning over Grant Delray, especially near the end. As I was reading, I was practically grinning ear to ear. Yes, I became starstruck over a fictional character. The only problem I had with My Double Life was the end. I felt that a part of it seemed too good to be true.

I recommend My Double Life to anyone who has ever fantasized about being famous.

My Double Life was a fantastic new release by one of my favorite authors. Alexia was a strong and likable main character that just wanted to do what was right. Growing up with her mother and grandmother, Alexia had never known the thrills of fame and fortune, so when celebrity Kari Kingsley's manager comes knocking, Alexia is especially excited at the chance to make extra money for college. Life in Hollywood is quite different than the quiet life Alexia lived before, and I could understand how overwhelming it was to her. The more things Kari had Alexia do for her, the more Alexia began to wonder- is this worth it? I loved watching Alexia's character develop and change. She had a lot of unique experiences in L.A. and learned a lot about both herself and her family.

Alexia wasn't the only great character. Her mother and grandmother were very sweet and only wanted what was best for Alexia. They had a great relationship, but Alexia wanted the freedom that L.A. offered. Kari, while at first seeming like a bossy, spoiled brat, proved to be a caring person. Her life was busy and she was dealing with a lot of personal problems as well. Grant, on the other hand, was the perfect person. Not only was he a popular rock star, but he was also a down to earth, caring guy. Unfortunately he thinks Alexia is Kari. There are a lot of twists and turns in the plot that follow, so you'll have to read My Double Life to find out what happens :)

As for the plot, it was extremely original and engaging. I had a hard time putting the book down- I just had to know what happened to Kari, Alexia, and Grant. My Double Life showed the ups and downs of stardom and proved that first impressions aren't always the right ones. There are a lot of surprising things that occur and the reader will have a fun and emotional time experiencing everything Alexia is.

Overall My Double Life was a heartfelt and fun read, with more serious undertones and a sweet romance. With great characters and a strong message, this is sure to be a hit with many readers. I can't wait to read any future books by Janette Rallison!

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars