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papalbina's review against another edition
3.0
it was entertaining and sometimes funny, but nothing espectacular. nice to spend a couple of hours entertained, but nothing more. it wasn't even a feel-good book, although it tried.
cstoeger's review against another edition
4.0
Sloane Emily Jacobs is an ice skater who crashed during junior nationals, and isn't ready for her big comeback.
Sloane Devon Jacobs is an ice hockey player who has been suspended from her team for one too many fights on the ice.
The two Sloanes meet by chance and decide to trade places for the summer. Each girl thinks she's the lucky one, not fully realizing what they are getting into.
This book is the contemporary take on the Parent Trap or It Takes Two. I loved the dynamics behind the switch, and the fact that the girls got to see a different side of themselves; without the pressure from their parents.
Overall, I was really glad that I had picked up this book. I also liked that I accidentally read it during the Olympics. It was a great, light entertaining read.
Sloane Devon Jacobs is an ice hockey player who has been suspended from her team for one too many fights on the ice.
The two Sloanes meet by chance and decide to trade places for the summer. Each girl thinks she's the lucky one, not fully realizing what they are getting into.
This book is the contemporary take on the Parent Trap or It Takes Two. I loved the dynamics behind the switch, and the fact that the girls got to see a different side of themselves; without the pressure from their parents.
Overall, I was really glad that I had picked up this book. I also liked that I accidentally read it during the Olympics. It was a great, light entertaining read.
kaitrosereads's review
5.0
Lauren Morrill got my attention with her debut novel, Meant To Be, but she captured my heart with her sophomore novel, Being Sloane Jacobs. Being Sloane Jacobs is one of the best contemporary reads I’ve read in quite some time and I was seriously impressed with every aspect of it.
Being Sloane Jacobs starts off slow but that’s not a bad thing. A story as complex as this one takes some build up and let me tell you, it’s worth it in the end. Readers are introduced to Sloane Emily Jacobs and Sloane Devon Jacobs, two very different girls who just happen to share a name. Sloane Emily is a figure skater who is beyond stressed out and wants nothing to do with figure skating. She knows secrets about her family that could tear them apart and it’s killing her not to share them. She’s alone in what she knows and she needs a break from it all. Sloane Devon is a ice hockey player with a serious temper. She’s got her own family issues that she’d love to escape from but not in the form of mandatory hockey camp. When the two Sloanes happen to run into each other the night before camp, they concoct a brilliant (and also slightly crazy) plan to switch places for the summer.
It may seem like it’d be confusing reading about two different characters with the same name but that’s not the case at all. Sloane Emily and Sloane Devon are very clearly two different people. They have unique personalities and even if the chapter heading didn’t tell you which POV you were reading, I feel like readers could still figure it out based on just their personalities. They are both well-developed characters that are easy to like, but for different reasons. Sloane Emily comes across as a little spoiled at first but she’s quick to grow out of that. Sloane Devon comes across as rather rude at first but she also learns a lot throughout the course of the book. They both learn to rely on people, including each other. It’s not easy for either of them but they slowly build relationships not just with each other but with the people at their respective camps.
Both boys are seriously adorable and so easy to fall for. The romance isn’t deep in either case but it’s just right for the story. Both Sloane Devon and Sloane Emily aren’t looking for romantic entanglements but when they meet the right guys, things just happen. It was the perfect balance for the more serious aspects of the story.
The sports aspect was done amazingly well. I know almost nothing about ice hockey and even less about figure skating but that didn’t feel like a problem when reading Being Sloane Jacobs. Lauren Morrill incorporates enough about each sport so that readers can get by but she doesn’t bog things down with too much information. Just like Miranda Kenneally does with her books, Lauren Morrill manages to perfectly balance sports and her subject matter.
Overall, Being Sloane Jacobs is a must read for contemporary fans. I’d even recommend checking this one out before her debut, Meant To Be, although I suggest you get to that one eventually!
Being Sloane Jacobs starts off slow but that’s not a bad thing. A story as complex as this one takes some build up and let me tell you, it’s worth it in the end. Readers are introduced to Sloane Emily Jacobs and Sloane Devon Jacobs, two very different girls who just happen to share a name. Sloane Emily is a figure skater who is beyond stressed out and wants nothing to do with figure skating. She knows secrets about her family that could tear them apart and it’s killing her not to share them. She’s alone in what she knows and she needs a break from it all. Sloane Devon is a ice hockey player with a serious temper. She’s got her own family issues that she’d love to escape from but not in the form of mandatory hockey camp. When the two Sloanes happen to run into each other the night before camp, they concoct a brilliant (and also slightly crazy) plan to switch places for the summer.
It may seem like it’d be confusing reading about two different characters with the same name but that’s not the case at all. Sloane Emily and Sloane Devon are very clearly two different people. They have unique personalities and even if the chapter heading didn’t tell you which POV you were reading, I feel like readers could still figure it out based on just their personalities. They are both well-developed characters that are easy to like, but for different reasons. Sloane Emily comes across as a little spoiled at first but she’s quick to grow out of that. Sloane Devon comes across as rather rude at first but she also learns a lot throughout the course of the book. They both learn to rely on people, including each other. It’s not easy for either of them but they slowly build relationships not just with each other but with the people at their respective camps.
Both boys are seriously adorable and so easy to fall for. The romance isn’t deep in either case but it’s just right for the story. Both Sloane Devon and Sloane Emily aren’t looking for romantic entanglements but when they meet the right guys, things just happen. It was the perfect balance for the more serious aspects of the story.
The sports aspect was done amazingly well. I know almost nothing about ice hockey and even less about figure skating but that didn’t feel like a problem when reading Being Sloane Jacobs. Lauren Morrill incorporates enough about each sport so that readers can get by but she doesn’t bog things down with too much information. Just like Miranda Kenneally does with her books, Lauren Morrill manages to perfectly balance sports and her subject matter.
Overall, Being Sloane Jacobs is a must read for contemporary fans. I’d even recommend checking this one out before her debut, Meant To Be, although I suggest you get to that one eventually!
staceyhust88's review against another edition
3.0
More Reviews:
**I received this as an eARC through Netgalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. In no way does that effect the thoughts and opinions expressed here. I did not get reimbursed for writing this review.**
REVIEW
Being Sloane Jacobs is basically the parent trap only the Sloane's don't share a parent. While the premise behind the book is not wholly original the author puts a sports twist on it making it into a new-ish idea, one that appealed to even a nonsports fan like myself.
I'm not big into hockey or ice skating (or any sport to be truthful), though I have been known to watch ice skating back in my younger years, so it was fun to read about what it's like to train for the sports the girls are involved in. The POVs switch between Sloane Emily and Sloane Devon which gives us a good glimpse into both characters thoughts, feelings, and interactions. Unfortunately I personally don't do well with multiple POVs so I really didn't feel that connected to the characters but I really think that's more a personal issue than an issue with the writing. In fact the characters are really well developed. Each Sloane has a family life they are looking to get away from which makes the idea of switching places that much more appealing to them.
There are bonding moments between the Sloane's and the people they meet on their adventure. Each Sloane ends up with a love interest, of course, but Sloane Devon's lover boy turns out to be from her past(which almost blows her cover). The relationships between the characters come across believable and natural and each person has their own quirks. My personal favorite was Andy (Sloane Devon's friend and figure skating partner) he has so much attitude!
There WAS one line that made me want to stop reading immediately. I actually rolled my eyes at it.
Sloane Emily describing Matt upon first meeting him:
He's got shaggy chestnut hair that, with some styling product and half an hour with a blow dryer, could be sculpted into a decent-looking Bieber.
-p.58 eARC
I literally said "SERIOUSLY!?" Out loud. Luckily it was more than a few pages in so I was already interested. I can say that there are no more mentions of said pop star.
Overall, Being Sloane Jacobs is a light hearted, fun and easy read. While the idea isn't original and is somewhat predictable the way it is executed makes it heartwarming and enjoyable.
**I received this as an eARC through Netgalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. In no way does that effect the thoughts and opinions expressed here. I did not get reimbursed for writing this review.**
REVIEW
Being Sloane Jacobs is basically the parent trap only the Sloane's don't share a parent. While the premise behind the book is not wholly original the author puts a sports twist on it making it into a new-ish idea, one that appealed to even a nonsports fan like myself.
I'm not big into hockey or ice skating (or any sport to be truthful), though I have been known to watch ice skating back in my younger years, so it was fun to read about what it's like to train for the sports the girls are involved in. The POVs switch between Sloane Emily and Sloane Devon which gives us a good glimpse into both characters thoughts, feelings, and interactions. Unfortunately I personally don't do well with multiple POVs so I really didn't feel that connected to the characters but I really think that's more a personal issue than an issue with the writing. In fact the characters are really well developed. Each Sloane has a family life they are looking to get away from which makes the idea of switching places that much more appealing to them.
There are bonding moments between the Sloane's and the people they meet on their adventure. Each Sloane ends up with a love interest, of course, but Sloane Devon's lover boy turns out to be from her past(which almost blows her cover). The relationships between the characters come across believable and natural and each person has their own quirks. My personal favorite was Andy (Sloane Devon's friend and figure skating partner) he has so much attitude!
There WAS one line that made me want to stop reading immediately. I actually rolled my eyes at it.
Sloane Emily describing Matt upon first meeting him:
He's got shaggy chestnut hair that, with some styling product and half an hour with a blow dryer, could be sculpted into a decent-looking Bieber.
-p.58 eARC
I literally said "SERIOUSLY!?" Out loud. Luckily it was more than a few pages in so I was already interested. I can say that there are no more mentions of said pop star.
Overall, Being Sloane Jacobs is a light hearted, fun and easy read. While the idea isn't original and is somewhat predictable the way it is executed makes it heartwarming and enjoyable.
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
4.0
such an adorable read!
Two girls with the very unusual same name happen to bump into each other at the perfect time in their lives - when both of them wants to run away.
You have to suspend a little belief to think that this could actually be pulled off. But the story is so cute, the characters are so fun, that it's easy to do.
I love each Sloane's new twist and take on their new world and how they claim it as their own.
it's a story that's easy to love!
Two girls with the very unusual same name happen to bump into each other at the perfect time in their lives - when both of them wants to run away.
You have to suspend a little belief to think that this could actually be pulled off. But the story is so cute, the characters are so fun, that it's easy to do.
I love each Sloane's new twist and take on their new world and how they claim it as their own.
it's a story that's easy to love!
maggiemaggio's review against another edition
4.0
The Parent Trap (the 1961 version with Hayley Mills) is hands down my favorite childhood movie, I never really liked cartoons, but give me a story about two long lost twins switching places and I was sold. I’ve probably watched that movie over 200 times. Before reading Being Sloane Jacobs I was kind of confused by The Parent Trap comparisons. Yes, they’re both stories where two girls switch places, but The Parent Trap has the whole long lost twins trying to reunite their parents thing going on and it just seemed to different to me from two girls who are trying to escape their own lives by switching summer camps.
When I first started reading I didn’t see the comparisons. I liked seeing the two girls in their home environments before they go away to camp. I’ve always been intrigued about what it’s like to be kind of famous so Sloane Emily’s set up as the daughter of a well known politician was interesting. Sloane Devon’s family’s story of struggling to pay their bills and the mom in rehab was sad and I was interested in seeing how these two would interact. Then I got to when they first meet; with them literally running into each other, the arguing, and the forced dinner together and I was kind of peeved about how much it was like my beloved movie. Throw in the pranks being pulled once each girl gets to the other’s camp and I was worried about how the book was going to go.
I didn’t need to worry though because the story quickly distanced itself from The Parent Trap and I loved where it went. Do I think this story is really at all plausible? No. I don’t know much about hockey or ice skating, but I don’t think it’s likely that a girl could master either of the sports in a few weeks, especially when compared with the other elite teens at their respective camps. But much like Robin Benway’s Also Known As novels it doesn’t matter because the story is just so much fun.
When it comes down to it the story isn’t so much about hockey or figure skating. Yes, both girls need to step outside of their normal boundaries and learn to do new things, but it’s more about the choices they make to be able to be successful and how they change by letting go of what’s holding them back. Sloane Emily is trying to escape her family’s expectations, she no longer wants to skate and resents her parents, mainly her father, for forcing her to go to skating camp to try to regain her old form. Sloane Devon loves hockey, but lately she just can’t play like she used to. In big moments she gets nervous and can’t make the important shots, something that might have to do with her mother’s recent arrest and stint in rehab.
While impersonating the other Sloane both girls have to figure out what they really want, but it’s not easy because they’re dealing with scary/catty roommates, boys (which I didn’t dislike, but I sometimes thought the love interests were a distraction from the more important/interesting parts of the story), and of course mastering each other’s sports so they’re not discovered. I liked both Sloanes immensely and I thought this book struck the perfect balance between funny and serious situations.
Bottom Line: After not enjoying Lauren Morrill’s Meant to Be I’m so happy I gave her another chance and read Being Sloane Jacobs. The set up for the story was pretty out there, but the pasts the girls were running from, the strong and relateable characters, and the funny, well told story cancelled out my disbelief.
This review first appeared on my blog.
When I first started reading I didn’t see the comparisons. I liked seeing the two girls in their home environments before they go away to camp. I’ve always been intrigued about what it’s like to be kind of famous so Sloane Emily’s set up as the daughter of a well known politician was interesting. Sloane Devon’s family’s story of struggling to pay their bills and the mom in rehab was sad and I was interested in seeing how these two would interact. Then I got to when they first meet; with them literally running into each other, the arguing, and the forced dinner together and I was kind of peeved about how much it was like my beloved movie. Throw in the pranks being pulled once each girl gets to the other’s camp and I was worried about how the book was going to go.
I didn’t need to worry though because the story quickly distanced itself from The Parent Trap and I loved where it went. Do I think this story is really at all plausible? No. I don’t know much about hockey or ice skating, but I don’t think it’s likely that a girl could master either of the sports in a few weeks, especially when compared with the other elite teens at their respective camps. But much like Robin Benway’s Also Known As novels it doesn’t matter because the story is just so much fun.
When it comes down to it the story isn’t so much about hockey or figure skating. Yes, both girls need to step outside of their normal boundaries and learn to do new things, but it’s more about the choices they make to be able to be successful and how they change by letting go of what’s holding them back. Sloane Emily is trying to escape her family’s expectations, she no longer wants to skate and resents her parents, mainly her father, for forcing her to go to skating camp to try to regain her old form. Sloane Devon loves hockey, but lately she just can’t play like she used to. In big moments she gets nervous and can’t make the important shots, something that might have to do with her mother’s recent arrest and stint in rehab.
While impersonating the other Sloane both girls have to figure out what they really want, but it’s not easy because they’re dealing with scary/catty roommates, boys (which I didn’t dislike, but I sometimes thought the love interests were a distraction from the more important/interesting parts of the story), and of course mastering each other’s sports so they’re not discovered. I liked both Sloanes immensely and I thought this book struck the perfect balance between funny and serious situations.
Bottom Line: After not enjoying Lauren Morrill’s Meant to Be I’m so happy I gave her another chance and read Being Sloane Jacobs. The set up for the story was pretty out there, but the pasts the girls were running from, the strong and relateable characters, and the funny, well told story cancelled out my disbelief.
This review first appeared on my blog.
nikkidreads's review against another edition
4.0
Lauren Morrill is queen of the adorbs. Seriously. When I first started reading her, she reminded me a lot of Jennifer E. Smith with more zaniness. I fell in love after Meant to Be. It's one of those perfect chick flick-isque types of book that everyone needs at times. I needed something that wouldn't break my heart. So Being Sloan Jacobs it was.
The book centers around two girls. They look somewhat similiar and can skate on the ice. Oh and they are named Sloane Jacobs. Both Sloanes come from families that are having some struggles. Both are facing a summer for a sport that both are terrified of failing at. Sloan Devon has been playing hocket since she was 5. She loves the game more than anything. But ending the season before her senior year, Sloane is hiding a big secret that no one can know. When her coach forces her into a 4 week hockey camp in Canada, she is not excited. At all.
Sloane Emily is the daughter of a U.S. Senator. That type of role is a bit stressful. There's always a spotlight, photos, and pressure from her mother. She's been figure skating as long as the other Sloane. A bad jump 3 years ago kept her from the spotlight on ice. Now, according to her mom, she's ready for her comeback, so off to training camp to hone those figure skating skills. She goes. Nothing sounds worse than being alone in the spotlight again.
They meet for the first time, they fight, and then they hatch their parent trap plan. Ok, it's more like the Prince and the Pauper. Still either way, it's a fabulous story with laughs and awwww's and a sweet plot line that never really gets old.
Both Sloanes want to run away from their problems, but both will find that running away never solves the problem fully. They just needed to see the world through another Sloane's eyes. This is a book worth reading.
The book centers around two girls. They look somewhat similiar and can skate on the ice. Oh and they are named Sloane Jacobs. Both Sloanes come from families that are having some struggles. Both are facing a summer for a sport that both are terrified of failing at. Sloan Devon has been playing hocket since she was 5. She loves the game more than anything. But ending the season before her senior year, Sloane is hiding a big secret that no one can know. When her coach forces her into a 4 week hockey camp in Canada, she is not excited. At all.
Sloane Emily is the daughter of a U.S. Senator. That type of role is a bit stressful. There's always a spotlight, photos, and pressure from her mother. She's been figure skating as long as the other Sloane. A bad jump 3 years ago kept her from the spotlight on ice. Now, according to her mom, she's ready for her comeback, so off to training camp to hone those figure skating skills. She goes. Nothing sounds worse than being alone in the spotlight again.
They meet for the first time, they fight, and then they hatch their parent trap plan. Ok, it's more like the Prince and the Pauper. Still either way, it's a fabulous story with laughs and awwww's and a sweet plot line that never really gets old.
Both Sloanes want to run away from their problems, but both will find that running away never solves the problem fully. They just needed to see the world through another Sloane's eyes. This is a book worth reading.
sarahonthecoast's review
2.0
Sadly, this very much missed the mark.
This absolutely fell flat for me. I never walk in to a “swapping lives” story expecting too much realism, but this one didn’t even have one toe on the ground. Even if you can suspend all logic and believe that there are two Sloane Jacobs in such close proximity with similar problems, the ease at which they make their decision to switch and the lack of problems they face in trading lives is just silly- and boring. Morrill seemed more preoccupied in setting up romantic situations for the Sloanes than exploring the deeper issues or even how a figure skater and a hockey player could almost seamlessly transition into each other’s sports.
This absolutely fell flat for me. I never walk in to a “swapping lives” story expecting too much realism, but this one didn’t even have one toe on the ground. Even if you can suspend all logic and believe that there are two Sloane Jacobs in such close proximity with similar problems, the ease at which they make their decision to switch and the lack of problems they face in trading lives is just silly- and boring. Morrill seemed more preoccupied in setting up romantic situations for the Sloanes than exploring the deeper issues or even how a figure skater and a hockey player could almost seamlessly transition into each other’s sports.
poorashleu's review
4.0
Reviewed at yAdultReview
Some important facts to know about me: I love Disney channel movies and figure skating. This probably is reflected in my review of said novel.
The story starts out with Sloane E(mily), a figure skater with a loving yet slightly overbearing family who lives in DC. She’s dealing with her mother who wants her to be a star, her father is too busy worrying about his career in the Senate and then there is her brother James who doesn’t care about what his parents think and worries just about him (and Sloane). Her parents also are convinced she is MTB with this slimy boy who tried to molest her at an event. When she brings this up to her parents she is very much shut down because he comes from a good family that would give her father even more power.
After that dinner we meet Sloane D(evon). Sloane D, is a hockey player who enjoys a good fight. She’s so good at fighting, that her coach has had enough and benches her for the next three games of next season. Her family is completely different from Sloane E. Her mom isn’t currently in the picture, her family is lower to middle class and she has a secret: she can’t shoot a hockey puck. Her father is riding on hockey for her to have a future at college and she can’t shoot a puck. Her father try to be close, but her mother leaving cut her to the bone and Sloane D uses her words to cut her father and say things she can’t take back (something we’re all guilty of).
They both have something in common though: they want to be someone other than themselves.
Insert Hockey Camp! At hockey camp we learn that Sloane E saw something she shouldn’t have and her father is trying to pay her off. Which is just awkward. We learn that Sloane D is having a hard time with her mother leaving.
The story very much has a Parent Trap vibe to it. Which is not an insult from me. I love and adore that movie. There are just parts to it that are like the Parent Trap where it is hard to believe, even if Lindsay Lohan is playing you. That being said I felt for both Sloane’s even if for different reasons. Although their lives look “perfect” to the other from the outside they are clearly not. They both want to fit in and be accepted and that is hard no matter what age or what circumstances you are faced with.
A major circumstance is of course the two of them switching places. After a bonding moment showing each other various bruises (ouch) they decide this is it. They are going to do it. The two then fight misconceptions that they didn’t even know they had. The hockey star figures out that figure skating isn’t as easy as dancing on ice. There is stretching and practice and part of her body she didn’t even think could hurt. The figure skater finds out that hockey is
Sloane D, even finds a handful of people at skating camp that she even likes. Including Bee, a native to the area who shows Sloane an excellent bar with actual food and a very cute bartender. A bartender, Nando, who knows Sloane D from home. Her home. Not Sloane E’s home. Sloane E starts to figure out that lying to everyone is becoming harder and harder than she thought. Sloane E. also has a boy, a boy named Matt. Matt who is known around camp for being a player that all the woman enjoys. Is this true? A boy, in a YA novel get a bad rap? Never.
This book is very realistic YA. Or as realistic as a Parent Trap-esque movie could be, but you know what I mean. There is love, and heartbreak and parts where it hurts to read, but being a teen is never easy. This was a solid YA read and exactly what I needed to start off 2014.
Some important facts to know about me: I love Disney channel movies and figure skating. This probably is reflected in my review of said novel.
The story starts out with Sloane E(mily), a figure skater with a loving yet slightly overbearing family who lives in DC. She’s dealing with her mother who wants her to be a star, her father is too busy worrying about his career in the Senate and then there is her brother James who doesn’t care about what his parents think and worries just about him (and Sloane). Her parents also are convinced she is MTB with this slimy boy who tried to molest her at an event. When she brings this up to her parents she is very much shut down because he comes from a good family that would give her father even more power.
After that dinner we meet Sloane D(evon). Sloane D, is a hockey player who enjoys a good fight. She’s so good at fighting, that her coach has had enough and benches her for the next three games of next season. Her family is completely different from Sloane E. Her mom isn’t currently in the picture, her family is lower to middle class and she has a secret: she can’t shoot a hockey puck. Her father is riding on hockey for her to have a future at college and she can’t shoot a puck. Her father try to be close, but her mother leaving cut her to the bone and Sloane D uses her words to cut her father and say things she can’t take back (something we’re all guilty of).
They both have something in common though: they want to be someone other than themselves.
Insert Hockey Camp! At hockey camp we learn that Sloane E saw something she shouldn’t have and her father is trying to pay her off. Which is just awkward. We learn that Sloane D is having a hard time with her mother leaving.
The story very much has a Parent Trap vibe to it. Which is not an insult from me. I love and adore that movie. There are just parts to it that are like the Parent Trap where it is hard to believe, even if Lindsay Lohan is playing you. That being said I felt for both Sloane’s even if for different reasons. Although their lives look “perfect” to the other from the outside they are clearly not. They both want to fit in and be accepted and that is hard no matter what age or what circumstances you are faced with.
A major circumstance is of course the two of them switching places. After a bonding moment showing each other various bruises (ouch) they decide this is it. They are going to do it. The two then fight misconceptions that they didn’t even know they had. The hockey star figures out that figure skating isn’t as easy as dancing on ice. There is stretching and practice and part of her body she didn’t even think could hurt. The figure skater finds out that hockey is
Sloane D, even finds a handful of people at skating camp that she even likes. Including Bee, a native to the area who shows Sloane an excellent bar with actual food and a very cute bartender. A bartender, Nando, who knows Sloane D from home. Her home. Not Sloane E’s home. Sloane E starts to figure out that lying to everyone is becoming harder and harder than she thought. Sloane E. also has a boy, a boy named Matt. Matt who is known around camp for being a player that all the woman enjoys. Is this true? A boy, in a YA novel get a bad rap? Never.
This book is very realistic YA. Or as realistic as a Parent Trap-esque movie could be, but you know what I mean. There is love, and heartbreak and parts where it hurts to read, but being a teen is never easy. This was a solid YA read and exactly what I needed to start off 2014.