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nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I really enjoyed Identity Crisis because I felt like it was a somewhat lighter take (though not too light) on what can be a very serious issue – and sometimes we need that. There are lots of “issue” books out there, and they’re all important, but they might not always feel accessible, especially to a younger YA crowd. This one does.
The synopsis describes the book pretty accurately, so I’m just going to jump straight into my review
What I enjoyed:
The issue of catfishing explored.
Unfortunately, in today’s age of technology, catfishing is a very real issue – it’s far too easy for a person to pretend to be someone they’re not. And bullying in this way is certainly not unheard of – some kids may see catfishing as a fun “joke” and others might be using it to be intentionally cruel – but either way it’s not a laughing matter. The fact is that being made a fool of in this manner is hurtful and leaves the victim feeling used and confused and more than a little sad. And, of course, then there are the cases where catfishing can be truly dangerous – where the perpetrator has harmful intentions. YA readers (and, really, all of us) need to be aware of these types of dangers and any book that helps them recognize the signs of this sort of situation is a positive, as far as I’m concerned.
Noelle and Annalise.
This book was written from the perspectives of both Noelle and Annalise. Noelle has felt pressured to go along with her friends’ actions and finds it nearly impossible to stand up for herself in the beginning of the book (we see lots of growth there, though!). I think that she embodies a lot of teenagers out there who know that certain actions are wrong, but they don’t feel strong enough to stand up to their peers – especially their friends. Noelle never feels comfortable with what she’s doing, but she ends up finding an actual bond with Annalise and holds onto the guise partially because of that. Annalise, on the other hand, was possibly a bit naive (there were signs that her online love interest wasn’t real that she chose to ignore – but that’s pretty much human nature), but she was a stronger person in general. She stood up for herself and didn’t let people walk all over her. That doesn’t mean she wasn’t hurt by the actions against her – after all, even strong people feel pain when people treat them badly – but she never let the mean girls at her school “win.” She never gave up her own sense of self-worth. I appreciated that an unlikely friendship that developed between Noelle and Annalise online – two very different girls who both felt alienated and needed someone to talk to. (I almost thought for a little while that the book was headed toward a romance between the two girls, but it didn’t go that way – which I was kind of glad about because the issue of sexuality seems a little too complex to cover in an online context – just because you connect with someone online doesn’t mean that you’re going to be attracted to them in person!)
The negatives:
Easy ending.
The only flaw with this book is that things were wrapped up a little too quickly and easily at the end. I would have liked to have seen a little bit more of the actual repercussions of everything that happened. Still, I did feel like the happily ever after ending kept the book lighter – and, like I said, I appreciate a lighter take on these types of subjects sometimes!
I felt like this book took a serious subject and shed light on it without getting too heavy. It definitely fills void in YA fiction in that way. Just to set the expectations, I feel like I should mention that there’s barely a hint of romance in the book (unless you count the fact that Annalise thinks she’s starting to feel romantically toward someone who doesn’t exist – and there’s one other romantic angle, but it’s more of a side note than anything). Romance isn’t the point of this book, which I find kind of refreshing for YA. Overall, I give this one 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
I really enjoyed Identity Crisis because I felt like it was a somewhat lighter take (though not too light) on what can be a very serious issue – and sometimes we need that. There are lots of “issue” books out there, and they’re all important, but they might not always feel accessible, especially to a younger YA crowd. This one does.
The synopsis describes the book pretty accurately, so I’m just going to jump straight into my review
What I enjoyed:
The issue of catfishing explored.
Unfortunately, in today’s age of technology, catfishing is a very real issue – it’s far too easy for a person to pretend to be someone they’re not. And bullying in this way is certainly not unheard of – some kids may see catfishing as a fun “joke” and others might be using it to be intentionally cruel – but either way it’s not a laughing matter. The fact is that being made a fool of in this manner is hurtful and leaves the victim feeling used and confused and more than a little sad. And, of course, then there are the cases where catfishing can be truly dangerous – where the perpetrator has harmful intentions. YA readers (and, really, all of us) need to be aware of these types of dangers and any book that helps them recognize the signs of this sort of situation is a positive, as far as I’m concerned.
Noelle and Annalise.
This book was written from the perspectives of both Noelle and Annalise. Noelle has felt pressured to go along with her friends’ actions and finds it nearly impossible to stand up for herself in the beginning of the book (we see lots of growth there, though!). I think that she embodies a lot of teenagers out there who know that certain actions are wrong, but they don’t feel strong enough to stand up to their peers – especially their friends. Noelle never feels comfortable with what she’s doing, but she ends up finding an actual bond with Annalise and holds onto the guise partially because of that. Annalise, on the other hand, was possibly a bit naive (there were signs that her online love interest wasn’t real that she chose to ignore – but that’s pretty much human nature), but she was a stronger person in general. She stood up for herself and didn’t let people walk all over her. That doesn’t mean she wasn’t hurt by the actions against her – after all, even strong people feel pain when people treat them badly – but she never let the mean girls at her school “win.” She never gave up her own sense of self-worth. I appreciated that an unlikely friendship that developed between Noelle and Annalise online – two very different girls who both felt alienated and needed someone to talk to. (I almost thought for a little while that the book was headed toward a romance between the two girls, but it didn’t go that way – which I was kind of glad about because the issue of sexuality seems a little too complex to cover in an online context – just because you connect with someone online doesn’t mean that you’re going to be attracted to them in person!)
The negatives:
Easy ending.
The only flaw with this book is that things were wrapped up a little too quickly and easily at the end. I would have liked to have seen a little bit more of the actual repercussions of everything that happened. Still, I did feel like the happily ever after ending kept the book lighter – and, like I said, I appreciate a lighter take on these types of subjects sometimes!
I felt like this book took a serious subject and shed light on it without getting too heavy. It definitely fills void in YA fiction in that way. Just to set the expectations, I feel like I should mention that there’s barely a hint of romance in the book (unless you count the fact that Annalise thinks she’s starting to feel romantically toward someone who doesn’t exist – and there’s one other romantic angle, but it’s more of a side note than anything). Romance isn’t the point of this book, which I find kind of refreshing for YA. Overall, I give this one 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
lindsey_kerrigan's review against another edition
3.0
This was okay. I really enjoyed the part where Cooper jumped up on the table and started dancing. I think that was the highlight of the whole book for me. I liked reading the messages back and forth. Over all this wasn't a bad book but just because of my preferences not something I really enjoyed.
michelle_pink_polka_dot's review against another edition
4.0
Identity Crisis is an adorable book that is so very high school. Annalise, a Brass Knuckles fangirl (think: Directioner), finds out she didn't get tickets to the band's one and only concert in Boston. Annalise isn't the most popular girl. Ever since 7th grade she's been receiving unwanted attention due to her overly developed chest. Everyone thinks she's lucky, but all the guys act like pigs around her, and all the girls think she's a slut.
Noelle is part of the popular clique. Her BFF Eva has had it out for Annalise ever since the incident that happened with Eva's boyfriend. When Noelle's crush starts showing interest in Annalise, Eva decides something must be done. She decides to make up a fake online profile to catfish Annalise away from Cooper. The thing is, Eva (the mastermind) leaves the dirty work up to Noelle who doesn't really want to do this at all. Along the way, Noelle finds out that there's more to Annalise than she thought. When things blow up, Noelle misses the bond she felt when talking to Annalise, while Annalise decides she's getting revenge.
Even though this book felt a tad young for me (a 30-something), I thought it was the perfect young people book. I loved the way the 2 narrators felt like they were talking directly to me. I felt an instant connection to both Annalise and Noelle. They both have a cute, honest sense of humor and two distinct personalities. Both sides of the story kept me reading. Some of the IM-ing conversations were a little irritating. I kind of don't like "teen talk". Okay, I really don't like "teen talk", especially if it sounds like an adult trying to mimic the way teens talk. There was some of that going on. But not too much. I also had a lot of cringing moments when Annalise talked of her crush on boy band member Viggo Witts. It was like visiting a One Direction or Justin Bieber fan page and reading comments from girls who think they are "so misunderstood" and "if they could just meet me, I know we'd have an instant connection". But I am reading YA here, so I will overlook that.
Throughout the book I felt terrible for Annalise. It made me think of all the things that teenagers deal with because of all the internets stuff. And YIKES!! I'm so glad that stuff wasn't possible for most of my childhood. The internet really wasn't a "thing" until I was in high school... and then it was all AOL chat rooms and IMs, until Facebook came in on it's demon train. I'm sure people were "catfished" (although that particular term didn't exist), but the online bullying and the invasion of privacy stuff wasn't happening much at all. I also feel so grateful that all my stupid mistakes from back then weren't documented for the world to see.
I love books that show issues like these. Catfishing someone is serious stuff. Making someone think that they're connecting with someone in order to humiliate them?? It's pretty sick and very sad. I thought this book did a good job at showing it, without glamorizing it.
OVERALL: I loved the way I connected with the writing and characters' voices. It deals with heavy issues, while also being completely adorable and fun. It's definitely a high school book with a high school feel. I would more recommend to high school age readers because of that.
My Blog:
Noelle is part of the popular clique. Her BFF Eva has had it out for Annalise ever since the incident that happened with Eva's boyfriend. When Noelle's crush starts showing interest in Annalise, Eva decides something must be done. She decides to make up a fake online profile to catfish Annalise away from Cooper. The thing is, Eva (the mastermind) leaves the dirty work up to Noelle who doesn't really want to do this at all. Along the way, Noelle finds out that there's more to Annalise than she thought. When things blow up, Noelle misses the bond she felt when talking to Annalise, while Annalise decides she's getting revenge.
Even though this book felt a tad young for me (a 30-something), I thought it was the perfect young people book. I loved the way the 2 narrators felt like they were talking directly to me. I felt an instant connection to both Annalise and Noelle. They both have a cute, honest sense of humor and two distinct personalities. Both sides of the story kept me reading. Some of the IM-ing conversations were a little irritating. I kind of don't like "teen talk". Okay, I really don't like "teen talk", especially if it sounds like an adult trying to mimic the way teens talk. There was some of that going on. But not too much. I also had a lot of cringing moments when Annalise talked of her crush on boy band member Viggo Witts. It was like visiting a One Direction or Justin Bieber fan page and reading comments from girls who think they are "so misunderstood" and "if they could just meet me, I know we'd have an instant connection". But I am reading YA here, so I will overlook that.
Throughout the book I felt terrible for Annalise. It made me think of all the things that teenagers deal with because of all the internets stuff. And YIKES!! I'm so glad that stuff wasn't possible for most of my childhood. The internet really wasn't a "thing" until I was in high school... and then it was all AOL chat rooms and IMs, until Facebook came in on it's demon train. I'm sure people were "catfished" (although that particular term didn't exist), but the online bullying and the invasion of privacy stuff wasn't happening much at all. I also feel so grateful that all my stupid mistakes from back then weren't documented for the world to see.
I love books that show issues like these. Catfishing someone is serious stuff. Making someone think that they're connecting with someone in order to humiliate them?? It's pretty sick and very sad. I thought this book did a good job at showing it, without glamorizing it.
OVERALL: I loved the way I connected with the writing and characters' voices. It deals with heavy issues, while also being completely adorable and fun. It's definitely a high school book with a high school feel. I would more recommend to high school age readers because of that.
My Blog:
reading_addict_lemon's review against another edition
4.0
Original post on Reading Addict
I went into this book without expectations, to be honest, because this genre is a hit or miss for me. And this time it was a hit!
This book kept me busy for few hours and I had so much fun reading it, trying to guess what was going to happen, and I failed, and I ended caring so much for the characters, even though I tried not to.
But I can't speak about the plot without giving you spoilers, so I'll shut up. But I can tell you that if you want a fun and easy read this is perfect. If you want something romantic and fluffy this is good. And also, if you like revenge stories and things that turn up completely different in the end then this is a good pick.
Identity crisis is a novel that deals with a ton of stuff, even if is short and you read it so fast, the tone is light and you have the impression that everything is pink and happy as the cover. But if you look closer and you read between the lines, more serious themes are discussed and really well, to be honest. Especially this read being a YA contemporary and you don't expect that to happen. I didn't. And also the fact that we have the insta-messages makes the lecture even more fun and full of suspense.
I wasn't expecting this book to keep me guessing and play with my mind, and hit me with so many twists and turns and I'm so glad that I've read it. It left me with a smile on my face and a warm feeling inside. This is a great book for young readers but also if you read other genres or you are older than the characters. Because putting the highschool life aside, you can feel the serious nuances and issues thrown in it, between funny and fluffy things. You can see the consequences of something that started just innocent and people paying for it. You can take this book both serious and entertaining, and I think that is a win-win for everyone.
You can read this if you want something easy, relaxing, with romance and drama, or you can read it if you want revenge, twists, action, suspense and more serious stuff. You can read it as a teenager or older and I think you'll have lots of fun! I did!
I went into this book without expectations, to be honest, because this genre is a hit or miss for me. And this time it was a hit!
This book kept me busy for few hours and I had so much fun reading it, trying to guess what was going to happen, and I failed, and I ended caring so much for the characters, even though I tried not to.
But I can't speak about the plot without giving you spoilers, so I'll shut up. But I can tell you that if you want a fun and easy read this is perfect. If you want something romantic and fluffy this is good. And also, if you like revenge stories and things that turn up completely different in the end then this is a good pick.
Identity crisis is a novel that deals with a ton of stuff, even if is short and you read it so fast, the tone is light and you have the impression that everything is pink and happy as the cover. But if you look closer and you read between the lines, more serious themes are discussed and really well, to be honest. Especially this read being a YA contemporary and you don't expect that to happen. I didn't. And also the fact that we have the insta-messages makes the lecture even more fun and full of suspense.
I wasn't expecting this book to keep me guessing and play with my mind, and hit me with so many twists and turns and I'm so glad that I've read it. It left me with a smile on my face and a warm feeling inside. This is a great book for young readers but also if you read other genres or you are older than the characters. Because putting the highschool life aside, you can feel the serious nuances and issues thrown in it, between funny and fluffy things. You can see the consequences of something that started just innocent and people paying for it. You can take this book both serious and entertaining, and I think that is a win-win for everyone.
You can read this if you want something easy, relaxing, with romance and drama, or you can read it if you want revenge, twists, action, suspense and more serious stuff. You can read it as a teenager or older and I think you'll have lots of fun! I did!
rae1019's review against another edition
3.0
I received this book from Merit Press for me to review. As soon as I opened the package, I wasn't thrilled. The cover was nice, but I knew that if I hadn't been given it for free I would never have given this book a second glance. I as a reader am just not interested in this kind of book, because I live with high school drama already. Aside from that, I did enjoy the way the book was written. Some people have a problem with switching perspectives, but I kind of enjoy it. I would say my biggest problem over all was in the beginning of the book. I'm very confused over tan M&M's???? I have never encountered such a color in a package of M&M's. The only other problem I had was talking about a "Sorry Kitty" as being the way everyone apologizes. I have never used nor received them. Other than that, I felt Noelle was quite a relatable character. Everyone has at least knows an Eva and Tori, and can feel like they are getting walked all over. Annalise also did have some relatable qualities. She appeared to be the kind of girl I would befriend. Melissa Schorr created some relatable characters and I would love to see her try her hand at less-realistic fiction so I could get behind the story!
aniem's review against another edition
4.0
I won this book at the beginning of the year 2016 through a giveaway contest, listed on goodreads. I enjoyed reading it and can't wait that my daughter improves her english, so I can recommend it to her also. I'm sure she will love it and in the same time learn about the dangers of surfing nowadays on the Web and become a victim of cyberbulling. I appreciated the way the author reflected that the two teenagers, Annalise and Noelle, grew up and dealed with what happened as grown-ups.
teenage_reads's review against another edition
3.0
Catfishing is when someone pretends to be someone they are not, online. This can be the forty-seven year old male talking to a thirteen year old girl, or three girls wanting to get back to someone. This is a highly illegal and extreme cases can be tried as identity fraud. No matter your excuse there is no good reason to catfish someone, no matter how much they have hurt you in the past.
Annalisa Bradley is a normal high school girl, from her love of the new rock band, studying for math tests, to her bright red curly hair. Everything is average except for her huge rack of boobs. Because of that she instantly becomes the center of attention from the eyes of boys, to the jealousy of girls. Yet the only thing Annalisa wants is to go to her favorite band, Brass Knuckles, concert. She and her best friend Maeve, were going together (even though Maeve wasn’t that big of a fan), and Annalisa knew she was going to be the one the lead singer pick to come up and sing a duet with. It was up to her mother to get the tickets, as Annalisa was stuck in math with Copper, who decided he would be her first boyfriend, waiting for the text from her mom. The text never came though as her mother got in a car crash (she’s okay though) and was unable to get the tickets. Annalisa then goes into crisis mode as she tries everything to get a set of tickets.
Noelle Spiers has it all. The perfect family, to being number three in a trio of friendship. It has been Noelle and Eva forever, then Tori joined them making them unstoppable. The only thing that would make her life better if her lifelong friend Copper would finally see her as someone to love. Yet he is too busy with Annalisa to notice her. Eva knows a way to fix that, after all Eva hates Annalisa after the freshman formal in which Annalisa allegedly hooked up with Eva’s longtime boyfriend Amos. Eva created Declan, an online boy who happens to share all of Annalisa likes and dislikes. Eva set him up on the Brass Knuckles fan page, and responded to Annalisa’s plead of not having tickets. Yet because she and Tori are busy with play rehearsals, it is up to Noelle to keep up the Declan online image. After weeks of late nights, discussing everything from petty high school drama, their favorite band, to the mysteries of life. Noelle realizes that Annalisa is not that bad of the person, where Eva was driving her nuts. Noelle realizes she needs to stop people from walking all over her, starting with Eva, Tori, Cooper and finally Annalisa.
Melissa Schoor wrote this amazing story, filled with revenge, drama, boy, love, and catfishing. It is divided into two points-of-views: Annalisa and Noelle. From Annalisa you get a great deal of family background, from her parent’s divorce, her and her old sister strain relationship, to how Maeve is her only real friend. Noelle has a different life than Annalisa, but struggles with her self-confidants, and her friends. You get to see how Noelle gets crushed by the power of Eva, and struggles to try to stand on her own two feet. Where the writing is fair in most places the storyline is unique as two people become friends, but only one knows, as the other is being catfishes.
Annalisa Bradley is a normal high school girl, from her love of the new rock band, studying for math tests, to her bright red curly hair. Everything is average except for her huge rack of boobs. Because of that she instantly becomes the center of attention from the eyes of boys, to the jealousy of girls. Yet the only thing Annalisa wants is to go to her favorite band, Brass Knuckles, concert. She and her best friend Maeve, were going together (even though Maeve wasn’t that big of a fan), and Annalisa knew she was going to be the one the lead singer pick to come up and sing a duet with. It was up to her mother to get the tickets, as Annalisa was stuck in math with Copper, who decided he would be her first boyfriend, waiting for the text from her mom. The text never came though as her mother got in a car crash (she’s okay though) and was unable to get the tickets. Annalisa then goes into crisis mode as she tries everything to get a set of tickets.
Noelle Spiers has it all. The perfect family, to being number three in a trio of friendship. It has been Noelle and Eva forever, then Tori joined them making them unstoppable. The only thing that would make her life better if her lifelong friend Copper would finally see her as someone to love. Yet he is too busy with Annalisa to notice her. Eva knows a way to fix that, after all Eva hates Annalisa after the freshman formal in which Annalisa allegedly hooked up with Eva’s longtime boyfriend Amos. Eva created Declan, an online boy who happens to share all of Annalisa likes and dislikes. Eva set him up on the Brass Knuckles fan page, and responded to Annalisa’s plead of not having tickets. Yet because she and Tori are busy with play rehearsals, it is up to Noelle to keep up the Declan online image. After weeks of late nights, discussing everything from petty high school drama, their favorite band, to the mysteries of life. Noelle realizes that Annalisa is not that bad of the person, where Eva was driving her nuts. Noelle realizes she needs to stop people from walking all over her, starting with Eva, Tori, Cooper and finally Annalisa.
Melissa Schoor wrote this amazing story, filled with revenge, drama, boy, love, and catfishing. It is divided into two points-of-views: Annalisa and Noelle. From Annalisa you get a great deal of family background, from her parent’s divorce, her and her old sister strain relationship, to how Maeve is her only real friend. Noelle has a different life than Annalisa, but struggles with her self-confidants, and her friends. You get to see how Noelle gets crushed by the power of Eva, and struggles to try to stand on her own two feet. Where the writing is fair in most places the storyline is unique as two people become friends, but only one knows, as the other is being catfishes.
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