The accident was horrible: one twin dead, and her sister e driver th a terrific blow to the head. Only gradually does Ella realize who she is e person who has killed her sister and taken "Miss Popularity" from the high school and the favored daughter from her parents. Since no one seems to be able to tell the difference, Ella decides to "become" Maddy, the daughter, friend, and girlfriend that she believes everyone wanted to live. Yet the more Ella "becomes" Maddy, the more she misses herself, realizing that Maddy's life wasn't the idyllic one she had envisioned. Leaver makes this rather dubious premise plausible. Ella and Maddy are identical, albeit the antithesis of each other throughout high school. Her characters are real: the girls' parents' grief and confusion are palpable, and the high school "mean girls" are definitely mean. While readers must suspend disbelief in order for this story to work, Leaver does a credible, if didactic, job of illustrating the reality that people love us for who we are, not who we might think they want us to be.

Gr 7 Up-Ella Lawton is a senior in high school and a talented artist about to be accepted into a prestigious art design school. While Ella has flown under the radar in high school, her identical twin sister, Maddy, is incredibly popular and dating the sought-after Alex Furey. Ella is content with her friends and her art, while Maddy seems to have a drama-filled social circle that perplexes Ella. One night, Maddy calls her sister and asks her to come pick her up from a party. When Ella arrives, she sees that her twin is visibly upset, and the two leave, with Ella at the wheel. On the drive home, the teens are involved in a tragic accident, leaving Maddy dead. When Ella wakes up, she realizes that everyone, her parents, Alex, and a big group of friends are all waiting for her to regain consciousness at the hospital. Everyone thinks she is Maddy. Ella makes a split-second decision to take on her sister's life. The siblings have switched places before, for tests and schoolwork. Little does Ella realize the difficulties that lie ahead in trying to navigate Maddy's life, and what price she will have to pay to give up her own dreams. The book is well written, but Ella's interior monologue drags at times. There are some mysteries about Maddy's life that do get resolved, but they take a backseat to Ella's deception. VERDICT Well written with excellent character development, this work falters in its pacing and focus. A general purchase for most YA collections. Nancy Jo Lambert, Reedy High School, Frisco, TX

Leaver's brilliant novel is the high school version of Whatever Happened to Janie? (Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1994/VOYA August 1993). The compelling premise will attract readers and the strong characterization will keep them enthralled. Identical twin girls, absolute best friends until age thirteen, whoas seniorscan substitute for each other in classes without detection, are involved in a horrific car wreck. After two days of being unconscious, the surviving sister awakens without memory of her identity. Allowing others to fill in the gaps for her, she is misidentified as the wildly-popular Maddy, an average student and strong athlete. By the time she understands she is Ella, the introverted AP student, she believes she must give up her own identity to allow her late sister to live. Readers will find her journey into her twin's identity gripping. As the demands of living Maddy's life become increasingly difficult, Ella must decide whose life to live.Carefully crafted, Leaver's novel accounts for every question that might be asked about the girls' identities, addresses Ella's survivor's guilt, and effectively explains why she initially believes Maddy is the better twin to survive. Although this reader tripped over the lengthy time the dead sister's body is retained at the hospital morgue and the funeral being delayed nearly two weeks (until the survivor could attend), this should not trouble teen readers. Complex relationships between sisters, family, and close friends will sustain interest. Guaranteed to engage reluctant readers, libraries should obtain multiple copies; once discovered, this title will long remain in circulation.Cynthia Winfield.