A Million Miles Away

May 1, 2015
Kelsey begins impersonating her deceased identical twin sister, Michelle, in a misguided attempt to protect Michelle's boyfriend, who has recently been deployed overseas, but her lies lead to heartache when she finds herself falling for Peter. Kelsey and Michelle are identical in appearance alone; by senior year they are largely uninterested in each other. So Kelsey doesn't pay much attention to Peter when he mistakes her for Michelle at a party, dismissing him as another of Michelle's dramatic flings-a notion Michelle rejects later that evening. The following day, returning home from dropping Peter at the airport to begin his deployment, Michelle dies in a car accident. Kelsey finds herself responsible for informing Peter of the devastating news. Instead, reasoning that grief might weaken his focus during his tour in Afghanistan, she impulsively begins impersonating Michelle. This deception eventually requires Kelsey to familiarize herself with her sister's life, leading her to a new appreciation of Michelle and her passions-and even inspiring Kelsey to make some changes in her own life. The weighty moments of discovery and understanding are bittersweet since the chance for the twins to share a renewed reciprocal intimacy has passed. But the developing romance between the Kelsey-as-Michelle character and Peter is predictable, and most of the other secondary characters feel underdeveloped. Though it reaches for emotional moments, the novel isn't especially memorable. (Romance. 14-18)

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April 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-Kelsey Maxfield's identical twin sister, Michelle, is killed in a car crash during their senior year just after Michelle's boyfriend, Peter, has been deployed to Afghanistan. While coping with the loss and trying to get back to normal, Kelsey stumbles upon a Skype session with Peter. Not sure how to tell him about Michelle's death, she decides to keep it a secret and leads him to believe that she is Michelle. Kelsey carries on the long distance relationship. Eventually, she gets up the courage to relay the message through a video, only to find out that Peter never receives it, which leads to more problems. While the story holds true to the deception between Kelsey and Peter and is somewhat romantic, other issues are introduced when Kelsey finally comes clean, making the plot feel uneven and disjointed in places. The adult characters are forever absent and more wrapped up in themselves than the teens. Wondering how Peter will react to the deception will keep readers interested. VERDICT Those who are looking for something similar to Nicholas Sparks will appreciate this light romance.-Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2015
Grades 7-12 High-school seniors and identical twins Michelle and Kelsey are as different as chalk and cheese. Michelle is an iconoclastic artist, scholar, and free spirit, while Kelsey eschews academics for the cheerleading team and partying. But when Michelle is killed in a car accident after delivering her new boyfriend, Peter, to the airport for a tour of duty in Afghanistan, Kelsey is bereft without her other half. She rejects her parents' efforts to get her help and becomes more and more isolated, until Peter sends Skype requests to Michelle's laptop. Kelsey realizes he doesn't know about Michelle, but can't bring herself to break the news. So begins a romance based on false identity. To Avery's credit, it's remarkably easy to suspend disbelief while reading this compelling romance, despite a plot with so many moments that defy logic. But love and grief aren't logical, and Avery captures Kelsey's dilemma with compassion and verisimilitude, pulling readers into both Kelsey's complex emotional web as well as the rural Kansas landscape. This is definitely several steps above the standard romance; Avery is a voice to watch in this genre.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)