Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com
How cool would it be to move to another country and be able to reinvent yourself? When Josephine's mom first tells her that they're moving from England to the USA for a year for a job contract, Josephine thinks she doesn't want to go. But the more she thinks about it, she figures, what does she have to lose? She and her friend, Hailey, aren't part of the popular crowd. Her father is remarried. Why not go for it?
So Josephine (or Josie or Jo...) and her mom pack up and move to a Boston suburb. On the first day of school, Josie asks this Goth-looking girl where the principal's office is. She runs into the same girl at lunch and asks if she can join her. The girl tells her to get lost. Upon hearing the rejection, Josie turns around and notices that a group of popular girls are headed straight towards her. They inform Josie that she best avoid Rachel the Freak and join them at their table. There begins a fragile friendship.
After the first week of school, one of Josie's new friends, Tori, invites her to a party. The party changes everything for Josie. During a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven, Josie is selected by the IT guy, Jake Matthews. While in the closet, Jake gets a little too friendly. At this point, the story splits in two...literally.
Two different girls come out of the closet. The first storyline follows Josie after accepting Jake's advances, and ultimately being welcomed into the popular group. The second storyline makes Jo out to be a loser for not realizing how lucky she would've been had she accepted Jake.
The story unfolds, alternating between the Cool Josie and the Nerdy Jo. The book spirals to a conclusion that brings the two halves back to one whole. But which personality will win out?
Ms. Plaja creates a unique story based on the age old "What If" dilemma. If Josephine becomes Jake's girlfriend, will she be popular and happy? If she tells off Jake for his roaming hands, will she be left out in the cold and end up miserable? Josephine doesn't realize that she can be happy if she just accepts who she is and is happy with the life she has. The story is surprisingly easy to follow, even with the two concurrent storylines. The print changes for each personality of Josephine. And if that's not clear enough to the reader, the author designates the cool Josie with lips and the nerdy Jo with eye glasses.
I adore the movie Sliding Doors, which is based on the same concept. So it was a treat to read a story that uses the same idea. There are some strong characters through both storylines and the reader is rooting for them as well as Josephine for the right conclusion.
How cool would it be to move to another country and be able to reinvent yourself? When Josephine's mom first tells her that they're moving from England to the USA for a year for a job contract, Josephine thinks she doesn't want to go. But the more she thinks about it, she figures, what does she have to lose? She and her friend, Hailey, aren't part of the popular crowd. Her father is remarried. Why not go for it?
So Josephine (or Josie or Jo...) and her mom pack up and move to a Boston suburb. On the first day of school, Josie asks this Goth-looking girl where the principal's office is. She runs into the same girl at lunch and asks if she can join her. The girl tells her to get lost. Upon hearing the rejection, Josie turns around and notices that a group of popular girls are headed straight towards her. They inform Josie that she best avoid Rachel the Freak and join them at their table. There begins a fragile friendship.
After the first week of school, one of Josie's new friends, Tori, invites her to a party. The party changes everything for Josie. During a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven, Josie is selected by the IT guy, Jake Matthews. While in the closet, Jake gets a little too friendly. At this point, the story splits in two...literally.
Two different girls come out of the closet. The first storyline follows Josie after accepting Jake's advances, and ultimately being welcomed into the popular group. The second storyline makes Jo out to be a loser for not realizing how lucky she would've been had she accepted Jake.
The story unfolds, alternating between the Cool Josie and the Nerdy Jo. The book spirals to a conclusion that brings the two halves back to one whole. But which personality will win out?
Ms. Plaja creates a unique story based on the age old "What If" dilemma. If Josephine becomes Jake's girlfriend, will she be popular and happy? If she tells off Jake for his roaming hands, will she be left out in the cold and end up miserable? Josephine doesn't realize that she can be happy if she just accepts who she is and is happy with the life she has. The story is surprisingly easy to follow, even with the two concurrent storylines. The print changes for each personality of Josephine. And if that's not clear enough to the reader, the author designates the cool Josie with lips and the nerdy Jo with eye glasses.
I adore the movie Sliding Doors, which is based on the same concept. So it was a treat to read a story that uses the same idea. There are some strong characters through both storylines and the reader is rooting for them as well as Josephine for the right conclusion.
