Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Identity Crisis by Melissa Schorr

Identity Crisis

by Melissa Schorr

Series: N/A
Publisher: Merit Press
Release Date: January 18, 2016
Pages: 240

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Source: ARC from publisher

Rate: 3

Synopsis:

When curvaceous Annalise Bradley’s scandalous freshman year hookup sparks the anger of her female classmates, three of them decide to get her back by "catfishing" her, creating a fake online profile of the perfect boy to toy with her affections.

Against her better nature, introverted Noelle Spiers, goes along with her friends’ plan, hoping to distract Annalise from dreamy Cooper Franklin, her lifelong crush who has fallen for Annalise instead.

As Annalise discovers she is being played and seeks revenge, Noelle increasingly regrets her role in the cruel hoax and tries to salvage their relationship.

Told in alternative perspectives, IDENTITY CRISIS covers romance, betrayal, and timeless friendship in the age of modern technology.

I received this book for free from Merit Press via The Fantastic Flying Book Club in exchange for an honest review.

Spoilers are included in my review. Do not read my review if you do not want to see spoilers.

This book tells a story of cyber bullying from two different views- the attacker and the victim. One of the good things about this book is all of the gray area. This is definitely the book for someone looking for something original that stands on its own.

What I liked

The characters are so great. Their lives are told beautifully throughout the book. You really get a glimpse into their worlds and it really pulls the story together seamlessly. As you read through each character's perspective, you gain so much insight into who they really are. It is clear when reading that the attacker is really just following the lead of someone else. She feels trapped and she is so unsure of herself throughout the book. You can feel her remorse and fear. It resonates so clearly from her. The victim's personality is just as transparent. She fell victim to gossip, that was sadly unwarranted, and became the talk of her school. She feels scrutinized in all she does, and has some self esteem issues that she is dealing with. She is vulnerable in a sense. The author does a superb job of displaying and developing their personalities as the story plays out.

The plot is played out so well. Everything really falls into place throughout the book, while not being totally predictable. Although, I wasn't a fan of the ending, I do have to say that it was a surprise to me. The story was engaging and the dialogue was spot on to high school kids. I connected a lot with Annalise in this because I had the same experiences with a boy band that she did. Reading it really brought me back to that time, and I have to say that her reactions and thoughts are pretty aligned with what I was feeling at the time.

What I didn't like

I did not like the "happy" ending. It did not seem realistic to me at all. I would wager an awful lot that a victim of catfishing would NOT become best friends with their attacker. No matter the circumstances. The ending really did not sit right with me at all. I am glad that Annalise got a happy ending, but I don't think that that her attacker should have been part of it. It is just bizarre and unrealistic. I would have really preferred to see her become friends with Amos than Noelle.

I also thought that the lack of legal action was kind of a cop out. I mean, it is against the law to target someone and harass them online. In the real world, legal action would have been taken against the attackers. The fact that they skirt free of any consequences not only makes me mad, but it disappoints me a little. The rest of the book was realistic...I just wish that this part could have been as well.

Would I Recommend It

Yes. This book touches on a topic that needs to be brought more to light. If you are in high school or middle school, then I would especially recommend this. Especially if you are into reading books with loads of drama. It may not the the book for older readers. I graduated high school a little over ten years ago, so I was able to connect with some of the things happening in this book. But while reading this book I did feel as though I did fully connect with it because the writing is so very in sync with a teenage mind. Even if you can't connect to the book on that level, it is still a good read with a great point.

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Melissa Schorr is the YA author of GOY CRAZY (Hyperion 2006) and IDENTITY CRISIS (forthcoming, Merit Press 2016), and a contributor to the YA anthology DEAR BULLY.

She is currently a contributing writer/editor to the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. Her freelance work has appeared in numerous publications, including GQ, People, Self, San Francisco magazine, and The Wall Street Journal.

Melissa currently lives in Boston with her husband, her daughters, and her dog, Bailey.

US Only

IDENTITY CRISIS has part of a song’s lyrics in it. Come up with a SECOND VERSE for the rest of the song in order to enter the giveaway! (Song on the rafflecopter entry) Leave your answer in the rafflecopter and in the comments section!

SONG: “INNER BEAUTY”

(FIRST VERSE)

You sparkle

You shine

Your cheekbones

Sublime

But a pretty face does not mean a pretty heart.

(CHORUS)

There’s just no inner beauty

Where is your inner beauty?

Without some inner beauty

You’re a perfect waste of time.