Tuesday, June 14, 2011

"I'm Not Her" by Janet Gurtler

As a senior, Kristina has everything she could ever want. She is athletic, outgoing, pretty, popular, and of course with those qualities comes a boyfriend of her choice. Her little sister, Tess, on the other hand, is quiet, shy, and smart. Feeling the need to give her sister, who is now a "Freshie", a head start in high school, Kristina tries to ease Tess into society by taking her to parties and introducing her to all of the popular kids. But Tess prefers to keep to herself and watch everything from the outside. That all changes when Kristina gets diagnosed with cancer. Tess quickly finds with Kristina gone, the popular kids and everyone else comes to her for answers about Kristina. With her sister bedridden and both of her parents very distraught, Tess realizes that she needs to be strong for her family in order to keep them from falling apart. Luckily they also have Jeremy, who not only makes Kristina happy, but also seems to understand what she needs during this difficult time. Both Tess and Kristina come to understand that true friends are always there to help and love you when you need it the most.

"I'm Not Her" is an inspiring story about life and its struggles. It suggests that when a drastic changes occur in life, you sometimes need to step out of your shell. Being strong and steady for the people who are hurt and confused is very important.

Clare gives this book five out of five carrots!

Click here to purchase your copy of "I'm Not Her" at The Velveteen Rabbit Bookshop!