Book Review: My Double Life by Janette Rallison

Her whole life, Alexia Garcia has been told that she looks just like pop star Kari Kingsley, and one day when Alexia’s photo filters through the Internet, she’s offered a job to be Kari’s double. This would seem like the opportunity of a lifetime, but Alexia’s mother has always warned her against celebrities.

Rebelliously, Alexia flies off to L.A. and gets immersed in a celebrity life. Not only does she have to get used to getting anything she wants, she romances the hottest lead singer on the charts, and finds out that her own father is a singing legend. Through it all, Alexia must stay true to herself, which is hard to do when you are pretending to be somebody else! (from Goodreads)

Part of Around the World Tours

I absolutely loved Janette Rallison's book, My Fair Godmother, and couldn't wait to read more from her. So when I saw the chance to read her newest book, My Double Life, on Around the World Tours, I had to sign up. While the plots of both books were strikingly different, there were aspects that I picked up in both books.

The first of which was the humor found in both books. While I think that My Double Life focused less on humor than MFG, there were still quite a few funny moments. During some scenes, I ended up laughing aloud (much to my embarrassment), and I found a few scenes funny because I really connected with Alexia. Alexia was a realistic, likable character. While not all girls look like superstars, I could definitely relate to some of her insecurities, and was glad to see her follow her heart. I also want to mention Kari, the singer who is struggling to put out her new album. At first I expected to seriously dislike her. She seemed like the typical mean girl, who felt entitled to the royal treatment simply because she was a star. By the end of the book, however, it was clear that she was struggling with insecurities, too.

A major theme throughout this book is the idea of the importance of family. Alexia has grown up without her father, but her mother and grandmother have done a great job raising her. They don't agree with Alexia's decision to accept the job as Kari's double, and that's mostly because they care, and worry about her. After all, Alexia is traveling to the other side of the country to work, without any friends or family there to help her. I did wish that we could have learned more about Alexia's father over the course of the story. Without giving too much away, it takes quite some time for Alexia to actually meet him, and I really wanted to know what he was thinking.

Overall, I thought that My Double Life was another great read from Rallison. It was funny, and the story had some depth to it. As the summer grows closer, I'd suggest this to people who want a read that isn't too heavy, but still has substance. Plus, there's a bit of romance, too.

My Double Life
By Janette Rallison
Published by Putnam Juvenile
272 Pages
Release Date: May 13, 2010
My Rating: B+