Review: Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

Publication Date: January 7, 2014
Page Count: 352
Published by: Delacorte
Source: eArc received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.

Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

I was really expecting to love this book more than I did. It wasn't terrible by any means, but it didn't have any kind of emotional impact on me and I never really got a good feel for the protagonists.

Being Sloane Jacobs is told in alternating POVs from 2 girls named Sloane. There were many times when I was confused by which Sloane was which, and I had to stop and think about who's POV I was reading. This occurred even though each chapter was clearly titled, so it was probably caused by me reading too fast to bother with reading the chapter titles. Or maybe it was because the girls didn't have distinctive enough voices and personalities. Both Sloanes were interesting enough, but I didn't feel a connection to either girl.

While I don't feel that this book is very plausible, I liked the concept and found that it was still enjoyable to read. It was cute and fun at times and showed a lighter side to role reversal and switching places. The girls had very different reasons for wanting to escape their lives and trade places. Both Sloanes struggled to find themselves and define their places in the world. They thought they were taking the easy way out by running away from their problems.

Overall, I thought Being Sloane Jacobs was an okay read and a pleasant enough way to spend a few hours. The characters were tolerable and the writing wasn't too bad, but the execution didn't work for me. I don't feel that enough time was spent on resolving their familial conflicts, which is what originally sent them off on this weird journey. The hockey/ice skating aspect was entertaining enough, and I did like this more than I did Meant To Be, so that's something positive. If you enjoy reading cute contemporaries aimed at a younger crowd, then you should definitely pick up Being Sloane Jacobs.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars