Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This one charmed my socks right off, which was the last thing I expected.

It's a classic Parent Trap situation, where two teenagers, both named Sloane Jacobs meet up. One Sloane is a hockey player, and the other is a figure skater. They've been exiled to Canada to attending skating camps, against their wishes. When they have a luggage mix-up at the hotel, they have to meet up to sort things out. That's when they decide they look similar enough that with the same names, they could totally swap places, in order to avoid spending the summer working towards things they both dread, for various reasons.

Since I'm a sucker for all things Parent Trap, this one really clicked with me. You get to see both the girls change, grow, and confront their own personal demons. Plus, it has a really delightful ending, as should any Parent Trap-eque situation.

This book made me happy.

Book 28 read in 2019

Pages: 352

Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

Summary: "Sloane Emily Jacobs and Sloane Devon Jacobs, from very different worlds but both with problem families, meet in Montreal where they will stay in the same hotel while attending camp, one for figure skating, the other for ice hockey."

Oh dear, I really wanted to like this book. Lauren Morrill's first novel, Meant to Be, is incredibly witty and laugh-out-loud funny, but Being Sloane Jacobs comes no where close to that level of entertainment.

I was intrigued by the Parent Trap-like set-up, as well as the ice hockey/figure skating crossover, but it never quite fulfilled the potential of either of those stories. It was actually a bit boring. I was never eager to pick up the book to see what would happen next, as it never really hit hard on the emotions or suspense of the story. 

The dual perspectives was also confusing at times, as each Sloane's thoughts were not unique enough to feel like you were reading two different girls from two very different backgrounds. 

330 pages