Double Identity by Margaret Petterson Haddix

Double Identity 

     The book Double Identity  by Margaret Petterson Haddix, is a phenomenal book. Its about a girl named Bethany who is forced to live with her aunt, Myrlie  who she didn’t know existed, because her parents are on the run. When her dad is talking to Myrlie, Bethany overhears her dad saying “She doesn’t know anything about Elizabeth.” A couple days later they find out about a man named Dalton Van Dyne, and that he is looking for her and her parents. Bethany changes from feeling terrified to feeling liberated. 

     “No, please Daddy don’t go.” This quote shows how Bethany is terrified of whats happening. There are so many questions to be asked. Whats happening? Why are you leaving? Bethany doesn’t know how to act, everything went so quickly. Bethany is realizing how much this effects her parents (leaving her), especially her Mom. Seeing a grownup cry means something is quite upsetting or wrong. Bethany is feeling mistrustful of people and abandoned by the people she loves. 

     “And Dalton Van Dyne is crying.” Even though what Van Dyne said was sad, in a way it set Bethany free. Before Bethany was cowering in fear because of him, and when she had to speak to him he began crying. She was able to understand why Van Dyne was looking for her and her parents. Bethany was set free of the burden of running. She was freed of the fear she was in because of Van Dyne. 

     Overall Double Identity is a great book. There was a lot of change from Bethany throughout the story. 

Every Day by David Levithan

     Over the summer I read a great book called Every Day by David Levithan. A brief overview of the book is; a person named A wakes up in a new body each day, one day A (Who is portrayed as a boy) wakes up in a guys body named Justin and when A meets Justin's girlfriend, Rhiannon he realizes she's mistreated by Justin. In the afternoon they spent together A begins to fall for Rhiannon. This is one of the best books I've read, when reading the book I found a great message; love someone for who they are, and not what they look like.

      The one day A and Rhiannon spent together both A and Rhiannon felt a connection for each other. The day they spent together was great, it opened up Rhiannon's eyes on what she was missing being with someone who couldn't care less for her feelings. Rhiannon was only staying with Justin because "She has been hanging on to the hope of him..." Justin and Rhiannon have had many fights and Justin has "destroyed her". That one day Rhiannon got to tell her opinions and open up, she didn't fall back in love with Justin, she fell in love with A. If someone were to tell you they liked you but woke up in a different body everyday, whether it be a boy or a girl, fat or thin, you'd probably run away however Rhiannon didn't when she found out. Rhiannon stayed with A when he was a boy or a guy and no matter what A looked like, because she liked A for who he was and not what he looked like. Obviously there are many examples of how Rhiannon stayed with A because of his personality, but one example is  a boy named George who is 45 minutes away from Rhiannon. I find it amazing how even when their a couple minutes away or a couple hours away they still manage to see each other, this tells me Rhiannon cares as much for A as A does her her. 

     In the book there are a lot of examples of how Rhiannon loved A for who he was and not what he looked like. Not having Justin be there to boss Rhiannon around definitely aloud Rhiannon to grow as a character. Overall the book was spectacular and if David Levithan made a book from the point of view of Rhiannon, it'd be cool to see how Rhiannon changed.