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    Someone I Wanted to Be
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    Someone I Wanted to Be
    Unavailable
    Someone I Wanted to Be
    Audiobook7 hours

    Someone I Wanted to Be

    Written by Aurelia Wills

    Narrated by Caitlin Kelly

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    When an insecure teen starts impersonating someone else, her life spirals dangerously out of control in a realistic, relatable novel about finding yourself-and discovering your true friends.

    Leah Lobermier dreams of becoming a doctor, but it's hard to stay focused on getting good grades when boys make oinking sounds at her in school and her mother spends every night on the couch with a bottle of wine. Leah's skinny and popular "friends," Kristy and Corinne, aren't much better and can hardly be counted on for support. When the girls convince a handsome older man to buy them beer, Leah takes his phone number and calls him, pretending to be Kristy -- coy and confident -- and they develop a relationship, talking and texting day after day. But as the lie she created grows beyond her control, can Leah put a stop to things before she -- or Kristy -- is seriously hurt?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateSep 6, 2016
    ISBN9781522656074
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for Someone I Wanted to Be

    3.5/5

    15 ratings5 reviews

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    • 3/5
      This was a bleak story, that's not to say that I didn't like this book. It was an ok read. It's just not one of those books that will leave you with warm fuzzy feelings. It's a look at life's darker side. It was raw and gritty. It focused on bullying, death, alcoholism, and sexual assault. If anything, maybe it will help us to love our family a little more, and be a little kinder to people. Hopefully this story will help teenagers be more careful about talking to strangers, and never going somewhere alone.The writing in this book was simple. The story was a quick and easy read, the chapters were nice and short, and the story was easy to follow. The conversations between the characters in this story were abrupt, short, and clipped, and almost always mean. They rarely had nice words to say to each other, except for maybe one of the characters. I never really felt like I got to know any of these characters on a deeper level and it was hard for me to connect with them. Mostly, I just felt very sad for the main character. She wasn't treated very well. I also didn't like how she didn't seem to stick up for herself. She was portrayed weakly. She self-sabotaged. I thought the story ended a bit abruptly. I was kind of left feeling like I needed more. It was a bit abrupt. The way it ended did, however, make me feel like maybe there would still be hope yet for our main character and that maybe there was a way out for her after all. Overall, this story was just an ok read for me. It held my attention for the most part. It didn't bore me...just saddened me.
    • 5/5
      Someone I Wanted to Be by Aurelia WillsLeah is a good student, very smart, and has big dreams. But she is also teased because of her weight. Making life harder (Leah) is living with an Alcoholic Mother. She is friends with "skinny popular" girls Kristy and Corine. One day the girls decide to ask a handsome stranger to buy them some beer. (Innocently) Leah decides to pretend to be Kristy, as she calls and texts this young man. Soon things turn dangerous as Leah has second thoughts on what she thought was a harmless phone flirtation.The plot is original , and quite believable. I wonder if something like this could and can be happening in society today. Leah is struggling with self image, her weight, and bullying. Her home life is far from perfect, which adds to her stress. The issues the girls deal with are real, I could feel the emotions on every page. Aurelia Wills grabs you by the heart and won't let go. I highly recommend Someone I Wanted to Be to Young Adult and Adult readers as well.
    • 4/5
      Childhood friends, Leah, Kristy, and Corinne, now in high school are each dealing with, not only the normal teenage dilemmas, but also some deeper ones. Leah, living with an alcoholic, defeatist mother, is bullied because of her weight. Kristy, abusing alcohol and dangerously flirting with many boys, is despondent over her mother's imminent death from cancer. Corrine, the peacemaker among the three, is a talented softball player, who is denied the chance to play since she has to babysit her younger siblings after school. The three girls have a bond that is unusually cemented. Kristy is both mean and needy, using both of them when it is convenient for her. Yet, her depression over her mother's cancer is the apparent reason for her tirades. She calls Leah, 'Chubs and Fat-Ass' and embarrasses her when she needs to lash out at someone. Corinne apologizes for her and makes up an excuse for Kristy's behavior. Kristy is blond, thin, gorgeous, and rich and has always had her way, but now cancer has the upper hand. Fed up with Kristy's insults, Leah tries to break away from her and Corinne and finds other friends who are decent and kind, although not part of the in-crowd. Kristy is cruel to them, too. One night when Kristy pulls Leah back into her clutches, the girls sweet talk an older guy into buying them alcohol...not an uncommon request from Kristy. However, this guy wants a favor returned and has his eyes on Kristy. Kristy, of course, has no use for him, but Leah sees a way to silently start up a relationship between the two. Kurt King gives Leah his phone number and tells her to have Kristy call him. Leah calls instead impersonating Kristy and this seemingly innocent deception turns into a nightmarish and dangerous episode for her. As things escalate and get out of control, Leah tries to set the record straight and come clean, but Kurt is out for revenge. Someone I Wanted to Be is a realistic portrait of teenage vulnerability, cruelty through bullying, and parental irresponsibility. A tough read, but one that is rich with discussion points. Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers, Aurelia Wills, and Candlewick Press for this ARC.
    • 5/5
      This is a smart and engaging ya novel about a 15 yr old overweight Leah, who is friends with two popular girls. After meeting a handsome older man at a 7-11, Leah decides to impersonate her friend Kristy, who the man is interested in. It opens up a Pandora's box. Factor in first love, a friend's dying mother and a new set of friends who value Leah for herself, you have a great read.
    • 4/5
      ***Trigger warning: Attempted rape sceneIf this book had been written 20 years ago, it probably would have been one of my favorites. Thinking back to my high school years, I would have related quite well with Leah, the book's protagonist. Even though we do not share immediate traits, I was often the underdog during my middle and high school years. While her experiences and mine are differently, I still found her to be a believable character. As an adult, I wanted to give Leah hugs while at the same time shake her and ask her why she let Kristy control her life. The book started out predictable: DUFF Leah trails after gorgeous and bitchy Kristy (admitting that sometimes she hated Kristy) and other friend Corinne, who is also beautiful, but nice, though Corinne also blows Leah off when Kristy demands so. We’re supposed to feel sorry for Kristy, whose mother is dying of cancer, but it’s hard to feel sympathy to someone who ranks up there with Regina George. By the end of Chapter 2, however, the plot turned into something original, though it vaguely reminded me of “Jail Bait” by Leslea Newman (very vaguely). I ended up enjoying the book immensely and wanted to give Leah high 5s along the way. Even though the book ended neatly and hopeful, I would have loved seeing an epilogue.I received a copy of this book from LibraryThing Early Reviewers in exchange for my honest review.