Book Review: Don't You Wish

Author: Roxanne St. Claire

Publication Date: July 10, 2012

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

When plain and unpopular Annie Nutter gets zapped by one of her dad's whacked-out inventions, she lands in a parallel universe where her life becomes picture-perfect. Now she's Ayla Monroe, daughter of the same mother but a different father—and she's the gorgeous, rich queen bee of her high school. 

In this universe, Ayla lives in glitzy Miami instead of dreary Pittsburgh and has beaucoup bucks, courtesy of her billionaire—if usually absent—father. Her friends hit the clubs, party backstage at concerts, and take risks that are exhilirating . . . and illegal. Here she's got a date to lose her V-card with the hottest guy she's ever seen.

But on the inside, Ayla is still Annie.

So when she's offered the chance to leave the dream life and head home to Pittsburgh, will she take it?

The choice isn't as simple as you think.

First things first, right? Who could not love those huge, pink heart shaped sunglasses? I mean I am feeling like I need to own my own pair like yesterday!! I also love the pink and blue hues that are incorporated on the front cover. The text really pops being the same deep magenta as the sunglasses and this book screams, “SUMMER READ!!” I was also very impressed with the storyline because it is so different from anything that I have read so far this year. I also loved the tagline on the back because if you stop to think about it, it really is something that is hard to wrap your head around: “What if your mom had married someone else? Would you still be you?”

Annie Nutter is your typical nerd/band geek who has no social life and no chance at all of ever obtaining one. She has an equally nerdy friend, Lizzie Kauffman, who is her only hope at halfway making it through high school. So when Annie starts resenting her own life and finds out that her mother had the option of marrying another man it starts her thinking that maybe her life could have turned out completely differently. Annie’s dad, Mel, is a wacky inventor who is always coming up with ideas that he believes will equal “the next big thing” and Annie’s mom is getting burned out on his so-called fame seeking inventions. Annie, however, humors her dad and becomes the guinea pig for one of his current projects, but ends up landing herself in a parallel universe where she is now known as Ayla Monroe.

Ayla Monroe is the polar opposite from Annie and everything that she ever stood for. She is lazy, selfish, snobby, and just downright mean at times. Although, Annie finally gets her taste for life in the popular lane and she comes to find that it may not be what she has always expected. Annie, as Ayla Monroe, has two best friends who are weed smoking, shoplifting, brain dead girls who live for being cruel to others less popular than them. They, seeing her as Ayla, immediately expect her to jump right in on their rebellious lifestyle. Annie starts to try to fit in with them at first, but her true colors eventually shine through.

Annie Nutter is one of my favorites character so far this year because she has so much heart and a genuine sense of character. Of all people that she could become friends with at her new school, Croppe Academy, she befriends the boy that everyone is constantly making fun of. I admired her for standing up for him on several occasions and defending herself and her own dignity in doing so.  She stands up to her so called friends and denies the devilish lifestyle that has been made famous by A-list Ayla Monroe. Annie redefines herself through Ayla which is to her advantage and improves her own self-esteem in the process.

Charlie Zelinsky is the boy that Annie, or Ayla, befriends who is not liked very much by anyone at all within Croppe Academy. He sees right through Ayla and immediately realizes that change in her, which is all Annie’s doing. What I like best about Charlie is that I believe he really took a liking to Ayla even with her cruel and snarky ways. He noticed her from the start and that makes for a great guy! His loyalty to Annie is hard to overlook and he puts himself on the line in several different occasions to aid Annie in any way that he can. He eventually opens up to Annie and shares his family secrets with her and lets her in on why he is made fun of so much. Their relationship is intimate and one that has the potential to be long lasting.

I literally read this book in less than a day. It was a breeze and so much fun to read. I highly recommend it for anyone whom is slightly interested or has pondered the question of, “what if I had different parents?” Annie’s alternate universe is at times bluntly brutal and mind-boggling, but it is definitely worth the rush! I am ready for more by Roxanne St. Claire!

***A copy of this  book was provided to me by Random House Children’s Books in exchange for my honest review*** Thank you so much!