Someone I Wanted To Be Review

Someone I Wanted To Be
By: Aurelia Wills

Release Date: September 6, 2016

 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?

By the synopsis I had thought this book was going to be more of a psychological thriller sort of read.  But after the first few chapters, I realized it was more of the Indie nature. 

Leah is very insecure about herself and desperately wants a life opposite of what she has.  Her mother is a drunk and her father is dead. She surrounds herself with toxic people who put her down, but their lives somehow make her feel like she is apart of something.  When she has the chance to be wanted by an older man, she takes it, and puts herself and people around her in danger.

I feel like this book had the potential to be a really good thriller with the plot.  It had endless possibilities with plots you good throw in like murder, kidnapping, anything really.  But it seemed like what made up the whole description of the book, was really just a secondary event happening. 

Most of the pages were just filled up with how Leah didn't like her situation or how her friends treated her (Horribly I might add). 

The enjoyable characters were the ones that only showed up every few chapters.  Of course they were the people Leah would ditch for her mean, bullies of friends.  I feel like there was really no character development with this girl.  I think the book was cut down too short, and the plot ended too suddenly to allow the gradual epiphany to happen. 

Awkward dialogue and scenes were sprinkled around the story which didn't make much sense to me or to how it applied to the story. 

I think if I were to be one who liked Indie books, I would have enjoyed this greatly.  Fans of Perks of Being a Wallflower, and The Spectacular Now, will love this read. I liked it, it entertained me, but it just didn't live up to my hopes.

2.5/5

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review