Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.
Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.
When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.
REVIEW
The whole setting of the story is pretty unrealistic, but you know that going in so you should look past that. Let's face it everyone has wanted to change lives with someone else at least once. A lucky coincidence has these two Sloane's bumping into each other and they both want to escape their lives for a while.
Sloane Emily doesn't want the pressure again of competitive figure skating after a three year hiatus. Sick and tires of always having to be perfect, when her family is anything but, is getting to her. Meanwhile Sloane Devon has has some anger issues ever since her mom left for rehab. It has affected her self confidence and she gets the shakes whenever she tries to score.
Switching lives seems to go easier than they thought, though changing discipline not so much. Sloane E. will need to toughen up fast if she wants to survive hockey camp. While Sloane D. has to practice her twirls a lot. Both are feeling the pressure to do well. It's not until some boys enter the scene when things get real complicated. The romance happens pretty fast, so at first it seems like just crushes.
The more time passes the harder it gets for them to keep their real identities a secret. At the end of camp they will need to return to their own lives and face reality.
Both girls learn that running away will not solve much. They definitely grow up a bit more by the end of camp. It is all about learning some important lessons. I would have expected more of a fallout when everyone finds out. The consequences for these girls seem very lacking to me.
Being Sloane Jacobs is an entertaining read, aimed at a younger young adult crowd. It certainly played like a movie inside my had and I can understand all the comparisons that are being thrown around on the web. I do stand by that it was a fun novel and you must not overthink it.
The Author
Her first novel, Meant to Be, sold in a two-book deal to Wendy Loggia at Delacorte for Paper Lantern Lit.
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