Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Being Sloane Jacobs (Release Day Review)

Tuesday, January 7, 2014 2:40 PM with 16 comments

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Being Sloane Jacobs

Author: Lauren Morrill
Publisher: Delacorte
Number of Pages: 352
Release Date: January 7, 2014

Synopsis from Goodreads:

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.


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MY THOUGHTS:

For people of a certain age (*cough* in their thirties *cough*) this synopsis is probably going to remind them of a blend of two spectacular movies: The Parent Trap (I'm talking about the original, Hayley Mills version--which, yes, was decades old already when I was a youngster) and the 90s gem The Cutting Edge. The Cutting Edge, for those who don't know, is a movie about a male hockey player who, after losing partial sight in his eye, teams up with the ice queen figure skater no respectable male figure skater would ever skate with. Of course the two fall madly in love and go on to win a major sporting event with their hard work and dedication. The Parent Trap, of course, is a movie about long-lost twins who, after meeting for the first time, decide to trade lives for awhile. Being Sloane Jacobs is the perfect blend of these two stories and I jumped at the opportunity to read what was quickly becoming one of my most anticipated books of the year.

Being Sloane Jacobs is a cute book. It is fast-paced and easy and...cute. The premise is a little far-fetched. There are two girls. They are both skaters in some fashion. They are both brunettes. They are both unhappy. They are both named Sloane Jacobs.

Sloane Jacobs #1: Sloane Emily is a politician's daughter from Washington, DC. She has recently caught her father having an affair and is having a hard time reconciling her feelings for her family. She is a former figure skater who is on the brink of a comeback. She is tired of projecting perfection when she feels like her life is far from perfect. She is worried that her comeback attempt will be a failure and is dreading her deportation to figure skating camp in Canada.

Sloane Jacobs #2: Sloane Devon is a hockey player who cannot control her temper. After taking a girl out on the ice she gets suspended from the team which threatens her future college goals. She knows she cannot afford school without a hockey scholarship. Her coach pulls some strings to get her accepted to hockey camp...in Canada. She is struggling with her relationship with her mother, who is currently in rehab, and is afraid she will never get over her fear of never getting a goal again. She is also dreading camp.

The two girls meet when their luggage gets switched at the hotel they are both staying at for the night before their respective camps start. At first they hate each other, but then they realize they could be each other's ticket out. Sloane #1 will take Sloane #2's place at hockey camp and vice versa.

Bring on the shenanigans. While I did enjoy this book, I did have some issues with believability. For one, Sloane Emily was in skating competitions just a couple of years ago. Those circles cannot be that large that someone wouldn't be, like: hey, that's not Sloane Emily. Furthermore, while figure skating and ice hockey both involve, you know, skating, they are two completely different things--with different ice skates even. I don't know that I believe that a hockey player is going to go out and figure skate or that a figure skater is going to be able to go out and play hockey--which is a fairly involved sport with a lot of rules. The author pulls it off pretty well, but still.

Both girls develop relationships with cute boys. Both have mean girls to contend with. Both learn about themselves in unexpected (totally expected) ways. But that's ok because this book was so charming that even when I was, like, whatever that would never happen, I was still enjoying myself.

Overall, I really enjoyed Being Sloane Jacobs. It was the perfect cutesy read I was looking for after the crazy ass semester I had. If you are looking for something light and fun, I would definitely recommend giving this a try.

*I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*


16 comments:

  1. Being Sloane Jacobs does sound like a fun and enjoyable read, Natalie. I like the twist of Parent Trap it has in it. Glad it was just what you needed after a killer schedule :)

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    1. Thanks, Kim! It was really fun and exactly what I needed. I loved The Parent Trap when I was little! Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. Hehe...*cough, cough*. I liked this one, too, if for no other reason that it did kind of take me back to my childhood somewhat with those movies you referenced. Cute, funny, and totally not plausible, but a fun read nonetheless. Definitely a great read after a hectic semester...glad it worked for you!

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    1. I'll need to check out your review. I seriously loved The Cutting Edge when I was younger. I probably watched it a hundred times. I'm glad you enjoyed this one, too. So cute. Thanks for stopping by!

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  3. Sounds good! I've heard only good stuff about this one so far, so I'm definitely tempted. ;) I'm not so keen on it being a bit unbelievable. Ack. That always bugs me. But still! Great review! I'm sold. :)

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    1. You should definitely give it a try. It's adorable. The believability is a stretch, but I do think the author pulls it off fairly well. I hope you enjoy it if you decide to pick it up. Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. So glad you liked this! When I read it a couple months ago it was the exact break from sci-fi, dystopias, and murder mystery/thrillers that I needed. I thought it was really cute too. I also thought the majority of it was unbelievable--two girls named Sloane Jacobs? Really?--but I just ignored it.

    Speaking of crazy semesters, how was your Christmas break and seeing family? Any substituting jobs lined up yet?

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    1. I'm glad you liked this one, too. Most of my buddies seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. So cute. The name part didn't bug me as much as the whole figure skaters and hockey players are interchangeable thing. Yes, they can both skate, but both camps seemed to be pretty exclusive and for, you know, the best skaters for the respective sports. Neither of which can be learned in a few weeks. But whatever. I just ignored it, too.

      My Christmas break was awesome, but kind of exhausting. So much traveling and going out and seeing, like, every single family member I have. I loved it. I'm waiting to get my certification from the state. I can't do anything until that comes in. I'm working part time at the office and part time at the library until then. I'm keeping the library job even after I get my certification, but I'm definitely ready to move on from the office job.

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  5. I'm so happy you referenced the original Parentrap! I keep seeing people mention the Lindsay Lohan version in their reviews and it makes me sad. I've probably see the Hayley Mills version 100+ times, I watched it constantly as a kid.

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    1. I've never seen the Lindsey Lohan version. I loved Haley Mills when I was little and watched that movie a bunch, too. I'm glad I'm not the only one!

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  6. Hahahaha. Oh my...I was JUST about to type in this little box here that I actually still DO know The Parent Trap and that I guess a bunch of other sub-20 kids know it, too when I realized Lindsay Lohan herself is not older than 30, so you probably mean another kind of The Parent Trap movie. Yeah. Maybe you mean the ones only the over 30s know!!! God, I'm SUCH a fool! But anyway, your review was great and even though I had high hopes for this book, I am now even more convinced to read Being Sloane Jacobs!!! Oh...and watching older movies :D

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    1. Haha. Yeah, the original Parent Trap movie is from the early 60s, so it was already "old" when I first saw it. It's awesome. You should definitely check it out if you like older films. You should also check this book out. It was really fun even if it is a bit silly. I hope you like it if you do. Thanks for stopping by!

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  7. This definitely sounds like a cute and fun read, but it also sounds like it's best not to overthink things. Because yeah, just because you can play ice hockey, pretty sure you wouldn't be able to casually figure skate and vice versa haha.

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    1. Yep. That's the mind set you need to have while reading this one. Even though I was like I don't think that's plausible, the story is just so fun that I couldn't help but enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by!

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  8. It was light and fun, but you're right, not that believable. I also didn't connect that much with the characters, but it was cute and I definitely enjoyed it. I did like Meant To Be a lot more, though. Glad you enjoyed it! ~Pam

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    1. I still (still) need to read Meant to Be. I have it checked out from the library. I've heard great things. I didn't really connect with the characters either, but the story was just so charming. Thanks for stopping by!

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Hello, there! Thanks for taking the time to comment. I read each and every one and will do my best to respond--usually on your blog instead of on mine. I will, however, always answer direct questions. Due to serious time restraints, this blog is now an award free zone, but I appreciate the thought!