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By Any Other Name
Nobody can know the truth—her life depends on it. A tale of family, identity, and trust, about a girl struggling with life in the witness protection program.
I picked up the book and thumbed through the pages. Names in alphabetical order, names with meanings, names I knew, names I'd never heard of. How to pick? Nothing that would stand out, nothing that would link me to the past—those were the instructions. The past. As if everything that had gone before this moment was buried already.
Holly is 15 years old, but she's only been "Holly" for a matter of months. Because of something that happened, she and her family have had to enter witness protection and have all assumed new identities. All, that is, except her sister Katie, who is autistic. Starting at a new school mid-year is hard enough at the best of times, and Holly has no clue who she is anymore. Lonely and angry, she reaches out to friends—new and old. But one wrong move will put all their lives in danger.
I picked up the book and thumbed through the pages. Names in alphabetical order, names with meanings, names I knew, names I'd never heard of. How to pick? Nothing that would stand out, nothing that would link me to the past—those were the instructions. The past. As if everything that had gone before this moment was buried already.
Holly is 15 years old, but she's only been "Holly" for a matter of months. Because of something that happened, she and her family have had to enter witness protection and have all assumed new identities. All, that is, except her sister Katie, who is autistic. Starting at a new school mid-year is hard enough at the best of times, and Holly has no clue who she is anymore. Lonely and angry, she reaches out to friends—new and old. But one wrong move will put all their lives in danger.
368 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2013
17 people are currently reading
1211 people want to read
About the author
Laura Jarratt
9 books247 followersLaura Jarratt was born in Salford in the 1970s, the decade fashion should really forget. She remains mentally scarred from the numerous childhood photos of her in very bad clothes, which she blames for her present aversion to having her picture taken. Despite being good at English, Classics and Modern Foreign Languages, she accidentally studied Microbiology at university and then went on to work in education. Laura escaped the city as soon as possible as she becomes claustrophobic if not surrounded by enough green. Concrete just does not do it for her.
She's lived throughout the UK but came home to the North West where she is currently owned by Henry, a ginger cat without a tail, who holds the family in thrall.
She's lived throughout the UK but came home to the North West where she is currently owned by Henry, a ginger cat without a tail, who holds the family in thrall.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
January 27, 2015
I really enjoyed this book quite a lot for a variety of reasons.
For me the main part of the book is about identity. Holly is a teenage girl who was forced into witness protection. The reader meets her after a move to a new area and follows her as she tries to settle into a new home and new school. I must admit this part of the story is quite slow but it makes you think a lot about settlling into a new life and also those decisions you make about which peer group to get into and what makes a real friend. I loved seeing that process and found it completely fascinating.
This book also features an autistic character in the form of Holly's little sister. I loved her role in the story but also found the insight into living with a family member with autism really fascinating. It made me think about the way in which one may judge someone else without having the full story about that person.
For me the main part of this book was the relationship that began to develop between holly and emo boy. I loved seeing how their perceptions of one another changed as the story went along and I loved seeing the role in played in the main plotline.
Eventually the story kicks off once the criminals who forced holly into witness protection catch up with her. The story brought so many strands together and was fast paced and exciting. I really enjoyed seeing how things finally resolved and was completely hooked to the point where I couldn't put the book down.
A fab read which I enjoyed.
For me the main part of the book is about identity. Holly is a teenage girl who was forced into witness protection. The reader meets her after a move to a new area and follows her as she tries to settle into a new home and new school. I must admit this part of the story is quite slow but it makes you think a lot about settlling into a new life and also those decisions you make about which peer group to get into and what makes a real friend. I loved seeing that process and found it completely fascinating.
This book also features an autistic character in the form of Holly's little sister. I loved her role in the story but also found the insight into living with a family member with autism really fascinating. It made me think about the way in which one may judge someone else without having the full story about that person.
For me the main part of this book was the relationship that began to develop between holly and emo boy. I loved seeing how their perceptions of one another changed as the story went along and I loved seeing the role in played in the main plotline.
Eventually the story kicks off once the criminals who forced holly into witness protection catch up with her. The story brought so many strands together and was fast paced and exciting. I really enjoyed seeing how things finally resolved and was completely hooked to the point where I couldn't put the book down.
A fab read which I enjoyed.
January 22, 2015
Will they stop after the trial? I don’t know. Maybe they’ll never stop.
Maybe I’ll be eighty-three and still dreaming of the night three men tried to put a bullet in my brain.
An identity change at 15 years of age when most teens are still trying to figure out who they are is a major setback for Holly/Louisa. She remakes herself feeling that she really has become a different person. She struggles to be the shy girl at school because she's always been more of a take-charge girl.
Holly isn’t allowed to think about the time before Holly came to be.
She gets wrapped up in the wrong crowd but by the halfway mark she's learned her lesson and she's more interested in the boy she started out hating.
Again, nobody shows any reaction to his lateness, not even the teacher. What is it with him? Is he the village mafia or something?
Their relationship is adorable.
JOE: The kitchen is full of cake. She’s taken some round to my Aunty Jenny’s, but I’m allowed to decimate the rest.
Decimate. He used decimate in a text. Oh, Joe!
There's not a lot of romance since the pair are so young, but similar to Jarratt's other book, Skin Deep, it's not teeny-bopper at all. I like how Joe is so cool with everything except when it comes to Holly. He's so embarrassed that he likes her I just had to laugh.
Katie
Katie is Holly's little sister. She is autistic and super smart. I'm not sure how I feel about her portrayal but I did like the way Holly feels about her. My sister's on the light spectrum of autistic and she seems so normal that when she acts out people are so quick to judge.
I think part of the enjoyment of this book is it's British-isms. There's just a different feel to it that I really like. The phrasing's a bit different and of course there's the “Mum” spelling and the fact that they dial "999" in an emergency.
Just brotherly dynamics that I found hilarious.
Maybe I’ll be eighty-three and still dreaming of the night three men tried to put a bullet in my brain.
An identity change at 15 years of age when most teens are still trying to figure out who they are is a major setback for Holly/Louisa. She remakes herself feeling that she really has become a different person. She struggles to be the shy girl at school because she's always been more of a take-charge girl.
Holly isn’t allowed to think about the time before Holly came to be.
She gets wrapped up in the wrong crowd but by the halfway mark she's learned her lesson and she's more interested in the boy she started out hating.
Again, nobody shows any reaction to his lateness, not even the teacher. What is it with him? Is he the village mafia or something?
Their relationship is adorable.
JOE: The kitchen is full of cake. She’s taken some round to my Aunty Jenny’s, but I’m allowed to decimate the rest.
Decimate. He used decimate in a text. Oh, Joe!
There's not a lot of romance since the pair are so young, but similar to Jarratt's other book, Skin Deep, it's not teeny-bopper at all. I like how Joe is so cool with everything except when it comes to Holly. He's so embarrassed that he likes her I just had to laugh.
Katie
Katie is Holly's little sister. She is autistic and super smart. I'm not sure how I feel about her portrayal but I did like the way Holly feels about her. My sister's on the light spectrum of autistic and she seems so normal that when she acts out people are so quick to judge.
I think part of the enjoyment of this book is it's British-isms. There's just a different feel to it that I really like. The phrasing's a bit different and of course there's the “Mum” spelling and the fact that they dial "999" in an emergency.
Just brotherly dynamics that I found hilarious.
July 23, 2014
More of a 3.5 star but I'm too disappointed to round it up to 4. I really liked Jarratt's debut novel Skin Deep, an honest piece, but this: meh. Somewhere in the acknowledgments for this Jarratt thanks her agent for suggesting the theme of this novel. I wish the agent hadn't. I wish the agent had let Jarratt ruminate for her own theme. Maybe then what had come out of it would have been more congruent. This is not.
The one character I actually fully bought into was the main protag's autistic little sister. In Skin Deep Jarratt manages to write a fabulously accurate description of a supporting character who is bi-polar, here she manages to write a first-class austistic kid.
The one element I truly bought into was the farming family with the soldier son and - most importantly - the whole folk music in the living room scenario.
But the rest: just meh.
So here goes: Dear Laura, please stop writing what your agent/editor/publisher wants you to write and concentrate on what you want to write. I'll be your biggest fan.
The one character I actually fully bought into was the main protag's autistic little sister. In Skin Deep Jarratt manages to write a fabulously accurate description of a supporting character who is bi-polar, here she manages to write a first-class austistic kid.
The one element I truly bought into was the farming family with the soldier son and - most importantly - the whole folk music in the living room scenario.
But the rest: just meh.
So here goes: Dear Laura, please stop writing what your agent/editor/publisher wants you to write and concentrate on what you want to write. I'll be your biggest fan.
September 16, 2013
4.0--4.5 stars
I started this and thought, "I can relax. This is going to be a wonderful YA book about discovery and growing up and the troubles." Ah, it was!
I'm not sure what it was but the witness protection storyline hit my spot. I loved watching these two girls--the past and present--fight for an identity. The book never ever got boring and I think I read it in just 48 hours.
One storyline didn't tie up and one crucial element at the height of the climax was so utterly unbelievable I got a teeny bit mad but otherwise I loved this book and can excuse them.
If you love YA Contemporary, this is a great one to read.
4.0--4.5 stars
I started this and thought, "I can relax. This is going to be a wonderful YA book about discovery and growing up and the troubles." Ah, it was!
I'm not sure what it was but the witness protection storyline hit my spot. I loved watching these two girls--the past and present--fight for an identity. The book never ever got boring and I think I read it in just 48 hours.
One storyline didn't tie up and one crucial element at the height of the climax was so utterly unbelievable I got a teeny bit mad but otherwise I loved this book and can excuse them.
If you love YA Contemporary, this is a great one to read.
4.0--4.5 stars
June 2, 2015
Skin Deep was, without a doubt, fantastic, so I went into this book expecting the same. But I just didn't like it.
I felt like the storyline was incredibly predictable, a lot of hints and forshadowing was provided but wasn't actually wrapped up on, leaving plenty of loose ends. Holly was hugely irritating and naive for a 16 year old. I will probably be giving this away as no matter how excited I was to read this book, it was so, so disappointing.
I felt like the storyline was incredibly predictable, a lot of hints and forshadowing was provided but wasn't actually wrapped up on, leaving plenty of loose ends. Holly was hugely irritating and naive for a 16 year old. I will probably be giving this away as no matter how excited I was to read this book, it was so, so disappointing.
September 11, 2016
It was ok... I thought Louisa/Holly was a little unbelievable and I didn't really like the relationship with Joe, way too cliche. I also hated when he called her 'babe' before they were together -_-
And the end was pretty unbelievable I thought too. Couldn't wait to finish it.
And the end was pretty unbelievable I thought too. Couldn't wait to finish it.
October 1, 2013
It started off really well. I loved Katie and even though we never net her in this book I loved Katya too. The ending was pretty ridiculous.
February 8, 2017
This is a 3.5 read for me. I enjoyed By Any Other Name a lot the first time I read it, but found it less engaging the second, I think because I wasn't especially invested in what had happened in the past with Katya and was more interested in reading Lou's story in the present. I don't think it was poorly done but it didn't quite grip me in the way I would have liked.
That said, I did enjoy the rest of the book, especially the earlier portion when Lou is trying to fit in at her new school. I liked Katie's character in particular, and felt the angle of needing a special school for her with the witness potection was an interesting idea, and an obvious worry for the family. I also liked Joe as a character, though I wasn't a huge fan of his and Lou's romance (I think I've just read too many YA books where romances that follow the pattern their's did!). I liked the mention of exams and the exploration of friendship too. Wasn't the biggest fan of the denoument - but that stems from not finding the threat Lou and her family were under that engaging.
Having read three of Jarratt's novels I'd quite like to read one without a mystery element, as despite loving mysteries I seem to find myself far less interested in that side of her stories than the characters and their lives.
That said, I did enjoy the rest of the book, especially the earlier portion when Lou is trying to fit in at her new school. I liked Katie's character in particular, and felt the angle of needing a special school for her with the witness potection was an interesting idea, and an obvious worry for the family. I also liked Joe as a character, though I wasn't a huge fan of his and Lou's romance (I think I've just read too many YA books where romances that follow the pattern their's did!). I liked the mention of exams and the exploration of friendship too. Wasn't the biggest fan of the denoument - but that stems from not finding the threat Lou and her family were under that engaging.
Having read three of Jarratt's novels I'd quite like to read one without a mystery element, as despite loving mysteries I seem to find myself far less interested in that side of her stories than the characters and their lives.
June 28, 2018
After witnessing something she shouldn't have, Holly is in too much danger to go back to her old life. Instead, she and her family enter the witness protection programme and end up moving to a small village far from everything she's ever known, instructed to under no circumstances have any contact with anyone she used to know. With a new name, new history, and a new school, Holly needs to figure out who she is now - because the danger is still out there, and she can never go back to who she was.
Intriguing premise, but it took me a while to get into the story. For most of the first half, it was all just an arrogant, self-absorbed, shallow bitchy girl having to deal with her new reality of not being Miss Fancypants anymore - and I wasn't overly thrilled with Holly either.
Intriguing premise, but it took me a while to get into the story. For most of the first half, it was all just an arrogant, self-absorbed, shallow bitchy girl having to deal with her new reality of not being Miss Fancypants anymore - and I wasn't overly thrilled with Holly either.
July 6, 2021
"me and Joe. Strawberry and pepper"
let me start this review by saying Holly are dumb.Why did i say that? Well bcs she is, she's not dumb in education she just dumb in protecting herself. She literally do the one thing the police told her not to do LIKE BITCH IF U WANT TO DIE GO AHEAD i mean like i understand she miss her and had no one to talk to but gurl ur risking ur life. EVERYTIME Joe and Matt appear i scream cause BOI OHH BOI THEYRE GOD DAMN GORGEOUS.
The plot is Mehhh. The kidnapping plot is hella boring like gurl i thought something much more WORSE happened to her and Katya. Not gonna lie the whole time before it reaveal what happened to Katya i thought she were being abused by her dad. The storyline is great and tbh i like it but i dont LOVE IT. Thats all ive in ma mind well byebeyebeybye.
let me start this review by saying Holly are dumb.Why did i say that? Well bcs she is, she's not dumb in education she just dumb in protecting herself. She literally do the one thing the police told her not to do LIKE BITCH IF U WANT TO DIE GO AHEAD i mean like i understand she miss her and had no one to talk to but gurl ur risking ur life. EVERYTIME Joe and Matt appear i scream cause BOI OHH BOI THEYRE GOD DAMN GORGEOUS.
The plot is Mehhh. The kidnapping plot is hella boring like gurl i thought something much more WORSE happened to her and Katya. Not gonna lie the whole time before it reaveal what happened to Katya i thought she were being abused by her dad. The storyline is great and tbh i like it but i dont LOVE IT. Thats all ive in ma mind well byebeyebeybye.
February 7, 2019
all of us get upset sometimes. we think to ourselves wouldn't it be nice to leave our life behind. to start anew. Witnesses protection is exactly that, starting from the beginning, becoming a new character. But people in witness protection aren't there for fun. the have endured some, an event or incident that has left them with no other option than to abandon their old identity. Holly Latham is one of these people. the book doesn't start with her tragic story as Louisa. rather it is gradually explored throughout the book. the main story focuses on her new life as holly and the confusion and dare I say dysmorphia with her new life. Holly feels she doesn't fit in with her peers and as a coping method, she directs her hate at those around her.
June 12, 2018
Holly Latham is not really Holly Latham. She's a girl under witness protection, starting over with her family.
By Any Other Name tells the story of Holly adjusting to her new anonymous life, while she tries to figure out who her new persona is. Along the way she realises that she has an opportunity to reinvent herself... Reflect on who she used to be and what she could have done differently, and maybe become who she should have been all along. Throughout the story we learn the reasons she came to be in witness protection, and why she still may not be safe...
This was an enjoyable YA Fiction read, fairly well written, although dragged in places.
By Any Other Name tells the story of Holly adjusting to her new anonymous life, while she tries to figure out who her new persona is. Along the way she realises that she has an opportunity to reinvent herself... Reflect on who she used to be and what she could have done differently, and maybe become who she should have been all along. Throughout the story we learn the reasons she came to be in witness protection, and why she still may not be safe...
This was an enjoyable YA Fiction read, fairly well written, although dragged in places.
August 18, 2023
This is a young adult fiction book. Holly & her family are in the witness protection program & are in a country village. Have to say the main character, Holly, was very annoying, despite her bravery in the incident that led to this situation. Why on earth she would go against the police advice and message her friend from her former life, I will never understand that. It was obvious that the weird boy from the farm would turn out to be the love interest. This story would be a good story for teenage girls especially the nasty cattiness and online targeting towards Holly and her young sister, Katie who has autism.
December 12, 2018
I quite enjoyed this book. I thought it was really good the whole way through until the ending. The mystery was really good, building up nicely the whole way through the story. I was kind of waiting for something to go wrong the whole way through, but I find that to be pretty typical with this kind of book. The build up was just getting really good, and then I feel like the climax just fell a bit short. It wasn’t bad, it just was disappointing at the end.
January 11, 2020
At the start of this book, I found it quite annoying because I really disliked Holly, the narrator, and thought her world view was quite unrealistic. However, I liked the direction her character arc went in, and it made up for the initial annoying-ness. On the whole, I found this to be a really interesting concept and an enjoyable read, with an ending that was just a bit too rushed.
April 21, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The theme of identity really struck me and I found it difficult to put it down
January 27, 2019
This is the link to my blog in which I fully review this book. https://rickoliviakaye.wixsite.com/bo...
June 17, 2020
I didn't enjoy it as much as i hoped to but it was still an entertaining read.
January 6, 2022
Bruv little bit guessable but I couldn’t really put it down so still good. Love that guy I forgot his name the farm guy emo one him.
March 15, 2022
this was actually quite good
October 10, 2023
one of the first proper books i read when i turned into a teenager, i genuinely think it changed me as a person and i loved every page
March 17, 2025
One of my favourite books by Laura Jarratt. Love the concept, romance, and plot.
May 31, 2018
Another book written by Laura Jarratt that I absolutely loved and was blown away by. She writes amazing thrillers and once again, I couldn't put this one down (apart from some of those chilling scenes where I had to just pause and gather myself as I was just bewildered). Really recommed for those who love a gripping and fairly-quick thriller!
March 22, 2025
i borrowed this from the library like 10 years ago and it’s been that one book i always think of randomly and can never remember the title or much information and i was desperate one night and spent three hours trying to find it (there’s a lot of ya witness protection books apparently) but none of them mentioned an emo boy so i knew it wasn’t the one and i finally found it and stayed up till 4am rereading it and reloving it
April 13, 2013
This review was originally published at Fluttering Butterflies
I really loved By Any Other Name by Laura Jarratt. I had high expectations for it after reading Laura's Jarratt previous (and also standalone) book last year, Skin Deep. I love especially how both books deal with identity in different ways. Jarratt is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors due to her wonderful characters, interesting stories and beautiful way of writing. I eageraly await any future books by the same author!
I haven't read many books involving witness protection, but I really love the issues that go along with such a premise. There's a tension that arises from keeping something important secret, shutting off the life you led before and the person you once were. Such is the case for 15 year old Holly who had to choose her own name out of a baby book after witnessing a terrible event and being placed in witness protection. There are frequent flashbacks throughout the story that begin to build a clearer picture of what Holly went through and who exactly she is hiding from.
By Any Other Name is Holly's story as her and her family move away and start again in another town, in another school. Holly really struggles with who she is in so many different respects. I love how Laura Jarratt plays with identity in this book. Is a person who she is because of her name? Her personality traits? Can she become somebody else by making different choices and taking on different roles? It was interesting seeing how Holly views herself differently because of what other people think of her and her family's circumstances. Other characters show Holly different elements of identity - from a soldier's sense of masculinity being threatened by injuries but also how friendships and family connections are important and shape the choices we make in creating our own identities.
Holly's little sister was a wonderful addition to the story. I loved seeing how the behaviour that comes along with her autism is seen by other people. Snap judgements being made before someone knows the whole story. These sort of judgements based on assumptions played a big part in Holly's relationship with Emo Boy and I thought it was lovely to see the two of them progress from hatred and mistrust into friendship and a bit more...
And while I absolutely loved and wanted to soak up all of these different aspects of identity, a topic that I love reading about, By Any Other Name also ramps into a really tense thriller as everything that Holly and her family have fled from creep back into their lives in a very dangerous way. While the beginning of the book is a bit slower in pace with it's character-driven storyline, the last third of the book nearly took my breath away with all the action and danger. By Any Other Name is a story that really grabbed me and kept me flying through the pages right from the beginning! I highly recommend that you pick up this book.
I really loved By Any Other Name by Laura Jarratt. I had high expectations for it after reading Laura's Jarratt previous (and also standalone) book last year, Skin Deep. I love especially how both books deal with identity in different ways. Jarratt is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors due to her wonderful characters, interesting stories and beautiful way of writing. I eageraly await any future books by the same author!
I haven't read many books involving witness protection, but I really love the issues that go along with such a premise. There's a tension that arises from keeping something important secret, shutting off the life you led before and the person you once were. Such is the case for 15 year old Holly who had to choose her own name out of a baby book after witnessing a terrible event and being placed in witness protection. There are frequent flashbacks throughout the story that begin to build a clearer picture of what Holly went through and who exactly she is hiding from.
By Any Other Name is Holly's story as her and her family move away and start again in another town, in another school. Holly really struggles with who she is in so many different respects. I love how Laura Jarratt plays with identity in this book. Is a person who she is because of her name? Her personality traits? Can she become somebody else by making different choices and taking on different roles? It was interesting seeing how Holly views herself differently because of what other people think of her and her family's circumstances. Other characters show Holly different elements of identity - from a soldier's sense of masculinity being threatened by injuries but also how friendships and family connections are important and shape the choices we make in creating our own identities.
Holly's little sister was a wonderful addition to the story. I loved seeing how the behaviour that comes along with her autism is seen by other people. Snap judgements being made before someone knows the whole story. These sort of judgements based on assumptions played a big part in Holly's relationship with Emo Boy and I thought it was lovely to see the two of them progress from hatred and mistrust into friendship and a bit more...
And while I absolutely loved and wanted to soak up all of these different aspects of identity, a topic that I love reading about, By Any Other Name also ramps into a really tense thriller as everything that Holly and her family have fled from creep back into their lives in a very dangerous way. While the beginning of the book is a bit slower in pace with it's character-driven storyline, the last third of the book nearly took my breath away with all the action and danger. By Any Other Name is a story that really grabbed me and kept me flying through the pages right from the beginning! I highly recommend that you pick up this book.
March 4, 2017
Just finished this book. Really enjoyed the suspense, the romance and the strong female character. The relationships in this book are very well done; the brothers on the farm, with her sister who has autism.
August 17, 2013
Als Holly mit ihrer Familie umzieht, muss sie in der neuen Schule und im neuen zu Hause komplett neu anfangen, ohne Feunde – und ohne Vergangenheit. Denn Holly war Zeugin eines schrecklichen Verbrechens und ist nun mit ihrer Familie im Zeugenschutzprogramm.
Ihr altes Ich ist ausgelöscht, nicht mal ihr Name gehört noch ihr. So fällt ihr das neue Leben unglaublich schwer, da sie eigentlich nicht so schüchtern und unauffällig ist, wie sie sich jetzt verhalten soll und das Gefühl hat sich selbst verloren zu haben. Dazu kommt die ständige Angst entdeckt zu werden, die Sorge um ihre Eltern und vor allem ihre kleine Schwester Katie, die autistisch ist.
Doch nicht alles ist schlecht in der neuen Umgebung und als Holly beginnt sich zu öffnen, fängt sie langsam an sich selbst ganz neu kennen zu lernen, dabei hilft ihr vor allem der anfangs gehasste ‘Emo-Junge’ Joe. Doch die Schatten der Vergangenheit lauern überall.
Laura Jarrat schrieb in ihrem ersten Buch ‘Skindeep’ über ein Mädchen, das nach einem Brand entstellt ist und auch in ‘By Any Other Name’ geht es um ein Mädchen dessen komplette Welt sich von heute auf morgen ändert, wenn auch auf ganz andere Weise.
Hollys Gefühlswelt wird sehr eindringlich beschrieben und so kann man auch wenn sie sich vielleicht mal nicht so toll verhält immer verstehen warum sie das tut und wie unglaublich schwer es sein muss von heute auf morgen eine andere Person sein zu müssen.
Es ist unterhaltsam und ergreifend mitzuerleben, wie sie die ersten Schritte in das neue Leben macht und sich dabei Stück für Stück, wenn auch mit einigen Umwegen, selbst findet.
Auch die kleine, autistische Schwester habe ich sehr ins Herz geschlossen und es war sehr emotional zu lesen wie sie mit dem Umzug und den neuen Identitäten zurecht kommt, da für sie Änderungen des normalen Tagesablaufes besonders schwer zu verkraften sind.
Dazu kommt die Freundschaft von Holly und Joe, die sich langsam entwickelt und schlieβlich mehr und mehr wächst und den Leser in seinen Bann zieht, sowie die Beziehung zu anderen Nebenfiguren, die im Laufe der Handlung eine Rolle spielen. Besonders wichtig ist dabei Joes Bruder Matt, der seine ganz eigene, dramatische Geschichte in die Handlung einbringt.
Neben alledem erfahren wir Stück für Stück was Holly da damals eigentlich genau beobachtet hat und was ihre ständigen Alpträume verursacht, bis auch dieser Teil der Geschichte seinen dramatsichen Höhepunkt findet.
Insgesamt hat mich ‘By Any Other Name’ sehr positiv überrascht. Es ist eine gelungene Mischung auchs Coming-of-Age Erzählung, Liebesgeschichte und Thriller, die mich unterhalten, berührt und zum Nachdenken gebracht hat, alles mit einer ordentlichen Portion Spannung, so dass ich einfach immer weiter lesen musste - eine tolle Grundidee gelungen umgesetzt.
Ihr altes Ich ist ausgelöscht, nicht mal ihr Name gehört noch ihr. So fällt ihr das neue Leben unglaublich schwer, da sie eigentlich nicht so schüchtern und unauffällig ist, wie sie sich jetzt verhalten soll und das Gefühl hat sich selbst verloren zu haben. Dazu kommt die ständige Angst entdeckt zu werden, die Sorge um ihre Eltern und vor allem ihre kleine Schwester Katie, die autistisch ist.
Doch nicht alles ist schlecht in der neuen Umgebung und als Holly beginnt sich zu öffnen, fängt sie langsam an sich selbst ganz neu kennen zu lernen, dabei hilft ihr vor allem der anfangs gehasste ‘Emo-Junge’ Joe. Doch die Schatten der Vergangenheit lauern überall.
Laura Jarrat schrieb in ihrem ersten Buch ‘Skindeep’ über ein Mädchen, das nach einem Brand entstellt ist und auch in ‘By Any Other Name’ geht es um ein Mädchen dessen komplette Welt sich von heute auf morgen ändert, wenn auch auf ganz andere Weise.
Hollys Gefühlswelt wird sehr eindringlich beschrieben und so kann man auch wenn sie sich vielleicht mal nicht so toll verhält immer verstehen warum sie das tut und wie unglaublich schwer es sein muss von heute auf morgen eine andere Person sein zu müssen.
Es ist unterhaltsam und ergreifend mitzuerleben, wie sie die ersten Schritte in das neue Leben macht und sich dabei Stück für Stück, wenn auch mit einigen Umwegen, selbst findet.
Auch die kleine, autistische Schwester habe ich sehr ins Herz geschlossen und es war sehr emotional zu lesen wie sie mit dem Umzug und den neuen Identitäten zurecht kommt, da für sie Änderungen des normalen Tagesablaufes besonders schwer zu verkraften sind.
Dazu kommt die Freundschaft von Holly und Joe, die sich langsam entwickelt und schlieβlich mehr und mehr wächst und den Leser in seinen Bann zieht, sowie die Beziehung zu anderen Nebenfiguren, die im Laufe der Handlung eine Rolle spielen. Besonders wichtig ist dabei Joes Bruder Matt, der seine ganz eigene, dramatische Geschichte in die Handlung einbringt.
Neben alledem erfahren wir Stück für Stück was Holly da damals eigentlich genau beobachtet hat und was ihre ständigen Alpträume verursacht, bis auch dieser Teil der Geschichte seinen dramatsichen Höhepunkt findet.
Insgesamt hat mich ‘By Any Other Name’ sehr positiv überrascht. Es ist eine gelungene Mischung auchs Coming-of-Age Erzählung, Liebesgeschichte und Thriller, die mich unterhalten, berührt und zum Nachdenken gebracht hat, alles mit einer ordentlichen Portion Spannung, so dass ich einfach immer weiter lesen musste - eine tolle Grundidee gelungen umgesetzt.
May 12, 2016
This book is somewhere between a 3 and a 4. If you asked me if I liked it or not, I would tell you to read it, but tear the first few chapters out. Of course, you wouldn't really do that, but that's just me saying how boring the beginning of the book was. However, by the end of it, I was ready to through my hands in the air and whoop.
Let's break it down, shall we?
Relationships:
This book is centered around the relationships between the main character and the people around her, and I'm a lucky person to have discovered this book. Because not only does this book teach you about the right kind of romantic relationship you should look for, but also the familial ones you have to pursue in your own family. Plus, (SPOILER) Joe and Holly are super, duper cute together!
P.S. If you're looking for books that aren't overly mushy, but still cute and romantic, this is it!
Plot:
I was excited when I read the synopsis. Because WITNESS PROTECTION, it means a lot of fun identity changes and action, right? Wrong. I was thoroughly disappointed when Holly told the full story. Throughout the book, short flashbacks occurred every now and then--they kept me on my toes. But once I knew what actually happened, it turned out to be less exciting than the scenarios I had in mind. A huge letdown! But on the other hand, this toned the book down to a summer read rather than the original action-filled story I was expecting, which is fine for me.
Characters:
The character development is incredibly obvious and gradual in this book, which I love, but none of the characters really made me fall in love. Holly almost made me pull all my hair out by the way, just a reminder, she does things she isn't supposed to and I keep on telling her to be smart, she doesn't listen. :( She gets told she's brave; I just think the book made her sound too heroic, she really isn't--she's a dumb girl who gets lucky.
Joe was a pretty good character, rather swoon-worthy, but maybe it's the Emo look that isn't really my type. I wouldn't say that the characters were dull, because they totally aren't, but I think it just wasn't long enough for me to really care for them. But like I said, it's a good summer read.
I'm not really in the mood to analyze every detail right now, so I'm going to leave it here for you to decide. If you like chill, little-action books, then go for this. But if you're into hard-core action scenes and graphic romance, you'd be better off reading other books.
Let's break it down, shall we?
Relationships:
This book is centered around the relationships between the main character and the people around her, and I'm a lucky person to have discovered this book. Because not only does this book teach you about the right kind of romantic relationship you should look for, but also the familial ones you have to pursue in your own family. Plus, (SPOILER) Joe and Holly are super, duper cute together!
P.S. If you're looking for books that aren't overly mushy, but still cute and romantic, this is it!
Plot:
I was excited when I read the synopsis. Because WITNESS PROTECTION, it means a lot of fun identity changes and action, right? Wrong. I was thoroughly disappointed when Holly told the full story. Throughout the book, short flashbacks occurred every now and then--they kept me on my toes. But once I knew what actually happened, it turned out to be less exciting than the scenarios I had in mind. A huge letdown! But on the other hand, this toned the book down to a summer read rather than the original action-filled story I was expecting, which is fine for me.
Characters:
The character development is incredibly obvious and gradual in this book, which I love, but none of the characters really made me fall in love. Holly almost made me pull all my hair out by the way, just a reminder, she does things she isn't supposed to and I keep on telling her to be smart, she doesn't listen. :( She gets told she's brave; I just think the book made her sound too heroic, she really isn't--she's a dumb girl who gets lucky.
Joe was a pretty good character, rather swoon-worthy, but maybe it's the Emo look that isn't really my type. I wouldn't say that the characters were dull, because they totally aren't, but I think it just wasn't long enough for me to really care for them. But like I said, it's a good summer read.
I'm not really in the mood to analyze every detail right now, so I'm going to leave it here for you to decide. If you like chill, little-action books, then go for this. But if you're into hard-core action scenes and graphic romance, you'd be better off reading other books.
August 10, 2014
LAURA JARRETT WRITE MORE!
I love love loved this book it was as expected, truly beautiful and I adored it.
the thing with Jarrett is that her books leave you with a smile on your face, this book made me smile and laugh. sweet and funny humor. I like how we are like Holly we find out things about characters at the same time as her we are suspicious and always looking back we smile with her and we wonder who she'll become as well.AND WE LOVE JOE!
I love the mystery within the book, not the annoying type where you don't understand anything and it doesn't go anywhere. I like how holly (or lou's)past was woven into her present and how she was genuine. the characters weren't meant to seem perfect. Holly was finding herself and got confused with who she was and Joe was not perfect either. This book had a lesson it was about first impressions about finding yourself and trust.
I love how genuine and relatable it is yet it is wonderfully unique too.
there were so many true emotions in the book, Holly's love for her sister, her finding peace in Joe's garden. The anger of seeing a family member hurt. The care and bonds between the characters.
It really was wonderfully sweet but not a fairy tale because it still had the sadness and dark parts too.
AND OF COURSE I COULDN'T NOT RANT!
GOD JOE IF YOU WERE HERE I'D STEAL YOU AWAY! YOU ARE SO YUMMY!XD NOT PERFECT BUT...[PERFECT! AND HOLLY GIRL YOU ARE SO TRUE AND I LOVE HOW YOU ADMIT THINGS YOU THINK THINGS THAT ARE WRONG BUT YOU DON'T HIDE IT! LOVE ALL THE CHARACTERS AND AWW LIL POPSICLE! I LOVE YOU TOO! THIS BOOK WAS AWW JUST SO AMAZING AND BEAAAUUUTIFUL I LOVE THE BONDING AND JUST DELICIOUS LITTLE SCENES AND THE FUNNY YET RELATABLE AND SERIOUS COVO'S! YOU GOTTA LOVE 'EM
AND JARRETT I LOVE YOU FOR YA BOOKS! WRITE MOOOORE
I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN HOW MUCH I LOVE AND WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT WAS JUST ALL THOSE LIL SCENES, EVERY CHAPTER I ADORED OR I JUST COULDN'T WAIT TO READ MORE!
Holly girl! <3
Joe<333333 love ya
Katie :D
Matt (y)
I love love loved this book it was as expected, truly beautiful and I adored it.
the thing with Jarrett is that her books leave you with a smile on your face, this book made me smile and laugh. sweet and funny humor. I like how we are like Holly we find out things about characters at the same time as her we are suspicious and always looking back we smile with her and we wonder who she'll become as well.AND WE LOVE JOE!
I love the mystery within the book, not the annoying type where you don't understand anything and it doesn't go anywhere. I like how holly (or lou's)past was woven into her present and how she was genuine. the characters weren't meant to seem perfect. Holly was finding herself and got confused with who she was and Joe was not perfect either. This book had a lesson it was about first impressions about finding yourself and trust.
I love how genuine and relatable it is yet it is wonderfully unique too.
there were so many true emotions in the book, Holly's love for her sister, her finding peace in Joe's garden. The anger of seeing a family member hurt. The care and bonds between the characters.
It really was wonderfully sweet but not a fairy tale because it still had the sadness and dark parts too.
AND OF COURSE I COULDN'T NOT RANT!
GOD JOE IF YOU WERE HERE I'D STEAL YOU AWAY! YOU ARE SO YUMMY!XD NOT PERFECT BUT...[PERFECT! AND HOLLY GIRL YOU ARE SO TRUE AND I LOVE HOW YOU ADMIT THINGS YOU THINK THINGS THAT ARE WRONG BUT YOU DON'T HIDE IT! LOVE ALL THE CHARACTERS AND AWW LIL POPSICLE! I LOVE YOU TOO! THIS BOOK WAS AWW JUST SO AMAZING AND BEAAAUUUTIFUL I LOVE THE BONDING AND JUST DELICIOUS LITTLE SCENES AND THE FUNNY YET RELATABLE AND SERIOUS COVO'S! YOU GOTTA LOVE 'EM
AND JARRETT I LOVE YOU FOR YA BOOKS! WRITE MOOOORE
I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN HOW MUCH I LOVE AND WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT WAS JUST ALL THOSE LIL SCENES, EVERY CHAPTER I ADORED OR I JUST COULDN'T WAIT TO READ MORE!
Holly girl! <3
Joe<333333 love ya
Katie :D
Matt (y)
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