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Identity Theft
The third title in our exciting relaunch of Point Horror!
Hayley is going to have the best year ever. After years of careful planning, she's ready to serve as student council president AND editor-in-chief of the newspaper. Ivy League, here she comes!
However, just before student council elections, someone creates a fake facebook profile for Hayley and starts posting inappropriate photos and incriminating updates. It must be the work of a highly skilled Photoshopper, but the attention to detail is scary. The embarrassing photos of "Hayley" in her bathing suit reveal a birthmark on her back--a birth mark Hayley has never shown in public. . . .
The situation escalates until Hayley's mother reveals some shocking information. Hayley isn't an only child: She has a twin sister who was adopted by a different family. And that's not all. Soon, Hayley discovers that her long-lost sister isn't just playing a prank--she's plotting to take over Hayley's life . . . by any means necessary.
Hayley is going to have the best year ever. After years of careful planning, she's ready to serve as student council president AND editor-in-chief of the newspaper. Ivy League, here she comes!
However, just before student council elections, someone creates a fake facebook profile for Hayley and starts posting inappropriate photos and incriminating updates. It must be the work of a highly skilled Photoshopper, but the attention to detail is scary. The embarrassing photos of "Hayley" in her bathing suit reveal a birthmark on her back--a birth mark Hayley has never shown in public. . . .
The situation escalates until Hayley's mother reveals some shocking information. Hayley isn't an only child: She has a twin sister who was adopted by a different family. And that's not all. Soon, Hayley discovers that her long-lost sister isn't just playing a prank--she's plotting to take over Hayley's life . . . by any means necessary.
256 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2013
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October 13, 2023
Sometimes, the best decision can feel very, very wrong; particularly for a teen-ager. When Hayley chose to give up extracurricular activities to focus on schoolwork, she knew that she would become a bit of an outcast. The prestigious scholarship that she has set her sights on will be totally worth it, though. Or so she keeps telling herself.
Of course, the pursuit of excellence can be quite stressful. Without the distractions of peers, Hayley’s summer had gone very well; but, with the beginning of school, self-doubt rears its ugly head. Sure, her skin is thick enough to handle the stage-whispered barbs from girls that once were treasured friends. Okay, her relationship with Adam may feel a bit strained, but what does he expect? He is her toughest competitor for the Ainsworth scholarship and he most certainly doesn’t need the financial assistance; whereas it is Hayley’s only chance at college.
Fully immersed in school assignments, acting as Editor of the yearbook and continuing her work towards her scholarship, Hayley begins to feel that the stress is affecting her. At first, she hears snippets of conversation that appear to be aimed at her, but she doesn’t know why. Rumours are being spread about things she has supposedly done. Total nonsense, but eerie, nonetheless.
Just as Hayley begins to suspect sabotage, proof emerges, in the form of a Facebook page. Now, she is forced to question her sanity. “Hayley’s” new Facebook has pictures of her in places that she doesn’t remember being, doing things she most certainly would not do……under normal circumstances. Has the pressure created an alter-ego, is someone out to get her, or is she simply going crazy? Hayley must solve this mystery quickly, while she still has a tenuous grip on who she really is.
Ms. Davies created an outstanding, creepy, mystery with Identity Theft. This reader was quickly consumed and constantly “solving” the conundrum. The twists and turns were plentiful without bogging down the story, and I was completely surprised by the ending. This is a perfect book for the Middle-Grade and High School audience. A special thank-you to Ms. Davies for having her characters listen to my two very favourite bands of all time.
Of course, the pursuit of excellence can be quite stressful. Without the distractions of peers, Hayley’s summer had gone very well; but, with the beginning of school, self-doubt rears its ugly head. Sure, her skin is thick enough to handle the stage-whispered barbs from girls that once were treasured friends. Okay, her relationship with Adam may feel a bit strained, but what does he expect? He is her toughest competitor for the Ainsworth scholarship and he most certainly doesn’t need the financial assistance; whereas it is Hayley’s only chance at college.
Fully immersed in school assignments, acting as Editor of the yearbook and continuing her work towards her scholarship, Hayley begins to feel that the stress is affecting her. At first, she hears snippets of conversation that appear to be aimed at her, but she doesn’t know why. Rumours are being spread about things she has supposedly done. Total nonsense, but eerie, nonetheless.
Just as Hayley begins to suspect sabotage, proof emerges, in the form of a Facebook page. Now, she is forced to question her sanity. “Hayley’s” new Facebook has pictures of her in places that she doesn’t remember being, doing things she most certainly would not do……under normal circumstances. Has the pressure created an alter-ego, is someone out to get her, or is she simply going crazy? Hayley must solve this mystery quickly, while she still has a tenuous grip on who she really is.
Ms. Davies created an outstanding, creepy, mystery with Identity Theft. This reader was quickly consumed and constantly “solving” the conundrum. The twists and turns were plentiful without bogging down the story, and I was completely surprised by the ending. This is a perfect book for the Middle-Grade and High School audience. A special thank-you to Ms. Davies for having her characters listen to my two very favourite bands of all time.
May 2, 2017
(2.5)
Would have been 3 stars but I had a lot of little issues with it.
I read this for the first time when I was about 13-15 and I vaguely remember being pretty underwhelmed by it then. That's saying something as I had questionable taste back then and loved some - uh - books that were not the highest quality shall we say. *cough* The Selection *cough*
To start off with, I would not classify this as horror. It's a mild thriller at best, and I can sum up the whole novel as: slightly ridiculous (I’m currently watching Shadowhunters and could say the same about that, but that’s beside the point). Everything was either a little too over the top or a little too unexplored.
There were hints of girl hate, slut shaming and skinny shaming which is a no-no from me. Nothing specific that I could ever really point out but it’s kind of there, hidden in small comments and thoughts by Hayley. It’s also, in the same way mildly cliche (oh yay, another gorgeous yet harebrained mother so the kid practically ends up raising themselves. Never seen that before *rolls eyes*). A lot of the characters are stereotypical and two dimensional which is not something I usually pick up on. I actually didn't while reading but once I had finished and thought back on them I noticed I could describe pretty much all of the characters with just a few words. And yeah, they were cliche as fuck.
It tried a little too hard to appeal to teens and just came off as slightly condescending. Every time Keely (I think that's her name?? I can't remember and also can't be bothered getting up and checking) spoke I got annoyed. I get it, the word 'like' is used frequently by youths - myself included - but, like, really?
I really don't understand why Matt was attracted to Hayley and kept somewhat chasing after her. In almost all of their interactions Hayley was rude to him or acted weird and awkward. Or both. Sometimes weird and awkward can get the guy (or girl, or whatever you identify as) but not Hayley's particular brand of it and not Matt (from what I know of his character, which is stereotypical jock).
There were a few things left unexplained. One of which being I was also so annoyed because all Hayley needed to do was collect some proof and show her mum (don't even get me started on the fiasco that was the reason why her mother didn't tell her she had a twin. That bullshit excuse was just a mess) or the police or someone. Jamie would literally leave little clues lying around. For a "smart" person Hayley was remarkably stupid. But I guess if she wasn't then we wouldn't have a story and that wouldn't be fun now kids, would it?
The ending was kind of cool. But also not. Aside from that it felt a touch rushed.
This had potential and ultimately fell flat. I'm already forgetting a lot of it (this review was written half a week after finishing the book) and I'm not particularly bothered by that. I highly doubt I'll ever come back to this book and don't really recommend it to anyone.
Would have been 3 stars but I had a lot of little issues with it.
I read this for the first time when I was about 13-15 and I vaguely remember being pretty underwhelmed by it then. That's saying something as I had questionable taste back then and loved some - uh - books that were not the highest quality shall we say. *cough* The Selection *cough*
To start off with, I would not classify this as horror. It's a mild thriller at best, and I can sum up the whole novel as: slightly ridiculous (I’m currently watching Shadowhunters and could say the same about that, but that’s beside the point). Everything was either a little too over the top or a little too unexplored.
There were hints of girl hate, slut shaming and skinny shaming which is a no-no from me. Nothing specific that I could ever really point out but it’s kind of there, hidden in small comments and thoughts by Hayley. It’s also, in the same way mildly cliche (oh yay, another gorgeous yet harebrained mother so the kid practically ends up raising themselves. Never seen that before *rolls eyes*). A lot of the characters are stereotypical and two dimensional which is not something I usually pick up on. I actually didn't while reading but once I had finished and thought back on them I noticed I could describe pretty much all of the characters with just a few words. And yeah, they were cliche as fuck.
It tried a little too hard to appeal to teens and just came off as slightly condescending. Every time Keely (I think that's her name?? I can't remember and also can't be bothered getting up and checking) spoke I got annoyed. I get it, the word 'like' is used frequently by youths - myself included - but, like, really?
I really don't understand why Matt was attracted to Hayley and kept somewhat chasing after her. In almost all of their interactions Hayley was rude to him or acted weird and awkward. Or both. Sometimes weird and awkward can get the guy (or girl, or whatever you identify as) but not Hayley's particular brand of it and not Matt (from what I know of his character, which is stereotypical jock).
There were a few things left unexplained. One of which being I was also so annoyed because all Hayley needed to do was collect some proof and show her mum (don't even get me started on the fiasco that was the reason why her mother didn't tell her she had a twin. That bullshit excuse was just a mess) or the police or someone. Jamie would literally leave little clues lying around. For a "smart" person Hayley was remarkably stupid. But I guess if she wasn't then we wouldn't have a story and that wouldn't be fun now kids, would it?
The ending was kind of cool. But also not. Aside from that it felt a touch rushed.
This had potential and ultimately fell flat. I'm already forgetting a lot of it (this review was written half a week after finishing the book) and I'm not particularly bothered by that. I highly doubt I'll ever come back to this book and don't really recommend it to anyone.
May 18, 2013
Rating: 2.5
Identity Theft is a story about Hayley, who has no social life and only focuses on her academic excellence. All she does is study, study, study and a bunch of additional school stuff that can get her into a good university. She is in a line to get a big scholarship that will cover all of her cost. She tries her best, and when she's about to reach her goal, she started being harassed on Facebook. But the thing is...she doesn't have a Facebook. Someone made a profile for her and started to post a pictures of her at the parties with people she never saw before. She knows she never been to those parties, because remember she has no life, umm sorry no social life. So what can it be, just someone with a killer Photoshop skills? or so she thinks...Maybe she's just going crazy?...If only.. She finds out that it's her twin sister that she never knew about, and that her mother claims as dead. What does Hayle thinks? Is at some kind of ghost revenge? Or is she actually alive? Than why would she do stuff like that to Haley? So this is basically the whole story line.
The whole plot of the book was really predictable and unoriginal. I mean if they didn't have such a detailed description of the book, maybe it would of have been better. But no...everything was just laid out, and there wasn't much to go on. Not a lot of awesome twists or unpredictable moments. I knew exactly everything that is going to happen. I really don't like it when the book is so predictable. Also the writing was kind of bad, it didn't have any memorable or likable quotes, or even moments. I never read anything from Anna Davies before, so I can't really say that she's a bad writer. Maybe this book just wasn't her best. So don't just an author just by reading one book by them. I might try reading her other books...Okay so as I said I didn't really liked the plot that much, It was okay. What I really hated were the characters.
Hayle, I honestly don't know how you can like her character. She was just plain to me. I felt no connection, nothing. I think I liked her evil twin a lot better. I mean Hayle, she just seemed like a stock up b*t*h, even though that's what she thought about everyone else. She always thought that everyone was out to get her, and everyone hated her because she was so smart. Kill me now. I really, really, really was annoyed with her. Like really. What about the guy she liked? I mean seriously? Of course it is going to be a cute popular jock that she just believes that he is different. But he is just an a**hole! How couldn't she see it? I hated the way they talked, if you can call it talking because Hayle barely talked to him. Also her nerdy friend that she's always in competition with... Oh god. Kill me. Again. Both of them are just so full of themselves. That's all I have to say. Probably the character that I found that I can actually stand was her evil mental sister. Yeah how crazy is that.
Overall, I honestly didn't like this book. I also wouldn't recommend it. But I know that their is people out there that might like it. I don't judge, I know we all have our different point of views on things. But again, if you ask me I would of have said it's not worth reading. I only give it a 2.5 stars for a try of making it work and for an evil sister;D
P.S: The ending? What the hell? Okay never mind I don't even want to know.
Identity Theft is a story about Hayley, who has no social life and only focuses on her academic excellence. All she does is study, study, study and a bunch of additional school stuff that can get her into a good university. She is in a line to get a big scholarship that will cover all of her cost. She tries her best, and when she's about to reach her goal, she started being harassed on Facebook. But the thing is...she doesn't have a Facebook. Someone made a profile for her and started to post a pictures of her at the parties with people she never saw before. She knows she never been to those parties, because remember she has no life, umm sorry no social life. So what can it be, just someone with a killer Photoshop skills? or so she thinks...Maybe she's just going crazy?...If only.. She finds out that it's her twin sister that she never knew about, and that her mother claims as dead. What does Hayle thinks? Is at some kind of ghost revenge? Or is she actually alive? Than why would she do stuff like that to Haley? So this is basically the whole story line.
The whole plot of the book was really predictable and unoriginal. I mean if they didn't have such a detailed description of the book, maybe it would of have been better. But no...everything was just laid out, and there wasn't much to go on. Not a lot of awesome twists or unpredictable moments. I knew exactly everything that is going to happen. I really don't like it when the book is so predictable. Also the writing was kind of bad, it didn't have any memorable or likable quotes, or even moments. I never read anything from Anna Davies before, so I can't really say that she's a bad writer. Maybe this book just wasn't her best. So don't just an author just by reading one book by them. I might try reading her other books...Okay so as I said I didn't really liked the plot that much, It was okay. What I really hated were the characters.
Hayle, I honestly don't know how you can like her character. She was just plain to me. I felt no connection, nothing. I think I liked her evil twin a lot better. I mean Hayle, she just seemed like a stock up b*t*h, even though that's what she thought about everyone else. She always thought that everyone was out to get her, and everyone hated her because she was so smart. Kill me now. I really, really, really was annoyed with her. Like really. What about the guy she liked? I mean seriously? Of course it is going to be a cute popular jock that she just believes that he is different. But he is just an a**hole! How couldn't she see it? I hated the way they talked, if you can call it talking because Hayle barely talked to him. Also her nerdy friend that she's always in competition with... Oh god. Kill me. Again. Both of them are just so full of themselves. That's all I have to say. Probably the character that I found that I can actually stand was her evil mental sister. Yeah how crazy is that.
Overall, I honestly didn't like this book. I also wouldn't recommend it. But I know that their is people out there that might like it. I don't judge, I know we all have our different point of views on things. But again, if you ask me I would of have said it's not worth reading. I only give it a 2.5 stars for a try of making it work and for an evil sister;D
P.S: The ending? What the hell? Okay never mind I don't even want to know.
January 31, 2015
More reviews at Mrs.ReaderPants.
REVIEW: About a year ago, I read another book by Anna Davies. In this book, I got annoyed very quickly with the author's constant use of the phrase "I'm fine" or "it's fine" or "everything's fine." It's not like I set out to notice these things, but once I notice them, they drive me nuts.
As with Davies' other book Wrecked , I quickly noticed the same trend. I read Identity Theft on my Nook, so I took a few minutes to search the word "fine" in this short novel. Would you believe "I'm fine" and similar "fine" phrases occur a whopping 79 times in this 256-page book? No wonder I noticed it so quickly!
So why do I bring this up? So what if "fine" phrases make up a disproportionate amount of the dialogue? Well, to me, it points to poor writing and editing. If it's in there so many times that I notice it by about page 50, it's in there far too much. Instead of focusing on the story (which isn't really half bad), I am distracted by the frequency of one phrase.
But is it a good book? I guess it's all right. Teens will probably like it far more than I did. I did not care for Hayley's character at all. She's unsympathetic and does more to alienate herself than anything anyone else does to her. She's whiny. Everyone is out to get her. She throws a tantrum when her mother--gasp!--orders something other than pizza in a restaurant. She doesn't realize how nasty she is when she passes over a great candidate for a yearbook editor based simply on the fact that she does not like her. Is that not what she complains everyone else does?
Plenty of stereotypical characters round out the cast. There is the friendly nerd boy who is almost as ambitious as Hayley and, for some crazy reason, has a crush on her. The thoughtless but popular jock who Hayley likes (again, not sure why). And of course, plenty of mean girls, who post hateful Facebook comments and pass dirty looks at Hayley every time she walks by.
Tons of social media and pop culture references will date this book quickly. For the time being, however, those references will draw some readers and help them relate to the story.
While many young readers will love the "twist" in this one, I predicted it simply from reading the blurb. It's an okay twist, but I wish the summary hadn't been so obvious.
Flaws in logic, particularly toward the end. Keeping this review spoiler-free, I'll give a minor example from earlier in the story:
Hayley and Adam (the nerd boy) go together to a scholarship question-and-answer session. The purpose of this session is for the scholarship committee to bring all the semi-finalists together and ask each of them one question to discuss on stage, in front of all the other candidates. Think the Miss America interview competition except with stupider questions, nearly all of which revolve around social media and/or pop culture. Anyway, so there are about a hundred "semi-finalists" in the room, all answering questions one-at-a-time on stage. After her question, Hayley leaves abruptly, climbs into a limo, wakes up at home, and owes the limo driver $100.
Problems with this scenario:
Seriously, 100 semi-finalists? Was that everyone who applied? Last I heard, many scholarships go without applicants at all. I get that this one is a full-ride, but that still seems like a lot of "semi-finalists."
This is a prestigious scholarship, so one would surmise that the semi-finalists are all uber-smart overachievers like Hayley and Adam. Yet one of the candidates, who prefers to be called "Willow," comes prepared to sing the committee a song. She then proceeds to give the stupidest possible answer to her question and come off as a complete ditz. Huh? This is one of the semi-finalists?
Where did the limo come from? Was it just there, waiting for someone to come out and need a ride home? Did she flag it down? If she "climbed in and fell into a dreamless sleep, not waking until we reached my house," then how did the limo driver know where to take her?
Limo rate for a one-hour drive home from Concord=$100. I haven't taken too many limo rides in my life, but this is about what it would cost to take a cab that distance. What a bargain for a limo!
I know it seems like I am being too hard on this book, but the devil is in the details. These are but minor details, really, ones that probably won't affect the overall story for many readers. But they're still there. Where was the editor? Why did no one notice these (and several other) problems in logic? They would be easy enough to fix if someone bothered to do more than a cursory read. In today's saturated YA market, I would think authors, editors, and publishers would do absolutely everything they can to make their books as flawless as possible. That this book got published with this many flaws should give budding writers hope that they, too, will one day get published.
THE BOTTOM LINE: The story itself reminds me of those deliciously cheesy horror novels from the 80s. It does, however, have many flaws in logic, unlikeable characters, and repetitive phrasing.
STATUS IN MY LIBRARY: It's not out yet, but I am donating my copy (not an ARC) to our library. My students will like it even though I don't. I don't think they'll notice all the problems I do.
READALIKES: Fear Street series (Stine); anything by Lois Duncan
RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 2/5
Creativity: 4/5
Characters: 1/5--stereotypes and unlikeable protagonist
Engrossing: 2/5
Writing: 2/5--"fine"
Appeal to teens: 4/5
Appropriate length to tell the story: 4/5
CONTENT:
Language: mild; hell, damn
Sexuality: mild; suggestive photos of girl (making out, smeared in whipped cream, wearing a bikini)
Violence: mild; some blood, a car accident
Drugs/Alcohol: mild; a party with beer, sedation drugs
July 7, 2013
wow, spooky and creepy. It's the perfect late night read.
Imagine having your internet life stolen. You don't have a facebook page, you don't have a twitter account - and yet everyone is talking about your status updates! When you go to look, there are photos OF YOU doing things you've never done, hanging out with people you don't know.
This story is a total page turner. Hayley is driven and hard working and, frankly, kind of mean. She isn't terribly nice to anyone and has few friends. She's driven to succeed and win, no matter the cost to anyone else. And so far, she's done okay.
But what will she do when she's no longer the one in control? I loved this one!
Imagine having your internet life stolen. You don't have a facebook page, you don't have a twitter account - and yet everyone is talking about your status updates! When you go to look, there are photos OF YOU doing things you've never done, hanging out with people you don't know.
This story is a total page turner. Hayley is driven and hard working and, frankly, kind of mean. She isn't terribly nice to anyone and has few friends. She's driven to succeed and win, no matter the cost to anyone else. And so far, she's done okay.
But what will she do when she's no longer the one in control? I loved this one!
April 13, 2013
Initial reaction: I'm really glad I had the opportunity to read "Identity Theft", considering it's among the kind of stories I usually enjoy. It took a while to find its stride and I think I was put off a little by the info-dumpish, pop culture dropping beginning, but once the story started rolling, it became rather entertaining, even if, admittedly, I've read quite a few stories like this before.
Full review:
Confession time: I've never read any of Anna Davies's books before now, but "Identity Theft" certainly encourages me to take a step forward. Reading this was a bit of a throwback to teen horror books I read in my youth from Scholastic Point, and I couldn't be more happy taking the trip back to memory lane. The difference is that this has a modern stamp written all over it, social media incriminations included. And dare I say that this was actually a fun horror story? Even if the heroine was likely the type who would choose the banana over the knife? It's a pretty cut and dry horror read, complete with a few twists that up the ante in a R.L. Stine Goosebumps kind of way.
The story revolves around a young woman named Hayley who is at the top of her school's food chain socially and academically. She's worked hard to vy for the chief editing position of her newspaper, and she's vying for a tough scholarship that will get her into the school of her choice, among other things. Yet that all comes crashing down when Hayley realizes that someone sets up a dummy Facebook profile of her (it's definitely not her considering her former friends chased her off back in the 9th grade). The profile features a girl who looks like her and has incriminating photos. Yet that's only the beginning as Hayley not only realizes the FB profile isn't simply a cruel photoshopping joke, but the start of something far more sinister.
Leave it to a long lost twin sister trying to steal your identity to muck things up. The twin sister really doesn't come into the picture until a good while into the book, so for those readers expecting "epic twin face-off" moment from the get-go, it'll take a bit (but believe me, it happens!). There were a few issues in the book in the beginning with info-dumping and pop culture references that might make the book a little dated as time passes, but once the story started with the manipulations, it was a smooth read to the end for me. I had fun with it, and I think it depends on how you approach it as to what your experience reading this will be like. I wouldn't say it's a story that's terrifying as much as it aims to keep you guessing what will happen next and expose many of the challenging moments Hayley has when discovering the existence of her twin, as well as the plot to invade her life.
And oh my word, that twist ending was probably right on point with what I come to expect from this genre. I won't spoil it for anyone, but I think if you don't mind a rather traditional teen horror romp, and can find interest in watching the ride despite its familiar troupes, this is a good story to go into. I enjoyed it very much and would be willing to pick up more of what's to come with Point Horror as well as Anna Davies' works with respect to this.
Overall score: 3.5/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Scholastic.
Full review:
Confession time: I've never read any of Anna Davies's books before now, but "Identity Theft" certainly encourages me to take a step forward. Reading this was a bit of a throwback to teen horror books I read in my youth from Scholastic Point, and I couldn't be more happy taking the trip back to memory lane. The difference is that this has a modern stamp written all over it, social media incriminations included. And dare I say that this was actually a fun horror story? Even if the heroine was likely the type who would choose the banana over the knife? It's a pretty cut and dry horror read, complete with a few twists that up the ante in a R.L. Stine Goosebumps kind of way.
The story revolves around a young woman named Hayley who is at the top of her school's food chain socially and academically. She's worked hard to vy for the chief editing position of her newspaper, and she's vying for a tough scholarship that will get her into the school of her choice, among other things. Yet that all comes crashing down when Hayley realizes that someone sets up a dummy Facebook profile of her (it's definitely not her considering her former friends chased her off back in the 9th grade). The profile features a girl who looks like her and has incriminating photos. Yet that's only the beginning as Hayley not only realizes the FB profile isn't simply a cruel photoshopping joke, but the start of something far more sinister.
Leave it to a long lost twin sister trying to steal your identity to muck things up. The twin sister really doesn't come into the picture until a good while into the book, so for those readers expecting "epic twin face-off" moment from the get-go, it'll take a bit (but believe me, it happens!). There were a few issues in the book in the beginning with info-dumping and pop culture references that might make the book a little dated as time passes, but once the story started with the manipulations, it was a smooth read to the end for me. I had fun with it, and I think it depends on how you approach it as to what your experience reading this will be like. I wouldn't say it's a story that's terrifying as much as it aims to keep you guessing what will happen next and expose many of the challenging moments Hayley has when discovering the existence of her twin, as well as the plot to invade her life.
And oh my word, that twist ending was probably right on point with what I come to expect from this genre. I won't spoil it for anyone, but I think if you don't mind a rather traditional teen horror romp, and can find interest in watching the ride despite its familiar troupes, this is a good story to go into. I enjoyed it very much and would be willing to pick up more of what's to come with Point Horror as well as Anna Davies' works with respect to this.
Overall score: 3.5/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Scholastic.
September 10, 2018
The book was very interesting, I was always on the edge of my seat, there was a lot of cliff hangers, and at no point was I bored while reading.
March 10, 2013
I received this e-arc and in exchange I will do an honest review.
To begin with... this isn't the type of book that I usually read. I'm more into dystopian, sci-fi, and paranormal YA. I do read some contemporary YA, but usually it has to be highly recommended. I thought I'd give this a shot and I'm glad that I did.
This book has a lot of potential and I think that if it's fleshed out a bit, and a few of the plot holes are filled in then it can be a really good suspense/thriller.
The start was a bit meh, everyone fit into the stereotypical high school cliques that we all know and know aren't 100% true. It was easy to filter the mean girls into one category, the jocks into another, and the main character is the typical 'studies at the cost of everything else' character. She wasn't boring, but she wasn't the most interesting character either.
The mentions of current social media platforms kinda bothered me and I'm not sure if it's because I feel like high schoolers shouldn't know what twitter or instagram are because that's stuff that people MY age use and I've been out of high school and university for quite a few years now. Maybe I just need to realize that I am old and get on with it. I also feel like that dates a book beyond repair and am on the fence about using such things in contemporary novels. That's just my opinion though.
But I know that Facebook was essential to the plot of the story and I get that.
I liked the suspense in this book. While the writing was a bit patchy at times, the sections where you knew that something evil was lurking RIGHT around the corner were well done. I found that I couldn't put this down at times, and even continued reading it on my Kindle after I finished commuting from work (whereas I usually switch to physical books at home if I have them because I hate carrying around hardcovers while I'm on the train/ riding my bike) and finished it before the end of the night. I HAD to know what was going to happen.
The things that I think either need work or just don't work are:
The introduction of Jamie. She was always lurking in the back... but how? I know she was messing around online, and that seems totally plausible, but breaking into Hayley's house? And tricking her friends? I don't buy that at all. It's impossible to impersonate a person that you've never been around! And how did Jamie get Hayley's passwords and information so easily? Also... I know that Google holds onto cashed information, so I don't think it's possible for a normal girl to open a facebook account and then totally erase it from the internet 100% a few hours later.
The mental institute didn't really make sense. I LOVED how Jamie set everything up so that it was Hayley who got put away... but how the hell did Hayley get out??? At first I thought that Adam had done something amazing, but it was her family? And they sent her home... but not back to Jamie's home... to Hayley's? That made zero sense.
And the car accident. One second Jamie was driving the car into the lake with Hayley driving behind her and the next there's an accident and I'm sorry, but if Hayley crashed her car into Jamie's then shouldn't they both have gone into the lake? Or did Hayley cut her off?
I was also disappointed with Matt. I really liked the idea of him falling for Hayley and looking past her overachiever status and even falling for her because of it. I know that Adam, her rival and partner in academia, liked her and was probably more suited for her... but Matt liked her despite all of that. Despite being the BMOC and never really settling for one girl. So when he couldn't tell that Jamie had stepped in and taken over Hayley's place... that really bothered me. I felt like Matt should have been the one to see through it and come to Hayley's rescue. But instead he turned out to be just another dbag who wanted to have a good time with a party girl.
The end freaked me out and now I'm wondering if Hayley's parents lied to her again about Jamie being dead and if Jamie did survive the crash. I really want to know and I'd kinda like it if there was another book with a show down between the two sisters. I would especially like to know more about Jamie and why she was so, so screwed up.
I gave this a three because I came away from it with a good feeling. I know that I found a lot wrong with it, but I usually only award 2 stars to books that I really disliked but couldn't find in my heart to actively hate.
To begin with... this isn't the type of book that I usually read. I'm more into dystopian, sci-fi, and paranormal YA. I do read some contemporary YA, but usually it has to be highly recommended. I thought I'd give this a shot and I'm glad that I did.
This book has a lot of potential and I think that if it's fleshed out a bit, and a few of the plot holes are filled in then it can be a really good suspense/thriller.
The start was a bit meh, everyone fit into the stereotypical high school cliques that we all know and know aren't 100% true. It was easy to filter the mean girls into one category, the jocks into another, and the main character is the typical 'studies at the cost of everything else' character. She wasn't boring, but she wasn't the most interesting character either.
The mentions of current social media platforms kinda bothered me and I'm not sure if it's because I feel like high schoolers shouldn't know what twitter or instagram are because that's stuff that people MY age use and I've been out of high school and university for quite a few years now. Maybe I just need to realize that I am old and get on with it. I also feel like that dates a book beyond repair and am on the fence about using such things in contemporary novels. That's just my opinion though.
But I know that Facebook was essential to the plot of the story and I get that.
I liked the suspense in this book. While the writing was a bit patchy at times, the sections where you knew that something evil was lurking RIGHT around the corner were well done. I found that I couldn't put this down at times, and even continued reading it on my Kindle after I finished commuting from work (whereas I usually switch to physical books at home if I have them because I hate carrying around hardcovers while I'm on the train/ riding my bike) and finished it before the end of the night. I HAD to know what was going to happen.
The things that I think either need work or just don't work are:
The introduction of Jamie. She was always lurking in the back... but how? I know she was messing around online, and that seems totally plausible, but breaking into Hayley's house? And tricking her friends? I don't buy that at all. It's impossible to impersonate a person that you've never been around! And how did Jamie get Hayley's passwords and information so easily? Also... I know that Google holds onto cashed information, so I don't think it's possible for a normal girl to open a facebook account and then totally erase it from the internet 100% a few hours later.
The mental institute didn't really make sense. I LOVED how Jamie set everything up so that it was Hayley who got put away... but how the hell did Hayley get out??? At first I thought that Adam had done something amazing, but it was her family? And they sent her home... but not back to Jamie's home... to Hayley's? That made zero sense.
And the car accident. One second Jamie was driving the car into the lake with Hayley driving behind her and the next there's an accident and I'm sorry, but if Hayley crashed her car into Jamie's then shouldn't they both have gone into the lake? Or did Hayley cut her off?
I was also disappointed with Matt. I really liked the idea of him falling for Hayley and looking past her overachiever status and even falling for her because of it. I know that Adam, her rival and partner in academia, liked her and was probably more suited for her... but Matt liked her despite all of that. Despite being the BMOC and never really settling for one girl. So when he couldn't tell that Jamie had stepped in and taken over Hayley's place... that really bothered me. I felt like Matt should have been the one to see through it and come to Hayley's rescue. But instead he turned out to be just another dbag who wanted to have a good time with a party girl.
The end freaked me out and now I'm wondering if Hayley's parents lied to her again about Jamie being dead and if Jamie did survive the crash. I really want to know and I'd kinda like it if there was another book with a show down between the two sisters. I would especially like to know more about Jamie and why she was so, so screwed up.
I gave this a three because I came away from it with a good feeling. I know that I found a lot wrong with it, but I usually only award 2 stars to books that I really disliked but couldn't find in my heart to actively hate.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2014
Originally posted on Drunk On Pop
This was the worst book I’ver read this year. In fact, if it wasn’t for my Rated YA-MA reading challenge, I would have marked this as DNF around 25% through. Just absolutely horrendous for so many reasons, which we’ll get into. But first: I took a sentence out of the summary to make note of. The summary on Goodreads added this sentence, “The embarrassing photos of “Hayley” in her bathing suit reveal a birthmark on her back–a birth mark Hayley has never shown in public. . . .” This is something that did not even happen in the book. The summary also talks about a secret that Haley’s mom reveals – except she didn’t. The summary involves plot points that don’t even happen, so there’s just one tell that the contents of the book sucked.
This had a lot of potential. I was intrigued by the social media aspect of it and the fact it was part of a series of sorts with other social media related stories. Identity Theft/Catfishing/etc is something that is happening a lot on social media right now and had this been done well it could have been really enjoyable. For one, all of the characters sucked. The main character, Haley, (so unmemorable I had to look back to find her name) is supposed to be one of the smartest girls in school and yet throughout the entire story she acts like the dumbest person I have ever read about. Her, and all of the other characters, we all equally dumb and one-dimensional. Hayley kept blinding blaming people for things with no reason. Then re-made friends with people that have hated her for years. She just let things happen to her and apparently had never heard of the fucking screenshot button. Some characters and “plot points” were introduced with absolute no meaning. We could have gotten to the ending without going through some of these loops at all.
Which speaking about the ending, had the first 3/4 of the book been better the ending almost could have gotten this book a 1.5 or even 2 star rating. The twin that was introduced ended up being clever and sneaky but then all of a sudden the ending happened that made everything else a complete cop out. I am attempting to stay spoiler free here, but it really was one of the most wasted endings in a book. I don’t think I can come up with a more wasteful ending, I really can’t. Then major plot points, things that mattered so much to the main character were never addressed again. What could have been completely creepy and interesting was dumbed down to the point that it was irrelevant. Totally disappointing.
With all of that said, the entire premise of Identity Theft was completely ripped off of other books, specifically Pretty Little Liars. The way the main character was – totally Spencer Hastings. The twin angle is something that occurred in the PLL books, and even the whole stalking and putting people in danger. The way people acted, the way they talked, even things that the characters did – total and complete ripoffs. I would go so far as to say that this book HAS to be some sort of plagiarism. There’s nothing original about it at all. It’s one thing to borrow aspects of other books, but this was extreme and it wasn’t even good. I am very wary of reading the other Point Horror book that I received as an ARC. Blah.
For more reviews like this, visit Drunk On Pop!
This was the worst book I’ver read this year. In fact, if it wasn’t for my Rated YA-MA reading challenge, I would have marked this as DNF around 25% through. Just absolutely horrendous for so many reasons, which we’ll get into. But first: I took a sentence out of the summary to make note of. The summary on Goodreads added this sentence, “The embarrassing photos of “Hayley” in her bathing suit reveal a birthmark on her back–a birth mark Hayley has never shown in public. . . .” This is something that did not even happen in the book. The summary also talks about a secret that Haley’s mom reveals – except she didn’t. The summary involves plot points that don’t even happen, so there’s just one tell that the contents of the book sucked.
This had a lot of potential. I was intrigued by the social media aspect of it and the fact it was part of a series of sorts with other social media related stories. Identity Theft/Catfishing/etc is something that is happening a lot on social media right now and had this been done well it could have been really enjoyable. For one, all of the characters sucked. The main character, Haley, (so unmemorable I had to look back to find her name) is supposed to be one of the smartest girls in school and yet throughout the entire story she acts like the dumbest person I have ever read about. Her, and all of the other characters, we all equally dumb and one-dimensional. Hayley kept blinding blaming people for things with no reason. Then re-made friends with people that have hated her for years. She just let things happen to her and apparently had never heard of the fucking screenshot button. Some characters and “plot points” were introduced with absolute no meaning. We could have gotten to the ending without going through some of these loops at all.
Which speaking about the ending, had the first 3/4 of the book been better the ending almost could have gotten this book a 1.5 or even 2 star rating. The twin that was introduced ended up being clever and sneaky but then all of a sudden the ending happened that made everything else a complete cop out. I am attempting to stay spoiler free here, but it really was one of the most wasted endings in a book. I don’t think I can come up with a more wasteful ending, I really can’t. Then major plot points, things that mattered so much to the main character were never addressed again. What could have been completely creepy and interesting was dumbed down to the point that it was irrelevant. Totally disappointing.
With all of that said, the entire premise of Identity Theft was completely ripped off of other books, specifically Pretty Little Liars. The way the main character was – totally Spencer Hastings. The twin angle is something that occurred in the PLL books, and even the whole stalking and putting people in danger. The way people acted, the way they talked, even things that the characters did – total and complete ripoffs. I would go so far as to say that this book HAS to be some sort of plagiarism. There’s nothing original about it at all. It’s one thing to borrow aspects of other books, but this was extreme and it wasn’t even good. I am very wary of reading the other Point Horror book that I received as an ARC. Blah.
For more reviews like this, visit Drunk On Pop!
February 14, 2014
Anna Davies is a good writer, but I believe this book was not exactly for her. I never read any of her books before, so I cannot tell you about her other writings. She repeatedly used the term "I'm fine" in her writing. I suggest she should have used more higher vocabulary.
Hayley Westin is an overacheiver senior, who works hard to be in all AP-classes. She desires to recieve the Ainsworth scholarship nomination to pay university expenses. Hayley is usually in different locations throughout the story like her home, her high school, the Ugly Mug, mental hospital, and the UPenn campus.
Hayley starts to be harrassed on the internet. She finds a Facebook profile with pictures of her going to wild parties and hanging out with people she doesn't recognize. The only problem is that she does not have a Facebook or an Instagram. She finds out that it's her twin sister that she never knew about, and that her mother claims dead. She wonders what is going on, is it revenge or what?
Hayley and I are similar. We put effort in our education and would like to recieve a scholarship. Dedicated to be accepted in a great university.
The plot of the story is predictable. There is no "BOOM" moment. No original sayings or quotes. Every mystery stories are similar in a way, but there is some that stands out from the rest. I consider this book dull but at some points, there is suspense. You don't exactly know what happens next, you just have an idea of what might happen.
I rate this book a 3 because it did have me at the edge of my seat and the ending kept me wondering, but with the repeated phrases and predictable plot, it did not amuse me to give it a high rate.
The author's reason for writing this story is to be yourself because it can lead to a successful life.
Hayley Westin is an overacheiver senior, who works hard to be in all AP-classes. She desires to recieve the Ainsworth scholarship nomination to pay university expenses. Hayley is usually in different locations throughout the story like her home, her high school, the Ugly Mug, mental hospital, and the UPenn campus.
Hayley starts to be harrassed on the internet. She finds a Facebook profile with pictures of her going to wild parties and hanging out with people she doesn't recognize. The only problem is that she does not have a Facebook or an Instagram. She finds out that it's her twin sister that she never knew about, and that her mother claims dead. She wonders what is going on, is it revenge or what?
Hayley and I are similar. We put effort in our education and would like to recieve a scholarship. Dedicated to be accepted in a great university.
The plot of the story is predictable. There is no "BOOM" moment. No original sayings or quotes. Every mystery stories are similar in a way, but there is some that stands out from the rest. I consider this book dull but at some points, there is suspense. You don't exactly know what happens next, you just have an idea of what might happen.
I rate this book a 3 because it did have me at the edge of my seat and the ending kept me wondering, but with the repeated phrases and predictable plot, it did not amuse me to give it a high rate.
The author's reason for writing this story is to be yourself because it can lead to a successful life.
September 2, 2019
I love original Point horrors. LOVE! Not all of them were great, most were cheesy, and the characters were idiots, but I have them all and dust them off on the regular for a read.
Some things cannot be replicated. I'm not sure if they were even going for a replication. A book like this simply would never fit into the world of original Point horrors. It was a teen thriller, and perhaps if they hadn't made it a part of a lame redo, it would have fared better.
The story itself takes too long to become thrilling. Most of the first 50 pages are just Hayley talking to herself and complaining. I found it to be overly wordy and brimming with filler.
Most original Point horror books stayed under 180 pages, and for good reason, there usually was not enough material to stretch beyond, Anna Davies should have done the same.
Some things cannot be replicated. I'm not sure if they were even going for a replication. A book like this simply would never fit into the world of original Point horrors. It was a teen thriller, and perhaps if they hadn't made it a part of a lame redo, it would have fared better.
The story itself takes too long to become thrilling. Most of the first 50 pages are just Hayley talking to herself and complaining. I found it to be overly wordy and brimming with filler.
Most original Point horror books stayed under 180 pages, and for good reason, there usually was not enough material to stretch beyond, Anna Davies should have done the same.
March 31, 2018
This falls a little into a YA horro but more focused on a stolen identity genre. The book was well written and unlike most YA mystery books, I was wrapped up in trying to figure out how the protagonist could solve the mystery. Overall, an enjoyable book and an engaging short read.
January 5, 2022
what in the
October 27, 2017
Identity Theft is a story about a girl name Hayley. She doesn't have any type of social media because she likes to focus on the goals that she has in life. All she likes to do is study every chance she gets because shes hoping that one day she is going to get to the Ainsworth college. Ainsworth is her number one choice. When shes about to reach her goal, she started getting harassed on Facebook. She doesn't have a Facebook page but someone that looks like her started posting pictures of her in a bikini and talking and kissing guys. Hayley knows it is not her because shes not a party person and she doesn't know the guys that's in the pictures.
She thinks she going crazy because she doesn't remember going to any parties but she knew that whoever started the page was after her and she needed to take the Facebook page down. Later on in the story, shes finds out that she has a twin sister that she knew anything about. Her mother never told her about her sister. Hayley feels like her twin sister hates her. Her mom says her twin sister is dead but Hayley knows that she's alive. HER SISTER IS NOT DEAD. Hayley keeps getting little messages from her so call "dead" twin sister. Hayley continues her research on her sister. It turns out that her sister is not dead, her name is Jamie. They meet but Jamie wants to kill Hayley. Jamie doesn't like the life Hayley has and she's jealous of her. As time goes by, Hayley gets into a car accident but Jamie her twin sister is dead.
I feel like this book could be better it wasn't that interesting. everything was just laid out, and there wasn't much to go on. Not a lot of awesome twists or unpredictable moments. I knew exactly everything that is going to happen. Hayley, I honestly don't know how you can like her character. She was just plain to me. I felt no connection, nothing. I think I liked her evil twin a lot better, she had more emotion then Hayley. Overall i didn't really liked the book not my favorite it wasn't always interesting sometimes it felt like she was adding extra stuff just to fill up the pages.
She thinks she going crazy because she doesn't remember going to any parties but she knew that whoever started the page was after her and she needed to take the Facebook page down. Later on in the story, shes finds out that she has a twin sister that she knew anything about. Her mother never told her about her sister. Hayley feels like her twin sister hates her. Her mom says her twin sister is dead but Hayley knows that she's alive. HER SISTER IS NOT DEAD. Hayley keeps getting little messages from her so call "dead" twin sister. Hayley continues her research on her sister. It turns out that her sister is not dead, her name is Jamie. They meet but Jamie wants to kill Hayley. Jamie doesn't like the life Hayley has and she's jealous of her. As time goes by, Hayley gets into a car accident but Jamie her twin sister is dead.
I feel like this book could be better it wasn't that interesting. everything was just laid out, and there wasn't much to go on. Not a lot of awesome twists or unpredictable moments. I knew exactly everything that is going to happen. Hayley, I honestly don't know how you can like her character. She was just plain to me. I felt no connection, nothing. I think I liked her evil twin a lot better, she had more emotion then Hayley. Overall i didn't really liked the book not my favorite it wasn't always interesting sometimes it felt like she was adding extra stuff just to fill up the pages.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2019
“Identity Theft” follows a girl named Hayley, a girl described as an overachiever. She is a senior in high school, has applications sent out for colleges, and is a finalist for one of the best scholarships in the United States. Right when she starts to think that she is going to get the scholarship, leave town, and gain a better life than the ‘boring, friendless’ one she has in her hometown, weird things begin to happen. A facebook page appears with pictures of Hayley partying, and doing things that could cost her that scholarship… Except it isn’t her. She passes it off as a prank, just someone photoshopping her into these pictures. I did like this book. While reading, I didn’t ever want to put it down. I didn’t have a favorite character, because while I particularly didn’t dislike any of the characters, I can’t say I actually liked any of them. Most of them felt pretty real, and pretty aggravating. There were parts that seemed slightly unrealistic though. Obviously people would make particularly ‘unsmart’ decisions, but some made in this book were flat out idiotic (don’t usually openly say this about book characters). My favorite part of the book was when Hayley actually figures out who this person is and what they were trying to do. There were definitely some things I didn’t like about the book. Like mentioned before, I didn’t dislike the main character, Hayley, but I didn’t like her either. The way she acted, the decisions she made, it made it difficult to feel bad for her. It would be hard going through the situation she dealt with in the book, but she had multiple openings to easily shut it down. I would suggest this book more towards teenagers and older who like mystery novels. If I were grading the book, it would be a 3 out of 5. I do have to point out that there were a few grammatical errors throughout the book.
January 15, 2025
The only thing good was that it was a quick read.
Hayley is a completely unlikeable character. She thinks she is better than everyone and she doesn’t grow from that mindset. Also, for someone so smart, she did a lot of stupid things. I hate when characters don’t do something that could solve all their problems, and the only reason is because it would end the book.
Why wouldn’t she go over to the table when Jamie was with Matt? Why wouldn’t she tell her mom what was happening? Why wouldn’t she save any of the proof that Jamie left lying around? Why wouldn’t she call her mother from the hospital instead of Matt? And why would she date Adam when he was such a jerk and didn’t even look into helping her out of the hospital?
Also, how did Jamie get her out of the hospital? How could she have possible faked her own death in that scenario? There would have been a body.
How did Jamie get a letter that their mom wrote to their grandmother?
The book makes no sense if you spend more than five seconds thinking about it.
Hayley is a completely unlikeable character. She thinks she is better than everyone and she doesn’t grow from that mindset. Also, for someone so smart, she did a lot of stupid things. I hate when characters don’t do something that could solve all their problems, and the only reason is because it would end the book.
Why wouldn’t she go over to the table when Jamie was with Matt? Why wouldn’t she tell her mom what was happening? Why wouldn’t she save any of the proof that Jamie left lying around? Why wouldn’t she call her mother from the hospital instead of Matt? And why would she date Adam when he was such a jerk and didn’t even look into helping her out of the hospital?
Also, how did Jamie get her out of the hospital? How could she have possible faked her own death in that scenario? There would have been a body.
How did Jamie get a letter that their mom wrote to their grandmother?
The book makes no sense if you spend more than five seconds thinking about it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2019
Not good!
The premise of this book sucked me in,but in actuality the book wasn't good. Hayley is so unlikable as a peeson. Typical cliche filled teen angst: nerdy unpopular girl becomes popular because of her Facebook updates,quietness but liked girl but she goes for the jock she has nothing in common with,ends up with nerdy guy. Throughout the book the mother was absent but for a few scenes, keeps giving Hayley "time alone", seriously? And the ending, did the parents lie again about Jamie? I can usually find something nice to say about books but there is nothing redeeming in this one.
The premise of this book sucked me in,but in actuality the book wasn't good. Hayley is so unlikable as a peeson. Typical cliche filled teen angst: nerdy unpopular girl becomes popular because of her Facebook updates,quietness but liked girl but she goes for the jock she has nothing in common with,ends up with nerdy guy. Throughout the book the mother was absent but for a few scenes, keeps giving Hayley "time alone", seriously? And the ending, did the parents lie again about Jamie? I can usually find something nice to say about books but there is nothing redeeming in this one.
February 12, 2020
Definitely not a horror book. Throughout reading it I found myself saying "why are you so into this book it's not even written all that well", but I couldn't put it down, hence the 3 stars. I also hate when books end the way this book ended. Why put so much time into unraveling a story only to not properly end it??? It would be one thing if there was a sequel but there's not. So, 3 stars because she did get me to keep reading. But, star deduction for the ending, it was a smidge cliche, and it wasn't written as well as I would've liked!
April 16, 2019
I found this book at a thrift store and was intrigued by the cover and what was written on the back. I am so glad I took a chance to read this author because this book was great! I wish it was a story that was continued into a series, because I would continue reading it. I will have to see what else this author has written!
August 9, 2021
This book was sooo good omg. In the beginning it was a little slow, but I like high school set books so it wasn’t really boring. Once it started picking up the pace I was so intrigued and wanted to keep reading. The plot twist was so unexpected. I wish the book had been longer though and we got to see more of what happened after the accident. Overall great book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2025
2.6 stars. It was a good small read but nowhere near a horror honestly, there were a lot of things left unexplained but I guess that's why it's a 4 series. Still it seems kinda like a profit thing since this book was really small.
It was still thrilling and fun, but I wasn't terrified while reading it.
It was still thrilling and fun, but I wasn't terrified while reading it.
October 21, 2018
This is my first book I ever read from the beginning to the end. Overall, it's quite an interesting story even though I don't remember about what this book all about. Also, I'm a bit late for giving a review because this website is new for me.
December 27, 2021
The storyline had so much potential, but some plot points were so predictable like the whole Adam thing. Also, the ending was kinda anticlimactic and feels rushed. So many plot holes that could've been solved with dedicating one or two chapters exploring it.
May 15, 2017
Its not easy dealing with thriving to be the best and having something threaten to ruin your future. Like Anna Davis Describes, Hayley has a friend request she can’t ignore. The Identity Theft, by Anna Davis, is about a girl, Hayley Weston who is a finalist for a prestigious college scholarship. Hayley can’t afford to have any distractions like social media or partying. So when Hayley discovers pictures of someone claiming to be her, it threatens to ruin all of her plans for her future. That is until she finds out secrets from her family's past. She finds out that she has a twin. Not only is she trying to ruin her life, she wants it for herself.
Identity Theft fits in with the mystery genre because it is thrilling and you’ll be wondering what happens next. The author creates suspense at first by describing Hayley’s aspirations in life. Hayley gets a comment from a classmate saying, “So you go from not partying at all, to, like, partying with big guys. That’s bold.” In the book Hayley is pretty much oblivious to all of this until she discovers someone is sabotaging her. Based on the way the author describes how Hayley feels I noticed that by writing about how she feel and what she thinks, it helps readers better understand the mysterious parts of the novel. Also, The Girl On the Train, by Paula Hawkins fits into the mystery genre because it’s thrilling. Both authors of these books create suspense by making sure the reader realizes things are unknown, mysterious, and exciting. They hook the reader by creating a backstory.
I enjoyed reading this book because the author really created suspense. Not only through the text but like, in my mind. I loved that she had many twists throughout the book. I think people would enjoy this novel or novels similar to it because of the way she makes this a mystery. Young teens would enjoy this because it is so fun to watch the story unfold, and the pieces of the mystery, or what I call it puzzle. If you want to read a good book, pick up Identity thief!
Identity Theft fits in with the mystery genre because it is thrilling and you’ll be wondering what happens next. The author creates suspense at first by describing Hayley’s aspirations in life. Hayley gets a comment from a classmate saying, “So you go from not partying at all, to, like, partying with big guys. That’s bold.” In the book Hayley is pretty much oblivious to all of this until she discovers someone is sabotaging her. Based on the way the author describes how Hayley feels I noticed that by writing about how she feel and what she thinks, it helps readers better understand the mysterious parts of the novel. Also, The Girl On the Train, by Paula Hawkins fits into the mystery genre because it’s thrilling. Both authors of these books create suspense by making sure the reader realizes things are unknown, mysterious, and exciting. They hook the reader by creating a backstory.
I enjoyed reading this book because the author really created suspense. Not only through the text but like, in my mind. I loved that she had many twists throughout the book. I think people would enjoy this novel or novels similar to it because of the way she makes this a mystery. Young teens would enjoy this because it is so fun to watch the story unfold, and the pieces of the mystery, or what I call it puzzle. If you want to read a good book, pick up Identity thief!
February 14, 2019
I read a similar story to this last year except with triplets instead of twins. The story was okay but I knew what the twist was from the beginning.
March 2, 2020
Anti-climatic. Also, the ending hardly brings anything together. Way too cliche.
March 19, 2020
Very good book, lots of interesting things to keep you going. Honestly some of the stuff was very relatable and others played on my own personal fears so I was very emotionally invested in the ending
October 27, 2020
If you like books about high school drama and enjoy the work freaky hahaha this is the book for you
December 27, 2023
I have no memory of reading this I just recall reading it in middle school & then immediately getting hooked on murder and mystery, so it only felt right to add it on here
January 13, 2014
Is there a way to explain at the top of your game? Well if you knew Hayley Westin you would understand. Hayley doesn’t have a Facebook, Instagram, or a Twitter to keep her life up-to-date with her friends. She happens to be a finalist for a prestigious college scholarship. She’s all about hitting the books for school until her world is turned upside down. Hayley has a meeting with Mr.Klish about her Ainsworth scholarship, he was just telling her how they would be looking for social media accounts of contestants. Hayley has no worries, so she gets home and simply Google’s herself like normal. “I typed my name in the search box. I scrolled through the first page- as expected, it was filled with debate transcripts, Bell Award for Excellence nominees, and absolutely nothing from Keely’s freshman year Tumblr. Then, something on the bottom of the third page caught my eye.” (Davies, 32). She notices there’s a Facebook profile under her name with pictures just like her. First she thinks someone could just be photoshopping pictures and putting her face on them, then it hits her mind! Could it be Keely, her worst enemy. They used to be friends way back when, until Hayley decided her grades were more important than field hockey. Wait why would Keely care enough to do that? Then another person comes to mind. Adam, her competitor at everything and her major competitor at the Ainsworth scholarship. As she’s trying to figure out who put up the fake profile, random stuff keeps happening. She’s getting locked out of her email, the Facebook profile is going up and down, and then randomly someone instant messages her. Somebody Hayley should know, but doesn’t want to.
This author did a great job on the suspense. I personally loved this book, it grabbed my attention to the point where it was hard to stop reading. It’s not a book that moves you because it’s horror, but honestly it’s not scary. I love the ending because I feel like Hayley becomes a new person. Everything that had happened changed her life, but everything was a good change. If there happens to be a second book I’ll definitely read it. It’s a newer book so it might be a while til’ a second one might be written.
I give this book 5 stars because it was another one of those books where as soon as you start reading, it was hard to stop. I also loved the plot!
This author did a great job on the suspense. I personally loved this book, it grabbed my attention to the point where it was hard to stop reading. It’s not a book that moves you because it’s horror, but honestly it’s not scary. I love the ending because I feel like Hayley becomes a new person. Everything that had happened changed her life, but everything was a good change. If there happens to be a second book I’ll definitely read it. It’s a newer book so it might be a while til’ a second one might be written.
I give this book 5 stars because it was another one of those books where as soon as you start reading, it was hard to stop. I also loved the plot!
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