The Girl You Thought I Was

by Rebecca Phillips

No one looking at Morgan Kemper would think she had a secret-at least not one that she's deeply ashamed of. To everyone she meets, she comes across as sweet, pretty, and put together. But Morgan knows that looks can be deceiving. For over a year, she's shoplifted countless pieces of clothing and makeup. Each time she tells herself it will be the last, and each time it never is.

But when she's caught and sentenced to thirty hours of community service, the image Morgan has carefully constructed starts to crumble. She's determined to complete her punishment without her friends discovering the truth about her sticky fingers, but that's easier said than done...Especially once she meets Eli, the charming, handsome nephew of the owner of the charity shop where Morgan is volunteering. Soon, Morgan is faced with an impossible decision: continue to conceal the truth or admit that she's lied to everyone in her life, including the boy she's falling for.

Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Teen, Young Adult Romance

357 pages, Hardcover

First published July 31, 2018

About the author

Rebecca Phillips is a copyeditor by day and a TV series binger by night. Oh, and sometimes she writes novels. Rebecca lives in beautiful Atlantic Canada with her family, which includes a spoiled senior-citizen cat.

Learn more about Rebecca's books by visiting her website: www.rebeccawritesya.com

Reviews

[Susan's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morgan takes out her anger at her mother's abandonment of the family by shoplifting.



When she finally gets caught, she is required to do community service. She volunteers at a thrift shop and meets Eli, who is recovering from a severe knee injury. Morgan continues to mess up her friendship and her relationship with the "cute boy" by not being honest about her shoplifting and her suppressed anger issues.



Forgiveness is a two-way street, as Morgan ultimately learns, and no one is perfect, least of all herself. Rebecca Phillips is very good with characterization, realistic drama and portraying difficult family situations. I wanted a longer ending - Eli and Morgan were such a cute couple, and I missed their verbal interaction, but, ultimately, this was a great, tension filled read.
I'm rating this one a 3.9 out of 5.

[••Camila Roy•• · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING:4/5

e-ARC provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

I ended up liking this a lot more than I expected. Having read Rebecca Phillips’s previous book These Things I've Done, my expectations weren't that high. I thought that particular book was average and lacking depth. This one, however, is the complete opposite.

For over a year, Morgan Kemper has shoplifted countless pieces of clothing and makeup. Each time she tells herself it will be the last, and each time it never is. When she's caught and sentenced to thirty hours of community service, Morgan's determined to complete her punishment without her friends discovering the truth but that's easier said than done. Then she meets Eli, the charming, handsome nephew of the owner of the charity shop where Morgan is volunteering. Soon, Morgan is faced with an impossible decision: continue to conceal the truth or admit that she's lied to everyone in her life, including the boy she's falling for.

I got attached to this story from the first chapter. It opens up with Morgan successfully shoplifting something. Then, the author describes how the act makes her feel afterwards. As you would expect, it's a mixture of guilt and regret. I have no firsthand experience with shoplifting or stealing but I can imagine the reasons people have for doing it. In this case, it wasn't an issue of money but revenge.

When I learned about the factors that pushed the main character to adopt this behavior, I empathized with her. Her actions are not justifiable, of course. As one of the characters said:

''How can you be so selfish? Do you have any idea how much shoplifting hurts stores? They have to raise their prices. They have to spend extra money on security''

It's true. Stealing is a selfish, horrible act. But when it becomes a compulsion or a habit that you can't seem to shake, it can be referred as an addiction or a vice. In cases like this, professional help is required.

As the story progresses, Morgan starts to realize that her actions affect those around her (her dad, sister, friends). She was really set in her ways in the beginning, making not-so-good decisions like lying to her loved ones. But she came to her senses in the end.

I loved Eli and Morgan's relationship. I'm always afraid that romance is going to overshadow the point/purpose of a story, instead of complementing or contributing to it. This was not a problem here.

Maybe there's still time to show him that the girl he thought I was is exactly the girl I'm hoping to become

I love when the title of the book is mentioned in the story. Is that just me?

Overall, I found this be a very unique story. The ending made me tear up a bit :( Definitely recommend it!

[Rebecca Phillips]

So yeah, I wrote a book about a teen shoplifter.

This story was originally meant to be dark and kinda twisty, but it ended up being more about friendship dynamics and how quickly they can change, creating a new normal after your family has been ripped apart, and finding romance in unexpected places.

I hope you all enjoy it!

[Thamy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Morgan has been having it hard lately, now her mother left home for another man and her sister is away in college the only thing that makes her feel better is shoplifting. But when she's caught and meets Eli at the place she had to volunteer, her secret gets in the way of a real relationship with him.

Phillips is a great writer. This is the third book I read and each of them had not only quality but also meaning; I really like how she focuses on family without it being the only thing, and it's always a different issue. The thing is that this was the less exciting of the three I've read. I can't can't what exactly went wrong. It wasn't the pacing, it wasn't that the main girl was a thief—I've never stolen a thing in my life but I could still relate to the mess Morgan created for herself. I just think Phillips has been more entertaining.

Still, the themes here were great and diverse. Eli used to be a hockey player but an accident forced him to rebuild his life, just like Morgan had to rebuild hers without her mother. Phillips didn't run away either from all the drama a divorce ensues. Really, it's excellent material for book club discussions, for example. One side story I didn't like was Morgan's friend. I mean, the story itself was okay, one of her friends is in love with the other, who doesn't seem to return the feelings. It's only that it had absolutely nothing to do with the main plot, it was distracting and I couldn't care less actually.

I guess this review is also all over the place. But I did like the book, I even wonder if I'd have enjoyed it more hadn't I expected more for knowing this writer. If you want well-written YA, this is a sure thing.

Honest review based on an ARC provided by Edelweiss. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

[Kathy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morgan Kemper has a secret. Outwardly, she is smart, pretty, and has a solid group of friends. But inside, Morgan is a mess. She is so angry that her mother had an affair and left the family to go off with the new man. Since her mother left, Morgan has developed a new hobby. She shoplifts. She started small with lip gloss from the drugstore but, with knowledge gained online, now she is stealing clothes from mall stores. She feels guilty but she can't seem to stop.

Then she is caught stealing $186 sunglasses from Nordstroms. Her father is called and, since they believe she is a first-time offender, she's given the option of completing an online course and doing 30 hours of community service. Her dad finds her an opportunity to volunteer at a thrift store run by one of his former co-workers.

At the thrift store, Morgan meets Eli. She tells him that she's volunteering because it will look good on her college applications. The two become friends and even begin a romance. All the while, Morgan is keeping this big secret from him. He tells her all about the accident that ended his promising hockey career and about his current interest in horticulture but she shares just the smallest bits of her life.

At home, her father and sister are encouraging her to give her mother a chance, to listen to what she has to say. Morgan is still so angry with her that she isn't willing to give her a chance. Things deteriorate even more when her friends find out about her shoplifting which changes their relationship. Then Eli finds out and that relationship blows up too.

This was an intriguing story about a girl who makes bad decision after bad decision. It was almost painful to read. It does have a hopeful ending though as she begins to rebuild her relationships with her mother, friends and Eli.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Girl You Thought I Was is a standalone Young Adult contemporary romance. But it is also a YA book that deals with a serious issue.

The narrator is 17 year old Morgan. It is Summer Break before her senior year of high school. Morgan has major family drama and now lives with her dad. She has resorted to shoplifting.

The premise of this book was interesting. I liked that we got to actually witness Morgan shoplifting, even though it made me super anxious.

I liked Morgan's relationships with her friends and sister. And I was fascinated by what happened with her mom. I also enjoyed the store where she volunteered. And I liked Eli.

The beginning was a bit slow for me. There wasn't one particular thing that was wrong with this book. I just wanted more. The second half of the book did get better for me. But overall I wish that this had been a book that I could not put down.



Thanks to edelweiss and HarperTeen for allowing me to read this book.

[Dahlia]

Enjoyed this one a lot! The voice reminded me SO much of Liz Czukas, a personal fave, that I literally forgot it wasn't one of hers at a couple of points; if you're also a fan, definitely grab this!

I'm psyched anytime a YA does something new, and since I've never seen one discuss kleptomania before (though IIRC it didn't use the word, a choice I am curious about), this was a particularly interesting read.

Longer RTC.

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morgan had a dirty little secret, which she thought she hid well, and she did, until she was caught. Now Morgan had to battle to preserve her "good girl" image, while earning back her father's trust and fighting the compulsion to steal.

• Pro: Phillips captured those emotions related to Morgan's addiction so well. I experienced her highs and her lows, the adrenal rush, and the guilt that followed. It pained me to watch Morgan struggle, and I was hoping she could get to the root of her problem before she lost everything.

• Pro: Rita was a really wonderful character. She found beauty in the pain, and I am happy people like her existed in this world. She was someone, who knew the whole truth about Morgan, and still believed in her, and I loved her for that.

• Pro: Eli, dear sweet Eli. Eli sort of lost a lot and decided he wouldn't wallow in self pity, and this made me want to grab hold of him and hug him forever. I loved his optimism and his ability to look for the good parts. He was really special and yet flawed, but his flaws were forgivable, because he had such a big heart, was so kind, and was sort of an all-around good guy.

• Pro: The romance was quite wonderful. I think Morgan and Eli complimented each other well, and they found their calm in each other.

• Pro: The characters in the book were so messy and real. They had struggles and shortcomings, and they had to work through all these things. Though they had their own issues, they were all still there for Morgan when she really needed them, and I appreciated how they tried to support Morgan during her recovery.

• Pro: Though I was sometimes disappointed in Morgan, I was always sympathetic towards her. I have to commend Phillips on this, because it not easy to make people care about a character, who at first seems self-centered, selfish, and self-serving. As Phillips pulled the layers away, we learned a lot more about Morgan, and I found myself hoping things would improve for her, that she would make better choices, and that her family could find some healing.

Overall: A compelling and realistic portrait of a girl in crisis, who I hoped would be able to put her life back together.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[Amber (Books of Amber) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve decided that I love Rebecca Phillips’ writing and I’ve put her on my auto-buy author list. That’s right, it’s official. I loved the book she released last year, These Things I’ve Done, and as soon as I saw that The Girl You Thought I Was was available to review, I had to nab it. And it definitely didn’t disappoint.

Rebecca Phillips has a way of writing characters that makes you fall in love with them. Morgan is a shoplifter, and societal norms say you should hate her for that, but when her backstory is unravelled you can’t help but feel for her. Her parents’ divorce affected her massively, and despite the crimes she has committed, she is a good person who is trying to be better. I thought she was a fantastic protagonist.

I loved Morgan’s relationship with her father and her sister. Morgan lives alone with her father and her cat, and the father/daughter bonding was one of the best parts of the book.

The relationship between Morgan and Eli was also lovely. Their progression felt natural and really sweet. I didn’t like that the book fell into the Second Act Breakup trope, but whatever. I loved it anyway.

This book confirms what I thought after reading Phillips’ previous book, and that is that she writes fantastic relationships whether they’re platonic or romantic. This is where her skills truly shine.

I’m definitely going to have to go back and read the author’s backlog, because I feel like I’m going to love all of her books. And I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next!

[Solara! · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4/5) eli. i love you so much. morgan. sigh i hate to say it but i feel for her anger towards her parents and even her mom her actions were def not justified but it kind of gives you insight as to why people do the things that they do

[Sarahdactyl ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

♥ Find my reviews here: Literary Meanderings

- - -

Morgan Kemper is pretty, popular, and has it together—at least from the outside. Inside, she is struggling. Morgan's mom had an affair and left home to be with her new lover. Morgan's emotional upset over this has caused her to develop a case of kleptomania (as we are led to believe). Morgan has a strong urge to steal again and again. It began with small items such as lipstick, but has gotten out of control with Morgan stealing items worth hundreds of dollars. With the help of tips from fellow shoplifters in an online community message board, Morgan has lifted thousands of dollars worth of clothing, makeup, and accessories. Until...she is finally caught stealing a pair of sunglasses from the local mall.

As punishment for her (believed, not actual) first time theft, she is sentenced to do 30 hours of community service. Her dad finds her a volunteer op at a charity-based thrift shop. Morgan lies to her friends, saying she is volunteering for other reasons. While volunteering, she meets Eli. His aunt owns the thrift shop and he helps her out by volunteering there as well. Eli and Morgan become fast friends and, soon, much more than that. The problem? Morgan has also lied to Eli. He knows nothing about her thefts or why she is truly volunteering.

I adored the romance in this book. It was a slow-build, but a bit steamy. It was funny and snarky, but adorable. I enjoyed the dynamics between Morgan and Eli SO SO much! It's been awhile since I've read a well-developed YA romance such as this. Very very well done. Relationships are very much highlighted in this book—in all forms. Romance, friendship, and family. It was well-rounded and never focused on simply one thing.

Morgan is a complex character. She is not a bad person, simply angry. She is bitter about her mother leaving the family and about having to put on a perfect face for those around her. She literally just wants to be herself and be happy. She begins stealing as a result of the emotional stress of her mother betraying her father and leaving the home. It becomes an impulse and something she cannot seem to stop. This is the definition of kleptomania. It begins from emotional stressors and can become something huge, as it did in the case of Morgan. Even after Morgan has served her community service, come to terms with her family separating, and told her friends and Eli the truth, she still has the compulsion to steal. Only, after getting help, she is better equipped to deal with her urges. I think Rebecca Phillips did a great job of portraying the mental illness in this story.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot! The character development and plot were very well built. I enjoyed the romance immensely—it wasn't instalove and it wasn't too immature, it was just the right amount of cute and steamy for a teen read. The focus on relationships is obvious and well done. Morgan meanders through familial discord as well as that of friendships and love. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a very well put together YA contemporary!

- - -

Book source: Via publisher for review
Publisher: HarperTeen

• For more of my reviews, check out my blog!

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 3 out of 5]

RTC

[USOM · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Disclaimer: I received this free book from Edelweiss. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

Having never read a book about a main character who has kleptomania was really refreshing. Not only that, but Morgan was a character I could get behind. She makes mistakes, but she has that same fire, that same heart, as I do. I could really identify with her and her struggles. The Girl You Thought I Was is a book about journeys and forgiveness. It's a book that celebrates the joy in the journey - the mistakes, the detours, and the necessity for company.

full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...

[Lucy Buller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on That Book Gal.
I feel like Rebecca Phillips never writes a book that’s easy. Both THE GIRL YOU THOUGHT I WAS and THESE THINGS I’VE DONE tackle tough topics, but they are beautiful and wonderful stories. While dealing with heavy topics, they manage to stay light with really amazing romances and great friendships. However, let’s talk about THE GIRL YOU THOUGHT I WAS.

THE GIRL YOU THOUGHT I WAS features on a young girl who has been caught for shoplifting. It explores the complexity of crime and mistakes, and what it means to be a “good” person. I loved the view into Morgan’s mind.

I think with YA you need to be able to relate to the story, and I think that works in this. The reoccurring theme is that people make mistakes, and good people can make bad mistakes. That doesn’t make them a bad person, just human. And because of this theme, it makes the book widely accessible.

I did experience some bad anxiety during the book, and I needed to stop and breathe at times, because it is by no means an easy breezy read. I think it was triggering to me just because of some experiences I’ve had that I haven’t fully dealt with, but I would recommend just going in carefully, because there’s some really rough going near the end where it could get triggering.

Okay so. We must talk about this ROMANCE. This isn’t a romance really but there is romance and it’s steamy and great and like YES. All the shipping. SHIPPING GONE WILD. There’s some really great kissing and the guy is just like super great and awesome and he obviously has his faults but I think he’s such a great character.

I wasn’t totally in love with Morgan’s friend group at first but I really grew to love them and I adored the group by the end! They’re all quirky and sweet and fun, and they love Morgan so, so much.

I really loved this book, for even some reasons I don’t feel comfortable talking about. There’s so much I want to focus on and hype about but I’m not ready yet? This book is really important to me now, and it’s just such an amazing story.

Overall, Rebecca Phillips won my heart once more. She delivered a book full of romance and friendship and smoothies, but yet it dealt with more serious topics and managed to maintain an air of levity. IT’S JUST A REALLY GREAT BOOK OKAY.

[Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

2023

2020
Morgan has a lot to deal with in her life. Her parents went through a pretty nasty divorce (which began with her mother cheating on her father) and she's been struggling to come to terms with that ever since. In order to cope she begins shoplifting.

Morgan is a really easy character to like. She is smart and funny. She has a large group of friends and clearly every one adores her and she feels the same way about them. She's generally responsible and makes good choices. All except this one thing. Well, and the majority of the decisions that take place after the shoplifting, such as not telling her friends or family about her major problem until it was almost too late.

Even with her making poor decisions, though, you can't help but root for her. I can't say that I felt many good feelings towards her mother (even though she did seem to be making an effort). But I can definitely say that I was still rooting for her and Eli.

[Alanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly, I really wanted to like this one - I've been enjoying YA Contemporary more and more of late, and I was excited to read The Girl You Thought I Was by Rebecca Phillips as a break from my typically Fantasy and Sci Fi reads. Unfortunately, I was quickly disenchanted, and as I read, found myself growing to be more and more disappointed by this book and the story Phillips decided to tell.

Now, let me begin by saying that (initially) I really identified with Morgan. Her parents, like mine, are divorced. She is separated from her sibling by a move to university, which I experienced when I moved away to school five years ago. She has a small, tight-knit group of friends, similar to my own highschool friends. And she is, according to her own standards, living in poverty, such that she can validate stealing dozens of luxury items.

And that's what got me, because I've been there. I've been in that place where there isn't enough money for all those pretty, shiny things I want (want, not need) - where I couldn't have everything my friends had, because we didn't have the money. Honestly, I've probably been in a worse place than Morgan - she always has food on the table, her dad literally hands her $20 bills so she can go out for lunch with her friends, and she has a car that he pays for. So I apologize, but I really cannot sympathize with Morgan's need to steal luxury items, like pricey bathing suits and $200 Nordstrom sunglasses, just because she feels that she ought to be living in the lap of luxury, but isn't. Welcome to the working middle class sweetheart - it sucks, but it's life. Honestly, her ridiculous bratty-ness totally turned me off to feeling any sympathy for her story/position, and made much of this book a struggle for me to read. 

Furthermore, I didn't see what Phillips outlined as "friendship dynamics and how quickly they can change, creating a new normal after your family has been ripped apart, and finding romance in unexpected places". All I could see was a story about a bratty, spoiled teenage girl. Sorry Phillips, its not working for me - as someone who has lived, and is living this life, I can tell you that Morgan's plight is far from something that will stir sympathy from those who've actually lived in poverty, or on the brink of it. So far from it. So far off tone it almost hurts.

Despite this, there were still aspects of this book I quite enjoyed. Morgan's friends, and the group dynamic they have going on, felt startlingly real, and the cheesy friend hangout sessions felt more realistic than most. Just as her friends did - Phillips did an excellent job developing Morgan's friends into individuals, rather than a clustered group hive-mind, so it made sense that their reactions to her "secret" life were differed and, honestly, they made the story that much more powerful, considering how utterly awful Morgan was. 

Overall, The Girl You Thought I Was by Rebecca Phillips was well-written and had some excellent character development going on, especially in terms of the non-primary characters (Morgan's friends, her family, and Eli), but all of that was overshadowed by the fact that the story Phillips was trying to tell was just so off-key. As someone who has essentially lived Morgan's life, I felt alienated and embarrassed by the story, and completely removed from the surrealism of Morgan's life. I'm honestly not sure why this is he story Phillips decided to tell, but it hurt, and it certainly won't be one I'll be re-reading any time soon (1/5). 

[Teenreadsdotcom · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE GIRL YOU THOUGHT I WAS by Rebecca Phillips follows Morgan Kemper and her struggles to find herself after she is caught shoplifting a pair of designer sunglasses. The thing is, that wasn’t Morgan’s first time doing it and she can’t help it if it isn’t her last. She knows it’s wrong and she sometimes can’t stand herself for doing it, but it’s become an addiction and one she finally has to face the repercussions of. Now that she’s sentenced to thirty hours of community service, Morgan finds herself volunteering at a thrift store, planning to lay low until completing her dues. That is until she meets the owner’s nephew, Eli, and Morgan is faced with the challenging decision of keeping the truth from everyone around her or exposing herself with the risk of losing her friends and the boy she’s falling for.

After reading --- and loving --- Rebecca Phillips’ other novel, THESE THINGS I’VE DONE, I knew I had to review this! Phillips’ writing style is so raw and relatable which is something I adore about her novels. Even though we should be annoyed with the petty shoplifting Morgan commits (and trust me, you do get a bit mad), the way Phillips portrays Morgan’s thoughts has the readers empathizing for her as the novel progresses. At one point, I didn’t even want her to reveal the truth because of how much it could ruin her happiness.

I do have to say though, it was interesting to see the depths behind theft and how it may not be because you want something, but that the satisfaction you get when stealing means much more than the item. Even if we as readers don’t agree with the act itself, it does give us a better understanding on Morgan’s mindset and how she responds to certain situations. She may have made a lot of mistakes as the novel went on, but it just highlights the character development you see towards the end which is always something to admire.

I also loved the relationship she had with Eli because, let’s be real, they were adorable! They had such lovely chemistry and stood by one another through other tough circumstances they faced. I enjoyed getting to know Eli’s backstory and it made him an interesting character and not just “the love-interest.” I also liked how the romance wasn’t overstepping the message of the story; instead complimenting the events and two main characters.

Speaking of characters, I thought that Morgan’s friends were also really fun to read from, but the one’s that stood out to me the most were her family. Morgan’s home life is kind of sticky because her mom left them after having an affair, so that is brought up a lot in the story. I think key people though were her dad and sister. They were really the undying support system in her life and brought some cute (and super real) scenes. There’s even her adorable cat, Fergus, whom you can’t help but love --- even if you’re not really a cat person like myself.

Overall, there wasn't any particular thing that was wrong with this book, even if it was a little slow at the beginning. Once you really get in to it though, it’s incredibly hard to put down (no joke, I finished it in one sitting)! I would recommend this to fans of Robin Benway, Erin Watt, or anyone interested in contemporary fiction in general. It’s definitely a unique story you wouldn’t want to miss!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 STARS FOR "THE GIRL YOU THOUGHT I WAS" BY REBECCA PHILIPS

After being really impressed with "These Things I've Done" earlier this year, I decided to take the plunge into Phillip's other books. I'm so glad I did. The Girl You Thought I Was follows seventeen year old Morgan Kemper as she's forced into helping out at a thrift shop to fulfill her community service hours after being caught shoplifting.

In all fairness, Morgan isn't the easiest character to like. With her dependency on stealing to fill the void left behind by her mother's abandonment, there were plenty of times that I wanted to reach through my screen and shake her by the shoulders whenever she lied to her friends or relapsed into old behaviors even after being caught. The fact that she steals again after being confronted with how it affected her father the first time was so bothersome to me, and her refusal to open up to her friends and Ethan about things drove me crazy. But I think Phillips has a really good grasp on what its like to be a teenager, and to fear rejection and consequences for actions you know were wrong. Morgan is scared and angry, and she lies a lot to the people she cares about, but I like that she develops the maturity by the end of the novel to take accountability for herself. And I respect that Phillips isn't afraid to make her heroines flawed. A major theme of the novel, especially explored with Morgan's messy family dynamic, is taking a look at the people around you and realizing that everyone is capable of making bad choices, but that it doesn't always make you a bad person by default.

And of course, Eli is a fantastic love interest. Phillips is excellent at crafting the types of boys her heroines need and that readers will fall in love with too. Eli is kind, funny, and so patient with Morgan. Their romance is generally low-angst, and while it has a very strong presence within the book, I like that it didn't overshadow Morgan's conflict with her parents. There's a great parallel made between Eli rebuilding his life after a sports injury and Morgan doing the same after her parents divorce - the initial anger and lashing out, followed by acceptance and hope. They made for a good couple, even though I shared in Eli's frustrations that she wasn't being as open about her life as he was. Additionally, I think if there's any subplot that could have been cut out, it could have been the drama between Dawson and Alyssa. I thought the banter and talk between the friends seemed authentic, but I thought Dawson's unrequited feelings didn't fit much into the larger scheme of the book. It was page time that could have gone towards the mother-daughter conflict, or even giving some more time to the father.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I enjoyed this book from the start. It certainly had a captivating beginning, with Morgan successfully shoplifting a bikini she wanted. Although I don't condone her actions, I could understand why she felt it necessary to steal/ Her parents' divorce had a huge impact on her and she only felt in control was when she was taking things that weren't hers. The author described Morgan's feelings extremely well - the adrenaline rush, the fear, the guilt and the paranoia.

Throughout The Girl You Thought I Was, I enjoyed following Morgan's journey as she struggled with her mother's actions. Morgan was a sympathetic character and I think many girls could relate to her. I also enjoyed her relationship with her older sister, her father and her friends. Eli was a sweetie, dealing with his own issues and, thankfully, the author didn't swamp the book with their subsequent romance. It developed gradually and authentically.

Overall, a good read dealing with real-life issues, consequences and solutions.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

This took me longer than usual to read. I had trouble keeping interested. I think for the most part it was a good book, it just didn't hold me. Morgan is a kleptomanic. Morgan feels bad a guilty after she steals. She gets caught and has to do a 30 day community service. Morgan meets Eli at the place she volunteers.
I like the similarities of how Eli was forced to rebuild his life because of an accident that prevented him from playing hockey. Morgan has to rebuild hers without her mother.of
The one thing I really didn't like was how the author put in there about one of Morgan's friends was in love with a different friend, but that person didn't feel the same way....anyway, it didn't feel like it fit into the story.
I felt Morgan with all she had gone through. The book does end on a hopeful note, and I liked that.

[Zemira Warner]

Ehh... It was fine, I guess. I wasn't wowed nor especially displeased with this book despite it's interesting take on shoplifting.

[Diana]

DNFed at 67%
Seems like I am in a bit of a reading slump

[Jean Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main character, Morgan, was hard for me to like at first. She was a shoplifter. And I must say that this story was like a tutorial on "how to" which I find a little disturbing. She does get caught which still doesn't kill her desire to keep doing it. I like that eventually through her diversion program she finally sees the error of her ways and is able to control her impulses. I also like that her newly acquired boyfriend is dealing with his own issues, having suffered a sports injury. All in all, an entertaining story.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally posted at https://bickeringbooks.wordpress.com/...

Note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss however all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Summary: Morgan Kemper appears to be a normal happy teen girl. She has friends and job and gets good grades but Morgan has a secret. Morgan is a shoplifter. When she gets caught she must chose between a deal that will let her off with volunteer work and rehabilitation classes or possible jail time. Morgan take the deal and begins working at a charity shop called Rita’s Reruns where she meets Eli the perfect nephew of the owner. As the two grow closer Morgan must decide if she wants to come clean and protect her new relationship or will she keep lying.

Review: Sometimes I read a book that is filled with drama and love it for it’s soap opera feel however other times I read one of these books and it comes across like a poorly written After School Special. “The Girl You Thought I Was” definitely felt like the latter. Phillips choice to tell the story of a shoplifter was interesting and not something that I have seen recently. The book had a lot of potential but unfortunately it never lived up to it. My big problem was that the characters were uninteresting. Morgan felt flat to me. Yes, we see her motives behind her shoplifting but we never feel what she is going through. Her whole story is very much told to us and never shown. Also, the plot of what happens to Morgan including her friends and family’s reaction always felt like the most obvious outcome. At no point in this book was I surprised by a character or a plot point which made it quite disappointing. Also, disappointing was the fact that this could have been a good book to recommend to younger tweens based on the simplicity of the characters and plot but the author choses to sprinkling in unnecessary swearing and sex which didn’t add anything to the story. The only part of the book I felt connected to was Eli but even he lost some of his shine based on his reaction when Morgan’s lies finally unravelled. This book is getting a lot of great reviews on Goodreads so there are people out there who enjoyed it but if you are like me and looking for something different in your realistic fiction it may be worth waiting for the next Huntley Fitzpatrick or Sarah Ockler novel.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Girl You Thought I Was, was a book I went into not knowing what to expect at all. We have Morgan who is a shoplifter and while it's obvious from the beginning she is going to get caught and have to deal with that, I wasn't sure in what direction the story was going to go after that. I liked how the story went through and the direction Phillips took it in. Morgan not only has to deal with the shoplifting problem, and has to do community service for it, she also has to deal with things that have been happening at home that caused her to start shoplifting. Now of course that doesn't all happen right away as she instead tries to distract herself with other things and ignore the problem (as we all do with certain things), this eventually ends up backfiring in multiple ways.

Overall I enjoyed this story. It was a quick read for me and one that I didn't want to put down because I need to know how it was all going to be resolved and if Morgan was going to have any parts of her old life back. I liked the type of community service she did and how she actually learned something from it and didn't complain about it. I felt like we got to see her be herself for a little while and not have to deal with all the other problems she was facing. I did find myself getting annoyed with her friends at times because of how certain things happened and how they just kind of abandoned her it felt like (while understandable to a certain extent, it was also just a bit much). Her family situation is one that is sadly common and I did feel for her in that regard because of how things had ended up happening (just be honest with your kids). This book was a fun read for me and exactly what I needed at the time with all the heavy books I was having to read for school.

[Cindy Huskey · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read the first two paragraphs, I thought to myself, Self, this character sounds like a snotty, narcissistic teen. This book is going to suck.

"Never let your guard down. Stay paranoid, even when you know the store."

But then I realize that Morgan doesn't want to buy the bikini, she wants to steal it! What the crap am I reading?! My heart started racing as she scopes out the store and the cameras and the shoppers and the sales people.

"Blend in. Don't give anyone a reason to suspect you."

I knew the basic premise of the book: girl shoplifts, gets caught, sentenced to community service. Sounds interesting enough. But NO! This story is so much more than that. I found myself rooting for Morgan, and hoping that she finds peace with her mother and, ultimately, with herself.

This is not your average contemporary YA novel. The writing is fast-paced, clear, and succinct. And Phillips nails the dialogue - very authentic teen voices and conversations. It was clear that Morgan needed to keep her shoplifting a secret from everyone - including her besties. I even felt nervous for her in those scenes where you think she's going to get caught or her friends are going to find out.

This one has all the feels, folks.

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Morgan is caught shoplifting, she’s sentenced to community service in a charity thrift store where she meets Eli, the owner’s perfect nephew. Unable to tell her friends, Morgan says she’s volunteering for college applications. At home with her newly single father, she shuns her mother’s calls. Secrets can only stay hidden for so long and Morgan fears her life will implode when others find out.

THE GIRL YOU THOUGHT I WAS is an important introduction to why some people shoplift as a response to life stressors. Morgan gets good grades, doesn’t drink and stays out of trouble into, her home life implodes. Anger isn’t an excuse for stealing, but insight into how she chose that pathway. I understood why she’d want to hide that from her friends, shame and embarrassment. I’ve worked with teens with similar issues. I thought her path toward insight felt authentic.

Part romance, part friendship, part family and part self-discovery THE GIRL YOU THOUGHT I WAS is an excellent contemporary read.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of this book was so good that it not only exceeded my expectations, I was wondering if this would end up a 5-star surprise. I haven't felt that giddy reading in a long time -- I actually had to slow down so it wouldn't be over too fast. From the heart-pounding opening scene, you're right inside the mind of a shoplifter, almost rooting for her to get away with it because you're so in the moment (and also because a bikini with turquoise beads on the straps sounds beautiful, and simultaneously an utter racket at $52 on sale for "a few tiny scraps of fabric," even of fancy material).

[Disclaimer: I promise you I have never shoplifted anything in my life. But I am fascinated and perplexed by the kind of Tumblr posts she describes following in this story.]

From there we move on to the thrift store setting, the kind of place I love, so mandatory or not I loved getting to see her work there. I also loved the shop's owner and her nephew Eli, who is an utterly sweet and precious (but also Hot) love interest, one of the best I've seen in YA. I loved all their dates/general hanging out. I also loved Morgan's sweet fat cat Fergus -- Fergus made every scene he was in better -- and thought her friend group was pretty fun. Honestly, I even got a kick out of her and Dawson trading fast-food work stories on the way home.

(Between the two, though, she definitely has the better location. If you've gotta prepare food, smoothies are the way to go. So delicious, so absurdly expensive -- ergo, high value employee perk if you can get free ones, or even a discount).

I also loved her Doing His Best dad, and really sympathized with all the crap being thrown at him. Not that I ever disliked Morgan, because she's really good about feeling guilt (at least once she gets caught) and earnestly trying to get over her compulsion, but I did feel bad for him simultaneously struggling with work/money and feeling like he failed somewhere with his daughter, all while still trying to cope with his wife leaving him.

RANT SEGMENT: ON
Alas, in addition to the Lost a Star for Naked Times demerit (you met less than 3 months ago, why are you sleeping together??), what ultimately brings the story down is that I cannot understand why everyone is so upset about her ~lying~ to them. It is...literally none of their business that she got arrested. Maybe I don't understand friendship, but how does opening herself up to further shame and humiliation help anyone, except to make you feel good that you know everything?

Speaking of which, what's with the "we're not upset you shoplifted, we're mad you didn't tell us" attitude? If you're not actually angry about what she did then you shouldn't care either way, and if you ARE angry about it then how is knowing better than not knowing, unless it's the kind of thing you'd end a friendship over?

I could maybe understand the boyfriend being mad (although technically, volunteering WILL look good on her college apps regardless of the reason, so it's not a total lie. it would have been even less of a lie if she'd simply said her dad made her do it), but only insofar as he should have had the option to decide if he wanted to date a shoplifter or not.

Anyway, not only does that aspect end far too neatly, by the end I was entirely sick of the cheating mom crying about how it's not HER fault her husband failed to make her feel special, not to mention the pious older sister constantly lecturing her about forgiveness and pushing her to fess up, despite never once admitting to or being punished herself for having spent the previous summer getting constantly drunk and high. I didn't care for the forced parallels between her mistake and her mom's, because they're not really comparable situations.

RANT OFF
It's still a very good book overall, it just has frustrating elements, and I'm not sure if that's actually poor storytelling or I just have minimal patience for teens being taught lessons I wouldn't teach them myself.

P.S. While I love a good photo cover (and this model is lovely), the blatant and inexplicable attempt to make this look like a thriller was not a good choice. Hope it's reissued someday with a better cover design, and possibly a less thriller-baity title as well.

[Teenage Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot:
The Kemper family was the four of them: a mother, a father, the oldest Rachel, and the youngest Morgan. They lived in a house, had family meals, and generally seem like the typical American family. That was until their mother left. Morgan remembered the day her mother broke her father’s heart, by having an affair with another married man who worked at the same car dealership as them, and he was also her father’s friend. Morgan saw her mother as a monster, with both her and Rachel chooses to stay with their father, their mother moved to the next town over and got a new job. Rachel dealt with her grief by smoking pot and drinking vodka in the woods, but then left for university and gotten herself straighten out. Morgan dealt with her grief in a different way, by petty thief. A candy bar here, a lipstick there, these items just appeared in Morgan’s bag from a slight of hand trick. Soon she became bolder, moving onto clothing, stalking a store, to even buying a lock pick. When she is not out actively stealing, she spends hours on shoplifters Tumblr blogs, gaining skills and tricks that she uses later on. Afterwards, Morgan always felt like trash, but in that moment, when she walks quietly away from the store with her stole good in her bag, she felt on top of the world.
All good things come to an end, and when a sparkly pair of sunglasses caught her eye, that Morgan knew she had to have, her lucky streak ran out. Instead of pressing charges, because this was Morgan’s first time being caught, she had to do community hours in order to repay her debt to society. Working at her father’s ex-co-worker’s, Rita, thrift store, Morgan manned the register, put the labels on items, and swept around the shop. The only other worker there was Rita’s nephew, Eli, who thought Morgan was there volunteering out of the goodness of her heart. Striking up a conversation, Morgan soon realizes Eli, and his family, are perfect. She also realizes that she is falling for Eli, and Eli for her. Yet, how can she date someone so perfect, knowing how screwed up her family is, and the reason why they even met was because she was avoiding juvie jail? Other drama come up to bat, where in her friend group of Sophie, Zach, Dawson and Alyssa, Dawson tries to make the moves on Alyssa who does not seem him in the same light. Rachel is coming home for a week during the summer, and begs Morgan to go to their mother’s and hash out their feelings for what happen last year. With only her father and Rachel knows Morgan’s sticky fingers, Morgan has to find out how to tell everyone who she really is, and take the risk of losing everyone in the process.
Thoughts:
Rebecca Phillips filled this book with the typical high school drama, but with a twist. Morgan Kemper, our main gal, is a shoplifter. From makeup to clothing, Morgan had her system down, until one time she does not. Yet, besides that aspect, Phillips has written a pretty tame book. Sure there is family drama with the mother, friends’ drama between Dawson and Alyssa, and then boy problems with Eli, none of it seems truly connected to Morgan. Like these dramas play out throughout the book, and Phillips makes Morgan react to them, but that relation does not make you feel for her. After all, besides the emotional trauma that causes Morgan to steal, it is all Morgan’s fault for not being honest with these people. It is understandable with Eli, because Morgan just met him, but what about her friends? Especially with all the stuff she and Alyssa has been through, at some point Morgan should have let her in and tell her what she has been doing. The ending was extremely predictable, but made you feel good anyway, and where there are still some loose ends to the plot, Phillips does her best by wrapping them up, or leaving them as a work in progress.

[Jack Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a belated April Fool’s joke, don’t worry. The feelings for this book are genuine.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first heard about The Girl You Thought I Was. Compared to Phillips’ first book with HarperTeen (which I was wary of until Luke told me it wasn’t that bad), I was drawn to it immediately. Not only did it make me think of some gossip regarding one classmate at my high school, but it also reminded me of, in a sense, This Is How It Happened by Paula Stokes.

So when I received the ARC of this from my local bookstore, I was definitely curious to check this out. I’m happy to say that it went above and beyond my expectations, with a great story, well-developed characters, nice writing, and a romance so cute, you may find yourself needing a fan or water. It may not be the most groundbreaking YA contemporary (some may find it safe and predictable), but I still really enjoyed this novel and would recommend it.

The strongest part of The Girl You Thought I Was was Phillips’ writing. Her style worked very well for this kind of story. It was descriptive while being casual, and it had a few emotional scenes here and there that did affect me. But it also applies for the story she created and her characters. Each character is well-developed and feels important to the narrative (with their own pasts and conflicts), plus the pace moved well. I never found myself getting bored with this.

What really clicked, though, was Morgan herself. Phillips has said it was hard to make a shoplifter redeem themselves in the eyes of the reader. Some may find Morgan annoying, but I got behind her immediately. There are times where she can come across as a liar, selfish, and whiny, yes, but those are flaws that make us human. Her journey towards discovering why she was shoplifting in the first place as well as coming to terms to tell her friends (and future boyfriend) was well thought-out and worth the wait. The aftermath I saw coming, but Phillips does wrap everything up, and I know that can sometimes be a worry.

I also got behind the romance more than I expected, which is strange. Maybe some of it had to do with Eli’s physical description (hello, childhood bias, my old friend), but I actually really liked it. Even though Morgan had to dodge corners about her past, it developed well and it went places I didn’t expect. Plus, Eli was pretty charming, so Morgan falling for him did make sense. I hope other readers will think the same.

Overall, The Girl You Thought I Was was a success. I’m glad I had a chance to read it and I’m curious as to where Phillips will go next in her future books or in These Things I’ve Done (which I need to read soon).