You're Not Who They Say You Are

by Juliet Rosetti

Mean "You're a Nobody." Her mom's in a mental hospital; her meals are dredged out of dumpsters, and 16-year-old Rowan Mahoney is shoplifting to stay alive. Shipped off to a juvie jail, she sneaks off grounds and meets a boy named Theo Corbin. He's gorgeous, funny, and sexy; Rowan falls hard for him. But if she's learned one thing on the street it's Something too good to be true probably isn't . Theo poses too many unanswered What are those weird bumps on his head? Why do his cuts heal instantly? Time for some hardcore googling--which spits out a stunning answer :   Theo is a satyr . Not the wine-guzzling, girl-chasing creature of ancient myths, but a modern day descendent who possesses a blood type so valuable it's worth killing for.                        When Theo's folks are murdered and he's kidnapped, Rowan sets out to find him. Following a twisting cross-country trail, evading police as well as a vicious biker gang, Rowan begins to doubt herself. She's always been told she's not bright enough, not athletic enough—not anything enough to succeed. But stubborn .Yeah, Rowan's got that; she's kind of a human bulldog. Sheer tenacity keeps her fighting through obstacles until she at last stumbles across Theo's location.  He's imprisoned with a group of other young satyrs in a vast underground cavern in the desert--escape-proof, monitored by brutal guards and 24-7 surveillance. Every couple of weeks, one of the boys is removed, never seen again. Rumor has it that their blood is used to keep wealthy old men alive. Theo is next up on the "Removal" list, but he has no intention of sticking around. All his escape attempts fail, however—until the girl from his past shows up. Together, he and Rowan devise a plan that will free all the prisoners. Every plan has a flaw, though—and in this case, the weak link is Rowan herself. She's never been brave or strong. How is she supposed to find the courage to risk her life for the boy she loves? "A thrilling dystopian adventure with mythical creatures, stellar mazes, a trip to the Emerald City, and plenty of action keeping the reader riveted."—Sally Cisna, author of Fishing for Happiness "I found myself asking what next, fighting the urge to skip ahead ." –Dan Anderson, author of Drunk in the Warm Glow "Luz and Rowan are the Lucy and Ethel of the TIKTOK ag e." – ARC reviewer "[Juliet Rosetti is] a great story teller; I will read everything she writes."-- Book-Loving " What Twilight did for vampires , this story does for satyrs :– ARC reviewer

334 pages, Paperback

Published January 5, 2021

Reviews

[Thomas Cannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Action-packed Read

This novel is an action-packed ride that rivals any other teen thriller. It's packed with realistic but intense danger scenes and characters I instantly rooted for. I do not read a lot of young adult fiction. I bought this book because I read Juliet Rosetti books. As I read this book, I thought to myself, Juliet is quietly killing this writing thing. You're Not Who They Say You Are is a YA novel that is an enjoyable read for anyone.

The main character Rowan is a girl sent from a secure detention center to a residential center that is a farm. Perhaps this is confirmation bias, but Rowan is a complex character that supports my belief that children end up in a correctional setting because of mental illness and trauma. Rosetti shows this without avoiding the rough edges that a real Rowan would have. Yet, she also shows the tension Rowan's heart has with those behaviors Rowan displays.
I highly recommend this book to anyone of any age. I also recommend this book to anyone with a daughter or a granddaughter that wants a book with a twilight love story, but one in which the heroine actually gets to save the day. Rowan is definitely attracted to Theo, but without the bad-boy vibe. In fact, he is a great contrast to Rowan.

Rosetti's writing is economically beautiful, creating a full world without bogging down in exposition. I really appreciated that this book has a fantasy element that is handled in a realistic way. Rowan and her partner in crime Luz are heroes, but they faulter and have faults. Without spoiling any of the fun, there is a fantastic place in the book, but, again, Rosetti draws this fantastical place in a realistic way that makes you want to google earth the area.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08...