My Invented Life

by Lauren Bjorkman

With Roz and Eva everything becomes a contest--who can snag the best role in the school play, have the cutest boyfriend, pull off the craziest prank. Still, they're as close as sisters can be. Until Eva deletes Roz from her life like so much junk e-mail for no reason that Roz understands. Now Eva hangs out with the annoyingly petite cheerleaders, and Roz fantasizes about slipping bovine growth hormone into their Gatorade.

Roz has a suspicion about Eva. In turn, Eva taunts Roz with a dare, which leads to an act of total insanity. Drama geeks clamor for attention, Shakespearean insults fly, and Roz steals the show in Lauren Bjorkman's hilarious debut novel.

Genres: Young Adult, LGBT, Contemporary, Romance, Queer, Teen, Lesbian

233 pages, Hardcover

First published September 29, 2009

About the author

I am the author of two YA novels, MY INVENTED LIFE and MISS FORTUNE COOKIE. I also contributed a short story to the anthology THE FIRST TIME.

Though I grew up on a sail boat and loved traveling the world as a kid, I'm still afraid of the ocean. I much prefer other modes of transportation these days--plane, train, or car. Walking is best.

I love books with multi-faceted, intriguing characters. The best one make me laugh, cry, and turn the pages long past my bed time.

When I'm not reading or writing, I spend time with family and friends, talking about everything under the sun. Add in some good food to the mix, top it off with chocolate, and I'm truly happy.

Reviews

[Angie · Rating 1 out of 5]

The description says that My Invented Life is hilarious. That could not be further from the truth. It's actually quite offensive and gross. Roz is upset that her sister has cut her out of her life. Then she finds a book involving a lesbian romance in Eva's room and jumps to the conclusion that she must be a lesbian and it is her duty as her sister to show her that it's okay to be gay! Somehow this turns into Roz pretending to be a lesbian, but not to show her sister that it's okay, but so she can finally be the one who gets the most attention. Ew.

I was hoping that My Invented Life would be a humorous but touching story of Roz pretending to be gay but then realizing that she really is gay. That's not what this is at all. It's just Roz being an attention whore and a liar. And no, by the end she doesn't learn anything. She doesn't have to face the consequences of lying to all of her friends, since she never reveals that she's been lying. She pulls this "I'm 90% straight, 10% gay" card so therefore she hasn't been faking for the last few weeks. As if.

My Invented Life has a lot wrong with it other than Roz just not learning anything. Some things that I think were suppose to be jokes, just made me cringe or were outright offensive. At one point Roz decides to "forgive" a girl (who is rumored to be a lesbian) for not being attracted to her. Um, excuse me? Then she thinks it's alright to date her sister's boyfriend behind her back, because she didn't bother telling her that they broke up. That's not how that works. And worst of all, at the very end, Roz edits someone's coming out story to make it more about how awesome she is! Are you freaking kidding me!?

On top of all that, I had some serious issues with how Jonathan was portrayed. Roz's drama teacher asks her to show her nephew around since he's going to be a new student. When Roz first meets him, she's all confused as to why she wasn't told he was black. Is it really that important? Jonathan also keeps referring to white people as "whitey." Then when someone points out that he's half white, he's like no I'm black. But when someone asks if he's adopted because he's black and his aunt is not, he's like no I'm half white. Also, he's bisexual, which makes Roz change her lesbian claim into also being bisexual to make friends with him. Roz also decides that she needs to look up coming out stories about black teens in order to talk to him.

Speaking of coming out stories. Roz becomes obsessed with reading them online, which isn't a problem in itself. But she becomes jealous of gay teens for being able to have these amazing stories published. And they have great supportive friends! She wishes she were gay so she could post inspiring coming out stories and have all of her friends hug and love her! But then, Jonathan mentions Matthew Shepard, and Roz has NO CLUE who that is, so she Googles him. Then suddenly she's thankful that she's just pretend gay and not real gay. She sickens me.

My Invented Life was super problematic for me. In fact, I was quite offended by a good portion of it. I was hoping to love Jonathan, because I too am biracial and bisexual and have been told I'm not white enough, or not black enough, or not gay enough. But he was just awful. Not as awful as Roz, obviously, but still.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected at all. I thought it had to deal with a girl realizing she was a lesbian, and I thought it would take the format of the classic coming-out story. But that's not really what it was, like at all. It was much quirkier and more original and it totally won me over!

The main character/narrator Roz is a total drama chick, in both senses of the word: she's a self-described drama geek AND due to some impulse control and lack of tact and a love of gossip she creates a lot of drama wherever she goes. At times the book almost seemed narrated by a bunch of rambunctious puppies, as Roz has a way of having her thoughts flit from one thing to another very abruptly. At first I was annoyed at Roz's narration: I am a very linear person and her impulsive antics seemed really annoying; she is just one of those people who is constantly "on" ALL THE TIME which I can find exhausting in real life. And I dislike people who cause drama all the time. But after a while, Roz grew on me as her big heart came out and she gained some self-awareness. By the end of the book, I wanted to be her friend!

The big theme of the book is not really about a girl coming out as a lesbian, but rather an exploration of the Kinsey sexuality spectrum: everything from homosexual to heterosexual to in-between and even a character who admits that they feel asexual. And even though this theme is dominant, if rarely feels like the author is writing to Give a Lesson About Sexuality. The different facets of sexuality are illustrated by various characters in pretty natural ways.

And there were lots of Shakespeare jokes / insults...so bonus!

[BOOK BUTTERFLY · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Invented Life was a dizzying mix of slapstick comedy, Shakespearean insults, drama geeks and teenage sexuality. When Roz actually asked her ouija board if Eva was a lesbian, well, I knew this was going to be a fun book. One particular aspect I appreciated was the Shakespearean insults that were casually flung about in normal, everyday conversations. For instance, Roz says to fellow thespian Carmen, "don't be a hedge-born clack-dish" (don't be a blabbermouth). Roz also had this tendency to play out conversations in her mind ahead of time so that they would unfold theatrically in her favor. But then she'd come back to earth to tell us what really happened. I found this extremely amusing. Here's an example from when Roz wanted to tell her sister's boyfriend Bryan that she suspected Eva was a lesbian-

"He stares at me for a long moment. "You mean she's gay? It doesn't matter. You're the one I've always wanted, " he says, wrapping his arms around me.

Then she says-

"Total drivel. One too many visits to Bryan Fantasy Land has wrecked my grip on reality".

Roz definitely steals the spotlight with her flair for the dramatic and the hilarious lengths she will goes to get Eva to admit the secret she thinks her sister is hiding. Yet, despite their differences, all Roz really wanted was for Eva to be her best friend again and confide in her. The two girls were extremely competitive with one another, but I found it really touching with how much Roz really did care about her sister.

The way Lauren Bjorkman captures the teenage voice was so impressive to me. The issues are dealt with such humor and insight, that I found myself completely at ease and really taken in by her writing. The incorporation of the play As You Like It into the storyline was a really great way to tie everything nicely together and it kept the plot fast paced and fun. My Invented Life is a smart, honest novel that is not only refreshing in it's depiction of teens coming to terms with their true selves, but it's also really fun!

[Reading Vacation · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review

My Invented Life is a story about love. Sisterly love, boyfriend-girlfriend love, gay love, forbidden love – love is complicated all right.

I was drawn to this book because the main characters are sisters. The relationship between Roz and Eva was deep and complex. They were close, yet competitive – they looked out for each other, yet they teased each other. Roz’s in-your-face personality was both funny and annoying. She could hurl a Shakespearean insult at you one minute and then show you that she cared about you the next. Eva, in comparison, was soft-spoken yet popular. She had many friends yet she wanted her sister’s love.

The story of My Invented Life goes hand-in-hand with As You Like It, the play the girls are performing with their theater friends. Little snippets from the play fit in perfectly with the story. Oh, and the characters spout off Shakespearean lines in their everyday speech too. Weird.

The story is told from Roz’s very mixed up point-of-view. She is living in her invented life as she is trying to find herself. Roz is not afraid to “go there” when it comes to introducing her lesbian lifestyle as a possibility. If you aren’t open-minded, you might not care for this story.

Lauren Bjorkman found a nice balance as she worked family dynamics, friendships, love, and humor into one book. Good job!

Rating

4 Liked

Cover Comments

I didn’t care for the cover because it’s such a super close up that it doesn’t flatter the girls. The white font for the author’s name is really hard to read too. Yeah, not the best cover.

[Steph | bookedinsaigon · Rating 3 out of 5]

MY INVENTED LIFE is a spunky and witty GLBTQ book that deals with the fluidity of sexual identity, and the complexities of placing labels on people. The fantastic narrative voice and the unique premise will make this a delightful read for nearly anyone.

This book’s strongest point is its protagonist. Roz is a feisty girl with a good blend of sass, passion, and self-delusions. Her witty, laugh-out-loud narration—always direct, never dully over-eloquent—will draw you into the story even if you may cringe at some of her behavior and want to shake some insight into her. For the most part, the secondary characters are also well-drawn: they’re people with endearing quirks, people who you’d like to hang out with. They’re complicated and funny, occasionally bitchy and selfish. In other words, they could’ve been our high school friends.

Because MY INVENTED LIFE is so energetic and fast-paced, it occasionally runs the risk of getting annoying. Every once in a while I felt like I had gotten too much of Roz’s snarky mentality, and her secret desires—her invented life—sometimes gets repetitive, in an “okay we get it already” way. Similarly, I had trouble understand the sisterly dynamic between Roz and Eva. Sibling relationships are especially difficult to write about, since they contain the requisite family love as well as voluntary platonic devotion, and I felt that Roz and Eva’s relationship—particularly Roz’s almost grovel-like approach to her sister—pinged around in all directions in a way that jarred me and made me the slightest bit skeptical of the believability of their relationship.

That being said, MY INVENTED LIFE is a fresh approach to homosexuality. In this story, the characters’ sexual orientations are rather fluid, defying categorization. You can never completely say that this one’s a lesbian, that one’s totally gay, and so on and so forth. This is admirable because labels regarding sexual orientation are hardly ever direct in real life: there is a huge amount of gray area between heterosexuality and homosexuality, an area that many people unknowingly dwell in. I thought that MY INVENTED LIFE did an exceptional job of capturing the complexities of labels; readers will think twice about when it means to assign people to strict categories.

All in all, readers can take MY INVENTED LIFE at two levels. It can be read as a witty romp through the intertwined lives of theater geeks, or one can consider the usage and flexibility of homosexuality in the story. Either way, it makes for a satisfying read without being offensive to any kind of readers.

[Kathrin Stacked'n'Painted · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roz and Eva are sisters who are only one year apart - and up until a few months ago, they were not only sisters, but also best friends. But then they fell out with each other, which ended with Eva deleting a folder from her computer desktop titled "Roz - sister and best friend". Roz calls this the PD - the time Post Deletion. Now the sister are enemies of sorts and very, very tense around each other and argue whenever they're talking. When Eva dares Roz to publicly proclaim she is into girls at the beginning of a new school year, Roz accepts right away, thinking it won't be too difficult and might even help others with their coming out, but is she really ready for what will come her way? And who is actually into girls in this cast? And will this affect this year's play the drama club will perform, Shakespeare's As You Like It?

In this young adult novel spiked with Shakespearean curses and even more references Shakespearean language most of the time, we not only meet two sisters and their friends in times of troubles and secrets. We also are thrown into the world of teenagers today who have to deal with their identity and their sexuality.

Roz is a funny, rather clueless girl who stumbles into difficult situations simply because she wants to help. This makes her a likeable character, even if you sometimes feel like telling her to open her eyes. Her sister Eva is someone Roz misses in her life and she does not know what caused the fraction between them, so she tries to figure it out, to go back to normal. To top it of (like the whipped cream on the ice cream, if you'd like), we get Roz's internal view, her daydreams. And then there are of course the other members of the drama club. These characters are something and they throw you right back to high school - there's drama, lies, betrayals and some good acting going on throughout the book.

I really enjoyed that Lauren Bjorkman used this setting everyone involved in high school art clubs knows, to talk about sexual identity, sibling rivalry and friendship. We all need friends, after all! I found Roz' voice to be clear, even if she was not exactly the most straightforward, that's how it is girl and her daydreams spiked things up.

All in all, I was sad to see this story end, but while I would love to visit Roz, Eva and the entire drama club again, I just don't see a good plot. Unless you take Jonathan as the narrator! Actually, I can't wait for 2011 to come, because then I will at least get back with Lauren Bjorkman's beautiful writing, in her second young adult novel Miss Fortune Cookie.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Invented Life was a humorous and unique debut that was a refreshing and honest look at homosexuality, sibling rivalry, and relationships in general. Roz was a fantastic main character who never ceased to bring a smile to my face with her reckless attitude and witty, sarcastic comebacks. She didn't care what other people thought of her and when her perfect older sister challenges her with a dare, Roz accepts with full force.

Eva was an interesting character and I liked reading about her and Roz's changing relationship. Especially when Roz starts to explore a different side of her sexuality in the hopes that it will encourage her older sister to open up about her own (or at least Roz suspects) homosexuality. My Invented Life is definitely one of the best LGBT novels I've read and proved that not everyone knows who they are all the time. Roz learned a lot about herself and what she felt for others after accepting Eva's dare and I enjoyed reading about her trials and triumphs over the course of the novel. While some people were down right mean to Roz, others were accepting of her and Roz even learned some surprising things about some of her peers as well.

I loved how Shakespeare was woven into the plot. The main characters were all part of the drama club and they were putting on a Shakespearean play. Not only that but Roz and Eva bantered using Shakespearean phrases and Roz used a lot of Elizabethan insults that were unique and fun (albeit confusing at times!).

My Invented Life is full of laughs and Roz is a main character most readers will love. She is far from perfect, and her snark, wit, and courage to find herself will leave readers cheering for her.

Lauren Bjorkman's debut novel proved how wrong labels can be and how far one person will go for the person they love. She introduced sexuality in a refreshing and contemporary way and her writing style was light hearted and fun. I am eager to read more by Lauren in the future and definitely recommend this to all contemporary YA fans!

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roz and her sister Eva have always been close if somewhat competitive, but are going through a period where Eva has pulled back and Roz feels left out of her life and wants to find a way back in. One day Roz's suspicions about what is going on in Eva's life are peaked when she does a little digging and she thinks she's worked out the secret that her sister is hiding. What follows is Roz's shock confession to her friends which ultimately has her questioning and trying to figure out different aspects of her life.

My Invented Life is told from Roz's point of view. And what a fun and quirky place her head is!!! She is witty and full of spunk. She is a master at flinging the Shakespearean insult but deep down I feel she just wants to be loved for who she is, even if she's not quite sure who that is yet.

This is a story that has a wonderful cast of supporting characters who are all very different from each other. From Roz's crush Bryan, who is also her sisters boyfriend and although incredibly charming, he really struggles with the being faithful thing, through to Andie, who really doesn't care what anyone thinks, Jon, who is trying to come to terms with the lack of support from his parents and Carmen who appears to be a thorn is Roz's side.

Lauren Bjorkman has done a wonderful job of capturing the struggles faced by teenagers who are trying to find their place in the world as they deal with friendship, love, bullying and sexuality, but she has done it with humour and fun!! Looking forward to reading more from this author!!

4/5 Stars!!

I was given this book for an honest review as part of a blog tour through http://www.crossroadreviews.com. Receiving this book for free in no way influenced my opinion or review.

[J.E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book almost as much I as I love the smooshed up faces of the girls on the cover!!!

Ah. Sisters. Such complex relationships most of us have with our sisters, and an especially endearing and funny one In My Invented Life. Roz the main character is quirky and loveable despite inventing a new sexuality for herself, to try to out her sister. The fact that she fantisizes over her sister's boyfriend was sooooooooo well done.

Filled with drama, both the Shakespearean kind as well as the teen self-induced kind, this is a surprising story that tugs at emotion while inducing genuine laughter. This is a book that made me laugh, cry and think and I highly recommend it!

[Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine if Paula Danziger had written a The Basic Eight/Twelfth Night fanfic with help from the writers of Three’s Company; that will give you an idea of the red herrings, misunderstandings, gender-bending, secret-keeping, and unreliable narration that make this book the intriguing chaos that it is.

[Terra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was at the top of my to-read list for a very long time. Like for three years. And I finally read it!
The beginning of the book, I did not like. At all. It was confusing, kind of boring, and just been-there-done-that. But as the book progressed I started to like the characters, mainly Jonathan, Nico, and Andie, but also Roz, just a little bit. So the end saved the book from a lower rating, but probably not something I'd read again.

[Naomig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book is so good. It came in handy for my English class, because we're now reading a Shakespeare play, which i was given a hint by from this book. Othello "a black man and a murderer." Also its really interesting because the setting is in a high school, high school lives, and high school issues. but one out of the ordinary, an invented life. this is a must read♥

[Sydney]

Absolutely hilarious--with as many twists and turns as the Shakespeare play in which the characters act. The writing is crisp and clever. Really loved this book!

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. I didn't find any of the characters to be sympathetic, I didn't really like any of them, and I'm actually not quite sure why I finished the book.

[Esther · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the narrative a little jerky and the made character annoying in that she followed the cliched trope of becoming obessesed by people who treated her badly.
Also although I understand theatre-geeks and their delight in phrasing their language according to the play they are performing the constant use of Shakespearean phraseology followed by 'translation?' into ordinary speech became more that a little irritating.

[Stephanie Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute book about sisterhood and being yourself. I think it will inspire others to truly have the courage to be who they are and to not hide in the shadows.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given this book for an honest review as part of a blog tour through http://www.crossroadreviews.com. Receiving this book for free in no way influenced my opinion or review.

Blurb from Goodreads:
With Roz and Eva everything becomes a contest—who can snag the best role in the school play, have the cutest boyfriend, pull off the craziest prank. Still, they’re as close as sisters can be. Until Eva deletes Roz from her life like so much junk e-mail for no reason that Roz understands. Now Eva hangs out with the annoyingly petite cheerleaders, and Roz fantasizes about slipping bovine growth hormone into their Gatorade.
Roz has a suspicion about Eva. In turn, Eva taunts Roz with a dare, which leads to an act of total insanity. Drama geeks clamor for attention, Shakespearean insults fly, and Roz steals the show in Lauren Bjorkman’s hilarious debut novel

I have to say that at first I could not get into this book. I rarely read contemporary fiction because I usually can't get engrossed in the characters. But I have to say that once I got about half way through the book, I was drawn in and really liked what I saw.

First I have to say that I really loved the characters. They are all very relatable and fun. Roz is spunky and straight forward, often to a fault. And I love that she is not afraid to say she is a geek, that she hangs out with geeks, and that she really does love it. She is kind and loving and over everything else, she is curious! Curious about herself and curious about those around her. She tends to get caught up in drama, which is not surprising when you're talking about teenage girls, that's for sure. Her relationships with her friends and family wax and wane, one minute she has a best friend, the next she's moving on to someone else who fits her bill. You would think this would have made her wishy washy, but she truly was not. She just seemed to me a teen going through the process of growing up. And you can see that all Roz really wants is to be surrounded by friends and family who love her and appreciate her for who she is.
The supporting cast is a nice mix of male and female characters playing a variety of roles in shaping Roz as a person. Her sister comes off as flippant, but really she is afraid of exposing her secrets to anyone around her and not being accepted. Her friend Andie doesn't care one bit what others think, and will go to extreme lengths to show it. Bryan is your high-school jock who treats women like they are play things, but blinds them with his charm first. Johnathan is that guy you always wanted to be friends with and could confide in because he would keep your secret. Carmen is the bitch you never thought you'd be friendly with, but end up loving and keeping all her secrets. And Nico, the typical theater geek with the crush that he doesn't want to pursue because he's afraid he'll be rejected. Together, they make for an interesting mix of friends and family who help Roz come to terms with who she really is.

I enjoyed the underlying theme of the book: basically teens trying to figure themselves out and figure out where they fit in with the world. And Bjorkman does it in a way that is fun and comical. I have read one other book by this author and I really did enjoy it (also a contemporary novel). The author truly has a handle on writing that flows well and keeps you interested in what the characters are saying and doing. I loved how Bjorkman used Shakespearean epitaphs throughout the book, really showcasing the "geekdom" that has befallen the theater crowd of this book. It made things fun and light hearted.

Bjorkman balanced the elements of friends and family, love and lust, geekdom and popularity in a light hearted and fun way touching on many issues that plague teens in this day and age. I commend her for a job well done. I'm interested to see where she takes the second book in this series.

3 out of 5 stars from me.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would you do for your sister? How far would you go to make sure she was happy and with the person she loved? Sisters Roz and Eva used to be close, until Eva pretty much deleted Roz from her life a few months ago. Roz knows that something is going on with her sister, but doesn't know how to figure out exactly what it is. Dramatic and prone to random acts, Roz dreams of getting the lead in the school play, As You Like It, and maybe stealing Eva's boyfriend. In an attempt to get Eva to open up, Roz invents a girlfriend. Soon, the school is buzzing about Roz and Eva is irate. From an unexpected source, Roz figures out that just maybe by paying more attention to what is going on around her she might find out how to help Eva.

The first time I read My Invented Life, I wasn't sure what to expect. I initially picked it up because it was a 2009 debut, but I was very happy that I did. Reading it for a second time with the knowledge of how everything turns out, I found myself even more drawn into the story. Ms. Bjorkman does a great job of showing just how confusing high school can be for certain teens and that having people willing to help you navigate the confusion and uncertainty can make all the difference. She also includes a wide range of characters, so that almost all readers can find someone they relate to.

Told from Roz's point of view, My Invented Life included a funny, updated look at As You Like It. I really liked Roz as the main character, even though she was overly dramatic, a bit of a blabbermouth, and oblivious to a lot of what was really going on around her. Her sister Eva, on the other hand, is more reserved and quite private. Much of the conflict between the sisters comes out of them having different personalities. It was obvious just how much Roz loved Eva and how much it hurt when Eva literally deleted her from her life. The lengths she went through to find out why Eva froze her out really got across just how much she wanted them to be okay again. The scenes where it was just the two of them were my favorites because you could see how much of Roz's self-worth and confidence was tied in to being compared to and being rivals with her sister.

Even though Roz and Eva were the central pair, the other characters felt very real. Each of them was unique and the group together really captured the range of personalities that can be found in high school. It was interesting to see the changing pairs and the dynamics each pair brought to the story and to their interpretation of As You Like It. Throughout rehearsals, acting lessons, and chat room conversations the reader really gets to see each character's true personality.

My Invented Life was a quick read that dealt with heavy topics in a funny, lighthearted manner. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to lovers of Shakespeare, humorous stories, or those who are looking for a book that deals with identity and figuring out exactly who you are.

[Bidisha Das · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh didn't I just adore this novel. It has to be one of the most open-minded novels written. And I'm not saying so because of the issues embraced and talked about. There are a lot of issue based books out there but what the open-mined aspect of it really comes through because of the characters, I loved them. Every one of them. Even the mean girl. Yes, can you believe that? I didn't start out loving her. I mean, she was a meanie and a bully of sorts but Lauren Bjorkman does such an amazing job with all the characters, they all have rich backstories to them and it worked out oh-so-well for me as a reader.

Roz is a most endearing protagonist - fickle, impulsive, overtly imaginative with an odd tendency to insult in Shakespearean slangs (!) Don't you just love her already? She is out and ready to pretend to be gay to help her sister come out of the closet - who she believes is really gay after finding a book about lesbian lovers in her possession. It starts as a trifle dare spurred on by impulsiveness that sets off a a random set of events that make up this book. And it's a hell of a ride.

The thing about My Invented Life, is that the atmosphere of the book is light and pleasant in spite of the difficult things the characters have to face up to. It doesn't bog you down. Yet keeps you hooked so you can't stop reading and then makes you wish it didn't end so you could keep reading it. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it all over again.

The writing is utterly delightful. You know the author's done a fine job when the writing, the story, the characters are all handled skillfully. And really, Ms. Bjorkman's characters are indeed ones to be boasted about. Roz, Eva, Jonathan, Bryan, Nico all had distinct personalities and the collison of them all in the school production of As You Like It is insanely amusing. And Andie. Eyeliner Andie has to be one of the most dynamic characters ever created in YA fiction. Oh, how I loved her. She may only be a supporting character but she is a genius in creation. It shows a lot of responsibilty on the author's part to create someone like her. Because books and what you portray in them send you signals, and they may be wrong ones or right ones. And authors have such great influence over readers it is important to portray things in the right light. And Lauren Bjorkman's handling of Andie's sexuality...wow, just wow.

Way back last year, I interviewed Lauren Bjorkman but I didn't get to read her book till now. And, for me, this is a book to hold on to. My Invented Life is clever, outrageously hilarious, big-hearted and has that funky vibe which just makes it very, very cool. I adored it to bits. And I had a lot of Shakespearean fun doing that :)

[Stephany · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Invented Life was a thoroughly enjoyable book to read. The main character's sarcasm and creativeness kept me laughing and wanting to read more. I also love the spelling of the main character's name: Roz. Not a common spelling, but Roz is not a normal girl. She has this unique way of thinking that, really, is how all of us think: she invents one scenario in her head, then backs up and says, "Ha! That didn't really happen," then proceeds to tell reality. I have never seen it occur so many times in one book, and it was hilarious.

Roz's motivation in this book is to encourage her older sister, Eva, to admit she's lesbian; Roz doesn't think Eva has the guts, so she decides to help her along by convincing everyone that she is lesbian. Unique Characteristic of Roz #1: who else would think of that? I certainly wouldn't. And although it sounds completely outrageous, Roz benefits from it, making friends with two theater geeks (Andie and Nico) she didn't normally associate that much with. Nico is that emo-type guy that is quiet yet flirty, whom I totally fell in love with when I first found out his hair covered his eyes. I adore Andie; she encourages Roz to not worry about labels and materialistic things, rather who she truly is.

That was a common theme in this book: determining who you really are. This book shows it in the most outrageous and hilarious way, a way so creative and entertaining that it seems almost natural. Like, of course you'd pretend to be a lesbian so your maybe-lesbian sister would feel comfortable about coming out as a way to discover who you truly are. Obviously.

Even though Roz is a very enjoyable character, she begins as sort of a jerk--she doesn't think before she speaks, so often she hurts people's feelings without meaning to. That isn't always a bad thing--being forward with your opinion is good, but to a degree. Roz sort of exceeds that degree. As the story continues, Roz comes to realize this about herself and starts to shut her mouth before something she'll regret comes out. I loved seeing the obvious change in her, and it's strange thinking that it sort of came about by her pretending to be lesbian.

The writing style is very unique, using references to Shakespearean-time insults (with an entire index in the back! I was so excited when I found that) and the characters even speaking Shakespearean when conversing with one another. Entirely entertaining, and I'm anxious to read more from this author--perhaps a sequel?

[Rafa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Termine este libro de mi tercer book tour, esperen reseña!!!

Este libro se convirtió en mi primer tour con un libro en inglés, leí la sinopsis y me llamó bastante, aunque pensé que había leído toda la historia con leer la contraportada pero que equivocada estaba.

Comencé a leerlo y debo de admitir que me confundieron las primeras páginas pero después disfrute de su lectura.

En este libro encontré desde drama hasta risas. El personaje principal, Roz fue mi favorito, ella tiene todo para hacerte reír con sus ocurrencias y esta de cierto modo es tan terca que quiere “obligar” a su hermana a decir la verdad que ella cree saber.

Algo que me gusto fue la relación de Roz con su hermana Eva, en donde si tienes una hermana menor te podrás identificar con ella, digo quien no era inseparable de su hermanita y cuando uno crece se va distanciando y más aun si son competitivas y quieren ser la número uno de su casa.

Me encantó que la autora mostrara a los personajes adolescentes con humor con un sentido divertido de lo que pasan por esta etapa de descubrimiento y como llegan a su identidad final.

Lo recomiendo? Si, aunque al principio me tenía confundida, conforme lo lees lo vas disfrutando.

________________________________________________________

This book became my first English booktour, I read the synopsis and I love it, although I thought that I had read all the history with reading the back cover but not I was wrong. I began to read it and I must admit that they confused many pages but later I enjoy it reading.

In this book I found from drama to laughter. The main personage, Roz was my favorite, she has everything to make you laugh with her occurrences and this of certain way is so obstinate that it wants “to force” his sister to say the truth about her.

Something that I like about this book was the relation of Roz with Eva, her sister, where if you have a little sister you will be able to identify with her, Who was not inseparable with her little sister? And when one of you grows up, you distanced and still more if they are competitive and they want to be number one of the house.

It enchanted me that the author showed the adolescent personages with humor with a funny sense than they happen through this stage of discovery and as they arrive at his final identity.

I recommend it? Yes, although at the first pages had confused me , but you really enjoy it.

[Lawral · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Invented Life is a modern retelling of Shakespeare's "As You Like It," but instead of mistaken genders, we have mistaken sexualities. In case you don't get that similarity right away, the characters are also auditioning and rehearsing for a school showing of the play. Much of the book takes place in the big barn behind the school where the theatre geeks hang out and practice. The characterizations of the drama club crowd are pitch-perfect. The major players range from Eva, popular cheerleader who always gets the lead, to Eyeliner Andie, the showy goth chick with the super-skinny, shy boy toy. Amazingly, up until Roz decides to pretend to be queer, there doesn't appear to be any other non-hetero folks in the group.

Right before auditions, this tight-knit group (which also includes Roz and her arch-nemesis Carmen) is joined by the drama teacher's nephew, Jonathon. He's new (read: automatically crush-worthy for most of the group), has done something that has gotten him kicked out of his parents house (mysterious bad boy with a serious chip on his shoulder), and African-American (a fact which seems to surprise only Roz). Roz lays claim to him on the basis that he's her next door neighbor, she's the drama teacher's favorite, and she could use a friend. Coming out does not go as she hoped. She gets attention, RoZ iZ a leZ on the bathroom wall, but not the outpouring of love and support she was hoping for, so Roz starts a campaign to educate her classmates about the Kinsey Scale and to make them accept her as a lesbian. For Eva's sake, of course. Even though Eva still won't admit that she's queer (no matter how much Roz tactlessly badgers her about it), Roz keeps up the facade. She and Eva begin to bond again over The L Report (Roz's nightly updates on her "experiment" with lesbianism), Roz gains some new friends (including Jonathon and Eyeliner Andie) and a new understanding of what all those people online mean when they say "sexuality is fluid."

This is a cute story with an engaging and memorable cast of characters and a predictably happy ending (if you're familiar with "As You Like It"). It's also a great book about being the only "one" in a crowd, whether by "one" you mean POC, queer, poor kid, goth, whatever.


Book source: Philly Free Library

[Diego Salvatore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entre Roz y Eva todo se convierte en una competencia - quien puede llevarse el mejor rol en la obra de teatro del colegio, tener el novio mas guapo, y hacer las bromas mas locas. Igualmente, ellas son tan cercanas como las hermanas pueden ser. Hasta que Eva borra a Roz de su vida como si fuese e-mail basura, sin ninguna razón que Roz pueda entender. Ahora Eva comparte con las fastidiosas y flacas Cheerleaders, y Roz fantasea con ponerles hormonas de crecimiento bovina en su Gatorade.
Roz tiene una sospecha sobre Eva. En cambio, Eva burla a Roz con un atrevimiento, el cual conlleva a un acto de total locura. Los chicos del Dama reclaman atención, vuelan insultos Shakespearianos, y Roz se roba el show en la pimera hilarante novela de Lauren Bjorkman


La Historia va de la relacion entre las hermanas Roz y Eva, son tipicas hermanas que se cuentan todo y son inseparables, van a la misma escuela y les gustan las mismas cosas, hasta que Eva la hermana mayor comienza a apartarse de Roz, ¿Que pasa? ¿Hice algo mal? son las preguntas que Roz se hace para explicar el comportamiento de Eva hacia ella, Mientras pasan los dias Roz encuentra en la habitacion de Eva un libro que habla acerca de el lesbianismo ¿Sera posible que su hermana...? Ahora esa es la mayor interrogante que ahora Roz se hace, Asi que decide ir completamente el grano. Preguntarle a su Hermana.
Cuando le pregunta Eva obviamente le contesto que no pero las sospechas de Roz aun continuan y decide intervenir y asi tratar de ayudar a su hermana. Roz decide hacerse pasar por Lesbiana. Para asi ayudar a su hermana y hacerle saber que no importa como se ella todo mundo la va a querer igual.
Y asi empieza esta fabulosa aventura, Roz les informa a sus compeñeros de clase y sus compañeros de clase de Teatro que es Lesbiana, Compañeros, sus padres y la mismisima Eva entran en estado De Shock! y asi es como My Invented Life comienza.

Una Historia diferente, que trata temas como la homosexualidad, cosa que no es muy abundante en la Literatura juvenil, una narracion fresca y divertida, unos insultos Shakespearianos que te hacern reir, y unos personajes muy memorabeles, Lauren Bjorkman debuta con una novela apasionante y con un buen mensaje. Sin Duda tienes que leerlo.

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is fun realistic teen fiction and I enjoyed it. The main character, Roz, is a quirky, funny and somewhat self absorbed girl who is just looking to find her place in her family, with her group of friends, with boys (or girls?) and eventually learns to be comfortable in her own skin.

The book is written in first-person from Roz's perspective so the reader gets full view of her. She's funny and smart and a little bit nosy. Ok, she's a lot nosy, but she always has good intentions. Seeing from her point of view is quite entertaining as there are these little asides inside her head. She imagines the way a scene will go - and then tells how it actually went. These asides are, of course, overly dramatic and always go her way and are really funny. I found Roz to be a little bit manic and crazy at times which kind of made me exhausted reading her. I don't know if everyone will enjoy the first-person perspective but it definitely gives a comical slant to the whole story.

The supporting cast of characters is varied and important to the story. They are all fellow drama geeks and have unique personalities. Since the book is from Roz's perspective, we meet them all through Roz's sometimes biased opinions of each. I would have loved to learn even more about each of them but I don't think

Roz and the rest of the drama geeks are performing Shakespeare's As You Like It as their school play. It's a humorous parallel to the teenage drama of Roz's life. Each character is in love with someone who is, in turn, in love with someone else. The main character is pretending to be someone she is not. By the end of the book - and the play - the truth is revealed and each person has found happiness with the person they are meant to be with.

Overall, this book takes a truthful look at the issues of teenage sexuality and identity in a humorous way through the eyes of an amusing young girl. It's a fun and quick read and will appeal to fans of lighter realistic fiction. It's not "heavy" or serious enough to be on par with other realistic teen reads (John Green's work, for example) but it's not meant to be.

Note: I received a copy of this book for free from the author through Crossroads Reviews and Tours. All opinions are 100% honest and my own.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 out of 5 rating

When I read the description of this book, I thought it would be right up my alley. Unfortunately, it just wasn't.

First of all, the characters. The main character--Roz--got on my nerves. Her way of talking and think just got annoying. And enough with her invented life scenarios (yes, I know this is the title of the book, but we got it). While I don't have a younger sister, I think if I did have one, and she was like Roz, we would not be close at all. A lot of the things she said and did were immature. My favorite character was actually Eva. Yes, I know she was standoffish, but there was just something about her that made me sympathize for her. And I think she was a pretty normal teen that is an older sister--wanting her privacy. And I didn't get Andie or Nico at all. Andie was hot and cold, cool in an eccentric way one minute, and just odd the next. And I didn't find any appeal in Nico at all. But I definitely like Jonathon. I have a lot of gay guy friends and I could see a lot of them in his character.

Next, the writing. All of the Shakespeare, olden days talk got old quickly. At first I thought it was neat, but then it was just too much. I was part of the theatre crowd in high school and college and no one talked like that.

But I do have to say that I like the way that it covered teen sexuality. Like I said before, I have a lot of gay friends. I have known some who came out when they were adults, and some who came out as teens, before I knew them. Luckily all of my friends have supportive parents. But I know that's not always the case. And I know some of the guys came from a high school where being gay was completely accepted and others who were outcast. And that's so wrong. I think that there needs to be more books like this that bring light to being a gay/lesbian teenager and that everyone needs to be who they truly are. They shouldn't feel scared to let their feelings known and I can't wait for the day when everyone has the right to love and marry whomever they want and be accepted for it! Bravo to Lauren Bjorkman for shedding light on this very important issue!

[S.B. (Beauty in Ruins) · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I suspect some of the humour either went over or under my head (it’s been a while since my high school days), and I have a few issues with the basic premise, My Invented Life was still a fun, crazy read.

While there’s a bit more to their relationship that drives the story, things really begin when Roz becomes convinced her sister is really a closet lesbian, after finding a suspicious book in Eva’s room. When Eva denies being a lesbian, Roz pretends to come out of the closet herself, all in an effort to convince her sister that it’s okay to be a lesbian . . . so she’ll dump her boyfriend, and leave Roz to swoop in to catch him on the rebound.

While it’s handled respectfully, and is ultimately supportive, the very idea of the fake-lesbian storyline bothered me. It just doesn’t seem like something I could imagine a teenager really doing, no matter how much more accepting her peers might be than when I was in school. Of course, humour is most often borne out of absurdity, so I forced myself to just go with the flow . . . and enjoyed it.

Besides, there are more than enough LGBT supporting characters in the book to provide a welcome balance. After all, this is a story built around a drama club . . . not that I’m trying to stereotype anyone. (grin)
Roz is such a drama queen, with her Shakespearean insults and odd habit of rehearsing conversations (a quirk I share), it was hard not to like her. She’s ridiculously boy-crazy, going to extreme lengths to get her man, and crazily competitive as a sister, but she’s also a good person at heart. In the end, once the challenge has gone too far, all she wants is to have her best-friend back in Eva.

Eva I found much harder to like, especially since she seemed to spend much of the novel sulking. It would have been a very different novel had she been allowed to take the lead, but as curious as I am how things would have looked through her eyes, it would have robbed us much of the fun.

Overall, a good book (even if it’s not one I would normally read), and one that kept me smiling, even as I shook my head in wonder!

[Loni Aycock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I wasn’t quite sure what I would think about this book. What I found was a ton of laughs with Shakespearean insults, drama, geeks and teens questioning their sexuality. Roz was such a funny character and steals most of the spotlight. She goes to extreme lengths and pulls all kinds of stunts to get her sister Eva to admit the secret she thinks she’s hiding. Even though Roz and her sister are completely different, they are extremely competitive with each other and Roz wants nothing more but her sister back so they can be best friends again.

One aspect to this story I thought was hilarious were the Shakespearean insults. Take these for example: Sheep-biting moldwarp (more annoying than a horsefly mole) or how about Hedge-born clack-dish (don’t be a blabbermouth). Could you imagine the face of the person you would say this to? Try it, it’d probably be hilarious!

Another aspect that I thought was funny and at times, was confusing; Roz would play out a scene differently in her own “invented life” if a certain situation happened that she wished would have went another way. Take this statement as an example (it’s from chapter 1 so I’m not giving anything away):

(Roz) “You’re the one who’s going off. Maybe you really are gay.”

She comes over to where I’m sitting on the edge of her bed. “You guessed my secret. I wanted to tell you sooner,” she says, taking both of my hands in hers, “but I was afraid. Do you still love me?”

“More than ever,” I say, We embrace. “It’s cool having a lesbian in the family.” The worked lesbian rolls out of my mouth like I used it every day.

Another tender moment in the invented life of Roz Peterson.

When I say to Eva, “Maybe you really are gay,” she casts me a scornful glance.

“Reading a book about lesbians doesn’t make you a lesbian,” she says.

I thought Lauren Bjorkman captured the teen voice and the issues of sexuality were dealt with great insight and humor. My Invented Life was a fun and honest book. It was a great depiction of teens understanding and coming to terms with their true identity.

[Yan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roz is a character that will not be silenced. She has a personality that rushes into things head first without understanding the consequences. Her kooky attitude shows no restraint in her ‘Invented Life’ or in the real life. She has a good will, one that may be blinded at times by her sense of karma. Her over-exuberance may be her downfall though when the reader thinks that enough is enough yet she still pushes forward.

Eva has a conflicting opinion by me. Either you can understand her or you just wish she would stop hiding. Eva has a secret that she herself wasn’t aware of until much later in her life. Roz has a clue and in an impulsive dare she decides to make Eva realize and come out with her secret. On one hand you can sympathize with Eva. On the other hand you want to take that hand and slap her silly. Her fear creates a hostile personality; one takes it mostly to Roz (though not something I can’t entirely blame her for, but can still be irking). She can be the sweet older sister or the sister you wish just pack up and leave for college already. You can’t always take and never give back and I feel that Eva doesn’t give back enough half the time.

The supporting characters are just as conflicting. While I love many of them—Andie, Nico, and Jonathan—some I had to grow to love or shove out of the way (Carman, Bryan, and Aunt Sapphire). Each has a quirky personality from flamboyancy to the weird, shy, yet cute/intense sometimes, and the divaesque type.

My Invented Life is a LGBT novel that I have yet to come across where the protagonist isn’t the one trying to find herself but does in the end. Created in two worlds, one in the mind filled with hopeful desires, and the hard cold factual life. In the end they meet eventually to get the happily ever after paint gun and all.

Overall: Humorous, annoying, a tad ridiculous, benevolent but always, always loud.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roz and Eva are sister and were friends. They were friends BD (before deletion), Before Eva complete cut Roz out of her life. Roz drools after Eva's boyfriend (not for the first time) and wishes she had her sisters acting talent so she could get the lead in the school play. Roz starts to suspect that there is something going on with Eva that she doesn't want to admit to, so she comes up with a plan to get Eva to spill the beans. Unfortunately the plan backfires, well sort of. It didn't go quite the way Roz had planned but maybe it helped her and her sister realize things about themselves that they weren't able to see before.

This book was hilarious, engrossing, ludicrous. So many times while doing my laundry I was laughing out loud and people were staring. It is indeed that funny, not to mention that most Shakespearean words sound funny even if they aren't meant to be. It was really nice to read a light-hearted book about sexual identity issues. It seems like they are all so serious. Not that it's not a serious issue, it's just they all seem to be so heavy where as this one was fun.I loved the dynamics between the characters and it was great having a story from a theater geek's perspective. So often the main character in the book doesn't really have a passion for one thing in particular. Characters will often be passionate but not necessarily about just one thing. It was nice to read about the geekiness and the rivalry that goes on behind stage. Lauren is a welcome fresh voice in young adult fiction. I definitely recommend you put this on your TBR list, it will make you laugh, possibly until you pee your pants. Thou spleeny prick-eared slug!

First Line:
"I raise my mini club and try to focus on the clown's chomping mouth."

Favorite Line:
"My father was no prostitute."

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

To thine ownself be true!

Roz's sister, Eva, is perfect. So perfect that Roz would quite like to be just like her. The only problem is that Eva is better at everything and the boy Roz likes is Eva's boyfriend.

On a whim, backed up with only the tiniest amount of evidence, Roz decides that Eva might be a lesbian. To help her sister come to terms with this, Roz decides to come out herself - even though she isn't gay, or at least she doesn't think she is.

Throw in theater-geek friends, a new boy, a Shakespeare play and Roz's wacky fantasies and you're in for a fun and dramatic read.

The characters in this book were really likeable and by the end of the book I felt like I knew them all. Roz is the narrator of the story and so everything is seen from her slightly obscure point of view. I don't usually get on so well with books written in the first person but I actually didn't really even notice that this one was as I was so into the story right from the start. A fun element is added to the writing with Roz's daydreams. To start with these were a little confusing but at the same time made me laugh and once I got used to them it was a lot easier to make sense of them.

Shakespearian language is used throughout the book, both when the characters are rehersing their play, As You Like It, and the group have a thing about throwing it into every day conversation. This could have gotten confusing or off-putting for some but on most, if not all, occasions an explaination was given as well.

Some serious teen issues are dealt with in this book from sexuality to parental problems with a whole load of other stuff but they are put across in a light-hearted and sensitive way. I think any teen, young adult (or anyone really) would not only benefit from reading this book but it's a fun and entertaining read at the same time.