My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman

The Gist (from Bjorkman's website):

Roz and Eva are sisters, close friends, and fierce rivals. Roz fantasizes about snagging the lead in the school play and landing sexy skate god Bryan as her boyfriend. Sadly, a few obstacles stand between her and her dreams. For one, Eva is the more talented actress. And Bryan happens to be Eva's boyfriend. But is Eva having a secret love affair with a girl? Inquiring minds need to know.

My Review:

I'll be honest- I didn't read the full synopsis before I dove into this book. I do that sometimes just to give myself surprises throughout (don't you hate it when the back of the book tells you the whole story?). However, even if I did read the back cover of My Invented Life, I still would have had plenty of surprises throughout this novel. The characters are in a league of their own- daring and cautious all at the same time- all the more reason for them to be "theater geeks". Roz is a protagonist like no other. She wears her heart on her sleeve (literally at some moments) and will do anything- and I certainly mean anything- to show that she's there for her sister. While she's in the process of doing just that, she learns a thing or two about herself as well. To that point, I will say that Bjorkman does an excellent job of showing that Roz isn't cookie- cutter or  perfect by any means. She's got a lot of growing up to do.

Beyond the characters, the writing is superb. Bjorkman pushed a lot of limits in this novel - from acceptance (of yourself and others), to sexuality,  to labels. While she does tackle some of the tougher subjects, she still manages to keep things... hopeful, which you can see through Roz's persistent personality.  

I think this novel is a must-read for anyone. While you may not relate directly to the characters, this novel is definitely realistic and is full of lessons that get you thinking. Not to mention, Roz is one of the stronger characters I've read, making her somewhat inspirational :)

An excellent debut novel, I give this book:

Five Stars!