|
| The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney | 
 enlarge | Author: Lauren Barnholdt
Publisher: Aladdin
Category: Book
List Price: $5.99
Buy New: $1.00
You Save: $4.99 (83%)
New (40) Used (29) from $0.27
Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 51117
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.8
ISBN: 1416935037
EAN: 9781416935032
ASIN: 1416935037
Publication Date: April 24, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Mom says karma always comes around to get you, and I guess it's true. Because last summer I was a total liar, and now, right in the middle of Mr. Pritchard's third-period math class, my whole world is about to come crashing down.That's because while Devon was living with her grandmother for the summer, she told her "summer friend," Lexi, that she was really popular back home and dating Jared Bentley, only the most popular guy at school. Harmless lies, right? Wrong. Not when Lexi is standing at the front of Devon's class, having just moved to Devon's town. Uh-oh. Devon knows there's only one way to handle this -- she'll just have to become popular! But how is Devon supposed to accomplish that when she's never even talked to Jared, much less dated him?! And it seems the more Devon tries to keep up her "image," the more things go wrong. Her family thinks she's nuts, her best friend won't speak to her, and, as if it's not all complicated enough, Jared starts crushing on Lexi and Devon starts crushing on Jared's best friend, Luke. It all has Devon wondering -- who is the real Devon Delaney?
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 Fun for all. May 17, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Fans of Lauren Barnholdt will love her newest teen book. It's all about Devon 'Devi' Delaney and her lies.
Devon went away for the summer to get away from things at home and befriended Lexi. She told Lexi a bunch of lies about how back home she's really popular and her boyfriend is Jared, the most popular guy in school. It turns out, Devon is basically a social outcast and now Lexi moves into her town and is going to her school. What's a girl to do? Lie some more to cover up lies already told. Needless to say, things get pretty messy.
It was a very cute book for all teens and I can't wait to read her next book.
 Courtesy of Teens Read Too May 27, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
What happens at your grandma's house, stays at your grandma's house, right? Well, that's what Devon Delaney thought when she spent the summer before seventh grade away at her grandmother's. She figured there would be no harm in telling her new summer friend, Lexi, that back home she was popular and dating the coolest guy in school. After all, Lexi lived far away and would never know the truth. Plus, it gave Devon the chance to spend two whole months living out the fantasy of being part of the A-list crowd, calling herself "Devi" and wearing lots of cute new clothes.
But Devon's real life comes crashing down the following school year when Lexi moves to town unexpectedly. Devon knows she has to come clean and confess to Lexi, but she keeps putting it off. In order to keep Lexi from finding out the truth, Devon has to pretend to be the popular "Devi" and make up even more lies to explain why she barely speaks to her gorgeous "boyfriend," Jared. Meanwhile, Devon's real-life best friend, Melissa, is getting fed up with Devon spending all of her time with the new girl, Lexi. Is it possible that Devon is trying so hard to be popular that she'll end up with no friends at all?
THE SECRET IDENTITY OF DEVON DELANEY is a fun, fast-paced book. It does a nice job of contrasting the lives and interactions of the "popular crowd" at Devon's school with those of the not-so-popular kids. Devon and her best friend, Melissa, are not exactly riding the top rung of the social ladder, and it's amusing to read how Lexi, the new girl, shows up at school and slides seamlessly in with the A-list crew. Devon is stunned by the ease with which her new friend does that. It's something Devon had dreamed of doing, but never knew where to start.
I enjoyed this book and was satisfied by the ending, but by about mid-way through the story, I wanted to scream at Devon. She kept burying herself deeper and deeper in lies in order to keep her initial falsehoods concealed. If she had simply admitted to Lexi what had happened in the first place, everything would have been fine. But things just went from bad to worse, with Devon's decisions getting more and more ridiculous as time went on. That was my biggest complaint about the book, although perhaps making the reader scream with frustration was intentional on the author's part. It helps show how even one little lie can spin out of control.
Finally, THE SECRET IDENTITY OF DEVON DELANEY seems like it would appeal primarily to girl readers, and the book cover says it's geared to readers ages 9 through 13, which seems about right. I highly recommend it for that audience, especially for readers who enjoy a funny story that reminds us about how important it is to stay true to who we are.
Reviewed by: K. Osborn Sullivan
...the secret's out - Barnholdt's tween debut is too good to resist June 2, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Lying has never been familiar territory for thirteen-year-old Devon "Devi" Delaney. Sure, the seventh grader has always had a relationship with white lies. You know, like telling her grandmother that she makes the best spaghetti sauce, or not informing her pal, Nicole, that you could totally see her underwear through her skirt at the sixth-grade dance last year. But those were different. Those weren't lies that could slowly bury you. They were simply told to make the person feel more at ease. Unfortunately, over the summer, Devon managed to take on a totally new persona known as Devi, and now she can't escape the damage "Devi" has done. Over the summer, when her parents were contemplating getting a divorce, her mother and father shipped her and her five-year-old sister Katie to their grandmother's house, where they could lounge around and relax, without getting in the middle of their parent's "counseling" sessions. Devon didn't mind, because it was during this time that her father shelled out more money than you can imagine to keep the girls quiet. Therefore, Devon decided to do a little splurging at the mall, where she picked up a whole new summer wardrobe. The clothes she chose were totally un-Devon like, so she decided that it was time for a full makeover, including shortening her name to Devi. During her Devi-phase, Devon met Lexi. A girl who was completely compatible with Devi, and didn't know the real Devon. It seemed like a good idea at the time, so Devon decided to divulge to Lexi that not only was she the most popular girl at school, but she was also dating Jared - only the hottest, most popular seventh grader at school. Lexi was in awe of Devi, and wanted to mimic her every move, and, knowing that she wouldn't see Lexi again, Devon figured that there was no harm in pretending to be someone she wasn't. Fast forward a few months, and Devon is back in school. Her parents have settled their differences, and she's ditched her summer wardrobe of tank tops and miniskirts, reverting back to her comfy clothes - baggy jeans and big sweatshirts. Devon is sure that this is going to be another uneventful year by her best friend Mel's side, but quickly realizes that all bets are off when none other than Lexi walks through the door of Mr. Pritchard's third-period math class. Devon can't believe her eyes. Even though they've kept in touch, Lexi never mentioned that she was transferring to Devon's school, a place where Devon isn't known as "Devi," and who happens to have just one friend - the petite Mel. Devon is thrown for a loop. Lexi thinks that she's the most popular girl, and dating the most popular guy in the seventh-grade, when, in reality, Jared doesn't so much as know Devon's name. So, time for plan "secret identity." Devon must work to infiltrate the popular crowd immediately under the pseudonym Devi. This means a new hairdo, another shopping spree for fall-worthy clothes, and...making Jared her boyfriend, or at least staging a fake break-up with him. Sounds easy enough, but when Lexi manages to accomplish making her way into the A-crowd first, Devon must pray that her secret stays safe. Otherwise, she could end up the laughingstock of the school.
In every girls life, it seems that, for some reason, she wants to transform herself into someone she's not. Barnholdt took that sentiment, and wove it into a tale that was both uproariously funny and heartfelt. Devon is your typical social outcast, who doesn't think much about how she looks or dresses, and simply spends her time studying, or babysitting her younger sister, Katie. While Devon craves to be part of the "In" crowd, she seems content with her position at the bottom of the social hierarchy totem pole, yet not comfortable enough to tell Lexi the truth about her identity. While Devon is thrilled to shed her real skin, and allow Devi to emerge. She never seems comfortable with her secret life, and is always on edge, which instantly makes the reader sympathize with her predicament - even though it's obvious that she created it herself. Lexi, on the other hand, seems to be the epitome of confidence. She just oozes flair, and fun, and doesn't appear to have any inner demons rearing their ugly heads. She's definitely one of those popular girls who doesn't forget "the little people," and never loses her kindness through every ordeal thrown her way. That said, neither Lexi or Devon actually won the title of being my favorite character. That honor goes to, strangely enough, Devon's five-year-old sister, Katie. Katie is certainly one of the most adorable little sister's in the history of fiction. She's a precocious, pint-size philosopher who seems to have the answers to everything - no matter how complicated - accompanied by a heart of gold. From her first appearance within the pages of THE SECRET IDENTITY OF DEVON DELANEY, I found myself drawn to her character, and actually sought out when she would next rear her head. Her obsession with winning the Olympic gold medal, and wearing "skating warm-ups" wherever she goes is hilarious; while her ability to steal the scene from all other characters - be it Lexi, Devon, the nasty, female "In" crowd leader, Kim, or the illustrious Jared, himself. Barnholdt has done a fabulous job of giving Katie the typical bratty younger sister traits, but spices her character up by giving her a little extra pizzazz. A winning cast of characters, convincing conflict, and enough drama to make anyone salivate work together to make THE SECRET IDENTITY OF DEVON DELANEY irresistible. There's no doubt about it, the secret's out - Barnholdt's tween debut is too good to resist.
Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer
The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney May 29, 2007
I am 22 years old, and very much enjoyed this book. I met the author on myspace, and have chatted with her online on numerous occasions. She is wonderful, and whenever she has a book coming out, I'm really excited- whether or not it was written for someone my age. =)
I think that the characters in this book are believable, and I especially enjoyed the relationships among members of Devon's family. The plot is funny and interesting, and even had my stomach in knots, wondering exactly what was going to happen to Devon and her friends.
I highly recommend this book for tweens and younger teens. Although, if you love reading and are older, you may enjoy this book as well. It's on my keeper shelf!
The Secret Idenity of Devon Delaney April 28, 2008
The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney
Author: Lauren Barnholdt
It's just a little white lie you say? Well it is... until your whole school finds out and you have no one to turn to!
Devon is your average girl, just going with the flow. But over the summer when she meets someone who is the exact opposite, she does anything and everything to impress the popular Lexi. Even if it means lying... about everything. But when Lexi comes to Devon's school, she finds out that a white lie can turn into a whole lot more. All she has to do is convince her that all those lies are true. Simple you say? Yeah right!
I was drawn into the world of this book automatically and found myself completely absorbed in the shocking twists and turns of Devon's life. It was almost as if I was in the story, everything unfolding right before my eyes. I couldn't wait to find out how it would end, but every time I thought I'd figured it out, Barnholdt threw me a new catch.
You learn through the lives of these characters how important it is to just be yourself. I would recommend this book to any girl looking to find the real meaning of friendship.
-Allie M.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
