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I'm Not Her

by Janet Gurtler (Goodreads Author)

3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 · rating details · 1,224 ratings · 223 reviews

“For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel envy…”

Tess is the exact opposite of her beautiful, athletic sister. And that’s okay. Kristina is the sporty one, Tess is the smart one, and they each have their place. Until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess is the center of the popular crowd, everyone eager for updates. There are senior boys flirting with her. Y...more

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Published (first published March 26th 2011)

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Jul 11, 2011 Cara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, realistic-fiction, sibilings, whoa-that-s-heavy

I can almost guarantee that everybody knows somebody who has had cancer, whether it is you, a friend, neighbor, coworker, relative, etc. I think most people have seen someone go through this. I'm surprised actually of how little young-adult literature deals with this issue, but here Gurtler attacks it head on and gives a realistic portrayal of a family dealing with cancer.

Tess is not like her older sister, not even a smidge. She's artistic, nerdy, and not anywhere near to even be a blip in the s...more I can almost guarantee that everybody knows somebody who has had cancer, whether it is you, a friend, neighbor, coworker, relative, etc. I think most people have seen someone go through this. I'm surprised actually of how little young-adult literature deals with this issue, but here Gurtler attacks it head on and gives a realistic portrayal of a family dealing with cancer.

Tess is not like her older sister, not even a smidge. She's artistic, nerdy, and not anywhere near to even be a blip in the social radar. Kristina on the other hand is popular, well-liked, and a star on the volleyball team. She's a senior in high school with a promising future, and she is basically on top of the world. All that comes to a screeching halt when Kristina gets checked out for a chronic pain in her knee, it turns out to be the worst case scenario, cancer.

The author really does an excellent job of capturing how cancer not only affects the person who has it, but the family has cancer to. The best and worst come out in people, and everybody reacts differently. I'd have to say that Tess's family isn't the most exemplary example. There are families who deal with it worse but also much better. The book is told through Tess's point of view, and I'm glad it was. You see her struggle with being a good sister and still wanting her own life not to spin out of control too. She still wants things, but at the same time tries to be the strong one in her family. Tess has a lot of the reactions people normally have. At first she can't believe it's true, that it can be that bad. Then comes the anxiety of what should be done and what can she do? How do you talk to someone who thinks they may be dying? Whose whole life has changed? It's beyond hard, it's almost impossible to know what to do.

This isn't a necessarily an easy book to read. You get mad at the characters and how each of them reacts to Kristina. And you want things to turn out right, but that's not how life is like. It's messy and we all are only human. It's weird but not how Tess herself goes through a transformation because of this. Things she once thought she was sure of and thought were important, become so trivial. She becomes more out-spoken, stronger, and learns who has her back and who doesn't.

All the characters are well fleshed out and bring something to the story. It was just so spot on, the only reason why I knocked off a star was because I would have liked to seen more of Kristina. There is a lot of Kristina in the story obviously, but I would have liked to understand her a little bit better.

As you can tell I'm doing a terrible of job of conveying how much I thought the book told a true story that is being a played throughout so many homes. I can personally attest that this felt real, sad but real.
(less)

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Aug 05, 2011 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Whew... so heartbreaking, but realistic. This was an especially difficult book for me to read right now. Having cancer affecting a few people in my life right now. Luckily they are fairing very well to their treatments, but it's still hard to read about what they might have had to gone through.

But this wasn't a story about a girl with cancer. This was a story about a family dealing with someone they love having cancer, and how they are each are affected... in very very different ways.

I was mad...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fiction-read, my-library, arcs

My Summary: Tess and her sister have always been total opposites: her sister is that girl - the popular sporty one with a tonne of friends, while Tess is more quiet and focused on school. Both sisters know the role they're meant to play, and they don't question the way things have worked out for them.

Until Tess' sister is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess isn't quite so sure who she's supposed to be, and when her seemingly-perfect family starts to fall apart, all she can do is try to be the p...more

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May 01, 2011 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler is incredibly frustrating, wonderful and utterly engaging. It is the story of sisters who will both make you smile and break your heart. I was a little unsure of myself going into this novel, but I couldn't put it down. It is an emotional, touching ride through the lives of two girls suffering in totally different ways.

Talk about powerful. I could not imagine going through the trite problems of being a typical freshman in high school AND having to watch my gorgeous...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Lizzie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anybody who likes books that are kind of sad.

Recommended to Lizzie by: I saw it at HP Library

Shelves: favorites, quarter-2

I LOVE THIS BOOK!

Don't mean to be weird......

The author should write a sequel, but what would it be about?

Tess is a normal girl. Her sister, Kristina is hot shot who is the most popular kid in school. Tess looks up to Kristina.

One day, Kristina and her mom discover her diagnosis of osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, the family's world is turned upside down.

Tess has to cover for her sister, who doesn't want anyone to know that she has cancer.
Suddenly, Tess becomes the popular girl, everyone asking for...more

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May 31, 2011 Senator rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own, bookshelf-challenge

This novel is for EVERYONE. Because of the wide range of flawed characters, you’ll be able to relate to someone. I honestly don’t care your preference of genre, you have to read it. As timeless as Judy Blume or Jody Piccolt, borrow I’m Not Her from a friend, library, or just go ahead and buy it — this will be on your shelves and passed around for years to come. ...Please click for the full review.

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Mar 12, 2013 Rhianna Schmidt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: realistic-fiction

Kristina and Tina are sisters in high school. Kristina is the perfect girl to everyone, pretty, fun, and everybody at school loves her. Tina, well everyone just calls her Kristina’s sister they don’t even really know her name. But Tina doesn’t really like being the center of attention like her sister. She just wishes she was at least recognized. In her world she is kind of invisible she doesn’t really mind that either. She has a best friend and that’s like the only person that really notices her...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Madison Metzger rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What came as a surprise to you in this book? Why? I would have to say the part when they find out she has cancer is the most surprising part in this book. It came such a surprise to me because you know she is so beautiful, popular, and mostly everybody likes her. She is sooo good at volleyball, but she won't be able to play anymore because the cancer is eating at her bones. So they have to remove her leg, and replace it with a fake one.
Do you think the title fits the book? Why or why not? I thi...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Muccamukk rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Things I liked: The writing and character voice were well done. It felt like being in the mind of a fifteen year old, and her reactions to events seemed natural. The writing itself was enjoyable and often funny.

Three things I didn't like:
1. The plot didn't seem to have a lot of structure. There were threads of relationships and events running through, but mostly it was kind of AND THEN this happened AND THEN that happened, which wasn't great, but to add to that the AND THEN was almost always som...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Jillyn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nobody looks at Tess. She's a weird and anti-social freshman, always studying. Not to mention the lack of fashion that both she and her religious fanatic obese best friend possess. No, everyone would rather look at her older sister, Kristina. Kristina is bubbly and easy to like. She's nice to everyone, beautiful, and the star of the girls' volleyball team. That is, until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess finds her home life falling apart, with her sick sister, gossipy mother, and...more Nobody looks at Tess. She's a weird and anti-social freshman, always studying. Not to mention the lack of fashion that both she and her religious fanatic obese best friend possess. No, everyone would rather look at her older sister, Kristina. Kristina is bubbly and easy to like. She's nice to everyone, beautiful, and the star of the girls' volleyball team. That is, until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess finds her home life falling apart, with her sick sister, gossipy mother, and absent father all tearing away her own goals, while at school she's thrust into morbid popularity. She's the sister of the hot one who's sick. Life, trust, and friendships are lost by some but gained by others in this heart-wrenching story of family, love, and coping.

---

I'm not sure that I can write a cohesive, non-blubbering review for this book, but I'm going to try.

+The amount of emotion in this book is simply astounding. Just when I thought I couldn't grieve or cry any harder, Gurtler ripped away another piece. This book is raw, brutal, and often times uncomfortable. But that's what makes it so beautifully written and realistic. Anger, sadness, hope, betrayal, shock, and grief were all present in this novel, and my heart and brain weren't always sure how to react.

+What else made this book realistic is the type of cancer Kristina develops. It occurs in a non-vital location that I never even thought could get cancer. It's a snap back to a harsh reality that cancer can effect any part of anybody at any time.

+The characters were all flawed, but well described. I absolutely loathe both her mother and her "best friend." I wanted to hug Kristina and a few of Tess' new friends.

+And on that note, I wanted to console Tess. I relate more to her than any other character, being a nerdy introvert myself. I also relate because my mom was sick, though it wasn't cancer, and all of a sudden it brought out both the best and worst in people. You'd be amazed how many people change and how drastically in the face of a tragedy.

I could gush forever, but I'll spare you all that rambling mess. I recommend this book for ANYONE affected by cancer, anyone with a sister, or anyone who wants to read a book where they will shed tears. A similar book to compare it to is Tell the Wolves I'm Home. This review can be found on my new blog, Bitches n Prose.(less)

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Aug 07, 2012 Kristine Kevorkova rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You have to read this book. It is extraordinary.

i'm not her, by Janet Gurtler, is an amazing, unbelievably touching debut novel. Tess and her sister, Kristina, don't have much in common. Kristina is beautiful, sporty, and popular. Tess is smart, has one friend, and is very shy. And they are all okay with that, until Kristina gets cancer. Out of nowhere, Tess is popular, everyone knows her name and they are dying to know about Kristina. But she has bigger things to worry about. Her family is spli...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Book rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A maudlin and at time far on-the-nose novel whose fifteen-year-old protagonist sounds and acts like she is thirty.

Tess Smith, high school freshman, is the ugly, chip on her shoulder, smart sister. Kristina Smith, senior, is the pretty, blonde, athletic, popular sister. Kristina and their mother try to get Tess to be more like her older sister, but Tess resists. Her one sort-of ally in the family is her professor (and trust fund recipient) dad, who shows his love by buying Tess the sugary snacks...more A maudlin and at time far on-the-nose novel whose fifteen-year-old protagonist sounds and acts like she is thirty.

Tess Smith, high school freshman, is the ugly, chip on her shoulder, smart sister. Kristina Smith, senior, is the pretty, blonde, athletic, popular sister. Kristina and their mother try to get Tess to be more like her older sister, but Tess resists. Her one sort-of ally in the family is her professor (and trust fund recipient) dad, who shows his love by buying Tess the sugary snacks her mother eschews.

Tess's world shatters when Kristina is diagnosed with bone cancer. Kristina feels that her BMOC boyfriend and volleyball teammates won't understand the profound effect the disease has on her, so she shuts herself away from the world. Their parents, who never, ever make the transition from cartoon characters to three dimensional, deal with their pain in incredibly shallow and predictable ways. In fact, Tess's parents are officially THE WORST PARENTS EVAH in YA literature. Tess is the only one who sees through everyone and everything, and calls them on their shit - including Kristina. Quite a feat for even an intellectually precocious fifteen-year-old.

Tess has predictable boy problems: the bad boy she can't help thinking of, the good boy who is right under her nose. The best parts of the novel involve the bad boy, Nick, who is very well-drawn (no pun intended), if again incredibly perceptive for a eighteen year old male. Where were all these boys who understand female emotions and human motivations when I was fifteen?

The author's voice is strong and likable and the prose is well-written. But the story and the characters just aren't believable. There is a twist two-thirds of the way through the book that made me throw the book against the wall because, srsly? there's only so much bad luck juju in the world and the author loaded waaaaaaaay too much of it on her characters for me to suspend disbelief as a reader. Yes, bad things happen to good people, but usually not in such a tight time frame - and if they do happen, the emotional consequences are far deeper and more scarring that what is depicted here. Tonally, it just doesn't work.

(view spoiler)

I'm looking forward to Ms. Gurtler's next book because she writes very well. And hopefully, she will learn to restrain herself from throwing the washing machine in with the kitchen sink.

(less)

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Mar 09, 2012 Marielly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book Im Not Her by Janet Gurlter was really enlightening it
was also very entertaining. The book makes a clear demonstration of
sister friendship and trust. Tess is known as the shy,quiet,smart,
nobody known as Kristina's younger sister. And Kristina is the older
pretty,party loving popular girl. Until Tess finds out that Kristina is
diagnosed with Bone Cancer.Tess goes through a really rough time
during that moment. Since Kristina wont come back to school once she
was diagnosed with Cancer everyo...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Emma rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As a nurse, I come into contact with patient's with cancer on a regular basis. At the beginning of my career I was placed on an oncology ward and I remember absolutely loving it because the patients were always so appreciative and thankful for everything you did, not something you always recieve in the profession.

Whats most tragic however is that despite there being multiple doctors, psychs, physios, OT's and nurses, their is no magic treatment for the family, and at the end of the day, because...more

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Dec 01, 2011 Maggie61 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: maggie-favourite-teen-young-adult, read-2011

I read another book by this author several books back, enjoyed it and enjoyed this one as well.

Tess has lived in her sister's shadow her whole life. Her sister is prettier, more popular, sports star while Tess is the smart one, with one friend, her talent being art but that isn't taken seriously by anyone in her family.

Suddenly her sister Kristina gets cancer and things change for Tess. She becomes more popular, gets more friends but as her family life revolves around Kristina which it previousl...more

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Oct 20, 2011 Haleigh Faucette rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first book that I have read of Janet Gurtler and I really enjoyed reading it. Janet Gurtler did a great job giving details throughout the book.The details made me feel every emotion that Tess (the main character)and her sister Kristina are feeling. The book makes you feel like you are right there witnessing what they are describing. What happens in the book could really happen in life. When a family member gets cancer everything changes and this book shows how a younger sibling handl...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ncbla

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I read this title a few books after reading The Running Dream which deals with how a teen handles the loss of her leg. While they are not the same story with the same focus since this story focuses on Tess, the sister of the gorgeous and athletic Kristina, it's hard not to compare the two in some respects. While I liked watching Tess grow and start to come into her own, I also disliked the incompetence and helplessness of her parents, one of whom is far too involved in Kristina's life before the...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Allison rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: real-life-reads, favourites

I first picked out I'm Not Her because the title gave me the impression that a character in this book would be pressured into being/ replacing a seemingly perfect sibling or friend or just anyone who their peers and parents think are "perfect". That message was in this book however more subtle and understated while focusing on tragedy and how people react to it. Not just the "I'm crying and everyone is genuinely sad" sort of thing where it all seems like a fairy tale. This story was a wake up ca...more

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Sep 16, 2011 Grace rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

There were some parts of this book I just thought were absolutely amazing and I loved. But then there were just as equally the same amount of other parts that made me just want to put the book down altogether. I just want to let anyone know, if you're looking for a happy everything-turns-out-ok-in-the-end story, this is not it (well basically)! I just feel bad for most of these characters. There's something tragic going on with basically each and every one of them and even though I thought the s...more There were some parts of this book I just thought were absolutely amazing and I loved. But then there were just as equally the same amount of other parts that made me just want to put the book down altogether. I just want to let anyone know, if you're looking for a happy everything-turns-out-ok-in-the-end story, this is not it (well basically)! I just feel bad for most of these characters. There's something tragic going on with basically each and every one of them and even though I thought the story was ok overall, it made it a very bleak and depressing read.

Tess is nothing like her older sister. Kristina is perfect and beautiful, guys flock to her, she has the whole social world riding on her back, she is going to be a scholarship volleyball player, and she has the adoration of everyone. That is, until she is diagnosed with bone cancer. Suddenly, Kristina is unsure of the person who she's become and cuts off everybody she's made a part of her life. Quiet artistic Tess must stand up to the plate and be strong for her sister and her family. Tess suddenly is pushed into Kristina's shoes. She becomes popular at school, updating all of her sister's friends with the news, boys take notice of her and while all this is happening she must cope with the realization that her family life is falling apart. How will she stand when everything and everyone she's ever loved gets turned completely upside down?

I did like the idea of this story, don't get me wrong. I loved how Tess basically took over a maternal role to Kristina and how she did what she thought was best for her sister and stood up for her at school whenever anyone tried to put her down. I enjoyed watching the growth of some of the characters and the maturation into discovering their true self. Tess becoming the popular at school showed her how being social isn't always a shallow thing and that some of the popular crowd weren't actually jerks but genuine good people. Seeing Kristina realize that looks and clothes weren't everything was also a breath of fresh air. She becomes this whole new person and starts to realize that she can still do the things she believes in and sets her mind to. There's a mass of other side characters: Their mom and dad (who had some serious issues by the way. I just couldn't stand how unlike parents...or good parents...they acted.), Jeremy (the boy who helps Kristina see the true her...adorable!), Clark (Tess's new best friend who helps her through the whole process), Nick (scumbag/jerk...just saying), Melissa, Devon, and just a whole slew of others.

I wish this book had ended on a bit of a happier note but it was a nice read overall. (less)

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Nov 11, 2011 Jessica RiffeKincaid rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Star of the girl's volleyball team in her high school, worshipped and loved by everyone in the school, guarenteed winner for any type of beauty/social school event, and voted most popular girl in school has a secret...one that devastates her little sister and their family. After she is diganosed with osteocarcenoma (a form of aggressive bone cancer) this high school girl's hopes and dreams are shattered when she has to go through all the changes that are forced upon her with no choice by having...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Fred rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Sara Zarr, Lauren Strasnick

Remember that old saying "Whatever does not kill me, makes me stronger?" Well, apparently sometimes not so much. Sometimes it reveals and ruptures all the stress cracks (in a person, in a family) that weren't so apparent in the absence of pressure. Sometimes it leaves you broken and crying, or angry, bitter and bereft. (There's lots of synopsis reviews of this if you want to figure out what it's about, so I'm not going to repeat all that, but rather just react a bit.) This sad and troubling book...more Remember that old saying "Whatever does not kill me, makes me stronger?" Well, apparently sometimes not so much. Sometimes it reveals and ruptures all the stress cracks (in a person, in a family) that weren't so apparent in the absence of pressure. Sometimes it leaves you broken and crying, or angry, bitter and bereft. (There's lots of synopsis reviews of this if you want to figure out what it's about, so I'm not going to repeat all that, but rather just react a bit.) This sad and troubling book was poignant at times, but in many ways my main emotion was frustration - for God's sake, Tess, say something, anything! (She does finally find her voice, but it's a struggle for her and the reader). And those parents! There is a hallowed pantheon of sucky YA parents, but these two have totally earned a prestigious pedestal of poopiness. Especially the dad (he doesn't deserve a capital "d"), which always makes me feel extra bad, like somehow I'm responsible for fixing that or straightening him out (hey, we all bring our own issues to the table, I know, sorry!) This feels like real life - messy, flawed, incomplete and aching with regrets for what's been left unsaid, and that is both its blessing and its curse. I might have preferred a little less unremitting tragedy, and a bit more of the old "we've learned, grown together and have some hope." That's a bit thin on the ground here. But MC Tess is a relatable, flawed and wryly observant teenager, coping as best she can (and as her parents demonstrate, one could do worse) with the lousy hand she and her foible-icious family have been dealt. Her struggles and growth are worth experiencing, and beautifully, if bleakly, conveyed. This reminds me of Story of a Girl, by Sara Zarr, which it references (and with which I had similar issues and enthusiasms), and also of Nothing Like You, by Lauren Strasnick. As was the case with both of those, I wished here for more closure, more catharsis, more sense of redemption and release than is emotionally available in real life. Still, an emotionally powerful read, by an author who is definitely a great contemp YA voice.(less)

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Nov 14, 2012 Chelsea Groves rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, box-of-tissues-kind-of-book

When I read I'm Not Her, I cried. Janet Gurtler created a believable plot through her eloquent writing and the main character's feelings towards her sister's diagnosis.

Tess is the baby of the family. She envied her sister until the word cancer and Kristina were uttered in the same sentence. She is invisible to everyone at school. And then Kristina misses one day and Tess becomes the center of attention because everyone wants to know why her sister isn't there. Kristina asks Tess to tell nobody....more

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Jan 20, 2012 laaaaames rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am such a sucker for a good disease book so I couldn't resist this. When the book started with beautiful popular Kristina and not-built-for-that Tess, I got my hackles up because you girls will never be Molly and Meg, but it turns out this wasn't that kind of story at all.

I wasn't always in love with Gurtler's prose, which was fine but clunky at times, but, man, she is good with relationship dynamics: siblings, parents, children, friends, crushes and crushees. At this point I feel like I've re...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Kimberly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book deals with the very real subject of Cancer and the effects it has on a family.
I can relate to the struggles and hardships that a teenage girl goes through when faced with watching another family member slowly retreat within themselves due to the realization that nothing will ever be the same, though my experience is with my mother and lung cancer I still feel for Tess on a personal level.
As you read this book you watch a family struggle to keep a perfect facade, you also watch a very...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Taii rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm Not Her. This book was so different from what I'm used to reading in a YA Novel. Different in a good way!

Tess is struggling with the news that her sporty, popular older sister Kristina has been diagnose with cancer. On top of that, she's become the center of attention at her high school since everyone found out that the most popular girl in school has cancer. So now everyone is eager for updates, senior boys flirting with her, and now the person she thought was her beat friend are all over...more

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Jun 07, 2011 Sarah rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

I was surprised to find to find this book on the LA Times summer reading list: I'd been pretty unimpressed myself.

The book is an exploration of how the perfect family—which has everything only a TV family has—can completely fall apart through a series of trials no one can cope with.
The story is all right, but it suffers from a lot of redundancy. The messages, the characters, the emotions—all are hammered in over and over.
And most of the characters were so over the top that they got pretty obn...more

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Jun 27, 2011 April (CSI:Librarian) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copy

(Originally posted @ CSI:Librarian.)

I do not read a lot of mainstream fiction, YA or otherwise, but I really found this book to be really engaging in terms of the writing, voice of the main character, and plot. Tess read like an incredibly likable and real teen narrator. I loved how she was a bit of an outsider and very strong, but still fifteen and still struggling to have something normal in her life in the face of her sister's cancer. And through the hard times, Tess began to learn a lot abou...more (Originally posted @ CSI:Librarian.)

I do not read a lot of mainstream fiction, YA or otherwise, but I really found this book to be really engaging in terms of the writing, voice of the main character, and plot. Tess read like an incredibly likable and real teen narrator. I loved how she was a bit of an outsider and very strong, but still fifteen and still struggling to have something normal in her life in the face of her sister's cancer. And through the hard times, Tess began to learn a lot about herself, the sort of person she is, and the sort of person the people in her life really are.

Throughout I'm Not Her, Tess also grew in really organic ways too. I liked that she didn't change herself or try to usurp Kristina's position but instead had to find ways of connecting to members of her family while looking for support elsewhere. And I think the connections she made were believable and their outcomes were really unexpected as well as touching. I also greatly appreciated that, while the book had a little bit of romance, there wasn't really a romantic plot or even subplot.

It was really sad to learn just how much Tess was used to disappearing into her art or academic pursuits, but also to watch as many of those are taken away from her while her sister undergoes chemo and surgeries. It was even more painful watching her parents break down, disappear, drink too much, or behave badly. I sort of wish there's been a bit more closure or some evidence that either one was going to attempt to be more of use to their daughters, but unlike more parents in YA novels, at least Tess' mom and dad had a proper motivation for becoming as dysfunctional as they did. And I don't think their behavior seemed outlandish or far-fetched at all.

I have to say though that was the focus, slight as it was, on Tess' not-really friend, Melissa, being overweight and therefore a bitter and hateful jerk when it came to dealing with better-looking girls at their school including Kristina really bothered me. Not because it doesn't happen in high school but because the meaner Melissa was, the more mention was made of her physical characteristics as if the two went hand in hand. I don't think or even expect YA books to be any more or less sensitive about all kinds of issues than any other sort of book. I also realize that I'm Not Her is from the point of view of a fifteen-year-old, but I don't think falling back on old, tired clichés makes any sense in a story that was actually sort of a refreshing take on teen sisters, cancer, and difficult times.

In conclusion, this book was very, very good. I think the Picoult comparison is apt in some respects, but I'm Not Her was definitely a better read. I also cannot wait to start reading the ARC I have for If I Tell .(less)

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Dec 08, 2011 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2011

2.5.

The writing is good, and while the story felt fresh (despite the fact it was a story about cancer ripping apart a family), it did get a little over the top with some of the other events that unraveled. I didn't think the art aspect of the story played out quite enough. I wanted more from Tess as a character, and I could have used a tad more "before" to get to know Tess and Kristina better.

It didn't tug at my emotions like it could have and actually, I'm kind of glad it didn't. I appreciated...more

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Nov 28, 2011 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.75 stars.
Tess has always seen her older sister, Kristina, as the perfect one. With her beauty and popularity, she seemed to have it all. Until she was diagnosed with cancer. I liked this book because it wasn't simply about cancer. It was about a family struggling to cope with cancer.
When Kristina stops showing up to school, Tess becomes one of the most talked-to girls at school - because she has the "dirt" on her sister.
While Kristina is undergoing chemo and struggling with the loss of her le...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Skye rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review is also posted on my blog, In The Good Books.

Tess pales in comparison to her popular, athletic, perfect sister. You know the type -- it's a common trope. But her sister, Kristina, is diagnosed with cancer, and suddenly Tess has to adopt a new role in her family as her mother grows more useless each day and her father grows less present each day.

It's not exactly an original premise, no. You've already read the story about the outshadowed sister coming into her own. I'm not going to t...more

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About Janet Gurtler

Janet lives near the Canadian Rockies with her husband and son and a little dog named Bruce. She does not live in an Igloo or play hockey, but she does love maple syrup and says “eh” a lot.

Janet only gives 5 stars to the books she reviews because she is an author herself and knows that no book can appeal to everyone, but like a child, it is very special to the creator.

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Quotes from I'm Not Her

“... We're just different."
"Yeah," I say. "I'm mute and you have verbal diarrhea.” — 35 people liked it

“I don't think there's a good reason to run unless someone's chasing me. Seriously.” — 4 people liked it

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I'm Not Her

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