The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney

Devon Delaney #1

by Lauren Barnholdt

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?

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Childrens

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2007

Reviews

[Amanda Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I THINK THE BOOK IS PRETTY GOOD BECAUSE IS ABOUT TEENAGERS LIKE ME AND HER PROBLEMS IN HER SCHOOL.I STARTED TODAY AND IM SO EXCITED TO READ THIS BOOK AND LEARN ABOUT THIS BOOK

[Francesca · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I mean how lucky am I knowing one of the most popular girls at my new school before I even start?” This quote shows Lexi’s personality. Lexi thinks Devon {main character}, is popular, however, Devon is not popular. She lies to try to be cool and liked but she creates many problems for herself. Devon’s friends also started disliking her because she keeps lying to them. Devon realizes that she should not lie, and she should be herself. Will Lexi and Melody forgive Devon or is it too late?
There are three main characters in this story (Lexi, Devon, and Melody). Lexi is a new girl who was popular at her old school, and knew Devon from summer camp. Devon is a girl who tells a lot of lies, and knows Lexi because she went to summer camp with her. Melody is Devon’s best friend. Devon and Lexi hang out with the in crowd at the mall but at school Lexi hangs out with the in crowd, and Devon tries to fit in. Devon is a selfish and self-centered which gets her into problems that she cannot get herself out of. Devon continues to lie but soon she feels guilty about lying, and tries to fix her mistakes.
There are two themes to this book. One is don’t lie, and the other is be yourself. Devon has a hard time not lying. She is a nice person but because she wants to be popular she forgets who really cares about her {Melody, her best friend}. Devon just wants to be like her friend Lexi who is pretty, wears cute clothes and everyone has a crush on her. Lauren Barnholdt, the author of this book uses good imagery to make the characters come to life.
Lauren Barnholdt the wonderful author of this amazing book grew up in Syracuse, New York. When Lauren is not writing books, she is watching television, playing Dance Dance Revolution, or reading. The style of this book is lying, and trying to be popular. The point of view is first person because when the author is talking about the characters she says I.
I would recommend this book for people ages ten to fourteen-years-old. Also, if you are in middle school then some topics in the book will make more sense to you. This book is also very life changing, and very inspirational! When reading this book you the reader should put yourself in the place of all the characters and try to understand how they felt. I am sure that every middle school student can relate themselves to at least one character in the book. This will help you become more interested in the book.
I hope you have learned a lot about The Secret Identity of Devon Delany. I also hope you will read this book! I know that you will love this book, and will not be able to stop reading it. This book is very interesting. A lot of things that happen in this book could happen in real life. If you the reader want to learn more about this book then you have to read it!

[Natalie Arias · Rating 5 out of 5]

***Spoiler Alert***
Have you ever met a friend over the summer and told her/him lies about your life? Have you lied so much you cant stop but the more you panic the more you lie? This book by Lauren Barnholdt is called The Secret Life of Devon Delaney. This fiction book is full of exciting and some intense moments.
The main character in this story is Devon she goes to visit her grandma over the summer and makes a new friend. Her summer friends name is Lexi and Devon lied to Lexi about her life back at home. Devon told her summer friend that she was the most popular girl in school and she is dating the most popular guy in school named Jared. Devon thought those were harmless lies but right in the middle of class her summer friend Lexi walks in her classroom. Devon doesn't know what to think or say and thinking about the lies.
I believe that the theme of this book is to stay true to yourself and never lie about who you are. Devon regrets lying in some parts of this book. Devon lies about herself to Lexi. You should always stay true to yourself because that is who you are Devon changed herself to fix things like she dyed her hair and started to wear different clothes. Devon goes to some extreme measures so Lexi and the popular kids a.k.a the A list wont find out about the lies.
My favorite part of this book was the ending when Devon and a boy get together. If you do read this book I recommend reading girl meets ghost. Devon eventually does tell Lexi and Jared all the lies. Once Jared and Lexi are okay and know about the lies Devon feels better with the real her and the truth. Devon starts crushing on a boy so you'll have to read to find out.
I recommend this book for teens. This is one of the best books I have read this year its a really exciting book. This is a good book that tells you to stay true to yourself because you dont want to end up like Devon with the lies. I give this book a 5 out of 5.

[Kamaria Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you ever been in a situation that you couldn't get out of because of all the lies you've told? Do you come up with a lot of lies about yourself to make yourself sound cool, unique, or even popular? Did all of those lies create something or someone other than who you really are? In addition to lies I personally would decide to tell the truth no matter the consequence. The genre is realistic because Devon goes through difficult problems that some of us went through. Overall lies can turn into a disaster.

The story takes place in the summer at Devon's school. Devon Delaney wanted to make herself sound like a cool, extraordinary, funny, smart person so she lied about it but all of the lies grew enormous. Devon finally sees how all the lies ruin her friends(Kim,Luke,Melissa,Lexi, and Jared) apart. Then Devon realizes that the truth should be heard because she can't stand the guilt it impacts emotionally on her any longer. The conflict is person v.s. person because Devon is trying to find out who she is and who she really wants to be. Mostly what she thinks would make her the most happiest. One theme in the book is friendship. In the text it says, " I totally forgot to stop by Mel's this morning because we always walk to school together."

The title relates to the book because the book is called "The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney" In the book Devon wants everyone to believe she is someone who isn't. Also, secret is in the title because Devon doesn't want anyone to know who she really is and why she is pretending and adding lies on top of all the drama. Mostly readers can tell just by the cover that Devon really wants to fit in with her middle school students. The setting relates to the conflict because the setting is at school and all of the conflict starts there because all of the students see each other everyday if they come to school. This makes people become angrier, friends turn, Students have to be stuck in the middle of it. Another theme that recurs in the book is honesty because Devon slowly tells the truth,but then covers it up with a lie. This can be seen when all of everyone lies are out and everyone knows the truth. In the text it states, "But I lied to you. I say, still crying... You did it for a reason. Lexi said."

I was upset about how Devon thought she had to keep telling Lexi lies in order for her to think that she was better than who she had mentioned. Even though she knows that Lexi was her best friend from camp. I was surprised when Kim turned down all of her friends in order to show them a point. I felt angry about this character because she made me want to throw the book down all because of her actions. I felt Kim would be my least favorite character in the book because of how she wants everyone to like her because of her actions and her looks. My favorite part was when Mel and Devon stayed best friends when they knew that things might change. To me this shows how their friendship means something and how they can stand by each other when they don't even know whats going to happen between or what's going to happen next.

In conclusion, I rate this book three stars because I really didn't like how Devon was ruining her friends life all because she wanted to impress someone else. Also, I didn't like how long it took Devon to tell the truth. I would recommend this book to any middle school students who know how their lives has been changed because of all the drama they created from their lies. I would also recommend this book to people who like realistic fiction about drama and friendship. Do you still think you would rather lie about who you are or what characteristics you want to have more? Do you still believe that things won't get out of hand all because of the mess you've created with all your lies? I really couldn't relate to this book emotionally because it was to much drama. I had some connections within the lies that were told. Overall I really liked this book. Don't change who you are to fit who you want to be.

[Hannah S]

In the book, The secret Identity of Devon Delaney by Lauren Barnholdt, Devon is a mousy middle school girl with one best friend and a wacky family. Then, while spending last summer with her grandmother, she made a new friend, Lexi, and presented herself as a completely different person. She wore lip gloss, boasted of her popularity and cute boyfriend, and adopted the nickname “Devi.” (Barnholdt 41) The book opens on the first day of school. Lexi has now transferred to Devon’s school, and Devon must come clean or risk embarrassing herself further. Of course, things become much more complicated before resolving into happiness for all. The story has a familiar pattern of a girl owning up to mistakes and learning an important lesson: lying is bad. But the plot takes some unexpected twists getting there. Clothes and hairstyles are described in painstaking detail, with brand names and stores listed. Friendship is expressed through buying matching cashmere sweaters and belts. Devon’s first-person narration is filled with contemporary adolescent chatter. Its fast pace, simple dialogue, and vivid visual descriptions make it an appealing choice for reluctant readers.
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” (Barnholdt 37) 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 its 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.
I would give this book a 4 stares out of 5 stares rating because sometimes I got a little annoyed with the author. She kept making the things going on worse and worse for Devon. I would recommend this book to girls readers between the ages 9 through 13. 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. Over all I thought it was funny fast moving book that remind me to always be myself.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney
Author: Lauren Barnholdt
Review by: Ashley
Devon Delaney leads two lives in the realistic fiction novel, The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney. Sneaker and hoodie-wearing Devon gets a huge suprise when her BFF over the summer, Lexi, gets transferred to her school; which is great, except for the fact that Lexi thinks Devon is really a popular girl, with a gorgeous boyfreind. As Devon makes a desperate attempt to hang out with the populars, she gets more and more tangled up in all of her lies, and her "boyfriend" really likes Lexi, while Lexi likes him. Will she get found out? Will she stop a wonderful relationship from occuring? Will she make and lose friends? Read this novel by Lauren Barnholdt, to find out.

I really enjoyed this book because there was not a single boring part. Sometimes, in books like these, it is really hard to not be too discriptive, which in my opinion can make the book less exciting. But, Lauren made every romantic, or behind-the-back conversation and experience fun, and exciting. Once you start, reading it, you may never put it down again. This book is appropiate for people who like books with realistic intense drama that you occasionaly can find in school. Lauren did a good job of pulling me in, because once you start, you won't stop untill you figure out what happens next!

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book because it's about things that can happen to a teenager girl trying to be liked, I don't think that lying is gonna be the best way, though. But the book is funny, I mean, Devon thoughts and the situations she gets caught in, are very funny.

[Abby Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

''The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney,'' by Lauren Barnholdt, is a novel that captures both the problems a teenage girl may face in junior high and how one thing may lead to another. The fascinating novel is about a teenage girl named Devon Delaney who travels to her grandmother's house for the summer with her younger sister, Katie, since their parents are having ''marriage problems.'' During the duration of her stay, Devon makes friends with a girl her age named Lexi Cortland that lives close to her grandmother. The two have numerous sleepovers and hang out frequently over the summer. However, Devon lies that she is in the popular clique at school, is dating the hottest boy in the grade whom has never even talked to her, and that people call her ''Devi.'' Devon doesn't think her telling a few lies to Lexi will cause any severe damage until Lexi moves and transfers schools. But, she doesn't just transfer to any school. She transfers to Devon's school. Throughout the novel, Devon struggles to sort through all the lies that have grown out of control and to make it out alive while still ensuring that all of junior high doesn't think she's a complete weirdo. Unfortunately, this a lot tougher than it sounds.


Someone would want to read this book because the whole time I was reading it I could NOT put it down. Each new chapter keeps you constantly guessing and predicting what will happen next and that is something I really love about the book. Something is always happening and the plot makes sure that you never grow bored thanks to descriptive language and strong dialogue. In addition, every teenage girl faces conflicts when in middle school regarding popularity and fitting in. I especially enjoy how the novel illustrated the fact that many teenage girls face these conflicts everyday but in the end everything will play itself out, even when the path seems bumpy ahead. As well as the previous reason about why I encourage young teenage girl readers to enjoy this novel, Lauren Barnholdt also does an exceptional job of incorporating important morals in the story that will be extremely useful in the real world. For instance, some of these morals include that you should always be honest no matter the circumstances, you should always stay true to yourself, and that it is essential that you remind yourself that everything will be okay even when they don't seem to be. I would definitely recommend this book to any teenage girl that enjoys realistic fiction and novels about the real life struggles of junior high so that some can know that they will get through junior high. I would also recommend it to any girls that are about to go into junior high so that they can know what to do and what not to do. For example, they shouldn't tell lies. But, they should be themselves.


Each character was very well thought out and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how the unique personalities of each character were displayed. For example, the antagonist of the story, Kim, had a arrogant personality while Devon's real best friend at school, Melissa, had a personality that demonstrated the fact that she could care less about other's opinions of her. The most significant and my favorite relationship in the book was Lexi's and Devon's relationship. This relationship was the most significant because it is what the whole conflict of the novel was centered around. Also, there wouldn't have been much of a story without their relationship in the first place. This relationship is my favorite because I loved seeing how their relationship progressed over time and throughout the novel I think they grew closer plus stronger together. As mentioned previously, the plot was very action-packed and the most important conflict of the novel was the fact that Devon lied to Lexi about many things and then Lexi transferred to Devon's school.


All in all, I would encourage all teenage girls to read this novel and I guarantee that they will not be disappointed. I loved many things about it from the personalities of each character to the exciting plot. As a whole, the only thing I wasn't fond of was that I would have enjoyed seeing more of what happened after the end of the book and how everything played out. I almost would have preferred an epilogue of some sort just to explain how the characters are functioning later on down the road. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I loved almost everything about it!

[Raiya · Rating 5 out of 5]

have i read this book over 50 times??? probably. is this book pretty bad??? probably. is this the best book ever written?? probably?? is this quite possibly my favorite book ??? probably???? is it soooo stupid??? probably?!?!?!?!? i love this book and read it every time i’m home it rly shouldn’t count towards my year goal but i rly dgaf bc why do i know these characters better than my own family members it was fate that brought this into my sisters hands and then passed down to me this book has been with me through it alllll. i have never allowed myself to bring it to NYC/college houses bc it’s a sacred at home book and also i need some church/state separation from it. but i lowkey get so excited to come home and read it LOL. the fact i’ve never read the sequel is bizarre and i want to so bad but it would be kinda humiliating to pick up from the library but tbh i rly need to buy it at some point and again keep it at my parents house. anyways that is all LOL

[Ashna K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Devon Delany tells one lie at a time and makes her way to the popular crowd. Now what? Should she confess and try to keep her new friends? Or should she keep having to put on a different face every morning? What will happen when a so-called “friend” spills her secrets?
I did not really like this book because it encourages lying which is not necessarily a good thing. It also had a plot that I didn’t really like. The character’s traits were a mixture of bad and okay. But in a way, this book kept you coming back for more. You always want to read an extra page when you know you shouldn’t. But, you wouldn’t lie about it for sure! I would recommend this book to older kids, like middle schoolers because if it was an elementary student reading this, they might think that it's ok to lie or cheat.
I rated this book 2 out of 5 stars because the plot was a standard “Oh! She’s gonna do this” book. Like there weren’t good plot twists. I still gave it 2 stars because the author had good descriptions of characters and worded her writings well.

[Lily Dervin]

I really like this book especially the end. I like how the end was crazy and bouncing back and forth. I would recommend reading this book.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Fena · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK HAS MY WHOLE HEART AND I WILL READ IT 50000000000x TIMES

[Nadia Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

The secret identity of Devon Delaney is a novel written by Lauren Barnholdt. It is the first book in the Devon Delaney series. This novel is about Devon Delaney a girl who has karma with her. It all started when she was living with her grandmother for the summer and she lied to her summer friend called Lexi that she was dating the most popular guy in her school called Jared. When Lexi moved to Devon’s school the karma passed to Devon.

Devon was partnered up with Luke who was Jared’s best friend. Since Devon was partnered up with Luke that meant Devon tended to hang out a lot with Luke and his friends who are Jared, Kim and Lexi. This caused Devon and Mel’s friendship drift apart. When Lexi accidentally told Kim about Devon dating Jared (which was not actually true), Kim started being mean to Devon.

One of my favourite parts of the book is when Devon said sorry to Mel. Devon went to Mel’s house and apologized. She told Mel why she hadn’t told her what had happened to her in the summer. She told Mel that she had to stay in her grandma’s house just incase her parents were going to get a divorce. Devon told Mel that she hadn’t told her not because Lexi was a better friend but because Devon didn’t want people feeling sorry for her. She just had to get away so she lied to Lexi about having a hot boyfriend and popular.(252) Since they forgave each other they talked about Brent who Mel liked and they were friends again. I really like this part because true friendship should not break up so it's really good that Devon and Lexi became friends again.

At the end of the book Luke talked to Devon about their project. But when Devon was going to go away Luke said that he talked to Lexi in the morning and said that actually that Devon had a crush on Jared last year but this year she liked Luke more than she did last year. When Luke knew that Devon had a crush on Jared he was sad but since he came to know that Devon liked him he felt bad that he had ignored her. Luke kissed Devon in the end. (262)

I recommend this book to pre teens and upwards because it’s all about crushes and kissing. I would recommend this book to people who like reading about crushes and loving people.

I rated this book 5 stars it gives a lot of details on how the characters are feeling.

[Patricia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh. I did NOT like this book. Each page filled me with anxiety. I read it because my 10-year-old daughter LOVED it and wanted to share it with me, but I despaired for my daughter as I read it. After I finished it, we had a good, long chat about it, and I feel much better and more at ease.

This is the story of Devon Delaney whose parents were having a rough patch the summer before her 8th grade year at middle school. Mom and Dad sent Devon and her sister to stay with Grandma for the summer, while they worked on their relationship, and Devon made friends with Lexi. The summer with Lexi allowed Devon (who went my Devi around Lexi) to try on an alter-ego -- one she LOVED. Popular, stylish, and with a boyfriend. When she got back home, though, she went back to her old best friend, her old jeans-and-sweatshirt, mousy, still-crushing-on-Jared life. And then Lexi's family moves to her town and Lexi starts going to Devon's school.

Instead of coming clean with Lexi, "Devi" starts telling lies upon lies to keep up appearances, and her best friend from childhood gets pushed farther and farther away. Finally, as these things do, all of Devon's lies are exposed and she has to learn to fix it.

OK. So I didn't like the story, but it doesn't mean that it's without redeeming value. I had a great conversation about with Emma, about how it's so important to tell the truth, to put off dating, to observe guys one is crushing on to find out what kind of a person they are, to know that one's value is NOT based on how one looks, to eschew tanning and shopping as self-medication, and to value and treat well one's dearest friends.

Most importantly, reading this book has made Emma and I want to start a mother/daughter book club. That's a pretty great thing!

[Ms. Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recently, I was discussing YA fiction with an acquaintance and we ended up talking about the "big lie." You know, how the teen tells what he/she thinks is a tiny white lie to make life easier in the short run, but ends up causing a whole lot of trouble in the long run? Well, THE SECRET IDENTITY OF DEVON DELANEY is one of *those* stories.

Devon is staying with her grandmother for the summer, and while there, meets a fabulous new friend, Lexi. In order to get Lexi to like her better, Devon makes up stories about her life back home. (She's super popular, dating the cutest guy in school, and always dresses in the latest fashions.)Things go downhill fast when Devon discovers that Lexi has moved to her hometown. How will she ever get Lexi to believe all the lies she told over the summer?

THE SECRET IDENTITY OF DEVON DELANEY will appeal to teens wanting a flirty friendship story, with just a dash of romance. It's a predictable tale, where girl tells lies to make friend, friend shows up in hometown, girl devises all kinds of crazy antics to get friend to believe lies. We all know that telling lies on top of lies will only make it worse when it's all revealed, and it WILL be eventually. This story is no exception. I do like the mom's common sense way of handling the issue when her daughter confesses all her wrongdoing.

Overall, it's a cute, fluffy story that'll catch the eye of many a teen, but nothing special. I give it a C.

[Devina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pelajaran yang aku dapat dari buku ini, sekecil apapun kita berbohong dan sesepele apapun masalahnya, suatu saat kita pasti akan kena batunya.. Demi menutupi kebohongan kecil tsb, akan tercipta lagi kebohongan-kebohongan kecil lainnya yang pada akhirnya akan menjadi satu masalah besar.

Seperti tokoh Deavon yang pada awalnya 'hanya' berbohong sedikit pada Lexi, teman musim panasnya. Dia mengaku kalau dia gadis terpopuler dan dia berpacaran dg Jared, cowok paling populer disekolahnya. Semuanya berjalan lancar, sampai tiba2 Lexi muncul disekolahnya! Alangkah terkejutnya Deavon, dan kebohongan2 lainpun meluncur lagi dari mulutnya untuk menyelamatkan situasi. Keadaan bertambah rumit karna ternyata Jared malah menyukai Lexi dan meminta bantuan Deavon untuk menyomblangkannya dengan Lexi.. Wah..wah.. Selain itu ada masalah lainnya, karna Deavon mulai suka ama Luke, sahabat karib Jared. Dan Luke pun merespon positif perasaan Deavon. Padahal Lexi taunya kalau Jared lah pacarnya, bukan Luke. Rumitkan? Ditambah lagi semua kebohongan-kebohongan itu justru membuat Mellisa, sahabat sejatinya jadi membencinya.. Tapi rasanya sulit buat kasian ama Deavon, karna dia sendiri yang menciptakan situasi tsb.. Untung akhirnya happy ending.. :)

Semoga buku keduanya bakal diterbitkan juga ama Atria.. Penasaran ama kelanjutan hubungan Luke & Deavon ama Lexi & Jared..

[Parisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was strolling the Barnes & Noble Young Readers section for a book to read when I saw THE SECRET IDENTITY OF DEVON DELANEY. The cover intrigued me (I am all about judging books by covers) so I settled down next to the shelves and began reading.

THE SECRET IDENTITY OF DEVON DELANEY is about a girl named Devon who can't stop lying. It all started with a summer vacation at her Grandma's house where she made friends with a girl named Lexi and told Lexi that she was popular and dated the most popular guy in her junior high. It all went downhill when Lexi moved and started going to Devon's school.

This book was cute, quirky, and full of lies. Once Devon started it was hard to stop. A slippery slope. Every time another lie fell from her mouth (because they did seem to just come out without her meaning them to) I cringed a little. When was this girl going to learn? Luckily, she did. By the end of the book, the things I was hoping would happen did. A cute summer read.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I would recommend to any girly/semi-girly teenager who just has no idea what to read next. Devon completely changes her identity and has to face the problems that go with it. This book teaches you not to lie, and shows you how important it is to find your true self...and be that true self! An amazing book that is truly hilarious and shows the ups and downs of every friendship!

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable exploration of the world of a pre-teen. In a world where a stray hair can ruin one's whole week a young girl must grapple with numerous problems she has created for herself. She is forced to navigate the middle school watters not even sure who she is. I love how the author made a reader feel the emotional roller coaster of the teen regardless of the readers age.

[Elyse King-Guffey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't stop reading the book!

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I could give it 3 and a half stars... I would

[Alma Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Spoiler Alert**
Have you ever lied to your friends and then everything goes wrong? Or have you ever had started lying then couldn’t stop? Well if this is your life or if this has ever happened to you well then you should read The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney written by Lauren Barnholdt. The genre of the book is fiction. This book will probably make you stop lying if you're a person that always lies.
In this story you will meet Devon who is normal 7th grade girl who goes to middle school. But during the summer she had to go to her grandma's house because her parents were working on getting divorced. While being there she met Lexi and she was one popular girls so Devon lied to her and told her she was one of the most popular girls in her school and was going out with the most hottest guys in her school Jared Bently and told her that her name was Devi instead of Devon. One day while being in Mr. Pritchard’s third-period math class Devon’s world turned around while she saw that Lexi had just moved to her school and was in her class. Devon thought everything was gonna be fine, until lunch time. Lexi had barely came and she was already sitting at the popular table and was asked out to hang out with them But Devon had to lied to Lexi once again and told her not to saying anything about that she was going out with Jared and for her to keep that a secret. One day Lexi told Kim that Devi and Jared are dating but Kim knows it's not true but she still doesn't saying anything. Devon starts lying about everything now even to her parents and her best friend Mel. Mel starts to find out everything that Devon lied to her about and they stop talking to each other for a while. I think the major theme of the story is to always say the truth to your friends even though you might think you may never see them again and also trust because that's what Devon thought that she was never gonna see Lexi again but she ended up seeing her after all. Another thing was that because Devon lied to Mel about why she was going to her grandmas house when she should of told her the real reason why she was going cause Mel was her best friend. Devon shouldn’t have lied to Lexi either because that made things worse because Devon was worried about what she might think about her if she told her the truth of who she was in her school.
My favorite part of the story was the ending. The ending was my favorite part because Devon told the truth and she stood up for Kim and also because Devon stopped lying to everyone even to Mel and her mom. Another reason why my favorite part is the ending is that Devon realizes that Jared is not that cute and her and Luke end up together and he's more better looking and a gentleman.
In conclusion I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars because it's a really good book to read because it just goes to show what could happen if you lie to everyone in your life because you're afraid of what they're gonna think.

[Kelly_Hunsaker_reads ... · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney by Lauren Barnholdt is a cute book about a young teen girl, struggling with all the things that come with adolescence. Devon spent the summer with her grandma due to her parents' marital struggles, and while there started a friendship with a girl named Lexi. Devon created a radically different story about her life back home... lying about her popularity and attaching herself to a popular boy, saying he is her boyfriend. Unfortunately when the school year starts, Lexi is there! Her parents moved her to the area, and now Devon has to cover the lies ... with more lies!

Like many young people, Devon, is often self-centered, digging her hole deeper and deeper, lying to everyone she knows. But towards the end of the story she realizes that everything is convoluted, and her friends are unhappy because of the things she has said, and she finds a way to ask for forgiveness.

I love the themes of the book, as it emphasizes the importance for people to be authentic. Kids will get the message that being honest and open is essential to maintain good relationships, and that popularity is never as important as true friendship.

Thank you @simonkids for my #gifted copy of this reissue, as well as the sequel.

[Orangetails · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cheesy drama that could have been avoided, lots of lies, and some serious misunderstandings made this book a silly read that was purely for entertainment. I don't know if this is realistic at all (online middle school meant I avoided drama, which was perfect), but it seemed...too crazy to kinda be real, especially for middle-schoolers. Anyway, it was okay only.

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a super cute middle grade read. I loved following Devon as she navigated middle school and got caught up in a bunch of lies. I think a lot of middle graders will find parts of this book and characters relatable. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one and it had me smiling quite a bit.

Thank you to Simon Kids for the gifted copy.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book! I liked the ending and how Devon started to become herself again. I think it shows how we look when we try to act like something we aren’t. “Can I talk to you for a second” was used a lot and got me a bit annoyed. I look forward to reading other books by this author.

[S. O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the story, it made me want more. Sadly it just ends with Devon and Luke kissing, i kind of wanted to know about Mel and her crush. Since i see this is the first book then there might be hope left for her. ^.^

[Jude · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a book I liked when I was like 12, now it gives me "Sierra Burgess is a Loser" vibes and that movie isn't good for younger audiences, like 13 Reasons Why. I ONLY gave it three stars cuz I liked it as a kid

[Martha Maloney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I buddy read this with my twelve year old daughter and it was a fun read. The author did a great job at depicting what it is like to be a teenager learning through mistakes. My daughter loved the (clean) romance.