What If . . . Everyone Knew Your Name

See my journey as Haley (aka HaleyVixen) on my blog

I found this book to be very relatable. By being able to choose what happens to the main character, Haley, the reader can be “in control” as to what they are reading. You can make Haley hang out with the popular girls or have her stick with the geeks. ( )

Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce for TeensReadToo.com

WHAT IF...EVERYONE KNEW YOUR NAME is an interesting idea. It's a lot like those Choose Your Own Adventure books you read as a kid. The story is about Haley, a fairly average fifteen-year-old girl who has just moved to suburban New Jersey and is starting at her first public high school. She starts out average, so that the reader can pretty much choose everything that happens to her as the story goes on.

You make every little decision for her, even the ones that seem really minor, like riding the bus to school or getting a ride from her father. You decide who she wants to be friends with and what crowd she wants to be a part of. You decide everything about her.

While an interesting idea, and fairly well-written, this book isn't for everyone. If you're all about finding out what will happen, this book might not be for you, because you decide what happens. It's a cool concept, though, and a fun read, especially since you can read it more than once, with a different story and outcome. The characters aren't particularly three-dimensional, but I guess they have to be simple enough so that it is believable that they would make any one of the very different choices you choose from. This book is fun, but not a must-read. ( )

You choose which road to take ( )

Haley Miller (age 15) and her family just moved to Hillsdale where she is thrown into public high school with the misfits, populars, and geeks. Chapter by chapter, you will choose Haley’s decisions and see how they play out in her life. With one wrong step, you could lead her into peer pressure or hanging out with the wrong crowd. Going to parties, meeting new people, or making friends with the cute History teacher will change the way she thinks about things. Who does she have a crush on, should she try out for soccer, and countless other things … will change everything. Whatever Haley does is in your hands so you better do it right.

I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. It was so fun! I didn’t get into any horrible situation (a few awkward moments, though) but, of course, I read though some other chapters and I have to say … be careful. There is some inappropriate content (if you make the wrong choices) but it teaches the right values and just goes to show how hard it is being a teenager. The flow of the writing and references are wonderful and kept me on my toes. I am, for sure, going to read more Choose Your Destiny novels in the near future!

(This is a great book for long car trips.) ( )