Double Take by Melody Carlson ~ review

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 273 pages
• Publisher: Revell; Original edition (June 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800719646
• ISBN-13: 978-0800719647

Product Description from Amazon.com:

It's spring break of her senior year and Madison Van Buren is fed up. Stressed over Ivy League pressure, her parents' marital problems, and her boyfriend's neglect, Madison gets in her car and drives west. Meanwhile, eighteen-year-old Anna Bronner wants to escape the so-called simple life--which for her consists of caring for younger siblings, sewing, cooking, and gardening--and she's well aware that her future will simply be more of the same with a man she doesn't love. Suddenly, worlds collide when Madison and Anna meet in a small town, realize they look uncannily similar, and decide the grass is definitely greener on the other side.
Readers will love this funny and provocative tale of switching places from bestselling author Melody Carlson. As they get a glimpse into two very different worlds, they may find themselves happy to be just who they are, where they are.
 
My take on this book:
Madison Van Buren, is a seventeen year old living in the lap of luxury in New York. She comes from one of the wealthiest families in the country, and has what appears to be the perfect life, but that's really not so, she always feels as if she is being pulled every which way and never really has a say in her life. Anna Fisher is a seventeen year old Amish girl who is bored, and missing her boyfriend who left the community to go to New York, she has just been promised by her mother to go take care of an aunt. So when a chance meeting between the two has them realizing how much they look alike Maddie comes up with an idea for them to change lives for a week. Can the two pull it off, and what life lessons will they learn when they step into the shoes of someone else for the week?
 
When I pick up a book by Melody Carlson I can always count on a page turner that will also teach a few life lessons while I am reading. This book is no different. While the premise seems a bit far fetched, for me it worked. It was easy to see why each girl would want to change places with the other for the week, and it was actually a bit surprising to see which one actually was most anxious to return home by the end.
I thought the changes the girls had to undergo during the switch was quite interesting, but each caught on pretty quickly. I think that each girl made an impact on the other girls life, but for me Maddie made a wonderful impact on Aunt Rachel.
If your looking for a fast paced read that will certainly remind you to appreciate what you have in life, and show you that sometimes life isn't always better in someone else's shoes then your certainly going to enjoy this book. While it is geared toward young adults I would recommend it to anyone looking for a light read, and if your an Amish fiction fan then your definitely going to want to read this one.
 
rating 5/5

Available June 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.