Being Sloane Jacobs - Lauren Morrill

Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 7, 2014
Source/Format: Netgalley (Thank you!) || e-galley
[I received this book from the publisher. This in no way affects my review.]

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. 

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

Even though my feelings towards Morrill's debut novel Meant To Be were fairly lukewarm, there was two things about Being Sloane Jacobs that enticed me to read it: ice skating (figure skating and hockey) and a life switch of Parent Trap proportions. It proved to be a very wise decision, as I wound up falling hard and fast for this contemporary YA tale. Even though it required a suspension of disbelief, Being Sloane Jacobs hit all my sweet spots in just the right way.

The best word to describe this novel? It's cute. It reads like a Disney Channel Original movie, honestly, complete with crazy situations and amazingly timed twists. I described it to someone as a blend of The Parent Trap, Cutting Edge & The Mighty Ducks, but only in terms of the plot. Even though it certainly was borderline unbelievable at times, it was easy for me to accept everything that happened as fact for this story. 

What sets Being Sloane Jacobs apart from these movies is how distinctively drawn Sloane Emily and Sloane Devon are as characters. I truly liked both these characters, and would honestly not be able to pick a favorite! They are similar in a lot of ways -- delicate family situations, easy summer romances and personal issues with their skating lives. But they're also very different -- they grew up with different standards, and handle tough stuff differently. I never had difficulty knowing which girl's point of view was being utilized because they were both incredibly unique (and clearly, they were dealing with different things all summer).

Being Sloane Jacobs is a magical, fun little read that's perfect for this wintry season. The only (minor) issue I really had with it was that everything fell into place a little too easily, and worked out too conveniently. But mostly, this book made me want to go ice skating (which I'm definitely going to be doing at some point before winter is over). If you're in the mood for something short, sweet and cute, then this book is the one I'd shove into your hands.

Which girl would you switch with?

I really had to think about this question before giving my final answer! I would have loved to be involved in a team sport like hockey, and I admire Sloane Devon's attitude. But, in the end, I would definitely trade with Sloane Elizabeth, in spite of all the problems she faces with her family. I have always been fascinated by figure skaters, even going so far as to obsessively watch videos of my favorites over and over again! It would be pretty darn amazing to be able to spin and jump and twirl and perform like they do. Plus, who wouldn't want a chance to reside in somewhere as posh as her figure skating boot camp sounds?