Review: Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale

Title: Someone Else's Life
Author: Katie Dale
Publication Date: February 14, 2012


From Goodreads: 


When seventeen-year-old Rosie’s mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington’s Disease, her pain is intensified by the knowledge that she has a fifty-per-cent chance of inheriting the crippling disease herself. Only when she tells her mum’s best friend, ‘Aunt Sarah’ that she is going to test for the disease does Sarah, a midwife, reveal that Trudie was not her biological mother after all... Devastated, Rosie decides to trace her real mother, hitching along on her ex-boyfriend’s GAP year to follow her to Los Angeles. But all does not go to plan, and as Rosie discovers yet more of her family's deeply-buried secrets and lies, she is left with an agonising decision of her own - one which will be the most heart-breaking and far-reaching of all...


My Thoughts:


Rosie is seventeen when her mother dies from Huntington's Disease. All she has left is her nana and Sarah, a family friend. Her boyfriend, Andy, has since broken up with her and gone off traveling. All of her friends have stopped talking to her because she shut herself off from the world to take care of her mom, Trudie. Nobody knows that her mom is sick, they all think she is an alcoholic and she is the town joke.


When Trudie dies, Rosie is overwhelmed with fear that she has inherited the disease from her mom. She then learns that it is impossible for her to have it because she was not really Trudie's daughter, she was switched at birth. 


We then follow Rosie as she travels from England to The United States in search of her birth mother. Since Andy is going traveling there, she seems this as the perfect opportunity. Unfortunately, things don't go to plan and some shocking secrets come out along the way. 


I. Loved. This. Book. I read through this baby within 24 hours, stopping only because I have kids to take care of and a husband to pay attention to. All my free time was spent sitting in my chair cuddling up with my Nook and a blanket and just devouring this. 


Books like these are my favorite, I love a good family drama. I think it reminds me that my life could always be worse. That's kind of sad, isn't it lol. There is so much going on in this book that you don't want to miss any of it. It is very intense.


The story alternates between two point of views: Rosie's, and another's who we aren't told who it is until later on in the book. I personally thought I had this one figured out, but nope! Fooled again. I really liked reading the alternating views from these two people, you were able to see both sides of the story up close.


We follow Rosie as she makes good and bad decisions and what happens in all over the characters' lives because of these decisions. At times I felt complete pity for her, but other times I just wanted to tell her to let it go and keep things to herself. She was a bit selfish at times, but I think anyone in her situation would be.  Who wouldn't want to know the complete truth about why she was sent home with the wrong family and want to find her birth parents? I would probably make most of the same choices she did.


I hadn't ever heard of Katie Dale before, and I think she only has one other book published right now. But you bet I will be adding that one to my constantly-growing wish list! This book was so well written, it was more like having a conversation with someone than reading. Even though it was pretty long (400+ pages) it still went quickly. 


I really can't tell you how much I enjoyed this book. I'll be reading anything and everything that this author comes out with. I will also be buying a copy of this when it is released since I received this from NetGalley. 


One more thing: the cover! Love it, love it, LOVE IT. I love the colors, the font and even the color of the model's dress. It is simple, yet gorgeous. 


Now go add this to your wish list and preorder a copy as soon as you can :)









*I received an ecopy of this book for free from NetGalley.com in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.