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Who I'm Not
Who I'm Not
Who I'm Not
Ebook164 pages2 hours

Who I'm Not

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this ebook

Danny has survived everything life has thrown at him: being abandoned at birth, multiple abusive foster homes, life as a con man in training. But when his latest "protector" dies suddenly, Danny has to think fast or he'll be back in foster care again. He decides to assume the identity of a boy who disappeared three years before. If nothing else, he figures it will buy him a little time. Much to his astonishment, his new "family" accepts him as their own, despite the fact that he looks nothing like their missing relative. But one old cop has his suspicions about Danny, and he's not about to declare the case closed. Inspired by a true story, Who I'm Not is a powerful portrait of a boy whose identity is as fluid as a river and as changeable as a chameleon's skin.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateOct 1, 2013
ISBN9781459804364
Who I'm Not
Author

Ted Staunton

Ted Staunton divides his time between writing and a busy schedule as a speaker, workshop leader, storyteller and musical performer for children and adults. Ted lives in Port Hope, Ontario.

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Reviews for Who I'm Not

Rating: 3.8250010000000003 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    "Danny" has been in foster care his whole life. He has become involved with a fraud artist, and participating in various schemes when he is picked up and brought back into "the system". Desperate for a way out, he steals the identity of a missing Ontario teenager and is reunited with his family.As Danny is 15, he is coming into adulthood with no sense of who he really is -- he doesn't know his real name or birthday. Danny's stage in life makes the common quest of figuring out who we are much more intriguing.Since Danny's family accept him on very little evidence, It's also a story of family, loyalty and wanting happy endings. Well done; good characters, thought-provoking ending.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    While it took me a while to get into this story, I ultimately enjoyed this book. The story of a young man who pretends to be a missing teen in order to avoid trouble with the police, this novel is inspired by a true story. There are a couple plot twists that the more skilled reading will see coming, but the story is still suspenseful. The main character "Danny" is well-developed and realistic, though I wanted to know more about his background and who he really was. I think teen readers, especially boys, will like this book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book was well written and the characters were realistic. I am very character driven, and I never really connected with the protagonist. I felt bad for him in and think that he was given a crap hand in life, but I guess I want to believe in the goodness of people and the system, and I felt like Danny was cruel to this family making them believe he was their lost son/brother. And because he was written as a realistic teenager i didn't end up caring for him so much that i was able to over look the character flaws. Anyway I guess I read for escapism not realism.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I had never heard of Canadian author Ted Staunton until I noticed he was one of the authors in the "Seven" series that I am currently reading. When I noticed this book, his name caught my eye and the plot reminded me of a previous book I'd read plus some true cases I'd heard of though this sounded like a different take on the return of a kidnapped child and I was intrigued. Going into an author for the first time one never knows what to expect and I found myself hooked by the first chapter. "Danny' for want of a better name, is a street-smart, cocky kid, a born con-man and yet from the beginning we sympathise with him not only because of his rough life but because he is a genuine person under the veneer. We understand what he gets out of his dupe and wonder, just like him, what else is going on here; is he being duped himself? Danny is way in over his head and the story becomes quite the intense mystery/thriller with a shocking tragic ending which comes totally out of nowhere. Not how one usually expects a YA novel to end. I found the writing to be brilliant, it kept me glued to the pages, the story was impressive and there was no writing down to the audience just because the main characters were teen-aged. This is quite readable by teens and adults alike. Staunton seems to have written mostly books for younger audiences to date and I'd certainly like to see more of this calibre from him. Good realistic teen fiction suspense!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An interesting look into how far one will go to protect themselves. This is a story full of plot twists. An orphaned teenage boy has been raised in a number of foster families until he is adopted by a con artist who teaches him the trade. In order to escape from child services following the death of his guardian during a robbery attempt, he takes on the identity of "Danny" a boy who has gone missing from Canada. Danny is relieved when the family eagerly accepts his story and takes him in; however, appearances can be deceptive. A great read that leaves you wondering and wanting more.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Fast paced plot and interesting main character. Ending left a lot of questions unanswered
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Once I started this book I had a hard time putting it down. It pulled you in from the first page. The way the book is written is straight forward and easy to follow. I would recommend this book to older teens and young adults. I would love to see a second book come out about where the narrator ends up, it does leave you wondering!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I started this book yesterday, and I couldn't put it down. It is a really engaging look at the mind of a chameleon. A teenager who has been bounced from home to home until he landed with a griter who trains him in the art of the con. After his mentor dies unexpectedly, the young man assumes the identity of a missing teen from Canada. However, he finds himself in even more trouble when the disappearance of Danny is not all it seems. I loved this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat right up until the end. I would love it if there were a follow up to this story. I want to know more about this mysterious narrator who we never really know.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Part mystery and part coming of age saga, Who I am Not by Staunton is an effective page turner that leaves the reader guessing up until the end. What I thought was most refreshing about this book is the way the author played with the concept of being an impostor, especially as it applies to young adults who are only just starting to formulate their identity. This story takes no easy shortcuts, especially with the moral ambiguity of more than a few characters, and is a bit on the more challenging side for sixth grade readers. I highly recommend this book both for it’s heart stopping conclusion as well as its ability to serve as discussion fodder with the myriad of issues it raises.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A teenage boy, Danny, is immersed in a life that is not his own when his custodial companion is killed accidentally in a crime game gone wrong. Being that of a minor and not knowing who he truly is, he impersonates a missing child in order to flee from further trouble. The family of the missing child takes him in despite any misgivings and accepts him as part of their family. However, one person in the community is not convinced of who he is, Griffin, a former detective assigned to the original missing child case. Griffin approaches Danny about his notion and when Danny doesn’t flee Griffin exploits Danny to try and solve the original case. The story was intriguing and left me wondering and wanting more. Reality is in the eye of the beholder, often we long for the unattainable.

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Who I'm Not - Ted Staunton

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