Common Sense Media Review
By Lucinda Dyer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Teen hunts for her parents' killer in page-turning mystery.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Olivia Reinhart grew up believing her mother had been murdered by her father. After the death of the grandmother who became her guardian, Olivia found herself adrift in the foster care system and was briefly adopted. Now a 17-year-old emancipated minor living on her own in Portland, Oregon, she's stunned to learn from local police that her father's body has been discovered and that he was not her mother's killer. Olivia decides to return to the hometown she barely remembers to search for the truth about what happened to her parents. THE GIRL I USED TO BE is an apt title, as Olivia tells no one in town that she's really Ariel Benson (her name had been changed when she was adopted), the daughter who witnessed her mother's murder but was left unharmed by the killer. Aided by Duncan, a childhood friend who recognizes her but agrees to keep her secret, Olivia begins putting together a list of suspects -- a list that includes some of the people closest to her parents.
Is It Any Good?
A tough yet vulnerable teen sleuth with a tragic past, a secret identity, two unsolved murders, and a killer on the loose make for an engaging and page-turning read. Olivia's determination to not only solve her parents' murders but also make a future for herself should be inspiring to readers. But parents may find the depiction of Olivia's life as an emancipated minor a bit too good to be true. Those with older readers might want to use her story as the starting point in a discussion about the realities of life for teens who have the "freedom" to make all their own choices.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about being on your own at 17. How difficult would it be for most teens that age to get a job, find a place to live, pay their own bills, and begin planning for college without an adult to help them?
Do you think murders featured on TV shows such as America's Most Wanted have a better chance of being solved?
Olivia trusted Duncan to keep her real identity secret. Are your friends good at keeping secrets? Are you?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Mystery
- Topics : Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Henry Holt & Company, Inc.
- Publication date : May 3, 2016
- Number of pages : 229
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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