The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney
by Lauren Barnholdt
by Lauren Barnholdt
THE SECRET IDENTITY OF DEVON DELANEY by Lauren Barnholdt
Category: Contemporary
Age Recommendation: Grades 6+
Release Date: 4/24/07
Publisher: Aladdin
Reviewed by: K. Osborn Sullivan
Rating: 5 Stars
What happens at your grandma’s house, stays at your grandma’s house, right? Well, that’s what Devon Delaney thought
when she spent the summer before seventh grade away at her grandmother’s. She figured there would be no harm in
telling her new summer friend, Lexi, that back home she was popular and dating the coolest guy in school. After all, Lexi
lived far away and would never know the truth. Plus, it gave Devon the chance to spend two whole months living out the
fantasy of being part of the A-list crowd, calling herself “Devi” and wearing lots of cute new clothes.
But Devon’s real life comes crashing down the following school year when Lexi moves to town unexpectedly. Devon
knows she has to come clean and confess to Lexi, but she keeps putting it off. In order to keep Lexi from finding out the
truth, Devon has to pretend to be the popular “Devi” and make up even more lies to explain why she barely speaks to her
gorgeous “boyfriend,” Jared. Meanwhile, Devon’s real-life best friend, Melissa, is getting fed up with Devon spending all
of her time with the new girl, Lexi. Is it possible that Devon is trying so hard to be popular that she’ll end up with no
friends at all?
THE SECRET IDENTITY OF DEVON DELANEY is a fun, fast-paced book. It does a nice job of contrasting the lives
and interactions of the “popular crowd” at Devon’s school with those of the not-so-popular kids. Devon and her best
friend, Melissa, are not exactly riding the top rung of the social ladder, and it’s amusing to read how Lexi, the new girl,
shows up at school and slides seamlessly in with the A-list crew. Devon is stunned by the ease with which her new friend
does that. It’s something Devon had dreamed of doing, but never knew where to start.
I enjoyed this book and was satisfied by the ending, but by about mid-way through the story, I wanted to scream at
Devon. She kept burying herself deeper and deeper in lies in order to keep her initial falsehoods concealed. If she had
simply admitted to Lexi what had happened in the first place, everything would have been fine. But things just went from
bad to worse, with Devon’s decisions getting more and more ridiculous as time went on. That was my biggest complaint
about the book, although perhaps making the reader scream with frustration was intentional on the author’s part. It helps
show how even one little lie can spin out of control.
Finally, THE SECRET IDENTITY OF DEVON DELANEY seems like it would appeal primarily to girl readers, and the
book cover says it’s geared to readers ages 9 through 13, which seems about right. I highly recommend it for that
audience, especially for readers who enjoy a funny story that reminds us about how important it is to stay true to who we
are.
Category: Contemporary
Age Recommendation: Grades 6+
Release Date: 4/24/07
Publisher: Aladdin
Reviewed by: K. Osborn Sullivan
Rating: 5 Stars
What happens at your grandma’s house, stays at your grandma’s house, right? Well, that’s what Devon Delaney thought
when she spent the summer before seventh grade away at her grandmother’s. She figured there would be no harm in
telling her new summer friend, Lexi, that back home she was popular and dating the coolest guy in school. After all, Lexi
lived far away and would never know the truth. Plus, it gave Devon the chance to spend two whole months living out the
fantasy of being part of the A-list crowd, calling herself “Devi” and wearing lots of cute new clothes.
But Devon’s real life comes crashing down the following school year when Lexi moves to town unexpectedly. Devon
knows she has to come clean and confess to Lexi, but she keeps putting it off. In order to keep Lexi from finding out the
truth, Devon has to pretend to be the popular “Devi” and make up even more lies to explain why she barely speaks to her
gorgeous “boyfriend,” Jared. Meanwhile, Devon’s real-life best friend, Melissa, is getting fed up with Devon spending all
of her time with the new girl, Lexi. Is it possible that Devon is trying so hard to be popular that she’ll end up with no
friends at all?
THE SECRET IDENTITY OF DEVON DELANEY is a fun, fast-paced book. It does a nice job of contrasting the lives
and interactions of the “popular crowd” at Devon’s school with those of the not-so-popular kids. Devon and her best
friend, Melissa, are not exactly riding the top rung of the social ladder, and it’s amusing to read how Lexi, the new girl,
shows up at school and slides seamlessly in with the A-list crew. Devon is stunned by the ease with which her new friend
does that. It’s something Devon had dreamed of doing, but never knew where to start.
I enjoyed this book and was satisfied by the ending, but by about mid-way through the story, I wanted to scream at
Devon. She kept burying herself deeper and deeper in lies in order to keep her initial falsehoods concealed. If she had
simply admitted to Lexi what had happened in the first place, everything would have been fine. But things just went from
bad to worse, with Devon’s decisions getting more and more ridiculous as time went on. That was my biggest complaint
about the book, although perhaps making the reader scream with frustration was intentional on the author’s part. It helps
show how even one little lie can spin out of control.
Finally, THE SECRET IDENTITY OF DEVON DELANEY seems like it would appeal primarily to girl readers, and the
book cover says it’s geared to readers ages 9 through 13, which seems about right. I highly recommend it for that
audience, especially for readers who enjoy a funny story that reminds us about how important it is to stay true to who we
are.