In Her Skin by Kim Savage

Jo is homeless, living on the streets of Boston. She left home when her mother was killed by her latest boyfriend. Jo's and her mom were con-artists. Jo's mom taught her all about choosing your make, being someone else and playing people to separate them from their money. Life has never been that great. 

One day, Jo sees the opportunity to escape to a new life. She will become Vivienne Weir, a girl who went missing nine years ago. Since Vivienne's parents died, Jo will be taken in by the Lovecrafts, the neighbors who were watching Vivi when she disappeared. They live in a luxurious house. They have a daughter, Temple, who was Vivi's best friend. It is all more than Jo could ever have dreamed. 

Sometimes becoming Vivi is too easy for Jo. Everyone wants Vivi back so much that they overlook obvious contradictions (like does Jo really look like an older version of Vivi?). Only the police seem skeptical. But the intervention of the police social worker and the powerful influence of the Lovecrafts override any doubts. 

Jo can never really relax. She wants to be loved by Temple, but her new 'sister' has a darker side. The whole family doesn't seem to quite fit making for a lot of tension. It is also a long con to play. Jo can never be Jo again, but she's ultimately not Vivi either. And now that she's in, can she get out?

With a little suspension of disbelief, you can enjoy Jo's suspenseful excursion into a life she has never experienced. With nothing feeling quite right, there is no time to relax in the pages of the book. But it is worth it. 

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site. 

She Myself and I by Emma Young

After months of recovery, Rosa wakes up to a face she doesn't recognize and a body not entirely her own. Rosa was paralyzed from the neck down, but now she can move freely after her brain was transplanted into the body of another young woman named Sylvia who drowned.

Up until now, Rosa has lived a mostly solitary life with her parents, loving older brother and a few online friends. Before being confined to her wheelchair, she went to school and had friends, but that slowly all went away.

Rosa's mother, a doctor, found hope in a new, radical operation that takes the family from their home in England to Boston. Rosa will be the first person ever to have her brain transplanted. But during her time confined in the hospital, Rosa begins to wonder who Sylvia was. What was she like? Did she have friends? What were her hobbies? Even though both families signed a confidentiality agreement, Rosa must know more about Sylvia.

For the first time in a long time, Rosa is able to move but does not have the freedom to go anywhere outside the hospital. When she secretly takes those steps, she meets someone who might be able to help her discover who Sylvia was.

Rosa's story is not a gruesome tale of horror, but about a girl trying to find her identity. Rosa can't decide if she is still herself or the girl whose body she inhabits. Is she a fraud, a freak? Only she can find the answers in this fascinating story about tragedy and hope (and a bit of romance).

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.