The Girl She Used to Be - David Cristofano

Title: The Girl She Used to Be
Author: David Cristofano
Genre: Suspense
Rating: 7/10
# pages: 284
Date read: March, 2009

Review: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

Melody knows exactly what's in a name - an identity. The problem is that her name has been taken from her. Since the age of six she's been a Sandra, a May, a Karen, an Anne, a Michelle and countless others. She's frustrated and tired and just wants her identity back! Melody has been in the Witness Protection Program (WITSEC) practically her entire life, but as even that didn't save the lives of her parents, she doesn't even feel particularly safe, and it therefore seems like such a waste.

So it comes almost as a relief to her when one day the Bovaro family finds her. Taken from right underneath the nose of the marshal who was supposed to protect her, she is kidnapped by the son of the man her parents testified against. She knows very well that her life is now in the hands of the enemy, and that she may die whenever he chooses... but at least she's no longer running. At least she can now be Melody again.

But Jonathan Bovaro is nothing like she'd expected him to be and her future may still turn out to be very different than anybody would have guessed.

While a good plot and an interesting story, I felt The Girl I Used to Be would have benefitted from a more thorough editing. It seemed rushed in some places and inconsistent in others. It wasn't enough to ruin the book, but it did prevent it from rating as high in my opinion as it otherwise would have.

What really fascinated me was reading the thoughts Melody had about her life as a "non-entity". Not only did she have to get used to a new identity, but she could never make anything of her life, as she couldn't run the risk of becoming famous and thus easy to find. I'd never stopped to think that a person in the WITSEC may be there for life, and that it affects all parts of that person's life.

Really makes me value my own life, and my own opportunities.

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