My Invented Life

October 12, 2009
It's bad enough that Roz's older sister, Eva, dumped her as a best friend; on top of that, Roz is in love with Eva's boyfriend, Bryan. But Roz begins to suspect that perfect “Eva the Diva” might be a lesbian, so she pretends she is a lesbian and reports back to Eva about what it's like to come out, hence Roz's “invented” life. (Roz comes out in response to a dare on Eva's part, though her decision never feels entirely believable. Is this an attempt to get back in her sister's good graces? A snap action born out of anger?) However, what begins as a lie soon turns into a genuinely eye-opening experience. Bjorkman sets her debut amid the high school theater crowd, peppering Roz's internal narration with imagined scenarios and Shakespearean humor, evoking all the drama inherent in putting on a play. Roz's voice is witty and genuine as she moves through the ups and downs of coming out (and eventually coming clean). Evocative of Boy Meets Boy
and Dramarama
, this makes for fun, thought-provoking reading. Ages 14–up.

December 1, 2009
Gr 9 Up-Self-proclaimed drama geek Roz Peterson has an active fantasy life, which she often confuses with reality. She thinks that her sister Eva, who is no longer confiding in her, is a lesbian and in love with her friend Carmen. Roz dreams of Eva's boyfriend, Bryan, reciprocating her longtime crush. In an effort to encourage her sister, Roz decides to come out at school and invent a new sexual identity for herself as a lesbian, the only problem being that she is basically heterosexual. The hapless Roz is an exceptionally unreliable narrator who makes clumsy attempts to figure out what is going on with all the other people in her life. All this real-life gender-bending takes place during the drama club's production of "As You Like It". This novel is particularly good at evoking teenage confusion about sexual preference and identity, and Bjorkman's depiction of the drama-club crowd is absolutely spot-on, especially the characters' trading of Shakespearean insults online and the practical jokes they play on one another. Narrator Roz is funny, well intentioned, and likable despite her cluelessness, and she is surrounded by a realistic cast of adult and teen characters representing a wide variety of viewpoints and sexual preferences. This is an enjoyable read that will be especially appealing to theater aficionados."Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2009
Grades 10-1 Roz, a well-meaning, impulsive, and occasionally tactless high-school junior, prefers reveries to reality. She likes to imagine that she and her sister, Eva, are close, and that Evas boyfriend, Bryan, is hers. After she discovers Eva reading a lesbian romance, Roz suspects that Eva is gay, and she wonders if that may be why theyre estranged. Despite Evas denials, Roz is convinced, and then, for complex reasons, pretends to be a lesbian, herselfa decision that brings attention, both positive and negative; romantic opportunities with both sexes; and, eventually, insight and understanding, including the importance of looking beyond stereotypes and appearances. Interspersing Shakespearian references and themes, Rozs narrative is humorous and heartfelt as it intimately explores issues from sibling relationships to sexual identity. While some may find the diverse teen casts many rivalries, romances, reconciliations, and revelations dizzying, this debut is a supportive, enjoyable read. Rozs tongue-in-cheek Lexicon of Shakespearean Insults is appended.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)