4.5 stars

This was a fun book that kept me turning the pages to figure out what was going on!

I liked the female minister character, as it's not something I see in books very often, especially not children's books. I thought that was a great, low-key way to work in questions about God. The entire plot of the story centers around identity, which was thought-provoking, as well.

Note: God's name was misused a handful of times, and evolutionary theory was stated as fact. ( )

FROM AMAZON: So my only protection is a kindergarten teacher and a ninety-eight-pound female minister....And they don't even believe I'm in danger.

As Bethany approaches her thirteenth birthday, her parents act more oddly than usual. Her mother cries constantly, and her father barely lets Bethany out of his sight. Then one morning he hustles the entire family into the car, drives across several state lines -- and leaves Bethany with an aunt she never knew existed. Bethany has no idea what's going on. She's worried her mom and dad are running from some kind of trouble, but she can't find out because they won't tell her where they are going.

Bethany's only clue is a few words she overheard her father tell her aunt: "She doesn't know anything about Elizabeth." But Aunt Myrlie won't tell Bethany who Elizabeth is, and she won't explain why people in her small town react to Bethany as if they've seen a ghost. The mystery intensifies when Bethany gets a package from her father containing four different birth certificates from four different states, with four different last names -- and thousands of dollars in cash. And when a strange man shows up asking questions, Bethany realizes she's not the only one who's desperate to unravel the secrets of her past. ( )

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I loved Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Shadow Children series, so I was excited to read another book by her. Double Identity did not disappoint! I was drawn to the cover because it looked mysterious and interesting. Not only was there suspense and action, but my heart also went out to Bethany as she tried to figure out who she was and what was going on. I couldn’t help but feel bad for her after she was abandoned by her parents, and she didn’t have anyone she could turn to for help. It would be so lonely without friends and family (or familiar family)! The mystery kept me guessing, and I couldn’t wait to find out why everyone was reacting to Bethany like she was someone else. What a strange feeling that would be! I have had people think I looked like someone else before, but no one acted spooked (thank goodness). I think this book is great for anyone who likes reads that have an edge of danger and lots of suspense. Kids in fourth grade and up will read this one as fast as they can to solve the case! I look forward to reading more books by this fascinating author. ( )

This was an interesting read that raised some complex questions regarding identity, but there were quite a few frustrating aspects to it as well. Things like "we're going to continue keeping secrets even though that is obviously not the best course of action and has led to the majority of the problems we've encountered to this point" and some scientific aspects as well. Specifically, cloning and how it would work. Even identical twins--the closest thing we have to human clones--are not 100% the same as each other, so why should Bethany be so similar to Elizabeth, down to favourite foods and hobbies and physical abilities and all the rest? It just doesn't seem feasible to me, even if we are looking at a science fiction story.

Still, all told it is a fun, fast-paced read, and for the intended audience it should be pretty engaging. ( )