1. Double Take: A Novel - eBookThis product is an eBook
    Melody Carlson
    Revell / 2011 / ePub
    Our Price$6.89 Retail Price$9.99 Save 31% ($3.10)
    4.2 out of 5 stars for Double Take: A Novel - eBook. View reviews of this product. 20 Reviews
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    Stock No: WW14368EB
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  1. Rachel Ropper
    Scotland, UK
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Not just for teenage girls
    November 7, 2011
    Rachel Ropper
    Scotland, UK
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    This review was written for Double Take.
    GENRE: YOUNG ADULT/AMISH

    PUBLISHER: REVELL

    PUBLICATION DATE: JUNE 1, 2011

    RATING: 8 OUT OF 10

    How could two girls who look so alike be so different? When rich city-girl Madison Van Buren runs into her lookalike at a cafe in an Amish community in Pennsylvania, she begins to wonder how her life would have turned out if she's been born into the slow-paced country life of Anna Fisher. Stressed out by college choices, a possessive boyfriend, a needy best friend and her divorced parents, Madison sees Anna as an escape into a simpler way of life. Anna is tempted by the lure of freedom from responsibilities, and not having to constantly do chores and care for younger relatives. Living in New York would give her the chance to find her old boyfriend, Jacob, who left the Amish several years ago and hasn't been in contact. But switching lives turns out to be a lot more complicated than Madison and Anna imagined, and their plans for a carefree escape from their troubles doesn't work out quite as they expected. Both of them have something to learn about life, relationships and even God.

    Those who read my reviews may have noticed that I'm not particularly interested in YA fiction. But when I saw that Melody Carlson, Queen of Christian Teen Fiction, was jumping on the Amish bandwagon (or buggy, as may be more appropriate) I couldn't help but request a review copy. And despite my doubts about how well Amish fiction would transfer to the YA market - particularly with a cover that's just a tad too cheesy for my liking - this is definitely one that I'd recommend. It took me a few chapters to adapt to Melody's style of writing and fit back into the mindset of a teenage girl, but once I found myself settled in the story, I didn't want to put it down.

    Ignoring the plausibility of two girls looking so alike and just happening to run into each other, I loved the "Parent Trap" style plot of this book. Who hasn't wondered what their life would be like in a different place? As a British teen captivated by American TV shows and books, I used to daydream about attending an American high school like the fictional ones I was so familiar with. Like Anna, I believed my life would be so much more exciting away from home. But Anna soon finds that life in a city is much more overwhelming than she thought, and that it's not going to be easy finding Jacob in a city packed full of people. Plus, Madison's phone is difficult to operate, the TV shows seem mindless and none of Madison's clothes are remotely modest. She also has to deal with Madison's boyfriend, whom she ropes into helping in her search for Jacob, and an old friend of Madison's who immediately figures out that Anna is an imposter.

    Madison, on the other hand, discovers that the "simple life" isn't as relaxing as it sounded. Making up some ridiculous story about how she hit her head on the ice while skating and has forgotten a lot of basic Amish life skills, Madison has to learn how to do basic chores like cooking and washing dishes, as well as looking after half a dozen cousins. Thankfully, Anna's aunt and uncle don't seem to think that there's anything weird about "Anna" and are just thankful for the help while the aunt, Rachel, is nearing the end of her pregnancy. There are some really touching scenes between Madison and Rachel, who isn't popular in her community because she isn't the best homemaker and seems to be slacking in a lot of areas that other Amish women relish in. Madison - who has never had to wash her own dishes before, let alone bake a pie or change a diaper - admires Rachel and helps the other women in the community to appreciate her "aunt" and help her in the departments where she's lacking. There's also a little romance between Madison and a local boy who helps on the farm. It's not entirely necessary to the plot, but shows how teenagers can get carried away by their romantic daydreams.

    I actually ended up preferring Madison's Amish adventures to Anna's search for her old boyfriend, mainly because I felt that Madison had more to learn from her experiences. Anna gets a bit of a shock when she meets Jacob and discovers that he really has become an Englisher, and it shakes her teenage fantasies about her and Jacob ending up together, despite him leaving their community. I'm sure every woman can remember a time when they thought a teenage crush would turn out to be the man of their dreams, so Anna's story is quite easy to relate to, if a little bit anticlimatic. On the other hand, Madison does what many Amish fanatics fantasise about - convert to the calmer way of life. But what is there that's calm about cow stalls, outhouses and home births? Madison experiences a serious culture shock that causes her to rethink her "real" life, and make some changes when she returns to New York. Her experiences with Rachel's family are quite amusing, but I don't know whether I would have reacted any better in her place. While Anna's situation was more relatable, Madison's definitely made for a more entertaining read.

    Despite my usual wariness of YA novels, Melody Carlson may have actually made a convert out of me. This is definitely a book that I'd want my teenage daughter to read, if I had one, and is one to pass on to those younger sisters and daughters who try to sneak a peek at your Beverly Lewis novel. Amusing and very true to life, Double Take is one for both teenage girls and the older Amish fans, particularly those who like to fantasise about living the simpler life.

    Review title provided courtesy of Revell.
  2. Edith Earnest
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    May 30, 2012
    Edith Earnest
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    This review was written for Double Take.
    This is a very well written book. From the first sentence till the last it really holds ones interest. I tried to imagine myself in either of the characters role and tried to think if I would or could have done anything different. It was a fun book. A different way of writing about the Amish.
  3. wallabyjay
    NSW Australia
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    A great story
    January 27, 2012
    wallabyjay
    NSW Australia
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    I really loved this book. It was light and interesting and I couldn't put it down. It showed how we might long for something more but what we have and where God has placed us is worth appreciating. These two girls switch places because they look alike, one an Amish girl and one from the city. They get themselves into some sticky situations, but Maddison realizes what a selfish life she has been living and Anne realizes that she really does like living a simple Amish life. It was a great book and I recommend it to anyone who loves reading.
  4. Nora Finding Hope
    Atlanta
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Trading Places Great Fun!
    June 8, 2011
    Nora Finding Hope
    Atlanta
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    This review was written for Double Take.
    I'm a Melody Carlson fan, so when an opportunity came to receive a review copy of her newest book I jumped at the chance to read it. Double Take reminded me of two movies the first was the cartoon movie the Prince and the Pauper and the second was The Parent Trap. Melody Carlson blends these two premises in this novel. A spoiled rich girl is feeling overwhelmed by the choices she has to make with her life. Her father wants her in Harvard, her mother is pushing Yale, her boyfriend pressures to do things she doesn't want to do and her best friend demands she attend social events she's rather not attend. Madison just wants to get away from her life in the Penthouse suite. She drives off in her fancy car to the country. She meets Anna, an Amish girl who is in a coffee shop looking glum and so much like Madison she can't help but stare. Anna isn't looking forward to spending time with her Aunt Rachel and Uncle Daniel who are expecting a baby any minute, and needed help to care for the rest of the little ones in the house. Not Anna's idea of fun.

    Anna is waiting for her Uncle to pick her up. Madison is just taking in the view and talking to Anna when she comes up with a plan to switch places and help them both out. It's a spur of the moment plan they both agree to on the spot Madison's parents are out of town for the week. Anna is staying with her Aunt and Uncle (whom she doesn't see often or know well). It's the perfect set up! They'd be staying with people who don't know them intimately so they might pull this off.

    Now do I think this could ever happen in real life? No, but just like in the movie The Prince and the Pauper and The Parent Trap you just go with it! Its fun to think about what would happen if this ever could take place - a switch between an Amish girl and an Englisher . Fun, Fun, Fun! Parts were hysterical! I enjoyed every second.

    I liked Melody's attention to detail and the way these girls experienced the others life. It was fascinating. Anna says this to Madison, "I don't understand why English have so much comfortable things-beds, chairs, pillows, blankets, rugs....so luxurious-and then wear uncomfortable shoes and clothes?"

    Madison laughed. "I don't know. That's a good question....I thought about the opposite question, why do the Amish dress comfortably, but all their beds and furnishings are uncomfortable?"

    They have this conversation about different things they were experiencing in each others lives. Madison lives in a Penthouse suite and Anna takes her first elevator ride. Ohmygosh! What a riot! Anna doesn't have indoor plumbing and Madison uses an outhouse for the first time. Hysterical! It's all the little things about this story that I found humorous and eye opening as I hadn't really thought about what the other would experience as they tried to life in a different world.

    There's a sensitive spiritual thread that was uniquely woven throughout this story, which was very believable. I really liked how both of these girls searched the depths of their souls to discover what was real for them. Madison learns to slow down, stop and smell the flowers and realizes what she's been missing. Anna wondered if she would throw the Amish life style away just to be with Jacob a boy she loved! Was her love for this boy greater than her love for God? Melody's stories are fun; I care about and enjoy her characters that catch me by surprise as I feel a twinge in my heart about an event in the book. It's the simple truths that touched me. This is not like any Amish story you've read so far. It's a delightful; humorous novel that is respectful to both the Amish and the Englisher life styles. It's a great read for the summer. I highly recommend it!

    Nora St.Laurent

    The Book Club Network www.bookfun.org

    Finding hope Through Fiction www.psalm516.blogspot.com
  5. Lala
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    A great read!
    July 14, 2011
    Lala
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: female
    Quality: 4
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 4
    This review was written for Double Take.
    The beginning was very slow for me at first and it took me a while to get into it, but once getting near the middle and the end it was great! Really eye-opening in how I need to live a more simpler life! A really fun read! :)
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