Amy by Any Other Name

As with the best of crossover novels that appeal to early to later teens and adults, "Amy by Any Other Name" has a combination of magic and conventional wisdom tied tightly into a good story. Two Ontario teens have tragic and deadly accidents, which they both miraculously survive but not unscathed body and soul, in fact their souls have been, switched when their paths towards the light takes a U-turn.
Amy, the private school "perfect golden girl" from Toronto now finds herself in Kingston wearing the body of underachieving Krystal, the plump, Portuguese goth waif. What makes the story so intriguing is that even though the situation demands we suspend our disbelief, it is not hard to believe that our lives can. on the twirl of a dime, change so drastically we barely recognize our lives or ourselves.
Amy, who changes her name to Mia (missing in action?), narrates much of the story and
the reader cannot help but admire her feisty determination to not only survive but also thrive in this frightening situation. Her life in Toronto has given her the gifts of discipline and self worth, so very different from what Krystal 's family nurtured within her. Although we do not meet Krystal until the end of the story, you wonder how she manages in rehab, and finding herself in such privileged circumstance.
As much as I enjoyed the well-paced plot and fine character development, the ending intrigued me the most. It is wonderful to read a story by a writer who has the confidence to finish in an unpredictable way.
This would be a great choice for a teen book club even older than the recommended ages of 10 to 12. I could imagine such interesting discussion ensuing from the themes. As an adult, there is nothing more pleasurable then a good read where you care about the characters and have them haunt your thoughts for days after, wondering if you would have the same grace and spunk in a similar situation.