I'm Not Her

You know you’re a loser when your sister has to force you to attend a party “for your own good,” and the only person who notices you’re alive is Nick, a drunk senior, and only because he almost sits on you on the couch. It’s life as usual for Tess, little sister to perfect with a capital P, Kristina, but little does she know usual is about to vanish forever.

The morning after the party when Kristina is whisked to a doctor, Tess barely pays attention since a lot of time and energy is spent on Kristina’s Volleyball “career” with visits to sports specialists the norm. While she’s gone, Tess finds out about a National Art Contest and is pumped to win it.

When Tess learns about Kristina’s diagnosis, she is crushed but Katrina refuses to go back to school and insists Tess keep her secret. Before long, Kristina’s Volleyball friends are all over Tess, trying to find out why Kristina’s away. Overwhelmed, Tess ditches school and bikes home in tears. She’s almost run over by Nick, the boy from the party. Tess breaks down in front of him and is surprised by how sweet he is when he’s not drunk. He makes her laugh and she suddenly realizes how incredibly cute he is. Crush alert!

I’m Not Her by Janet Gurtler follows Tess’s journey as she deals with her sister’s diagnosis, her friends at school, the changing family dynamic and, of course, her first crush!