The Copycat

November 15, 2019
How do you navigate middle school when you feel like you can't be yourself? Ali Sloane is starting seventh grade at, once again, a new school. She's sick of constantly moving and starting over, mainly because it's always so much trouble to make new friends. Bolstered by her appreciation for rules and list-making, her strategy is to be agreeable and get in with the popular kids. Ali also has to deal with a complicated family: Her father, Digger, and her great-grandmother Gigi are Copycats, able to change into other people or animals. But not Ali--although some things may be about to change. Ali attempts to connect with her second cousin, also recently moved to town (who may or may not even know about Copycats), and to finally rectify the generation-spanning Sloane Family Feud. The story, much like the ever present New Brunswick fog, meanders and drags through various plot threads. The fantastical elements are few and far between, and the author at times provides unnecessary explanations to them with no follow-through or leaves them unexplained (a book that can only be read by Copycats who've come into their powers?). The content will most likely be a disappointment to readers looking for a substantial fantasy title. Likewise, there is little gravitas accompanying pivotal discoveries. The protagonist and her family are white, but there are some secondary characters of color. A pale imitation of a character-driven fantasy story. (Fantasy. 8-13)

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March 27, 2020

Gr 5-8-Set in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, this lightly fantastical novel explores themes of belonging, self-awareness, and individuality with a unique premise about inherited shapeshifting abilities. The author admirably steers her 12-year-old protagonist, the indecisive but determined Ali, through the fog of coastal Saint John as well as her confusing middle school social life. After Ali's family moves in with her grandmother, she unexpectedly gains the ability to turn into anyone or anything-a skill her father and grandmother possess, but is believed to have passed over Ali. Her newfound power forces her to confront her desire to be accepted by her peers. Add in a longstanding family feud, a secret about her uncle's death, and the terrors of making friends at a new school, and readers are presented with a story brimming with angst, magic, and drama. Though the narrative is slow to start, once Ali embraces her abilities and takes charge, the action comes fast, with MacKnight mining Ali's special skill for comedy and suspense. MacKnight also writes from a deep understanding of the push and pull between wanting to stand out and wanting to fit in. As Ali struggles to figure out the right things to do, readers will grow to admire her, even as they relate to her growing pains. Voracious readers will also appreciate that, in her lonely moments, Ali takes solace in kid-lit mainstays like Stuart Little and The Golden Compass. VERDICT A fun and fast-paced romp with a relatable protagonist and a touch of the supernatural.-Abigail Garnett, Brooklyn Public Library

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