Why Can't I Be You
Melissa Walker
eBook
(HarperCollins, June 19, 2018)
âThis book is for anyone who has ever felt âless thanâ or on the outside. That is to say, this is a book for everyone.â âElana K. Arnold, author of What Girls Are Made Of"With a clear, compelling voice, Walker creates a believable world where socioeconomic tensions challenge, but never defeat, her well-rounded characters."âPublishers Weekly (starred review)Claire Ladd knows that this summer is going to be special. She and her two best friends, Ronan and Brianna, are turning twelve. She is leaving camp behind and gets to do what she wants all day. She feels everything starting to change. But things donât always change for the better.With Briannaâs cousin Eden visiting for the summer, Claire feels like a third wheel. Even though she is only a year older, Eden seems so much more sophisticated and glamorous . . . and when she's around, she takes up everyoneâs attention, including Briannaâs.But that doesnât explain why things have felt awkward with Brianna ever since she moved to a fancy new house, or why Ronan, who lives in the trailer next to Claireâs, has started acting moody anytime anyone mentions his dad.Claire has always been happy with her life just as it is, but as the summer wears on and the issues with her friends start to grow, she canât help but wonder: Would everything be better if she could just be someone else?