Someone I Wanted to Be

When she isn't dreaming about Bruno Mars overweight 15 year old Leah Lobermeir longs to be a doctor despite her alcoholic mother's warnings not to "fly too high." Fielding bullies and name calling from classmates and her friend Kristy whose mother is dying of cancer Leah maintains good grades and a low profile until an encounter with "Mr. Corduroy" an older man who frequents the Hilton Colo. 7 Eleven. On the phone with Mr. Corduroy Leah escapes her reality and invisibility by pretending to be Ashley a version of Kristy. When she makes friends with Anita—an artist who lost her mother in a car accident just as Leah lost her father—Leah experiences unconditional friendship and support for the first time. With help from Anita and a possible boyfriend Leah knows she must confront Mr. Corduroy now stalking Kristy; when she does it turns ugly resulting in a situation that changes Leah and those who love her. Debut author Wills empathetically illustrates Leah's predicament immobilized in poverty and relentlessly bullied. Notwithstanding stirring minor character portrayals though Leah's personality and distinct voice never surface completely. Ages 14–up. Agent: Duvall Osteen Aragi Inc. (Sept.) " Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved."

When an insecure teen starts impersonating someone else, her life spirals dangerously out of control in a realistic, relatable novel about finding yourself--and discovering your true friends.
Leah Lobermier dreams of becoming a doctor, but it's hard to stay focused on getting good grades when boys make oinking sounds at her in school and her mother spends every night on the couch with a bottle of wine. Leah's skinny and popular "friends," Kristy and Corinne, aren't much better and can hardly be counted on for support. When the girls convince a handsome older man to buy them beer, Leah takes his phone number and calls him, pretending to be Kristy--coy and confident--and they develop a relationship, talking and texting day after day. But as the lie she created grows beyond her control, can Leah put a stop to things before she--or Kristy--is seriously hurt?