Bookflap:When Melody Grace McCartney was six years old, she and her parents witnessed an act of violence so brutal that it changed their lives forever. The federal government lured them into the Witness Protection Program with the promise of safety, but the program took Melody’s name, her home, her family, and ultimately her innocence. Now, twenty years later and still on the run, she’s been May Adams, Karen Smith, Anne Johnson, and countless others. But the one person she longs to be is Melody Grace McCartney.
So when the feds spirit her off to begin yet another new life in yet another new town, she’s stunned by a man who accosts her and calls her by her real name. Jonathan Bovaro, the mafioso sent to find her, knows her, the real her, and it’s a thrill Melody can’t resist. Defying the feds, she goes willingly with him. To the Justice Department, she’s nothing more than a pawn in the government’s war against the Bovaro family. But, as dangerous as Jonathan is, he presents her with the chance of a lifetime – the chance to embrace her past and present, and choose a future all her own.
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David Cristofano’s debut novel is paced perfectly. So perfectly that I didn’t want to put the book down for more than a few minutes. I read it yesterday and recommend it to anyone looking for a good story. For the most part I feel the author avoided glaring stereotypes – which could have happened since the mafia and the government figure prominently. The story is told in Melody’s voice and I think Cristofano did a fine job. It never seemed like a guy trying to write what a woman would say or do. It was very believable. You can read his article about writing from a female point of view here. I’ll be keeping The Girl She Used to Be to read again. Wish there was a sequel!
The book will be released on March 19, 2009 (according to BN.com).
I want to thank Miriam Parker, Hachette Book Group USA, for sending the book.
Bookfan 