Out of Sight, Out of Mind by Marilyn Kaye

Amanda Beeson isn't an average teenager.  As far as she's concerned, She's WAY better than average.  She's the "it girl" at Meadowbrook Middle School, with the most stylish clothes, parents who bow to her every whim, and a circle of girlfriends that everyone obviously wants to be part of.  And Amanda certainly doesn't jeopardize her popularity status by being nice.  She's "mean girl" extraordinaire, more often than not going out of her way to say something negative about her classmates.  The twist is . . . Amanda is mean as a way to protect herself.  Literally.  Once Amanda starts to feel pity (oh no!) for someone, she momentarily winds up in their body, living their experiences, feeling their emotions.  It's terrifying and it's painful, and Amanda will avoid it at all costs.

When she wakes up one morning as classmate Tracey Devon -- a loser -- she truly discovers that she has no control over her "gift."  She doesn't know how to stop being Tracey.  There's no way uber-cool Amanda can live like this!  What if someone finds out who she really is?!  Amanda's interest is peeked by Tracey's "gifted classes," a small class of students who seemingly have nothing in common.  But the more Amanda learns about them, the more horrified she becomes -- how crazy are these special kids?  How crazy is Tracey?  And -- ohmygoodness -- how crazy is she?!

Recommended for pre-teen and teen girls looking for some drama with their mystery.

Call number: YA KAYE (Series) (Teen Room)

Reviewed by kate the librarian.