Not Myself Today

This was an interesting twist on the body swapping theme, with the main character waking up in the body of a sex trafficking victim. That definitely took the concept in a dark direction. This book is not a lighthearted tale of mixed up identities, but rather a suspenseful tale that deals with drug dealers and prostitution. That's not to say there weren't some less-serious moments, but overall this is a pretty dark book. I do have a couple of criticisms/comments. First, the dialogue seemed a bit awkward between Neely and Annabeth/Lindsay, particularly in the beginning. I understand that Neeley was a necessary plot tool to explain Annabeth's history, but it came across a bit off to me. I also wish that there had been a little more explanation to how the body swapping occurred. I'm guessing (hoping) that there is going to be a sequel. Overall, I thought this was a good book, and one that I'd consider ordering for my HS library.

Not Myself Today is a book that should be in every high school library. Despite the supernatural elements it touches on and covers subjects that are very relevant to society today.

Not Myself Today is a unique and interesting story that discusses sex trafficking. Not Myself Today is emotional and thrilling with a lot of action. Not Myself Today is like a mix of a thriller and Freaky Friday.

Lindsey Anderson dies on the soccer field shortly before graduating from high school. Lindsey then wakes up in the body of Annabeth Shepard, a fourteen year old sex trafficking victim. Lindsey is dealing with the withdrawal of Annabeth’s body while trying to convince someone that she is actually Lindsey. Will anyone believe Lindsey? Annabeth was in the hospital because her pimp beat her up and is still going after her. Lindsey has to try to figure out what Annabeth’s pimp is looking for and figure out what to do with her life in her new body.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Not Myself Today. I was pulled in from the beginning. The book discusses an important issue, sex trafficking. Sex trafficking is not the main plot of the story, so it is brought up in a way that is not overwhelming but enough to get the point across how serious of an issue it is in the United States.

Not Myself Today has character building with Lindsey’s family and friends and the people in Annabeth’s life. It also has a lot of action trying to get away from Annabeth’s pimp. There is a thriller aspect of trying to find out what Annabeth took from her pimp and where it is.

Thank you NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn in by the cover because this is obviously a person with some angst going on in her life. But when I read the synopsis I knew I had to give it a shot. I love the premise behind the story and you never know, right? Lindsey Anderson dies on the soccer field shortly after making the winning goal. But then something happens and she blacks out...or she thinks she did anyway. But when she wakes up in the hospital, her hands and her face do not belong to her...people keep calling her Annabeth and this crazy girl keeps coming in and saying they are best friends. Lindsey herself was a very popular girl but the body she wakes up in belongs to a 14 year old drug addict who also happens to be a victim of sex trafficking. Turns out she tried to steal from her pimp and he ended up beating her so bad she briefly died in the hospital...and during that time, Lindsey somehow moved into another body...weird, I know, but it was a fast paced and easy to read page turner... All I can say is that I enjoyed it and if anyone ever comes up to me and says they are someone I used to know in another body but can back it up, I am totally going to believe them. :)

I couldn’t stop reading this and finished it in one day! The story was very captivating and I loved it. I liked how it dealt with issues like sex trafficking and grief. I would definitely recommend reading this book. 4 out of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book.
I stayed up late to read it until it was finished.
I really loved the characters and found my heart bleeding throughout the story.
I was very invested in the journey of the characters and found it very informative and touched on some very risky topics.
A lovely read.

This is a quirky YA novel about an 18-year old soccer star who dies after scoring the winning goal in the state championship game and dies. There is a great deal of heart and humor in this novel that deals with drug addiction and the sex trafficking trade. It is definitely worth reading. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader.

Not Myself Today

Not Myself Today by Muriel Ellis Pritchett

Wow this book was so captivating! I couldn’t hardly put it down!!! I can’t wait for book two!!! This author did so fantastic writing a book for such younger audience!!

5 stars!!!

I enjoy body swapping movies and books. I was drawn to this one because it added the element of a well-to-do 18-year old star athlete who's life is about to begin with a 14-year old sex trafficking victim. I have read other books about victims, and what can happen to them when they are rescued. I wanted to see how this one turned out.

From the start, we meet Lindsey Anderson - soccer star! She's playing the biggest game of her high school career, and is heading off to college on scholarship. During the game, she kicks the game winning goal! And then she drops dead and wakes up in the body of Annabeth Shepard, a 14-year old sex trafficking victim. Annabeth was trying to escape with her friend when she was caught by her pimp.

Lindsey cannot accept this new body she was given. She tries to convince everyone she sees who she really is, while trying to stay safe from a murderous pimp chasing her. I couldn't stop turning the pages to see what happened next - would anyone believe her? Would she be stuck in Annabeth's body forever? Would she survive the night?

I did enjoy this story and could not put it down once I got to the end. I had to see how everything would turn out. The book was left a little open, possibly for a sequel? I would be curious to see what happens next!

Mom review: I really enjoyed this book and at times couldn’t put it down. Lindsay’s and Annabeth’s worlds are starkly different. Most of Annabeth’s world is scary and brutal. Her story is truly sad. The book describes the abuses Annabeth suffers carefully-not in too much detail but enough to understand what’s happening. Some of these topics and intense and may be too much for a younger teen or sensitive person. I enjoyed reading how Lindsay’s character and strength grow as she looks past stereotypes and sees goodness.

Imagine waking up in a hospital, bruised and beaten, with no memories, and in a body that’s not your own. That’s what happened to our protagonist in this story, which was like mash up of Freaky Friday, with a coming of age story and walking a mile in someone else’s shoes. Literally.

When I came across Not Myself Today, my first thought was ‘what an interesting concept!’ And that continued throughout my reading of this book.

It takes a little suspending of belief, but once I set that aside I found the story to be a quick, fun read and a great way to spend a sunny afternoon just chilling in my hammock.

I especially enjoyed how the author was able to weave together the sci-fi and action/adventure while also highlighting the differences between privileged and disadvantaged teens in a relatable way, and how our preconceived notions of those who are different are almost always wrong.

Thank you to Muriel Ellis Pritchett, Black Rose Writing and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Not Myself Today" is a paranormal thriller, sex trafficking, death, and young teenage drama. Muriel Ellis Pritchett's writing style is geared towards the YA audience and offered multiple difficult conversation topics that are relevant today.
The story involves Lindsay Anderson, an 18-year old senior all-star soccer athlete that lives with her widowed physician father. Annabeth Shepard is a 14-year-old runaway and sex trafficking victim that somehow dies on the same night, but only one is brought back to life in the other girl's body.
Lindsey is playing in the high school state championship game and is heading off to Standford on a soccer scholarship. During a climactic point in the game, Lindsay kicks the game-winning goal. The only thing she remembers is kicking the goal and being raised onto her teammates' shoulders in celebration and blacks out. She wakes up in a hospital bed with the body of Annabeth Shepard, a 14-year old sex trafficking victim.
Little does she know that Annabeth ran away from her pimp and was beaten and ended up in the same ER as Lindsay.
The author does not give details of how Lindsay and Annabeth switched bodies. Only the facts of Annabeth's back story are given from the findings that Lindsey stumbles upon. Lindsay tries to convince her father, the multiple physicians in the hospital of who she really is while trying to remain out of danger. Annabeth's pimp and his muscle men are searching for Annabeth to finish the job they started - killing her. Throughout the exciting events that occur do you learn a little more about Annabeth's sad story. The forced drug use, physical abuse she endured surviving the lonely streets of Atlanta.
This was the first book I've read by Pritchett and normally I would not seek paranormal thriller genres. The characters were intriguing and I wish there were a little more details on the events that lead up to Lindsay & Annabeth's body swap. Since it isn't a normal occurrence that two individuals would swap bodies and have one victim survive...or did they both survive? The ending did offer the opportunity for a sequel which I will be interested in reading to merge the two stories together.

I received an advanced e-copy of this book from the publisher, Black Rose Writing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A YA body swapping story with a chase from drugs, pimps and parapsychologists? Sign me up! I wasn’t sure what to expect at first but I really enjoyed this is fun rollicking romp of a story.

Lindsey is the all star athlete from a good home, with great friends, about to graduate with a full ride to Stanford, when she drops dead after winning a football match. Only she’s not dead dead as she wakes up in a strange, unrecognisable body. Can she convince everyone she’s really Lindsey instead of the drug addicted Annabeth that stole money from the pimp that was trafficking her?

The book is very easy to read. Lindsey is super cool, strong and brave. Even though she is constantly being chased and shot at by the bad guys, she takes it all in her stride and tries to make sense of her new life. The scenes with her dad are very sad and touching, I love her friends Rachel and Justin and how they come to her aid. The author also does a good job of highlighting the very sensitive and horrible issue of child sex trafficking and the many guises it can take. I don’t know if this is going to be a series but I would love to read more. It is definitely YA but in a great way - even though it touches on some heavy issues, it is still a light fun read. The paranormal element is a very minor part for those that might be a bit dubious about that genre. Easy 4 stars for me and highly recommended.

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟.5
Content Rating: 16+
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Thriller
Published: September 24, 2020, by Black Rose Writing


One-minute high school senior Lindsey Anderson was running down the soccer field, scoring the winning goal and celebrating with her teammates, and then nothing.

"As my eyes slowly focused, I flinched at the sight of my trembling hand and gulped. This hand wasn't mine."

Not Myself Today is a young adult book with a paranormal twist, written by Muriel Ellis Pritchett. It is a fast-pasted book that grabbed me from the beginning, however, for me, the writing was a bit off, and the dialogue felt forced. The concept of body-swapping in this book is an intriguing one. Not Myself Today highlights the differences between advantaged and disadvantaged teens. However, the sobering subject of sex trafficking, for me, was an even more important message.

Lindsey Anderson is leading the perfect life. She is a Senior Female Athlete of the Year and has a full-ride soccer scholarship to her dream college. After scoring the winning goal in the state soccer championship, she collapses and wakes up in the body of a 14-year-old sex-trafficking victim.

"That hideous, gray-faced girl in the mirror looked half-dead. Had she been in an accident? Had someone beat her up? She was NOT me."

Lindsey spends most of the book trying to convince her dad, her best friend Rachel, and Justin, a 15-year-old child genius who claims Lindsey is the love of his life, that she is not Annabeth Shepard, a 14-year-old prostitute. She spends the other half running from her drug-dealing pimp, who is trying to kill her.

I thought the story was well developed, and the pacing was good. When examining the parts of the book, there is a lot to like, and I felt that each element approached was well put, but when added together, sadly, the sum of the parts was lesser than their individual elements. I was also confused by the need to put a romantic aspect into this book and felt it just didn't fit. The ending fell a bit short for me; it ended a bit too cleanly but, at the same time, leaving an opening for a possible sequel.

The characters, for the most part, are well developed. Ms. Pritchett gives the reader small glimpses into Annabeth Shepard and her best friend Neeley's dismal lives, but I would have liked to get to know them better. Now onto the character of Lindsey, who, through most of this book, I disliked. She was shallow, unempathetic, and very judgmental toward Annabeth and downright ugly toward Neeley.

I did like the idea of this story, a young adult book interwoven with paranormal and thriller aspects. Be prepared to suspend belief, and you will enjoy Not Myself Today. I respected how the book talked candidly about sex trafficking and how important it is for our society to recognize this growing worldwide problem. I also must warn the reader that this book contains forced drug use, drug use, violence toward women, prostitution, and underage sex.

* Please note the quotes in my review are subject to change once the book is published. *


** I kindly received this galley by way of NetGalley, Black Rose Writing, and Muriel Ellis Pritchett. I was not contacted, asked, or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion. **

Lindsey, a senior in high school, doesn't realize when she wakes up in a hospital that her spirit has entered the body of a 14-year-old who died in the ER at the same time as she did. Her body could not be resuscitated, but the body of Annabeth's was resuscitated with her in it. Annabeth is a prostitute and drug abuser who is running away from Tony, the man who prostituted her. Lindsey cannot convince anyone of who she really is and has to run from Tony before he kills her for good.

I think teens will enjoy this Young Adult book. There is a lot of action with humor thrown in. I can see it becoming a movie in the future.

I thought that this was a very compelling read. This book was really quite unique and I felt that it had an interesting AND important story to tell. That being said, this is not a book that will be easy read for everyone. At times I almost felt that the story was fighting with itself over what it truly wanted to be. That, paired with with what I thought was a lack of depth made this a good read but not a great one. I truly think a lot of potential was just never tapped into.

This book kept my interest and I enjoyed the tension and suspense. Very emotionally pulling book. Couldn't help but feel for the main character.

Senior high school student Lindsey Anderson wakes up in the hospital. The last thing she remembers is making the winning goal of the soccer game. She then realizes her hand doesn’t look like her hand. Why? Annabeth Shepherd is in the hospital. She was rescued from a severe beating by her pimp Toni. She and Lindsey both died. When the doctors brought Annabeth back to life, Lindsey finds hat she — her consciousness is in Annabeth’s body. Lindsey tries to convince the doctors that she is Lindsey not Annabeth. The doctors tell her that she is just confused. When a friend of Annabeth comes to see her, Lindsey is rude to her. She doesn’t understand who Annabeth was but will. Who tells her? Lindsey must discover what she did with her pimp’s money. She also must try to convince her dad and best friend who she really is. Will she be able to do that?

The novel is action-packed with twists and turns that aren’t expected. The author has written a story about sex trafficking and drug addiction. I liked the approach that the author took in her writing. It’s a serious subject that doesn’t get much written about in this type of fiction. It’s serious but not heavy in the treatment of the subject. It’s a book that should be read and discussed.

I enjoyed the concept behind the book. Learning about the two characters and the switching of bodies. I have never read a book like this and feel this would be a good book for young adults to enjoy.

Wow! Stop what you are doing and go get this book! Right now! It is that good. I don’t summarize books - there are people who do that for a living. But I will tell you this. I wasn’t sure I would like this book when I first started reading it. Body trading. Drug Lords. Sex slaves?! Before the end of the first few chapters, I was hooked. It’s not at all what I expected. I was so hooked on this book, I couldn’t put it down. It was a perfect COVID distractor. Fascinating. Don’t miss it.

I was given an electronic version of this book by the publisher, but the opinions are my own.

I picked up this book, knowing little more about it than it partakes of the character-wakes-up-in-the-body-of-a-stranger-who-died-at-the-same-time story trope. Fine, I thought. I’m a fan of Drop Dead Diva. I’m game.

Our viewpoint character is Lindsey, college-bound high school soccer star, articulate, self-confident, with an awesome father and super best friend. In other words, a golden girl with a golden future. After collapsing at the end of a crucial soccer game, she wakes up in the hospital in a much younger body, beaten to a pulp. As the story unfolds, Lindsey goes through the expected motions of trying to convince her father that this bruised, unwanted fourteen year old is really her, while fending off a smelly, repulsively dependent girl who claims to be her roommate.

The story flows seamlessly from “Freaky Friday” to darker themes. It doesn’t take long for Lindsey to realize that her new body is that of a teenage runaway sex worker and the man who assaulted her was the pimp she’d been desperate to get away from. As Lindsey comes to understand the realities of her new identity, she also finds the courage to speak up for exploited girls like her. What begins as a light-hearted identity-swap story grows, as its narrator grows, into a mature, challenging, and transformative novel. One of the things I liked most about Lindsey’s growth was her acceptance that her new life will be different: she’ll have to repeat high school, albeit from a more mature perspective; soccer will be out of the physical capabilities of her new body, but not track and field or perhaps something else. And the geeky younger boy who idolized her infuriatingly might just turn out to be her new romance.

Although the body-swapping is technically a fantasy element, the story itself has a mainstream sensibility; nevertheless, fans of Young Adult fantasy will find the character development and meaty topics rewarding. Highly recommended.

This was an emotional read. It kept my interest the entire read. It’s a unique story with an interesting premise.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced e-reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.