The Impostor’s Daughter: A True Memoir by Laurie Sandell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Despite my 3-star review, I really liked The Impostor’s Daughter. It was both entertaining and a quick read. But it didn’t stick with me the way the best books should. Sandell’s story is interesting, but she skimmed over aspects of her life I would have loved to hear more about. Whether she was uncomfortable divulging (which I actually highly doubt given a lot of the content) or limited by the “graphic novel” status, it felt a little incomplete.
Though, as both a character in the book and the author, I liked Laurie Sandell quite a bit. She’s charming, has an interesting story and is completely, and often heartbreakingly, honest. But everyone else in the book? Eh. First of all, she spent a lot of time on the on-again/off-again boyfriend “Ben”. He was boring and offered little to her overall story. Her family annoyed me, and I can’t figure out whether that was her intention or not. Her father is obviously a complete nut job and I had a hard time understanding her fascination with him. Instead of a conman he really is just a crazy person – significantly less interesting if you ask me.
Nevertheless, I do recommend this book based on its ability to suck you in and its entertainment value. Though great literature it is not and the little momentum it’s picked up since publication will most likely fizzle and die sooner rather than later.
