Who I’m Not

Loosely based on a true story, Staunton’s novel follows a nameless teenager whose tumultuous life has left him with no concept of his own identity. After the petty criminal he’s been running with is killed, the boy tries to avoid being thrown back into the foster care system by scanning a list of missing teenage boys and claiming to be one of them, Danny Dellomondo. Danny’s family is so overjoyed to learn that he is alive that they overlook certain inconsistencies—Danny’s eye color has changed, for example (he claims that when he was kidnapped, his captors “injected my eyes with something”). Staunton (Jump Cut) manages a potentially farfetched premise with authority and persuasive detail: the fake Danny easily assumes the role of the missing teen by looking at family photos, relying on his skills of manipulation, and drawing from actual past trauma to deflect uncomfortable questions. While the ending is dramatic, the psychological tension at the root of “Danny’s” masquerade and the relationships he forms with those who are so willingly deceived are gripping throughout. Ages 12–up. (Oct.)