Someone I Wanted to Be

When she isn't dreaming about Bruno Mars, overweight 15-year-old Leah Lobermeir longs to be a doctor, despite her alcoholic mother's warnings not to "fly too high." Fielding bullies and name-calling from classmates and her friend Kristy, whose mother is dying of cancer, Leah maintains good grades and a low profile until an encounter with "Mr. Corduroy," an older man who frequents the Hilton, Colo., 7-Eleven. On the phone with Mr. Corduroy, Leah escapes her reality and invisibility by pretending to be Ashley, a version of Kristy. When she makes friends with Anita%E2%80%94an artist who lost her mother in a car accident, just as Leah lost her father%E2%80%94Leah experiences unconditional friendship and support for the first time. With help from Anita and a possible boyfriend, Leah knows she must confront Mr. Corduroy, now stalking Kristy; when she does, it turns ugly, resulting in a situation that changes Leah and those who love her. Debut author Wills empathetically illustrates Leah's predicament, immobilized in poverty and relentlessly bullied. Notwithstanding stirring minor character portrayals, though, Leah's personality and distinct voice never surface completely. Ages 14%E2%80%93up. Agent: Duvall Osteen, Aragi, Inc. (Sept.)