Book Blog number 1

Title: Mistaken Identity
Author: Don & Susie Van Ryn and Newell, Colleen & Whitney Cerak



Overall, this book is about five lives that were lost in a tragic accident involving a Taylor University van. One woman was rushed rushed to the hospital. Among the students were Laura Van Ryn and Whitney Cerak. Somehow their identities became mixed up and Laura's family believed that their daughter's progression in the I.C.U was getting better. In fact, this was Whitney the whole time. So, they had to notify the parents and from then on they just explain the grief they went through.

I liked that this book started off as if the girls were still alive. I had no idea what was happening until the time came when they were in an accident. I liked the whole story leading up to it and the pictures that were spread out throughout the book. What I didn't like was the excess details that were put in the book. At one time, they totally went off subject and started talking about when the girls were younger. I didn't like that they jumped around a lot. Sometimes, it seemed as if the book had chapters that just dragged on and on and on. It seemed relentless for a couple of chapters, but in the end they always came back to the main focus of the story.

The author presents the information in a very cool way. They start off recording details from the girls' past and make you feel like you are a part of their life. The authors also incorporate pictures that the girls really cherished. It was sort of set up like a journal/scrapbook.

This book increased my interest in the subject matter because it made me wonder how many accidents caused the victims to be labeled with the false identity. It also made me realize the importance of why the doctors use dental records to verify the person's identity. If it wasn't for the dental records, the family would have just simply thought that she was confused and that she didn't know what her name was because she was thrown from the vehicle.