Cynthia Fishbein is a good person. As a young girl, she watched her mother struggle and eventually win her battle with breast cancer. During that ordeal, she learned how to be good. Never one to complain, Cynthia (who goes by the name Cyn) is still a good girl, now working as a junior copywriter at a London ad agency. She works hard, protects other, and stands up for everyone but herself. Even her therapist tells Cyn to find a mean streak in her. Cyn takes this advice a little too literally when another co-worker, Chelsea, steals her fabulous advertising pitch, putting Cyn’s job in jeopardy. Cyn decides to do something that is usually unthinkable: steal Chelsea’s identity. She pretends to be her co-worker after Chelsea has a yoga accident and is laid up in the hospital, taking over the ad commercial that was originally her idea. At the same time, Cyn is breaking the cardinal rule of her group therapy, dating another member. Joe Dillon seems to be perfect for Cyn, if you can overlook the fact that he is therapy because he has commitment issues due to being abandoned by his parents as a child. And the fact that he is hiding something about his career.
Original Cyn by Sue Margolis has interesting parts, but generally the plot is too slow moving. There is not enough suspense and build-up of the main character stealing another’s identity. I found myself uninterested in turning the pages. The characters are humorous, with a gay best friend and foreign import turned love interest for Cyn’s best friend, but overall, I wasn’t excited about this un-inspiring novel.
