The Identicals: The perfect beach read from the 'Queen of the Summer Novel' (People)

by Elin Hilderbrand

'The Queen of the Summer Novel' (People) The ultimate summertime reading for fans of Jane Green and Roisin Meaney.

Nantucket is only two and a half hours away from Martha's Vineyard by ferry. But the two islands might as well be worlds apart for a set of identical twin sisters who have been at odds for years.

Just because twins look exactly the same doesn't mean they're anything alike - and Tabitha and Harper Frost have spent their whole lives trying to prove this point. When a family crisis forces them to band together - or at least appear to - the twins come to realise that the special bond that they share is more important than the resentments that have driven them apart.

A story of new loves, old battles, and a threat that gives a whole new meaning to the term sibling rivalry, The Identicals is Elin Hilderbrand at her page-turning best.

• ISBN10: 1473611237
• ISBN13: 9781473611238
• Publish Date: 15 June 2017 (first published 13 June 2017)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
• Imprint: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
• Format: Paperback (UK Trade)
• Pages: 432
• Language: English

Reviews

[Ace]

Originally posted at: https://alexandramtaylor.com/book-review-the-identicals-by-elin-hilderbrand/

This was chosen as the first book club book of the year for one of the book clubs that I’m in. While it sounded somewhat interesting I was somewhat hesitant about it. Growing up I never really liked what would be classified as ‘chick lit’ and this is certainly it. I was therefore surprised by how much I liked it. Was it a great book? No but it wasn’t written to be one.

Hilderbrand, takes us into the lives of the twin sisters, both living their own lives separately from each other until events force them back together. Tabitha has lead a life of high expectations as dictated by their mother while Harper was living a life where she could do what she wanted to – plagued by a run of bad decisions – with their father Billy.

Despite being twins, the two of them are both completely different characters but as the book progresses you see the similarities as well. What drove the two sisters a part? Hilderbrand does a great job at drawing it in and while I figured out some of the aspects of that final mystery, it wasn’t something I fully figured out until the big reveal at the end of the novel. Not to say it was a good reason, in fact it was a fairly stupid one but emotions and grief do strange things to people.

Plagued with drama from the fall out of their relationship and being forced back together after so many years as well as Ainsley, Tabitha’s sixteen year old daughter, its a rough few weeks for the sisters. It took the drama to the extreme at times but it is to be expected given the type of novel that it is.

Overall, it was an interesting book that I enjoyed more than I expected. It’s light and easy to read and if you are after something like that I do recommend it. Just don’t expect a great work of literary fiction.

[clementine]

This is a standard, fluffy beach read with a wholly predictable ending. I preferred Hilderbrand's summer 2016 offering, Here's To Us - the characters are more richly-drawn, the plot more interesting, and the writing more heartfelt. If The Identicals had been my first foray into Hilderbrand's Nantucket I probably wouldn't pick up another one of her books. Clearly, she's not technically an amazing writer, but there was something in Here's To Us that made it a bit more special than your average summer fare. The Identicals didn't depart from the mold at all. It was an easy, quick read, and it made a Megabus ride far less painless, but it's nothing special.