Identical

by Ellen Hopkins

Do twins begin in the womb?
Or in a better place?

Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical down to the dimple. As daughters of a district-court judge father and a politician mother, they are an all-American family -- on the surface. Behind the facade each sister has her own dark secret, and that's where their differences begin.

For Kaeleigh, she's the misplaced focus of Daddy's love, intended for a mother whose presence on the campaign trail means absence at home. All that Raeanne sees is Daddy playing a game of favorites -- and she is losing. If she has to lose, she will do it on her own terms, so she chooses drugs, alcohol, and sex.

Secrets like the ones the twins are harboring are not meant to be kept -- from each other or anyone else. Pretty soon it's obvious that neither sister can handle it alone, and one sister must step up to save the other, but the question is -- who?

• ISBN10: 1416950060
• ISBN13: 9781416950066
• Publish Date: 21 December 2010 (first published 26 August 2008)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Margaret K McElderry Books
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 592
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

I was expecting a disturbing, emotionally intense read. I got that and more. What I wasn't expecting, was to have my mind totally blown! Seriously, that ending, holy crap! I did not see that coming! Although after the big reveal, I remembered all these little details that made me pause. At the time they didn't seem too important so I forgot my confusion and moved on, but I was totally on to something without even knowing! Now, I'm not saying to read this one super carefully and dissect every line, that might ruin the ending, but it does go to show that every single word in a verse novel is just as important as every other word.

Obviously this one deals with some heavy, controversial issues. The biggest one being abuse, specifically incest. Kaeleigh's father has a very inappropriate relationship with her, and her identical twin, Raeanne, is jealous. It's a totally unfathomable concept to grasp, but Raeanne genuinely feels like their father doesn't love her as much. It's all very disturbing to read, especially since we get all but one of the abuse scenes from her POV instead of Kaeligh's.

Raeanne deals with her feelings of jealousy and unlovableness by engaging in some very self-destructive behavior. She sleeps around, does various drugs, drinks a lot, and purges. All trying to fill a void where she feels their father should be. As for Kaeleigh, she just tries to be normal, but it's hard. She's nearly the polar opposite to her twin despite having the same DNA. She doesn't have sex (except the unwanted times with their father), she doesn't do drugs or drink (except the occasional glass of wine with her mother), and she binge eats without the purging. It's so sad to watch these girls do such different things in response to the same situation but for very different reasons.

I really don't want to give anything away, but this book was super amazing. As soon as I was about to take a break from it, a (metaphorical) bomb went off and I had to keep reading. This one was intense and every word was loaded with emotion. At some points I literally felt sick, but I couldn't stop reading. I highly recommend this one to readers who enjoy less happy books that are full of intensity and honesty.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.