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Identical
Identical
Author: Ellen Hopkins
"Perfect on the outside, but behind the Normal Rockwell facades, each holds its secrets. Dark, untellable. Practically unbelievable." -- IDENTICAL Kaeleigh and Raeanne are 16-year-old identical twins, the daughters of a district court judge father and politician mother running for US Congress. Everything on the surface seems fine, but und...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9781416950066
ISBN-10: 1416950060
Publication Date: 12/21/2010
Pages: 592
Reading Level: Young Adult
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 28

4 stars, based on 28 ratings
Publisher: McElderry
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Members Wishing: 4
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

GeniusJen avatar reviewed Identical on + 5322 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

Ellen Hopkins does it again! Another page-turning book by this amazing author!

This is a story filled with drugs, promiscuity, and sexual abuse. Not for those that are easily offended or may have issues with the content. That being said, if you can handle the mature content, the book surely will not disappoint.

Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical twins. But beyond the external comparison, internally Kaeleigh and Raeanne are as different as night and day. One twin is the apple of their father's eye. The other twin wonders why her father doesn't love her the same way.

One twin dares to defy their father's rules. Running around with the wrong crowd. Toking up during school hours. Trading sex for favors.

The other twin is the goody-two-shoes. Gets great grades. Is the lead in the high school musical. Has a great guy that loves her.

How could the two girls be so different? It all stems back to "the accident." No one will talk about what happened the night their father drank too much and caused the fatal accident. But ever since that night, things have been far from perfect.

Their mother has basically abandoned the family with ambitions of running for Congress. But could it be she's running from them? Their father forbids any of them to speak to his parents. A secret from his past never to be revealed, at least by him. And his love for one of the girls. A love that no father should share with his own child.

Keeping everything to themselves, the girls are on a course for self-destruction. Somehow, they must come to terms with everything since the accident, and possibly trust those that want to help them. But the secrets can't be revealed to outsiders, can they?

Ms. Hopkins tells her story beautifully. Weaving between sisters, she uses the same key words to blend the thoughts of the two together. Ms. Hopkins writes in free verse. At first the pages may not look like much, but upon reading the words written in the designs, the story unfolds and the pictures the words create give more meaning behind the thoughts. The story builds to a powerful crescendo and the ending comes as a surprise as the inner workings of the two girls are revealed.

Don't let the length of this book put you off. It's an addicting read that will find you thinking to yourself, "just one more page." Before you know it, the story has drawn you in and you are hooked until the final page. Ms. Hopkins' is a great author for those teens that are hesitant or resistant to reading. The story moves quickly, and the topics are those that most authors would be afraid to broach. She speaks honestly and openly to teens, who may come away that much more aware of the world that surrounds them.
reviewed Identical on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
AMAZING. The ending blew me away.
rxkicker avatar reviewed Identical on + 71 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
The audio version has 11 disks. Halfway through the first disk, I figured what the twist would be. Skipped to the final disk. Glad I didn't bother with the in-between. If you spotted the twist in _Gentlemen and Players_, likely you will intuit this one.
selene avatar reviewed Identical on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I was shocked at the end. I was not expecting that. The book in itself shocking. These things actually do happen. Besides making me sad it made me so mad. I wanted to help these girls even though I know they are not real. You felt their pain, fear, worry, and loneliness. Ms. Hopkins brought that and more with this book. She made the girls real and their pain. Awesome book. I recommend it. Great ending. Great book overall.
JessicaRabbit avatar reviewed Identical on + 110 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I'm hardly ever willing to pick up a Young Adult book, though I am slowly trying to get into this genre. This book sounded so good and the cover is awesome even if it is rather plain. My problem with this book is that it was a book of poetry not an actual story, the "story" was told through the poems. And I wanted to read an actual story not a book of poems. :( It should have said "here's their story through poetry" in the blurb.
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witchcat avatar reviewed Identical on + 12 more book reviews
Such a wonderful book! So raw, so real. She doesn't skip over the important details even if they make you uncomfortable. I am not used to the free verse poetry style that she writes in, but it was alright. The characters are very real, maybe a bit much so. There is a twist but if you think about it, it was a bit predictable, considering other books/movies with the same twist. However, I did like it. The ending! I was so angry at one of the characters but enjoyed it none the less.
This is the first of Hopkins' I've read, I think I'm going to have to read her other works.
VegasJellyFish avatar reviewed Identical on + 5 more book reviews
Wow, wow, wow! This book is an emotional roller coaster. I went from hating it, to loving it, to not liking any of the characters to falling in love with two of them. The ending is just a complete twist and I was not expecting it at all. The two main characters draw you in and really make you feel for them. This is a great book!
alexagpantz avatar reviewed Identical on
This was a great book with a twist!!!!!!!!
ra7 avatar reviewed Identical on + 1026 more book reviews
My own personal goal is to read some "banned" and "challenged" books. This particular one was targeted in Idaho's last legislative session- HB 666 (appropriate, right?!)
Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical twins. On the surface, to outsiders, they are part of the perfect family. Their dad is a judge, their mom a politician. As we all know, things are not as they seem. Told in alternating points of view between Kaeleigh and Raeanne, I got a sense of each one. The writing style is different from what I am used to (story is told in verse).
This was a hard book to read. This is not lighthearted and deals with serious subject matter. The subject matters (drug use, child sexual abuse, mental disorders) are dealt with well. Abuse does happen and it's important for people to realize they are not alone. It is well written and flows well.
I will also say I didn't see that twist coming.
This is an important book and I'm glad it exists.
FIGHT BOOK BANS!
MKSbooklady avatar reviewed Identical on + 989 more book reviews
Did not like this book, read over 100 pages before I had to give up. The style didn't bother me as much as the subject matter.
annerszz101 avatar reviewed Identical on + 31 more book reviews
** spoiler alert ** Honestly, I was a little surprised by this book. I'm used to her books being about drugs or sexual things, but this book was different. At the beginning you're introduced to these two twin sisters, Kaeleigh and Raeanne. You learn that their father sexually abuses Kaeleigh and Raeanne secretly wants it.

Then you LATER learn, Kaeleigh's mother never forgave their father for the car accident he caused in which Raeanna died & the mother was injured. The mother, Kay, then ran for Congress woman and was never home, which made the fater, Ray, in charge of everything. The daughters both had their major problems: drugs, sex, alcohol, etc. and they both had a hard time loving someone else after what their father did to them.

The sad part is, at the end of the book, or near the end of the book I should say, you learn that Raeanna actually died in the car accident caused by Ray and Kaeleigh had multiple identities, living through herself and her twin sister.

It was a really confusing book and makes me wonder where Ellen Hopkins gets her ideas, you know? I was a little disappointed, but it was an okay book, it kept me reading. Ellen could have done a lot better though


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