Identical

Have you ever wished you were a twin? Double the clothes, switching places, and a permanent best friend? But sometimes being a twin isn’t so great. Just ask Raeanne and Kaleigh.

Raeanne and Kaleigh are identical twins on the outside, but very different on the inside. Raeanne is a rebel, while Kaleigh is the ‘good’ one. When they were young, they both experienced a tragic car accident that tore their family apart. After the accident, their father became an alcoholic and addicted to pain killers and their mother decided to run for office in order to be out of the house as much as possible. As the story continues, Raeanne and Kaleigh begin to divulge their secrets. Kaleigh is sexually abused by her father on a regular basis and Raeanne is often a silent witness. Raeanne also experiences jealousy because she doesn’t understand why her Daddy loves Kaleigh more than her, which is why she turns to a multitude of men attempting to satisfy that need. Kaleigh tried to tell once, but her mother didn’t believe her so now she keeps her mouth shut. Both of the girls have developed eating disorders and Kaleigh uses cutting to cope with the pain, guilt, and shame she feels.

Near the end of the book, the reader learns what really happened during the tragic car accident. Read Identical to find out what happened and why the twins are the way they are.

Identical deals with three very serious issues: sexual abuse, eating disorders, and cutting. Hopkins does not hold back details in her writing. The reader gets a very clear picture of exactly what is happening. I would recommend this book for high school readers. The seriousness of the issues and scene descriptions would make it a controversial book for middle school students. I have read other books by Hopkins and this is by far the most graphic and dark one I have read. There were times that I felt sick to my stomach, but I could not put the book down. I would not recommend using Identical as part of a reading curriculum. There will be students who cannot handle the issues that are addressed and they may feel uncomfortable. However, a high school health teacher could offer Identical as a literacy component of the class. The health issues that Raeanne and Kaleigh experience are addressed in health curriculums. In addition to being uncomfortable with the issues, students may have other reasons for not choosing Identical or disliking it. Identical is over 500 pages long, which may seem like too large of a task for some students. Others may not like Hopkins’ style. Identical, along with her other books, is written in narrative prose. If students are able to get past the pages looking like poetry and simply read the story, it becomes a fairly quick read. I personally really like the style and find myself not being able to put any of her books down!

This video is about a remarkable set of conjoined twins, Abby and Brittany. They have two spines, hearts and stomachs, three kidneys, two gall bladders, four lungs, and one liver. In addition, they share the large and small intestine, as well as their bladder and reproductive organs. Despite the obstacles they face, Abby and Brittany are positive and determined.