This blog is a collection of book reviews, submitted as a final project for San Jose State University's LIBR 267, taught in Spring 2010 by Professor Joni Bodart.

Michelle M Coleman

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Identical by Ellen Hopkins

Hopkins, Ellen. Identical. New York, NY: Margaret K. McElderry, 2008. ISBN-10: 1416950052

Summary 
Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical twins. Their father is a district court judge and their mother is running for Congress. In their own ways, they are all trying to forget a terrible car accident, caused by the drunk father, although he was officially cleared of blame. The father drinks, the mother is gone most of the time. Kaeleigh chooses to try and please her parents, even though her father sexually abuses her. Raeanne acts out, drinking, smoking and having sex. Each sister is jealous of what the other has and they need each other. Told in free verse, each twin tells her version of events on poems displayed on facing pages.

Critical Evaluation 
As far as teen issues go, this book has them all-- sexual abuse, bulimia, sex, drinking, drugs, absent parents, date rape, self-mutilation and mental illness. In fact, this book goes too far, making a caricature of issue novels. The poems are an interesting format and although the book is long it is a fairly quick read. Of course, the identical twins bring in obvious issues of identity and individuality. Not a terrible book, but not a particularly good one either.

Reader's Annotation 
Even though the girls are identical, their father favors Kaeleigh. And if Raeanne is going to lose, she's going to lose on her own terms.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness 
Understanding the effects of trauma, especially mental illness.

Genre and Subject 
Self-mutilation, incest, rape, bulimia, sex, drugs, alcohol. Family, twins. Mental illness.

Why I read it
The opposing viewpoints, especially as they are presenting on facing pages, makes this book two stories that merge into one at the surprise ending.

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