Identical by Ellen Hopkins

Kaeleigh & Raeanne
Raeanne & Kaeleigh
Identical Twins
Mirror images of each other
Yet underneath it’s
Good girl vs wild child
Both keeping a secret
Holding inside
Ugliness
Self hate
Repressed anger
Does anyone notice?
That appearances
Aren’t everything
District court judge father
Plus
Politician mother
Does not equal
Happy home

Why I picked up this book: I like the author and it was on my to-read pile. Book club members had suggested it.

Why I finished it: I love Hopkins style and the fact that she doesn't shy away from tough & troubling subject matter (drug & alcohol abuse, sexual abuse, cutting, promiscuity, suicide). Even though she writes in verse, it reads like a regular novel. Some pages/poems are in a shape and I liked that the end of one section and the beginning of another were mirror poems. I also had to know what the resolution would be.

I'd give the book to: fans of Hopkins. Readers who aren't afraid to tackle tough subject matter.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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