Identical

Hopkins, E. (2008). Identical. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN 1416950052

Plot Summary

                       Kaleigh and Raeanne are identical twins with the appearance of a perfect life – they are beautiful, popular, talented, rich, and their parents are prominent and influential.  But behind this facade is the ugly truth, festering with dark secrets and misery.  A decade earlier, a drunk driving accident caused by their father destroyed the family.  The wounds from the accident have never healed.  Their father drinks and focuses all of his love and unwanted attention on Kaleigh.  Their mother is running for office and has completely disconnected from the family.  Kaleigh and Raeanne deal with their problems in different ways – Kaleigh by being the model obedient daughter no matter what Daddy dishes, and Raeanne by turning to drugs, alcohol, and compulsive sex.  They are two sides of a coin, opposite but forever connected.  In the face of their mother’s election and Kaleigh’s first attempt to find love outside of the family, all of these issues spiral out of control towards a stunning and unforgettable conclusion.     

Critical Analysis

                       This prose form novel is written in such a way that the arrangement of the words on the page tell stories beyond the surface of what is being said.  For example, when the point of view is about to switch from one twin to another, a vertical column of words runs down the inner margin of the page on both pages – the same words, like a mirror reflection, saying what the characters are truly feeling, but when included in the context of the rest of the prose, completely opposite, just like the twins.  These clues hint at the inner desperation of the twins, of which even they are not fully aware.  Using a careful setting aside of certain words, Hopkins is tapping into the subconscious of the characters and revealing a deeper level of pain for the reader.  Her grasp of form, language, and internal monologue is masterful.  This is a massive work encompassing a full menu of psychological problems and she somehow portrays it in a way that is not overbearing.  Scenes between Kayleigh and her father are very uncomfortable and disturbing to read, but not gratuitous.  This book reads, not dirge-like or sensational as though it was written for shock-value alone, but rather like the story of a deeply broken family searching for love in damaging, misguided ways.  Raeanne’s desperation for peace through drugs and sex is tangible to the reader.  Her restlessness strains up off the page.    As for the ending, without spoiling the surprise, suffice to say that there is a twist so sharp the reader will be blindsided.  Furthermore there are clues all throughout the novel that could be interpreted as tiny discordant notes or even mistakes, but once the reader understands everything, these mistakes reveal themselves to be the subtlest of groundwork laid in preparation of a truly shocking ending.

Reader’s Annotation

                              Identical twins Kaleigh and Raeanne look perfect from the outside, but inside they suffer from the irreparable wounds caused by an accident years ago that tore their family apart.  As they struggle separately to survive the hurt in their own dysfunctional ways, they spiral further and further down towards an explosive ending.

About the Author

                            Ellen Hopkins was adopted by older parents who nurtured her love of reading and writing and instilled in her the honesty and work ethic that fuels her career today.  Her birth mother, who she later found, is also a writer.  She grew up with a younger brother, also adopted, in an affluent part of Palm Springs where her neighbors were celebrities such as Kirk Douglas and Elvis Presley.  In college she studied journalism but quit to get married.  With her first husband, she had three children and started her own business.  Her marriage failed and when she remarried, she sold her business and focused full-time on her writing.  Now she and her husband live in Nevada with one adopted son where they participate in outdoor sports and raise German Shepherds.

                         Hopkins has written five novels on controversial topics such as drug addiction, teen pregnancy, sex, and domestic violence.  All of them have been on the New York Times Bestseller list.  She has also written over twenty nonfiction novels for young adults.

Genre

        Alternate format - novel in verse

Challenge Issues

                          Possible challenge issues in this book include underage drinking and drug use, promiscuity, sex, sexual abuse, incest, rape, self-mutilation, eating disorders, profanity, and discussion of child pornography.  In the event of a challenge, I would consult the challenge defense file prepared for this book.  The challenge defense file would include: positive reviews from credible sources for the purpose of proving merit to the challenger; negative reviews in order to inform me on what might be challenged; a written explanation of my own rationale for including the book in the collection as well as a summary of the plot; the American Library Association Bill of Rights; a review of my branch’s selection policy; and, as a last resort, an explanation of the reconsideration policy for my library and an official reconsideration form.

Curriculum Ties

                        English and Writing: form, point of view, and story arc.

Booktalk

            Do you judge people by how they look?  If someone’s life seems easy from the outside, do you assume they have no problems?  This happens to twins Kaleigh and Raeanne all the time, and the truth is that their life is far from perfect.

Reading Level and Interest Age

                                               Grades 10-12.

                                                  

Why I Included This Book

                                       Although I already included another of Ellen Hopkins’ novels in verse, I felt it was important to have this one as well because she addresses so many important and extremely weight issues in this one story – drugs and drinking, eating disorders, self-mutilation, and incest, as well as more universal issues like finding love and acceptance.  So many teenagers would be able to relate to at least one of the issues in this book.  On top of that, the story is very arresting and the ending will stun you.  It’s just a great book, absorbing and quick to read, in addition to having literary and emotional merit. 

References

Hopkins, E. (n.d.). Bio. Retrieved from http://www.ellenhopkins.com/Bio.html