I really enjoyed this book, myself. But I do admit that certain parts were unsettling. I do think that it is appropriate for some 14 year olds, but for others it may be too much due to drugs, sex, and abuse.
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Identical
(2008, Fiction - Contemporary Fiction)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings(Flash is loading. If this text does not disappear you need to install the latest flash version)
Not age appropriate for kids under 17, age appropriate for kids over 99; suggested age 14. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Disturbing themes of incest, drugs, more. Beware.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 14 and Under
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
About Identical
Parents need to know that even though this is a young adult bestseller targeted at 14 year-olds, the very mature subject matter makes it very inappropriate for young teens and older teens reading will still need some guidance. One of the twin sisters in this book is sexually abused by her alcoholic father; the other twin, disturbingly, wishes she were the one being abused. The teens engage in a laundry list of dangerous behaviors, including cutting, trading sex for drugs, binge eating, bulimia, drug use (pot and hashish), and sadomasochistic sex. One twin tries to commit suicide. Parents are physically and emotionally abusive, and deliberately ignore signs of abuse.
Read our full review by Stephanie Dunnewind
Families Can Talk About
- Families can talk about why parents and teens in the novel keep such harmful secrets. Why is it so important for teens to feel safe sharing even difficult topics? The characters deal with their problems in a variety of self-destructive ways -- can teens think of better ways to cope? Ian's love of Kaeleigh is presented almost as a salvation: Do teens believe this could be true?
Our Members Say
See all 6 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Negative role models
A good read for an dult or mature teen, but some teens not so much
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
this is a great book about very real things. i see it a positive message because i think readers wouldn't want there life to be like this.
- I rate this title off for age 17 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Excessive consumerism
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- Negative role models
- My highlights are:
- Educational
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
disturbing. DO NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN READ THIS BOOK. PERIOD.
- I rate this title on for age 15 and give itMy concerns are:
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
mature readers only
yeah i loved this book and i read it and im 11 yet im mature and i read at 10th grade. and i absolutley loved it
- I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it
Ok...
This is foshizz one of the best books I've ever read and I spend probably 6 hours a day reading if that tells you anything. The sexual content is there and somewhat described but not beyong the point that most young teens are aware of. The bad rolemodels are everywhere but not unrelatably. I am a 14-year-old honors student but I know an abundance of people who are like the characters. It is about the maturity and I say again, the book won't kill them. You know your child and their maturity. You could read it first or read it with them, discuss it with them, whatever. Just because the concepts involved sound terrible, it doesn't exactly make the book toxic.
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Ratings at a Glance
| 33% | of parents say it's educational |
| 33% | of parents say it gives kids positive messages |
| 33% | of parents don't feel there are good role models |
| 33% | of parents don't think the messages are positive |
| 33% | of parents say there's too much drinking, drugs, or smoking |
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