 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Identical
- By Ellen Hopkins
- Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Common Sense Media says
Thick free-verse bestseller takes graphic look at incest.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this young adult bestseller deals with mature subjects, including incest. Like Hopkins' other books, there is a lot of gritty material: One twin sister is sexually abused by her alcoholic father, while the other twin wishes she were the one he abused. To cope, the teens engage in 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. While this book can open up discussions about plenty of topics, including cutting, eating disorders, secret keeping -- and even book censorship, parents may find it useful to read the book along with their teens so they can help them through the difficult material.
What's the story?
Identical twins Kaeleigh and Raeanne wear designer clothes and live in a nice house with their politician mother and district-court judge father. Despite the cheerful appearances for press conferences, though, the family is imploding under the strain of years-old lies. A car accident caused a rift between their parents. Now their mother is always gone and their father turns his drunken attentions to Kaeleigh. Raeanne, bereft of both her parents, keeps pushing the edge, whether it's sex, drugs, or alcohol. How far will both twins go to escape their dark secrets?
Is it any good?
With IDENTICAL, Hopkins sticks with her successful formula, writing a thick book of free verse poetry about abused, self-destructive teens. As readers tick off behaviors (bulimia --check, cutting -- check), more cynical readers might wonder why she didn't make the girls triplets so she could toss in a few more. The biggest complaint is the lack of editing -- there's simply no reason this needs to be 565 pages long. Even easy-to-read poems can't make up for redundant lessons and tedious action.
Both parents are caricatures, and the twins are preternaturally self-aware as they engage in overblown prose like "Why can't he and I find/a way to accept each other, lose ourselves in all-/encompassing love, the kind that can save you?/ The kind that can glue/ all the fragments of two/ broken hearts together." The novel's twist, while shocking, veers into soap opera territory.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about books that feature tough topics, such as suicide, drug addiction, and abuse. Are there any topics that are inappropriate for teen readers? If so, who should decide what they are?
How would this story have been different if it had been written as a straight-forward narrative rather than as a free verse novel? Does the poetry add power?
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- Teens & kids
AGE
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
disturbing. DO NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN READ THIS BOOK. PERIOD.
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AGE
One of my favorite books..
Ellen Hopkins is one of my favorite authors. She deals with real issues, even if they aren't warm and fuzzy. Her books are realistic and informative for teens. Parents, if you're worried about your child reading this book, don't be. I recommend you read it first and then discuss it with your child along the way. It's a great way to open up a discourse with your child about difficult topics. Sheltering your child is never healthy, and whether you realize it or not, your child already knows more than you think about these issues. Afterall, just because your child reads about the inappropriate things that take place in this book, doesn't mean that they are going to go out and immitate them.
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AGE
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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AGE
ADORE IT.
This book was beyond hard to read discutsting, disturbed and almost regretful. But it was so discriptive in a beautfiul way. You must aknowlage the amazing story line and ingenious ending as well as Ellen Hopkins enticing dialouge. I'm 15 and I have read most of Ellen Hopkins' books. (Crank, Glass, Burned, Impulse.) And this is very heart wrenching if you are a sensitive reader. I'd advise you read the other books if so.^^(Ones listed.) This was one of the best books I have read in a while. Not only is this book well written, it teaches lessons. I have learned so many lessons just from reading about them, as if I had experienced them my self.
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AGE
Very good, but you must be mature
It's a really good book, but you have to be mature to appreciate it, and realize that stuff like this can happen, I would say you shouldn't be any younger that 14 just because it is a very mature book. It's written in free-verse and the book shows things people will do for drugs sex and money.
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AGE
LOVE IT
This is the best book I have ever read, I loved it so much I'm going to read the rest of her books. Yes, it was a little inappropriate at times but it only got me thinking how much disgusting it was, especially the cutting and throwing up parts, and made me not want to even think about doing it. It was definitely a page turner and I recommend it for anyone 14 and up as I am 14 going on 15 this week and I read it a few months ago.
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AGE
Great book (:
I read this when I was a freshman. I had already been into Ellen Hopkins, and this is the last book I got around to reading. It deals with a huge range of problems. Maybe parents don't think this is age appropriate but I found it incredibly educational. Maybe you don't want your children exposed to such serious issues but...why not? There are teens out there who live lives like these. This is showing the real world. I'm glad that I can understand situations like this, I am glad I am not ignorant. I understand the themes discussed in the book. I learned most of what I know of drugs and sex from books without any firsthand experience. Isn't that the best way to learn? There will be teens out there who will find it to be a bit too much, and I understand that. Teens like that will probably put down the book. Trust your child's judgement. Ellen Hopkins accurately portrays real, extreme situations that one will have to understand at some point in their life.
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AGE
Inapropriate for under 15
I personally enjoyed it.
A big plot twister on the end which i got, but one of my students (grade 12) who read it did not.
It is true to Ellen Hopkins’ other books which if you have read, will understand but not one of the first of hers I would recommend to someone who has never read her content. (First suggestion would be Crank)
The interest between the main character and her father is somewhat disturbing but not described in Detail. And having the main character at the age of 17 I would only suggest to kids that age and older to read this book if certain content makes them uncomfortable.
There is Major drug use that gets progressively worse but the experience from them is not described in detail, just the feelings and the after-effects. Sex is exchanged and bullying from other peers is instigated.
Over all, I thought it was great after having read the whole thing, but parts and passages are not for the young or someone who has not read this type of book before at all.
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AGE
I didn't really like it, it depressed me
What on earth has Ellen Hopkins been through! Geeze!
Nothing agents her but it made me feel gray.
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| Author: | Ellen Hopkins |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Publisher: | Margaret K. McElderry |
| Publication date: | August 26, 2008 |
| Number of pages: | 576 |
| Hardcover price: | $17.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 14 - 14 |
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