Identical

Book review by Stephanie Dunnewind, Common Sense Media
Identical Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 16+

Thick free-verse bestseller takes graphic look at incest.

Ellen Hopkins Contemporary Fiction 2008
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Parents say

age 14+

Based on 15 reviews

Kids say

age 13+

Based on 21 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this book.

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.

Community Reviews

Kkkammmy337
Kkkammmy337 Adult
October 24, 2019
age 13+
This Ellen Hopkins novel touches on subjects a lot are to uncomfortable with. Being a child of abusers my siblings and I used this as almost an outlet. The long story kept us on our toes for a very shocking final twist.
canagaalex
canagaalex Adult
July 26, 2016
age 15+

Socially Enlightening

Ellen Hopkins craftes gritty, above par, novels on what life is like for a sick percentage of pre teens, teenagers and young adults. The mature content is presented in a very elegant way and it shines light on the problems many face. Identical faces the problems of "identity" and what it means to be solely unique. Just as "Crank" and "Glass" reveal how drugs can turn even a straight A "good girl" into an addict; and "Fallout" discusses the impact of her choices on her children. Beautifully crafted books I would recommend to anyone of age to fully understand the subject matter.

This title has:

Educational value
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 15 parent reviews

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.

Talk to Your Kids 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?

Book Details

Our Editors Recommend

For kids who love books for teens

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