Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Cosola
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gripping thriller skimps on character development.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 3 parent reviews
Based on 15 kid reviews
Kids say the book is a mixed bag, balancing thrilling twists and a unique concept with inappropriate content and underwhelming character development. While some readers found it captivating and enjoyed its suspenseful nature, others were disappointed by the slow pacing and lack of deeper messages, with multiple reviews highlighting the concern over its suitability for younger audiences.
- mixed reviews
- inappropriate content
- intriguing concept
- slow pacing
- surprising twists
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Twins Ava and Alexa "Lexi" Rios live in an affluent Southern California beach town. And though they look exactly alike, Ava's mostly interested in appearances, boys, and clothes while Lexi is studious, focusing all her energy on getting into Stanford and eventually joining their father's business. Needing someone to blame for broken household items and missing cookies when they were little, the two girls invented Alicia, their "third twin." In their teens, Ava and Lexi have brought Alicia back into their lives, going so far as to get a fake ID for Alicia and to use her as a cover to date boys and act in ways they wouldn't normally. For Lexi, in particular, pretending to be Alicia allows her to blow off steam by being bold, brash, and sexy, escaping the stress of an intense course load and always being a good kid. Suddenly, the most recent boys Alicia has dated are murdered. As Lexi becomes a prime suspect, she wonders whether the sister she knows as well as she knows herself could be the murderer. Or perhaps the imaginary third twin isn't so imaginary after all. As she tries to prove her innocence, she spins into paranoia and wonders who in her life she can really trust.
Is It Any Good?
THE THIRD TWIN has an interesting, compelling premise: Boys who've dated Alicia, the alter ego of twins Lexi and Ava, are murdered, always after a falling out with one of the girls. All evidence points to one of the twins -- and maybe even to the one that doesn't exist. The paranoia and fear Lexi experiences is palpable. Lexi is a likable narrator, but the book offers no real character development, and most of the secondary characters are one-dimensional. And for a supposedly smart kid, Lexi makes a lot of stupid decisions, consistently and constantly. That flaw starts to grate by the end of the book.
The story starts slowly, but at the halfway point it picks up steam and offers a fast-paced whodunit. It's fun to read, especially when you're trying to figure out how all the pieces fit together, and the ending has a surprise twist. But, unfortunately, that twist is a little out of the blue and comes with a rushed explanation.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about alter egos. Do you think that pretending to be someone else would give you the courage to act in ways you might not otherwise? What are the pros and cons of such behavior?
Do you use social media to cultivate a certain image of yourself? What do you think of others who do that?
Can you think of times you faced rejection or losing but it turned out to be a good thing for you? Why might that be the case?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Mystery
- Topics : Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , School ( High School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Delacorte Press
- Publication date : February 24, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 18
- Number of pages : 336
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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