2009 Teens' Top Ten Pick

Fans of Ellen Hopkin's (Crank, Glass) will appreciate the continued use of free verse as she tells the story of two identical twins as they struggle with explosive secrets that has torn their family apart. The sixteen-year-old identical twin daughters of a district court judge and a candidate for the United States House of Representatives, Kaeleigh and Raeanne Gardella are on the track to self destruction.

While the girls do well in school and the family appears to be normal, mom is running for Congress and dad is a prominant judge and pillar of the community, everything changes after an accident. The story proceeds to uncover deep family secrets, including sexual abuse, through the use of poems that sometimes mirror the feelings of each girl laid out on facing pages.

Like a television drama, no topic is left untouched. While one teen turns to drug abuse the other struggles with binging and cutting. This shocking book will have Hopkin's fans anticipating a tidy conclusion but the climactic ending will still be a surprise.

Identical is a nominee for the Teens Top 10. To request it from the library, click here. If it’s your favorite, don’t forget to place your vote during Teen Read Week, October 18-24, 2009. Follow the Teens Top 10 link