Identical

Meh. I got this book because it was supposed to have this awesome twist. I guessed the “twist” halfway through the book. The one interesting thing about this book it that it is written in poem form. Too bad the actual story is nothing special. Would not but again.

As far as Ellen Hopkins goes, you can't expect anything less than amazing and as usual this book is nothing short than that. Identical is raw and true. It is incredible! Love it and highly recommend it!

As usual, the subject matter is difficult especially given that I personally have teenagers. The portrayal of the twins is very well done good girl/bad girl style. The ending was not a surprise however it worked very well.

This book is very very good. I've read and recommend Crank, Burned, Glass and Impulse which were very great as well. This book is about twins who depend on each other for everything, more than one may come to realize. Towards the end, the book reveals everything, things that you wondered about in the beginning, and things that didn't catch your eye until it was brought upon in the end which were very well written. This is a great book and I recommend all young teens to read.

As soon as i picked this book up, i couldn't stop reading it. usually, with other books it takes so long for things to get interesting to me. But, with Identical, the first page got me hooked. Ellen Hopkins does it once again! i would recommend it to anyone who has read her books (:

Before you read any further in this review, you must know that this book is written in verse. While some may enjoy this, I found it to be incredibly distracting and annoying. I have no desire to see the words I'm reading in a book shaped into a heart.

Further, by 20% in, I'd already figured all the "twists" out. Honestly, I'm not sure how you couldn't. It's blatantly obvious.

I won't be reading anymore books by this author.

I just finished this book and let me tell you... I did not see the twist at the end coming! It completely shocked me. The story was so interesting and I loved the characters and their delevolpment. This is definitely a page turner. If you're a Ellen Hopkin's fan you must not hesitate in buying this remarkable read.

I really enjoyed this book. It is the first book I've read by this author. I read in one sitting which is pretty hard for me since I'm a slow reader. It had my complete attention from beginning to end. From my own experiences, I have become very passionate about spreading awareness on mental illness. This is a very good YA about mental illness and abuse and to continue the conversation. I hope this book becomes a series, maybe I could be in it, LOL. I really would like to see this book come to life on the small screen.
The next book I have is Impulse and I can't wait to read it.

This book gets a 5 star rating from me because it reaches all my expectations and more. I liked it because it gives you an experience of a teenager that takes on a lot of responsibilities and her dead twins personalities. She does what she has to do to keep that part of her hidden until a dramatic chain of events makes her start to tell her story and become assertive with her DEMONS. I would recommend this book to anyone who has demons they want to get rid of. I would recommend this book to someone like that because they can see the destruction they could get their self into beforehand and try to turn for the better and get the help they need.

This book is written in a very odd format, which I found distracting and difficult to read. Why an author would shape the words in odd shapes for a book is a little beyond me, seems like a waste of paper.

This book was very good at the start but it kinda confused me at the end. It's very detailed and it kept me interested throughout just the twist at the end made me think more about the main characters actions. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes twists and a lot of drama.

I will preface this by saying, I did not realize this was "Teen Fiction" when I bought it. With that being said there is NO way this is appropriate for any teenager. The main character(s) cope with their emotional stress with prescription drugs, alcohol ], attempted suicide, and frequent meaningless sex. As a mother of 2 daughters, I was disgusted by the thought of my kids reading this at any point in their lives.

With that being said - the entire book is whiny, the woman that reads it has an incredibly annoying voice while she speaks for several of the characters, and it was overall just a miserable read. I only finished it because I hate to buy a book and not see it to the end. Speaking of the end, it was predictable and bland. Not impressed, and shocked that so many other readers were.

Identical is written as if it consists entirely of poems, told in alternating points of view from Raeanne and Kaeligh. The girls had survived a horrible accident which drove their father to drink and drove their mother away. Having to endure feeling abandoned, they now have to endure a father that expresses too much interest in them.
This isn't an easy story to read by any means, but one that should be read regardless. It's a story that sits silently in households all over the world. This was my first book by author Hopkins and I made a good choice here. It's well-written, some of the poems are written into visual shapes, and the way she ties the poetry together when switching sisters was unique. It made for a fast and heartbreaking read.

This book was amazing and it tore me apart :( I had a feeling I knew where it was going and it did but in a little bit of a different way. It's so very sad. This author can write some amazing ~ heart-wrenching books.. the sad thing is she knows a lot of this stuff from experience.

You have Kaeleigh and Raeanne that are twins and they both have such crappy lives that I almost have no words. It breaks me into pieces.

*EXCERPT FROM BOOK*

Eyes firmly planted on Daddy,
who follows. Why does it have
to be just the two of us here?

I want my sister. I want my mom.
Surely he won't trail me into
my room. Won't watch me undress.

*END OF EXCERPT*

The things that Kaeleigh endures while Raeanne has to watch and feels helpless is so atrocious, but it happens.

Raeanne spiraling down the sex and drugs road. Kaeleigh... cutting..purging..........

Their mother is gone all of the time running her campaign. Their father is a judge and starts drinking when he comes home among other things. What happened to these people in their lifetimes? It's not a pretty story, all things come from somewhere... and someone is always the one to let it happen.

I was so ripped to shreds by the end of this book and the ending is so broken. But it will be put back together.

This is a brilliantly sad story and I will continue on with all of the author's books I have yet to read.

MY REVIEWS:
www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1371112773

This book was hard to get through. NOT for teens! Contains many trigger behaviors that are often very graphically described- cutting, bulimia:binging/eating disorders, incest, teen sex, alcohol, pot, opiates and teens trading sex for drugs. Very dark book! I listened to the audio version so the writing style on the page wasn’t an issue and the reader did an excellent job. But there were many times that I had to fast forward through the descriptions because much of the book was so disturbing!

Trigger warning: Eating disorders, sexual assault by a parent, drug abuse, self-harm, attempted suicide
Identical is a young adult book about pain and how people cope with it. Told in alternating sections of two twin sister’s Raeanne and Kaeleigh. It’s great to see the experiences they’ve both had affect their personalities. They both shine through as their own and it’s unfortunate that I didn’t get to see much of their relationship with each other. The plot twist at the end is so unexpected that it shocked me. Ellen Hopkins did a marvelous job with this book.

This was my first go at reading an Ellen Hopkins Versus Book, and let me just say wow. It was amazing. Now that I've finally been able to read a few different versus books from other authors. I can definitely say that hers (and Lisa Schroeder) are by far my favorite. I can not tell you how many times I had to set this book down. Not because it was bad, but because I had to stop and think about it. Let it sink in. Let myself feel (or try) to feel what these girls must have been going through. I wanted to jump in the book and save them. How many awful, hurtful things can a girl take before it's just to much. Before that voice says just give up.

I've never experienced anything like they have personally, but I do know of someone who has had that kind of abuse. Although, she never sat down and talked to me about it. It's really kind of an odd situation I guess what with these people being related to me. Anyways, I wanted to cry for Kaeleigh. I wanted to be able to tell her that she has to take control of her own life. Ian the way that boy stuck by her through everything it was amazing. I have to say the ending caught me off guard I wouldn't have thought it was the case. What's great about this book is it deals with a lot of different issues not just one. Cutting, abuse (both physically and mentally), sex, drugs, eating problems. It had it all and it wove it all nicely together (if that's even possible). I have to say this though it's definitely not for a younger audience.

It is one of those books that I think people should read though when the time is right.

Just...wow...

This book was completely a show moving train wreck and I can honestly say that it was hard to read... Like I'm having a hard time writing this review thinking of all that went on. It's actually disturbing and heart breaking, but an overall really good book. When I first started this book I knew it was about twins and not much else didn't care to find out the rest. This isn't the first book that I've read by the author Ellen Hopkins. It was writing in a poetic style that seems to be all over the place that was kinda the appeal of this book that I figure this would be a quick light read and it turned out to be anything but. This isn't for the faint of heart and is definitely a trigger warning with sexual abuse. When it came to that ending I was blown away and hoped for a different ending but I'll take what I can get about it. Just wow, great book.

Identical captivated me in a way that few books do. With a politician mother running for congress, a district court judge father, and a disaster, as well as some dark secrets in their past, the identical twins, Kaeleigh and Raeanne, are materially provided for but emotionally lack attention, love and family unity. Each has her own way of dealing with this unsatisfied need.

All the characters in this book are masterfully crafted. Raeanne, with her stormy personality, looks for solace , satisfaction and the ability to just feel something in drugs, painkillers, alcohol, and sex. Although she craves her father's attention, even if it means also being molested, she is protective of her gentle, good-girl sister.

Kaeleigh, on the other hand, is frightened of this abusive father and tries to please him. In an effort to feel anything more than dirty and damaged, Kaeleigh binge-eats and mutilates herself. Her boyfriend, Ian, seems to be the one stable constant in her life. Despite his very obvious love for her she finds it difficult to believe that love can mean anything other than what her abusive, controlling father does to her.

The author brilliantly develops her characters throughout the story. The huge surprise and ultimate climax of the tale is kept back for the last twenty percent.

Identical is a wake-up call to parents who place career and status before family, to mothers who turn a blind eye to their daughters being molested and to children who keep quiet about such problems in their homes. Although this realistic, emotionally written story may upset sensitive readers, it is definitely going on my to-be-read-again-and-again shelf.
(Ellen Fritz)

Certain parts of IDENTICAL were so difficult to listen to that I considered switching to the radio in my car, just so I could breathe and escape for a minute. It may have been the most difficult book I've ever read -- even surpassing Elizabeth Scott's harrowing but incredible Living Dead Girl.

But if you're up for handling the subject matter, then IDENTICAL is an incredibly worthwhile read. (Or listen, as the audio version is excellently narrated -- however, I do think you lose some of the impact and beauty of the printed free verse.) IDENTICAL centers on identical twin sisters, Kaeleigh and Raeanne, who alternate the narration of their supposedly picture-perfect lives.

In reality, their manipulative, controlling, alcoholic and OxyContin-addicted father has been molesting Kaeleigh since she was nine, and Raeanne's chosen to cope with the knowledge and her father's favoritism via drugs, sex, and bulimia. Their mother has abandoned them, emotionally and physically, in favor of her political career, and the girls' lives spiral further and further toward total disintegration.

Hopkins tackles the topic of incest without reservation. Kaeleigh and Rae have suffered so much psychological trauma and dysfunction since childhood that it's unsurprising they turn to cutting, eating disorders, promiscuity, and drug and alcohol abuse to escape. You want to scream at them to TELL SOMEONE, but you're so deep in their minds that you understand why they feel trapped in their world.

IDENTICAL is raw and disturbing, painful and powerful -- but Hopkins leaves you with shreds of hope. It's one of those stark, gripping novels that you'll never forget reading. A book you can't say you enjoyed reading, but you're glad you did, even though it took some time to pull yourself from its depths.

This book is not for everyone, but there are readers out there for whom this book will be a lifeline, and I respect Ellen Hopkins for telling this story -- I can't imagine how difficult it must've been for her to write.

* This review posted originally at www[dot]FirstNovelsClub[dot]com

After reading "Crank" by Ellen Hopkins, I jumped on the wagon of new fiction and found more of her books. This one, "Identical" tells the story of an All-American family where Daddy is a Judge and Mom is a politician and twin daughters as different as oil is from water.

But...

What seems so clean and straight on the surface is a lie compared to what happens in the Gardella home. Their father has a penchant for young meat, especially for his own daughter Kaleigh. The poetry breaks into lines familiar to both girls but for different reasons. Can not really give away all here but will say that self mutilation, abuse, sexual abuse and incest are all wrapped up in one psychotic episode that can never translate to the pictures snapped at this "great" family.

The disturbing part is how cold others can treat the one they hurt. It does not matter if someone is close to you by blood or spirit- they know they can hurt you and you want to tell but who can you tell without sounding like a nut case? Sure it is right and honorable to tell someone but what then? Especially if your own mother decides to turn her eyes from the truth as what happened in Kaleigh's case.

As I said before, Hopkins has done a stunning job with words. She has mastered a way of telling something using cutting terms and poetry.

This is one book that will help anyone realize that it is so important to unlock doors to healing. Really important.

Identical, as you may have figured out by the title, is about Identical twins, Kaeleigh and Raeanne. Looks can be deceiving, especially when it comes to this family. Father is a well respected District Court judge, Mother is a politician, currently running for U.S. Congress. Both 16 yr. old girls dressed to impress when they leave their beautiful well manicured home in their picture perfect neighborhood on their way to a prestigious school. Anyone passing in the street would be green with envy with the vision put forth by this family. The only thing is that when you look a little deeper you will find that anything THAT perfect rarely is, and that bodes true in this story. Kaeleigh seems to be the smart one, making good decisions and always the one to earn the love of her father. But all Kaeleigh really wants is the love of her mother, who is practically nonexistent in the lives of her family. Raeanne does well in school but looks for love in all the wrong places to replace the love she never seems to receive from her father, who is always so focused on Kaeleigh that he rarely, if ever, has time for her. Raeanne dives deep into extracurricular activities and drowns out all emotion either in a pipe, paper or bottle. What would people say if they knew the truth about the daughters of these upstanding citizens? What would they say if they knew that each of these girls holds a secret so dark, they don't dare speak of it. Eventually these girls find that their troubles aren't so different, in fact, they are identical.

This novel, just like all the others written by Ellen Hopkins, is ingenious. She never fails to bring something new to the table, as if her imagination is an endless pit that she can pull from with ease. That's how it seems to me anyway. I found myself speed reading through this book. There were parts that were so intense it made me cringe inside but you just can't help moving forward to see what happens next. I suppose the ending of this book was the most shocking of all, just when you think you know it all. I wanted to give this book 5 stars because Hopkins is always well deserving of it, I have yet to read a book by her that I didn't like. I guess what it comes down to is that they can't all be the best and the ending in this one, even though I never saw it coming, was a little disappointing at the same time. So 4 stars for this one, and only because it's the first time I have ever felt disappointment reading one of her books and yet I still recommend it, believe me, it's a great read. As a matter of fact, if you're ever looking for a book but aren't sure what to get, you can literally NEVER go wrong with Hopkins.

Raeanne and Kaeleigh are identical twins. Identical on the outside, at least, but inside, the girls could not be more different. Kaeleigh harbors a secret, Raeanne harbors one as well. As Kaeleigh deals with her fathers unwanted affections, Raeanne pines for them. As Kaeleigh binges, Raeanne purges. As Kaleigh pushes boys away, Raeanne juggles multiple partners. What happens when all the secrets bubble to the surface?

I have read many of Ellen Hopkins' young adult books, but this was, by far, the most powerful of them all. This book focuses on trauma, and the effects it can have on the lives of everyone involved. Trauma spanning generations, states, political affiliations. There is also an emphasis on seeking wholeness in unlikely and unhealthy ways. We see brokenness in nearly every character in the book, each of them using different means to feel whole again.

I thought the character development was so incredibly done, particularly once the secrets are all revealed. This is one of those books that, once you know the ending, you are compelled to go re-read it again, looking for all the hidden clues. And Hopkins is a master of hidden clues. I found this writing to be really brilliant, and it reminds me why I love novels written in verse form so much.

I know that books with tough subject matter are questionable for young adult readers, so parents should be fully aware of the content before allowing their children to read it. This book is probably most appropriate for young adult readers at the older end of that spectrum, late high school to early college age.

I am an intensely picky reader, and I will hardly ever give books a five star rating. This one, however, I would give ten stars if I could. I simply loved it. I have always been a fan of books written in verse, which is what originally brought me to pick up Identical. It was the first book by Ellen Hopkins that I have read, and after just finishing it about a half hour ago, I fully intend to read the rest of her novels.

I'm sure you already know the main concept of this story by now, so I'm not really going to go into many details about the plot. Basically, there are two twin sisters (one with a wild personality, the other more broken and shy), that struggle with their own problems and a difficult home life. Instead, I'd rather focus on what the book brings to the reader. Ellen Hopkins is a brilliant author. I do have to give it to her. Her free verse is very creative, and the more you read the book, the more you will pick up on different patterns with the text. The emotions are raw, and the characters are very well thought out and deep. Even in so few words, you can easily experience the pain and hardships that these girls are going through. I thought Hopkins did a great job at giving each character specific personality traits, even just the minor ones. Finally, there is an enormous twist at the end, that left me with my jaw dropped staring at one of the pages. Honestly, for a while, I thought there were a few missing pieces of the book... Or that simply I just wasn't analyzing the verse deeply enough to understand it all. If you feel like that, don't worry, it all makes perfect sense when you're finished.

I don't have many complaints about this novel. In fact, I really can't think of anything I specifically disliked about it. There are a bunch of reviews on the store talking about how the content of Identical isn't appropriate for certain age groups. I agree to a point. It is a very dark story, with some heavy material in it. If you look, however, the inside jacket DOES say that it is for ages 14 and up. I would definitely agree that no one thirteen and under should be reading it, but the content isn't bad enough to ban the older teenagers as well. And, of course, it isn't limited to younger audiences, either. I'm sure a large number of adults would enjoy Identical, too.

So, overall, I would recommend this book to anyone. If you're on the fence about it, borrow it from a library. It's a short read (despite being over 560 pages, I still read the majority of the novel in one sitting). The story really is powerful. Do keep in mind that it is not by any means light reading. I would list it as one of my favorite books I have read to this date, though. I really do hope you pick Identical to read (I doubt you'll regret it), and maybe you will enjoy it as much as I have!

I really didn't know what to expect when I began reading Identical, the first novel I had ever read by Ellen Hopkins. Since then, I have read the rest of her books but this one is the most powerful and creative than any of her other novels and I am glad I read it first. If you are going to read one book by Hopkins, I would recommend this one.

Hopkins has a unique style of writing. The words on each page are very few and structured more like mini poems which unfold and tell a story which focuses on power, feeling, and emotion instead of description and complex plot. Even though her books normal are around 500 to 600 pages, they feel like a 200 page novel and they easily can be finished in a day or two.

This isn't a novel I want to give a ton of information away about because it has a surprising plot twist that I believe would be a shame to reveal and take away the fascination and intensity one feels when reading it. The twist borders on brilliant or manipulative, depending on your point of view but I choose the former, mainly because the set up is perfectly constructed that I didn't feel cheated in the end. I felt sad, exhausted, and unlike some of Hopkins other novels, there remained some hope to be found in the closing pages of this, at times unbearable journey.

This is a story of identical twins. One twin, Raeanne, is wild, untamed, drug addicted and foul. Katleigh is shy, serious, and haunted twin in a serious relationship but still cannot give herself totally to her boyfriend. The twins have a distant political mother that is always out of town or away and is never there for her daughters. They also have a monster of a father, one of the most horrible villains in any book I have read. And he happens to be a Judge, quite ironically.

I read Identical in a single sitting. You race through it, much like a Dan Brown novel, but has a deeper level of emotion and power to it than a normal mainstream novel. Depth like this is normally not so common in most Young Adult Fiction that I read. And Hopkins never has captured the depth of Identical in any of her other books, though Glass and Crank come close.

At times the book made me appalled, angry and frustrated (especially at the father). I felt sadness for Katleigh and pity for Raeanne, but I always felt something which is a quality of a great novel, the ability for a wide range of feelings to pass through you as you read it. It is this power and enthrallment that helped offset some of the darker and more disturbing elements of the book. Although labeled as young adult novels, Hopkins books feel very much adult to me.

Be warned, this is a tough book to endure at times. However, the ending is redemptive and stunning and I closed the book upon reading it feeling both optimism and despair. I love books that make you think and this will keep the mind reeling long after the last page is turned. It doesn't cross that line of being too depressing like some of Hopkins other novels. Identical is a near masterpiece and an unforgettable experience.

Grade: A

Twin sisters, both with secrets. Not just from each other, but from everyone. Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical twins with similar, but different problems.

Kaeleigh is emotional detached, a loner. She rides the school bus to be away from others, she works at a retirement home setting up meals, and she does not leave the house without Daddy's permission. Oh, and she is Daddy's replacement since Mom has moved on to the political arena and out from their lives. He drinks himself practically into oblivion and then sneaks into his daughter's bedroom, like he has for quite a few years, and gets the love he desperately misses from his wife. Too bad the only person she really wants is her best friend Ian.

Raeanne is just the opposite. She craves male attention because she feels unwanted by Daddy. She seeks out that attention in sexually with her drug-supplier and another random guy that she meets while fantasizing about her history teacher. She is rebellious in a sarcastic and smart-allick way, knowing when to stop just shy of "the line". Raeanne also feels like a protector for Kaeleigh. While she knows what's going on between her sister and her father, she does nothing to stop it.

As the election draws near tempers begin to flare as the girls' paternal grandparents, long missing from their lives, resurface separately and attempt contact with the family. The girls, unsure how to handle this and confused at their Daddy's vehement hatred of his own parents, set out to get to the bottom of what's going on; naturally they go about it in different ways with shocking results.

A grab-you-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of book, Identical is astonishing and heart wrenching. Ellen Hopkins has done it again with her artful way of writing just enough that you understand, without having to spell out every single action. The rhythm and meter of her work is captivating and will suck you in in no time. True to form as well, this book has a twist that I am sure no one will see coming. I can't wait to read her latest work, Tricks.

The author once again manages to make real characters, with real problems. She tackles an immensely difficult topic – incest. Hopkins manages to show the horror, the guilt, the causes and effects of incest in a very real and very appropriate way. She is able to describe the terror of a daughter who fears her father’s drunken state, because that it when he comes for her.
Hopkins describes it without being graphic, without being gratuitous and gross. She is able to give you that queasy feeling and make you uncomfortable without stepping over that line into disgusting description and voyeurism.
She handles the topic accurately, and shows what happens as a result of sexual abuse – from the eating disorders to the cutting to the drug use etc.

This book is much like Crank and Glass and all the others. It is terrifying not because of shock value, but rather because it is realistic.

I always think the Ellen Hopkins book I just read was her best by far, and then I start the next one.

This is now my newest favorite of her collections. Though that could change as I'm now reading Perfect.

Her writing style is flawless. Every story has it's fill of emotional baggage, and devastating plot twists. She leaves you sitting at the end thinking, "WOW what did I just finish reading." And I love every page of it.

This story didn't fail at leaving me emotionally wrecked and wanting more. There was a good amount of foreshadowing, but I was still blown away in the end. I love both of the sister characters in their own special ways. I loved how raw and real she is with all of the issues at hand.

YA perfection as always.

Conventional wisdom holds that twins, especially identical twins, share a deeper connection to each other than siblings. This connection goes beyond mere empathy and verges on the metaphysical. Ellen Hopkins, in her latest teen novel, IDENTICAL, uses this idea as a starting point to explore a severely dysfunctional family whose twin daughters are in physical danger and emotional crisis.

Raeanne and Kaeleigh Gardella are the teenage daughters of two successful parents: dad Ray is a prominent judge and mom Kay is expected to win an upcoming senatorial election. The Gardella family is busy, with Kay mostly on the road campaigning and Ray working long hours. The girls have school to occupy them, but while Kaeleigh is involved in typical extracurricular activities, Raeanne spends most of her free time with her drug dealer, smoking pot, drinking and having sex. At home, both girls self-medicate, drinking from their father's bottles and emptying his pill bottles. It soon becomes apparent why: ever since a tragic car accident years ago, Ray has been sexually abusing Kaeleigh.

The twins respond to the abuse, as well as their father's alcoholism and their mother's emotional abandonment, in different ways. One rebels and tries to find power in relationships with men while numbing herself with drugs and alcohol; the other tries to avoid or discourage her father with overeating and emotional passivity while also numbing herself with substances and finally cutting herself to control her own body and the pain she is in. On the outside they seem like an ideal family as long as they all keep up the charade. But several changes in their lives make it impossible to pretend any longer that all is okay in their home.

Their mother is away more and more, and while the girls each begin new relationships with young men, they find out, when their grandparents contact them after many years, the events that so damaged their father. Soon, everything is spiraling out of control for both young ladies and they turn increasingly to drugs and sex, cutting and overeating. Finally, the tension is released with a frightening act and a surprising and astonishing realization. Friends new and old will be there to help pick up the pieces, but in the end, the twins have a steep and difficult road to recovery.

Hopkins's intense and graphic tale is told in non-rhyming verse. Kaeleigh and Raeanne take turns narrating the story with poems that often mirror each other, playing with repeated words and meaning. Some poems are visually styled, depicting the school bell, teardrops, broken hearts, keys and the bottle that symbolizes Ray Gardella. Despite these contrivances, the book is readable. It flows well and the back-and-forth between the girls' voices makes sense throughout, though by the end readers will see it is actually essential to the story.

IDENTICAL is challenging both in style and subject matter. It is literary yet written in a real, relatable (though sometimes clichéd) voice. The subject matter, and Hopkins's handling of it, requires mature readership. The book is not without its flaws, and although the ending may be a tad far-fetched, the main point --- about the damage wrought by abuse and secrets --- is well-taken and important.
--- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman

I loved this book from beginning to end. I'm really glad that I didn't flip through the book before picking it up because at first glance, the unique writing style made me think I wouldn't enjoy it, but it actually added to the story once I got into it.

I love books that can surprise me in the end and this book did. There were a few details that I wanted to complain about as I was reading that didn't quite seem to make sense but the ending tied all those little things together in a way that I hadn't even considered.

It was quick and easy to read. I found myself picking the book up every free minute that I got and unable to put it back down. I hadn't heard much about this author or book before getting it out of the library so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it. I will definitely be checking out Ellen Hopkins's other books as soon as possible.

I have very recently become a huge Ellen Hopkins fan. Between her tough topics, lyrical writing style, and character driven plot, I am totally hooked. So far I've read Perfect, Crank, Tricks, and Identical. Identical is, by far, my very favorite up to date. The twist at the end literally made me shut the book for five minutes to recover. I looked over to my boyfriend and said "OH MY GOD!" It was the only response worthy of the twist. I normally catch on to twists pretty easily, but it came from left field. As an author myself, I know how amazing it must feel to accomplish that sensation.

Honestly, one of the best books I have ever read. I commend her for covering the subjects she does, without being gratuitous. Identical has made a forever fan out of me.

Hopkins writing style is so naked & sincere it simply steals your breath away. Identical is told in free verse & sometimes that form of free verse utilizes pictures or poems w/i poems to convey it's message -- simply brilliant.

I knew where Hopkins was going w/ the storyline & it made me ache inside. I was not just an outsider looking in but was experiencing all the heart wrenching emotions Kaeleigh & Raeanne endured thanks to Hopkins' seamless stratagem.

It was difficult reading about what the father was doing to one of the daughters. I had a difficult time w/ it because it hit too close to home. All I am saying is, the cycle of abuse is a violently vicious one!

Hopkins' descriptions are remarkably riveting & powerfully fervent you may have to write a memo w/ the words "exhale" in bold print!

I am not going to give away the design of Identical, you are going to have to read the book for yourself. Hopkins' Identical is definitely not a book to be missed.

I have heard mumblings that this book is "graphic" but I ask myself as I type this, "Is this book anymore graphic than what you endured @ the hands of your uncle @ the tender age of 9?" My answer... No!

I believe Hopkins deserves kudos for shattering the glass ceiling w/ her groundbreaking prose, ripped from the headlines storylines & richly poured lyrical exposition.

Identical needs to be on every library shelf in the universe, given as gifts to young girls & parents across the globe.

While imitator's dip their toes, literary doyenne Hopkins plunges right in!

Quick! Grab a copy of Hopkins' Identical.

Raeanne and Kaeleigh are identical twins with very different personalities. While each has their own personal demons, we soon find that they are two halves that make a whole. Neither can exist without the other.

Following a horrific car accident the family has started to erode at its core. Grief stricken, their mother has turned from her family to a career in politics (running for US Congress) and is absent (on the campaign trail) more times than not. And when she is present, she closes her eyes to the obvious and doesn't want to see what is happening right in front of her. Their father, an alcoholic/drug addicted Judge, finds that if he can't control his wife's love, he will control the girl's lives. In rebellion the twins are dealing with "life" in their own way. Raeanne is a promiscuous, drug using, smart mouthed teen, who looks for "love" in all the wrong places. Meanwhile, Kaeleigh, seemingly the more broken of the two, struggles with bulimia and self-mutilation (i.e., cutting) to deal with her father's incestuous behaviors.

While this was my first Ellen Hopkins' novel, I figured out the twist by the beginning of disc 2 and just waited to see how it played out. Although a little dark and predictable, what I did like about this novel was the undying love for Kaeleigh by Ian. His willingness to forgive her anything, as well as his undying devotion and love for her would eventually be "their" salvation. While I would not recommend this novel for the very young or "faint at heart", Hopkins does do a decent job discussing some very difficult topics that affect a portion of society (i.e., teen drug use, sex among teens, self-mutilation, molestation, anorexia, bulimia, etc.). Would I read another Hopkins' novel? I'm not sure, but I don't regret necessarily reading this one.

Ellen Hopkins should send audiobook performer Laura Flanagan roses. Not that readers wouldn't be captivated by Hopkins' staggeringly complex, angsty story of twin girls Kaeleigh and Raeanne, divided by dark secrets, and their parents' estrangement after a devastating car accident. Hopkins is clearly unafraid to probe beneath the squeaky-clean facade of a political family, knowing that "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."

However, in this audiobook, which starts out at a slow pace before launching you, defenseless, into a dark family nightmare, Laura Flanagan is the star, her raw gifts complementing Ellen Hopkins' poetic style. As someone who has taken voiceover training, I salute Flanagan's gift for embodying all the characters. Kaeleigh (whose vocal color is black and red according to the Thom Pinto color chart) is no more a clone of Raeanne than their father is of, say, Kaeleigh's long-suffering boyfriend Ian or Raeanne's drug pusher and sexual exploiter Mick. The twins' mother Kay (who has husband issues that would make Hillary cringe) sounds completely different than Danish Holocaust escapee Greta, in personality and attitude. As voiceover pro Pat Fraley says, characters are believable in their own reality, and Flanagan pushes that reality beyond the limit. This book demands it, especially during the most disturbing and emotionally wrenching scenes. I cried copiously.

This recording should come with a three-hanky warning and an advisory that people should not operate heavy machinery while listening.

I love Ellen Hopkins and was overjoyed to see her creation making its way to me. The way she creates her little character paradigms - the writing that says more that it first seems to say, the way words arrange to make a maze of meanings, her displays that land somewhere other than the other side of rainbows - are fabulous. When I first read Crank I was as addicted as her character, eagerly lapping up page after page with a burning desire that said that I was going to be more than a reader of her work.
Happily, I had become a fan.

In this book, we have struggle highlighted in much the same right as her other books. We see the behaviors that involve eating woes, cutting woes, emotional woes, and a million other fragmented reactions that scream "pain." Hopkins highlights this with the way she writes: while some people put together a jigsaw of first names and A=B=C types of events, she moves her characters through poetry and a march that is beautiful. Simply reading a few lines she writes would win over many people because, unlike a lot of writers, she hides meaning in the already meaningful by making poetic entries into the lives of her characters. Sometimes this makes me feel like a voyeur and other times it makes me feel like a helpless bystander, but it always makes me feel like I know the characters and the dilemma.

It is a rare gift to find in a writer and, honestly, it is one everyone should read. Recommended to all.

This is a novel about identical twins Kaeleigh and Raeanne. To everyone around them they have the perfect family. Their parents have money and good jobs, but what happens in people's homes can be shocking and disturbing. Things aren't always what they seem.

Kaeleigh has caught her father's misplaced attention (incest), while Raeanna spirals out of control and begins down the dark path of drugs sex and alcohol. The story is told in alternating chapters between the girls.

Ms. Hopkins tells this chilling story in poetry format as she has done with her other books. At first I was unsure if this format could do the story justice, but I think it does. You get a disturbing picture of the girl's family life. I do agree with other reviewers that this book could have been edited down, so thats why I gave it 4 stars.

Teens that loved Ms. Hopkin's other books will enjoy this one as well. For adults, it may seem troubling that students would want to read about drug abuse, sex and incest, but I have found that these are the types of books that always get checked out of the library. I think this one will be hard to keep on library shelves and teens will find the subject matter interesting. For parents concerned about content, I stronly encourage them to read this book before giving it to their children. I personally think this could be a great tool for parents to sit down with their children and discuss drug abuse, sex and drinking. But make no mistake about it, the content may be shocking for some.

As usual, Ellen Hopkins has created a book that grabs the reader and keeps them there even if they are disturbed by what they see. It isn't as if I didn't enjoy the book - I did, very much so in fact but there were things that are not mature for younger readers. Of course Ms. Hopkins books can be very realistic, they can also be meant for an older audiance.

Kaeleigh and Raenne are twins, identical at birth and identical for life. Although they look completely alike they are two very different people. Raenne is the wild child type that end up hiding from her life by doing dangerous and idiotic things like drugs. Kaeleigh is the truly abused child, much more than her sister. She is the quiet one, hidden and out of sight of anyone that's near. Their choices will take them on a painful and sad journey that the reader(s) will share with them every step of the way.

This book opens your eyes to the truth about sexual abuse and what it can do to people. Most readers of Ellen Hopkins books may be expecting a novel about drugs but this book - although drugs are included - is much different.

I recommend this book to mature readers that are able to take real life situations. The story is interesting as well as the poetry format. Also the ending is terrific. I was so impressed with the authors way of making it seem as if you know nothing. It may sound strange but once you read it I'm sure that you'll understand. Enjoy!

I was so excited to finally get my hands on Identical. Having read Ellen Hopkins previous books, I expected nothing but a phenomenal story, and it did not disappoint. The two main characters, Raeanne and Kaeleigh are identical twins, they look exactly alike, but their is no similarity in their personalities. With their mom gone due to the election process and herself as a candidate, they only have their dad. Kaleigh is favored by their father and begins to experience things no one should have to go through; sexual abuse. She works at a retirement home and meets an elderly lady, Greta, who shares her secrets and tries to get her to open up about her dark demon. Ian, her faithful boyfriend also tries to help her. Raeanne is all about sex, alcohol and drugs. Although she knows Kaeleigh secret, she still wants to be love by their father. Throughout the book, we learn of family issues like what happened to their father to make him the man he is. Why they've never met their grandmother, and what happened the day of the car crash, years ago. Towards the end of the book, there is a major twist. I had to reread it a couple times, just to make sure I was comprehending it right! I don't won't to give it away, but I will say this: people are not always who they seem to be.

Okay so, WOW. I was first introduced to the power of verse writing when I read I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder. I love the rawness, no fluffy descriptions or unneeded stances, just pure emotion. Laci is a huge fan of Ellen Hopkins and she had been trying to get me to read one of her books for a long time. And it isn't that I didn't want to, I was just waiting for the right opportunity. And when opportunity comes knockin, you best answer the door.

I read a lot of books. And ones that make a definite impression are few and far between. But I'm not always in the mood to read a book that makes an "impression" sometimes I just want a book that entertains me, makes me feel good. Identical falls in the forementioned category with a few other books that continue to stay on my mind.

This book is engrossing, it's disturbing, it's disgusting, it's addictive, it's powerful and I loved it. I did have sneaking suspicion throughout the entire book and when it was finally revealed I still didn't believe it. But the less you know about that going in the better. Now that I've read Identical, I know I won't be able to stop, I'll have to read Hopkins earlier titles and continue to read her new ones. And a fan is born.

I had read a one of Ms. Hopkin's books since I was barely a teen. It had been her first novel Crank and I fell in love with it. Since then I've sought out to read every book she writes. I've already read Crank, Burned, Glass, Fallout, and Tricks. Now I've read Identical and Perfect is on my shelf waiting.
When I read this book, from the beginning it automatically hit the right spots, so to speak. It was well crafted and the story is very strong as well as believable.
I remember reading in the reviews of a twist that occurs near the end of the book. I heard that many disliked it. When I hit it, I was filled with feelings of disbelief and anger and sadness. This book is amazing at ripping emotions from you. I love that about all of her books. I can say I enjoyed the twist. Even though I knew something was coming nothing could have prepared me for what did. It was an amazing ending to an amazing book. I would rate this higher if I could.
Ms Hopkins is simply one of the best story tellers I have encountered. She writes the truth, and she does a damn good job of it.

Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical twins, 16 years old, mirror images; physically alike but in personality very different. They are half of a deeply dysfunctional family. Their mother, a politician running for office in Washington, has left them in every way possible; their father, a judge, numbs himself with whiskey and pills before coming to one daughter's bed while the other alternately hates him for it and longs for his love.

Kaeleigh, soft-centered, binges and cuts herself, can't feel worthy of the young man who loves her; and finds her only common ground with an 80-year-old woman who lives in the residential center where she works part-time. Raeanne, on the other hand, is tough and cold, has sex with dangerous boys for drugs, steals booze and oxy from her father, and purges to free herself from the venom of her past.

The unbearable events that poison the twins' present are rooted in the past, but just how far back? The car accident when they were eight years old, or further back in their parents' youth? The foreshadowing is woven through the present story, and even if the reader glimpses the truth before full disclosure, the book's worth rests not in its revelation but in the escalation of pain resulting from the family history.

I had not read any earlier books by author Ellen Hopkins so I was unprepared for the highly original design concept of this book. Done entirely in free verse in the alternating voices of the sisters, the words on the page are arranged in patterns that reflect the tone of the story. Letters, hearts, teardrops; tight intense verses; jagged word explosions on the page; and most interesting of all, where the story transitions from one twin to the other, the words on the facing pages mesh together like the teeth of a zipper. I found it literally impossible to put this book down and read it in one long session. The originality of design hooked me, but the intensity of the story delivered a punch that will stay with me for a long time.

In publisher-speak, the category "Young Adult" refers to readers approximately 12 to 18 years old. Identical would be better suited for the more mature reader toward the upper end of that range, having explicit scenes involving sex, alcohol and drug abuse, purging and cutting. Any adult wanting to understand the pressures and realities of teen life will find this book enlightening, and for everyone else it's a fast, riveting read; dark, but beautifully paced and crackling with painful truth. Five stars at least.

Linda Bulger, 2008

I've never before been interested in reading any of Hopkins' books. The premise of Identical caught my attention, however--twin sisters who look identical but appear radically different.

The style the book was written in was not something I was prepared for. Each page is a new "poem," all done in various styles, sometimes disjointed and sometimes in legitimate stanzas. If you're familiar with poetry the writing comes off as odd and difficult to process at first, but once you get past the first few pages you become absorbed with the story and you can appreciate the unusual technique used here.

Kaeleigh and Raeanne's stories are interlaced with pain and suffering that dates back to their childhoods, and in the end the poetry-prose manages to make this shine through immensely. Typical sentence-structure prose could not have pulled this off. If you like poetry the style may hurt your eyes at first, but if you appreciate good writing you'll come to see why it was used in this manner.

In short, Hopkins has pulled this off brilliantly. I am more fascinated with her unique style than the story itself, but the story is nothing to shrug off, either. Highly recommended.

This is the story of a very dysfunctional family through the eyes of a teenager. I am not a teenage girl, so I initially thought I would not like the story, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Ellen Hopkins has indeed captured the world of an adolescent, but her mastery of the written word really made the story a delight. Her imagery is magnificant. She describes actions, context, and emotions with the eye of a poet. Some of her comments are very witty.

The drama that unfolds is heartrending. The family that was once a loving, vibrant testament to the american dream suffers a tragedy and is fundamentally changed. The father, a respected judge and the mother, a politician, deal with their grief by throwing themselves into their careers. This leads to the primary dysfunction in the family and the unbearable secret stress that is the crux of the story.

There are unexpected twists to the story and secrets in the past that have a relevance to the secrets of the present situation.

I came to care about the characters and would recommend this book.

Wonderful book. I don't know why I let this audiobook sit on the shelf for so long? I recently took it on road trip with my 20 year old daughter just for some entertainment on the journey. Neither of us were bored with this book.

We agree that this story was well executed by the author, but we think it was not meant for younger or naive readers even though it seems to be aimed at about 16yo. Many of the scenes are quite graphic.

We both loved how the author showed the different viewpoints and different destructive behavior of the identical sisters and the different reasons for their pain. The narration is not confusing and the timeline of the story flows well. The characters are well rounded and believable in their actions and thoughts. The story came to life and we were both surprised with the twist.

Even though parts were hard to listen to, this story made us stop and think and talk.... Good read!

Identical was a gripping and emotional lyricism beyond compare of any book that I have come across in my many years of reading.

I admit that this book was not an easy read. At first, I didn't really know what to make of the format in which it was written. I thought it somewhat bizarre but once I got further into the book, I grew to love and understand it. Also, this is definitely not the kind of book to pick up if you are looking for a fun and light read. Identical delved deep into the mind and emotions of a sexually abused girl and her experiences. This book also addresses highly sensitive issues such as self mutilation, drug abuse, eating disorders and more. The details were often graphic and, to some, may be a little tough to stomach. This wasn't my first child abuse book so I didn't have quite as hard a time as others might would.

The characters were very well developed and authentic. The story itself was beautifully and realistically written. Though most of the book is spent building up to the climax, it was well worth the wait. With a jaw-dropping turning point and a strong and powerful ending, Identical was hands down one of the most suspenseful and enticing books I've ever read.

This was my first Ellen Hopkins's book and it definitely won't be my last. I do plan to eventually read this book again. As for recommending it, I don't feel that it is something everyone could read. I do believe, however, that it is something everyone should read. This is a difficult book and I understand that not everyone has the capacity to read some of the material. The weak of heart and stomach should be wary when selecting this book as their next read. With that said, I recommend this to everyone and leave it up to you to decide if you can handle it.

This book is no doubt a jaw dropper. From the issues between the girls and the ending, the reader will be shocked and disgusted. Therefore, sensitive readers should no doubt steer clear of this book. Also, as always with Hopkin's books, it is written in verse so those who have issues reading a poetry style will hate this book.
The beginning was horrible and almost made the book unbearable. Its pretty much 20 pages of "we have a secret, and you don't know it. Na-na-na-na-na" However, once one gets past the first 20 pages it gets better. It has to be the most exciting of Hopkin's books.
Though it is just the shock is all it has going for the book. The bottom line is there are way too many issues at once. Its fairly unrealistic due to the aspect. Sure, may books focus on one issue making it unlike real life were multiple issues will circulated at once, but this book is just out of the water! It makes for an interesting storyline but its over all just a real downer.
Over all, if a reader is in the mood to pretty much scream from intensity and ready to become just a little more demented, this book is suggested in a heart beat. This is no light read but yet, a book that should not

Identical by Ellen Hopkins is about twin sisters, Kaeleigh and Raeanne Gardella, and the problems they face everyday. Their parents got into a horrible car accident that tore them apart. As a result of sexual abuse Kaeleigh starts taking pills, drinking, cutting, and purging. Raeanne is ultimately neglected by their father Raymond, and to fill the void of this, she drinks, does drug, and is intimate with multiple guys. Kaeleigh and Raeanne’s mother is never around because she was elected to congress. When Kaeleigh finally hits rock bottom she ends up in a hospital, and at this time the readers find out the plot twist and how the problems are resolved.
The story but it is very realistic, but hard to relate to. Identical was a very good book, but it took a while for the climax of the story. The length of the book is its major drawback. For most of the last 300 pages the book becomes extremely repetitive, until the climax and resolution. It could have only been a 300 page book and still had the same emotional impact without unnecessary details. This book is a good read for teenagers because the whole book is about two teens lives. Because of the graphic details the audience should be mature enough for the subject matter. I would recommend this book for high school juniors or seniors, who don’t mind extra pages of reading.

When I ordered this book from the Vine program, I didn't pay attention to the length. When it arrived, I was shocked at how thick it was and thought, "I'll never finish that." Then, when I opened it up, I thought it was a book of poems because of the author's unique free-verse style. I'm so glad I gave it a chance. Once I started it, I noticed that, while the words on the pages look like poems, they're really just thoughts and inner conversations of twin sisters Kaeleigh and Raeanne. It reads very fast because of the monologue/thoughts style. There are not a lot of excess, flowery descriptive words, which I loved.

The book alternates back and forth between Kaeleigh's and Raeanne's points of view. Kaeleigh is more the "good girl" sister while Raeanne acts out by smoking pot, drinking and having indiscriminate sex. But Kaeleigh has the awful secret of being the daughter her judge father sexually abuses. She copes by binging, cutting and borrowing her father's pills.

I was hooked right from the start by the easy style of writing. As I said, don't be fooled by the free verse look. I really admire the talent the author shows being able to arrange each little inner monologue into shapes like hearts or letters. And many times she does a page from each sister's point of view across from each other using a some of the same words in a mirror image technique. I don't know how Ellen Hopkins pulls this off, but it's really amazing.

The subject matter is very heavy and best for 16+ year-olds. I found myself hoping both daughters would get the help they needed before they self-destructed. And I wondered why the father would only abuse of the girls, but at the same time, it was obvious that both daughters were victims. Shortly before the end, there's a fascinating twist that pulls it all together and answers all the questions. Savvy readers may see it coming but it's definitely not obvious.
I highly recommend this book.

In Ellen Hopkins' Identical, identical twins Kaeleigh and Raeanne share a complicated, traumatic history.

Some of this history is revealed in pieces as the book progresses, showing us the twins as mirror images of each other, with Kaeleigh bingeing and cutting herself and Raeanne abusing drugs and engaging in sexual acting-out.

With their parents as pillars of the community - their father is a judge and their mother a member of congress - their lives would seemingly be picture-perfect. Certainly the external accouterments would suggest that.

But behind closed doors, ominous forces are at play - a father who sexually abuses his daughter and a mother that looks the other way - and the mirror image twin who observes and notices and protects in the only way she knows how.

Unable to reach out for help, the twins limp along, surviving as best they can.

And then, startling information comes out - at the hands of their paternal grandfather - revealing something of their father's history that explains a lot.

A final revelation startles the reader while finally allowing the light to shimmer in...And now, healing can begin.

As I read this book, I was put off at first by the style of the text, but came to admire the creative arrangements of the words on the page - reflections of the emotion portrayed - and the original design of Kaeleigh and Raeanne's voices as "mirror images" on opposing pages when
transitioning from one voice to the other.

I will not forget this book for a long time.

It was a bit morbid, but I really liked it. It was very truthful and it didn't leave out any of the details. I'm not surprised to see some of the reviews that weren't positive about the books. I almost expected that. I can understand why some would think that there was a bit too much information in this book for a younger crowd. As a teenager this is how I see it: an enlightenment. Basically my attitude toward this book is that it is helping teenagers aware of what's out there. I realize that may not be the authors intent, but it really helped to get through this book. That aside, I think it's just a wonderful read in general. It was a great insight. I really liked the two main characters. They were completely different from another and each gave interesting perspectives. I recommend this book to anyone.

i loved this book. But then again i love all of her books. But i must say that this book is in the top three favorites list. Impulse relates mostly to me so therefore is my favorite. But i also love her book Burned and this lattest pleasure Identical. I dont give away the stories ive read so ill say this. Be prepared for a total 360 degree mind screw!! I actually felt like i was crazy one the mind screw happened. It was that powerful! The rest of the book is kinda long but well worth the ending!! Even though i love the book..it got kinda boring and i began to want to hurry and finish it for the ending, which didnt dissapoint!! Keep up the good work Ellen! Another good book of hers is Tricks. Check it out! Enjoy the masterpiece guys!

Ellen Hopkins's IDENTICAL is....WOW! I know that's not much of a review and if I could I would just leave it at that. The last book I felt such amazement for was WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson and although the two books are so different they both have one thing in common... they go for guts, gritty and dark. They go straight for the jugular sparing nothing and showing us the raw insides.
Hopkins is a master writer, lyrical and poignant, as she tells the story of twin girls, Raeanne and Kaeleigh. One who goes off the deep end in a self destructing manner and the other who hides it inside and takes the pain. The girls are troubled by sexual abuse, parents who busy themselves with life and ignore them, emotional and psychological pain that haunts and tatters them occasionally. Each girl battles her own demons in her own way and Hopkins does well to get us inside the battered psyche of the two troubled teens.
Even though I listened to this book the story was just as impactful and heart wrenching as the written, poem like pages might be. Hopkins story was gritty, messy, and painful to listen to but at the end still filled with hope. Point of the story... you always have a choice. I recommend this book to fans of dark and emotional themes.

This review is on blog: http://bookchick2013.blogspot.ca/2014/03/review-identical-by-ellen-hopkins.html

Okay, I know I took a bit to read this book. But, for those of you who don't know, this book is very disturbing. Twins, each one with completely different problems. This book was hard for me to read because I'm a twin myself. I'm hearing great things about this book, how it touched so many people, and how it made them cry their hearts out. Now, why is it that every book that people feel connects with them are always really depressing. Why can't the touching book be happy? I just don't like reading so many depressing books.

Anyway, Raeanne was the one who did drugs, used sex to her advantage and drank to much. Kaeleigh was sexually abused by her father and Raeanne would watch and hope it was her. I found this even more disturbing. How could someone wish for such a thing? This made the situation in the book three or ten times more awkward.

I, personally did not enjoy this book as much as other people I know; however, that does not mean you will not enjoy it. I didn't like the story or the abusive part of this story. I'm just tired of abusive stuff in books, I would love to read something happy.

I recommend this book to Ellen Hopkins fans.

Rating: 4.9/10
Parental Rating: 16+

Impulse is a six hundred and sixty six page hypnotic novel, written by Ellen Hopkins. Impulse is a very capturing and different read, that is why it captured my attention. I also, enjoy all of her novels she has written such as crank, glass and identical. What makes Ellen Hopkins books different to read is they are written in verse, making it look like a ongoing poem.

I started reading the book right when the season got colder, reading always sparks my interest more when its cold outside. I had it recommended to me by one of my good friends, It started with just Crank and I couldn’t get enough so I kept checking out book after book. Then I read impulse and it really stood out for me. The reason for this is that I related to one of the characters or all of them in certain ways. Vanessa, conner and Anthony.

Impulse, is a story based on these three characters and their experience in the Aspen Springs, a psychiatric hospital for those who have attempted the ultimate act -- suicide. Each of them have their own story, and each one I relate to. Lately, in this past year I have had a lot Hannah Zoon

going on in my life that has shaped me to who I am, and why I relate to this particular book so much.

For example, Vanessa she was sent in by trying to kill herself by slitting her wrist open. The reason I relate to Vanessa so much is because I used to suffer from self harm also after the tragedy of my brother dying.The way she describes why she does it and how it feels is the most accurate words I have ever read about self harm in my life, and just like her I have overcome the need and want to do it and am clean to this day.

Anthony, suffered from a terrible childhood and was sent in after he got out of juvy for trying to kill his step dad at age 7 of an overdose. The reason I relate to Anthony so much, is because in the book he starts out gay, but by the end he is madly in love with Vanessa and realises he just didn’t know who he was. I have been there to, well not the gay part, just lost. Lost in trying to figure out who I was and who and what I wanted to be, and I did find that through love, not of a significant other but my family and my friends.

Lastly Conner, sent in after putting a gun to his chest and barely missing his heart. He has the perfect life in everyone elses life, but if you searched and looked a little deeper, it was a constant battle of trying to please his parents and not himself. I know this all too well. My parents have always dreamed big for me, as in they expected me to be on all the sport teams, and get all A’s in school, and the hardest decision I ever had to make, to join the Navy. Once my grades started slipping and I didn’t enjoy sports anymore I realised my parents couldn’t live through me and I had to chose what made me happy and not others, so I didn’t join the Navy instead i applied to beauty school and I couldn’t be happier.

How I remember the book today is something that helped me see that I am not alone in what I feel, others feel how I feel to. I remember it as an escape from all the stress I had going on and a way to get lost in someones elses mind and world instead of mine. I also remember it as being my lack of sleep, because I couldn’t put it down once I picked it up.
I highly recommend this book to anyone going through a hard patch in their life, or simply like reading messed up books. Not messed up as in dirty, torn and a bad writing, but messed up as in gruesome and truthful and relatable. Impulse is a book I would read over and over again and never get bored of and its thing’s, books like these that help the struggle of life a little easier with their escapes.

Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker.

Kaeleigh and Raeanne Gardella, identical twin sisters, are both buried in their own vices and secrets hidden from the world. Kaeleigh is sexually abused by her father and bulimic, among other things; Raeanne is jealous of the attention her sister receives, partying and smoking pot and flirting with one of her teachers. After a car accident when the girls were younger, their mother drifted away into the world of politics and their father started doing things to his daughter no father should. Before they're both crushed beneath the weights they carry, the girls must tell someone the truth and release their secrets, but how will they be able to when secrets are part of who they are?

First, I must say that I admire whoever wrote the blurb for this book because trying to explain in simple terms what this book is about is incredibly difficult. A one-word description of the book itself is "difficult." It's difficult to read, difficult to keep reading sometimes and difficult to put down at other times, and difficult to even talk about in a review. Because of this, I apologize if my review is not up to my usual standards. It touches on many issues that people don't like to talk about, just as all of Hopkins' books do. Just a taste? Bulimia, drug use, incest, rape, sexual abuse, and mental illness. And there's still much more, so much that it almost overloads the book.

The free verse style worked well in this novel, especially when it was time to switch narrators and their thoughts would mirror one another's, but I really tired of it at points. Maybe it's because I've read this and two other books like it in such a short period of time and it's irritating me because I'm used to regular prose. Either way, my irritation at the style and the slow pacing put me off and made it difficult to keep reading even in sections where I wanted to keep reading.

While Kaeleigh is easily identifiable as the softer twin, she shares the same negative vices and mean wit that Raeanne possessed (and they also share names that make the name freak in me want to scream). There were multiple times I wanted to switch narrators already because one twin was annoying me and even though the other will get to that same point, even a temporary break would be appreciated. The complicated relationships among their family was one of the strongest points of the novel. Want a dysfunctional family? Meet the Gardellas. Two people were sexually abused, one was an alcoholic, one refuses to be near their family, and one was cut off for something that wasn't totally their fault.

I came into the book knowing what the twist was (did too much research) and was amazed at how well it (the twist) was written. If I had read it without the huge spoiler, I never would have seen it coming. By coming to the book with that knowledge, I was able to observe just how perfectly the book is written to keep the reader from figuring it out themselves. Hopkins obviously slaved over this book and worked hard to keep it hidden and yet have it make sense to any reader that looks back at everything that happened. In fact, it's so well done that it's almost a flaw. While the sisters' thoughts are very similar, they are still two separate characters and I often forgot who was narrating one section because they got too similar.

And with this book, I end my small Ellen Hopkins Readathon. After buying four of her books at once (I'd already read one of them and wanted my own copy), I've finished reading all of them. I would love to get a copy of another books of hers called Impulse, but I think it would be better that I take a break form Hopkins's free verse style for a bit so I don't get sick of it.

I've read Crank, Glass, Fallout and Burned. I own Impulse and Perfect so It didnt take long for me to get sucked into this but it really fell flat at the end
SPOLERS! DONT GO ANY FURTHER IF YOU HAVENT READ IT COVER TO COVER, OR GO FURTHER IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE ENDING.

I was sucked into this until I found out that Reanna had died. A few years back I read a book called "Haunted Sister" and I loved it. It blew me away, so when I found out this book had the same twist it was a huge let down. I got this from the liberey and even though I love collecting books I'm glad I didnt spend any money on it because it wasnt worth it. Even though I didn't predict the ending(I was thinking that they were triplets and one had died, hence all the lies from the family) it was a huge let down. I had my hopes high for this because I've never disliked an Ellen Hopkins book but this doesnt cut it. Most people could easly figure out the plot line and I'm sure I'm not the only who felt like it was a slap in the face. The only thing that saves it is Ian because he is so willing to help Kayleigh no matter what.

Bottom line: It builds up and up and up and then steps into a shallow puddle that makes your feet cold

Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical down to the dimple. As daughers of a district court judge father and a politician mother, they are an all american family on the surface. Behind the facade each sister has her own dark secret, and that's where their differences begin.

For Kaeleigh, she's the misplaced focus Of daddy's love, intended for a mother whose presence on the campaign trail means absence at home. All that Raeanne sees is Daddy playing a game of favorites and she is losing. If she has to lose she will do it onher own terms, so she chooses drugs, alcohol and sex.

Secrets like the ones the twins are harboring are not meant to be kept from each other or anyone else. Prety soon its obvious that neither sister can handle it alone, or one sister must step up to save the other.

If you have experienced childhood abuse, neglect, or trauma beware that this book can be triggering! I enjoy Ellen Hopkins but this book is difficult to get through. It is very graphic and real. On the other hand it can be a book that confirms feelings of this type of abuse. You are not alone. This does happen everyday in all types of families.

Ellen Hopkins has put together a very creative book. The subject matter itself is harsh and gritty - twin sisters, one of whom is being molested by their father, but both of whom are feeling the fallout. Hopkins does amazing work with her concept - it is far deeper than one would imagine, and her book draws back even before the twins' birth to show where the seeds of their present torment were sown.

Why I'm ranking the book as only three out of five stars is the prose. Hopkins has taken a very original path with this, using free verse (a form that I personally dislike, and found a bit exhausting) as well as a very "slow build" approach. Artistically I think it was interesting, but I personally would not choose to try something else by this author. That is not a reflection on her work, which I thought was exceptional. I listened to this on audio book - the reader did a nice job, but I wonder if I might've been better off reading it on the page. Hard to say. Very interesting, however, and Ellen Hopkins certainly has a great deal of talent, as well as a lot of bravery to take on this subject matter in a YA novel.

I was intriguid by the concept, twins each telling their side of daily life through high school. Mom is a politician with high aspirations. Dad is a judge. They are a family in the spotlight. The entire story is told through poety. There are some fantastic examples of many different types of poetry. I never saw the plot twist coming, which is rare for me.

I thought this book could be added to my collection at school, but the portrayal of sex and drug use would prevent me from sharing it with my students. That being said, the author spares no punches when dealing with these issues. I think many young adults could put themselves into the shoes of the young ladies in the book, and spare themselves some of the pain they went through.

I am currently finishing this novel and I have loved it so far, Yes its morbid and totally disturbing. But if you have read any of Hopkins other novels you would know that she doesn't really make "sunny happy bubble" books she makes stories that have profound, disturbing and unfortunately for some of todays youth real life problems. And also if you read all or any of her other books...you would know they are all written in poetry form. I enjoy the change from normal novel form, its quicker paced and so beautifully poetic (No puns intended).

This novel centers on twins:

Kaleigh is shy and introverted and sometimes it seems afraid of her own shadow due to a horrible secret that she is hiding deep inside herself a secret that sneaks through the shadows of her bedroom and settles its beady disgusting eyes on her body willing to break her spirit and steal her beautiful soul for its own twisted pleasure. But something inside her is changing...strength and a need for true love is starting to break out. Will she stand up for herself and stop her own torment?

Raeanne is loud,tough and strong. She drinks, does drugs and has promiscuous sex to fill a void inside her...she too holds a secret, a strong desire to rebel against her better half out of jealousy for a sick need from Kaleigh's own monster. Is she really strong enough to survive it all...will she fall to the pressure and dark pain of self destruction or will she find her legs for herself and for Kaleigh?

Which twin will save the other? You gotta read it to find out...those who are familiar with Hopkins work and new fans I believe will not be disappointed with her latest poetic read.

Identical by Ellen Hopkins was my first audio book and I am not sure if I am an audio fan or not. But, at any rate I have become a Ellen Hopkins fan. I was fascinated by the way she took the story of twins, Kaaleigh and Raeanne and literally made them mirror images of each other. I was a bit taken aback by how graphic the language was, particularly since the age range was early to older teens, but I think it could be of great benefit to older teen readers. There are so many issues covered, incest, sex, skin cutting, depression and fitting in. The book was written beautifully, stark and with painful honesty. As a former Job Corps counselor, I was sure I had heard it all. Identical, quickly disabused me of that notion.

Angelia Vernon Menchan

I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would. The style really annoyed me. I also got frustrated with the plot. About halfway through, I couldn't take it anymore and just googled the spoiler. Then I skipped to the end of the book to see how it was reveled. It left a lot to be desired ugh.

This book was my first book my Ellen Hopkins, I've seen her books before but after thumbing through them, her style was an immediate turn off. I am an avid reader, but I usually prefer a novel rather than poetry.
So what made me choose to read Identical? truth be told I saw that Miley Cyrus had been talking about it on Twitter, and regardless of what people think about her, she has pretty good taste in literature (at least from what I've 'seen' her reading on twitter)
so I decided to pick this up.

this book is extremely dark, the fact that the father is sexually abusive is one of the very first things you find out, and it doesn't get any happier throughout. I can see why people don't like this book, because there is not a lot of action going on throughout the book, a lot is mainly the twins reflecting on what has or hasn't happened to them. and I was frequently getting upset with the twins for some of their actions.
however Ellen is a very talented author and her unique writing style is what kept me pulled into the story. the story is told very fluidly, and I struggled finding places to put it down, I would have rather read the book in one sitting, but I did not have the time.

Ellen's novels (from what I've heard, as this is my first) don't always end with a tidy, happy ending. and again that is something I like. it makes her books more real, because especially with the difficult topics she deals with, there isn't always a happy ending.

I would not recommend this book to anyone under 15 because it is really dark subject matter. but it is a fascinating read, and really delves into the mind of a child who has undergone sexual abuse, at least IMO.

The audiobook version of Ellen Hopkins 'Identical' comes on 7 discs, is unabridged and clocks in at almost 9 hours. Read by Laura Flanagan, listeners are in for a decent, slightly pot-boilerish suspense thriller aimed at a teenage audience, but due to some of the more provocative content is more appropriate for adult audiences.

I highly suggest that if you plan on purchasing/reading/listening to this title that you do so with as little knowledge possible and avoid any plot summaries, spoilers, etc. 'Identical' is full of surprises and is a well crafted tale and is certainly best experienced going in with a blank mind. Trust me, its entertaining and will make the drudgery of your daily commute an afterthought.

I don't even know where to begin. This book has so many mixed emotions. First of all, this was a really great and beautifully written novel, but on the other hand, it scared me. I am a 16 year old [girl], and I am really into these kinds of books, but this one really put images into my head that probably won't go away anytime soon. Even though this book was a little disturbing, it was a really great read and I don't regret buying it at all. I think I would recommend this book just because it, along with all of Hopkin's books, are a great opportunity to learn and see the reality of what kids and teens are acutally going through. I definitely learned from it and I will be taking a trip to the bookstore this weekend to buy another one of Hopkin's wonderfully written novels. =)

This review is on the audio version of the novel, Identical. It's a long 8 1/2 hour play. As this is delivered in a form of verse, I believe I would have preferred it in book form, allowing me to "interpret" for myself. The audio version is nicely delivered, however . . . an unusual back and forth of the players voices.

In short, it's the story of identical twin sisters in a financially successful, but socially dysfunctional family. There is jealousy and abuse. Much abuse.

The book is marketed toward teens, but the themes are so mature (incest, self-abuse, eating disorders, substance abuse)that it is more adult fare. Yes, these things go on in the world of today's adolescents, and being a father, this was an education for me as well as being reading entertainment. But just because it is based on real experiences of young people out there today, I disagree with the notion of exposing our children to this form of recreational reading.

Well written. Disturbing. Enlightening. I would suggest, "Adults Only".

I am only almost done with IDENTICAL, but i was curious if everyone was as emotionally gut punched by this book as i am. It feels like reading a diary, i love love love the poety format. it makes the read really engaging for me. But the content of this book is just following me around in my daily life and in its own way haunting me. i feel so much for the charactures. while reading it i am filled with so much emotion and conflict and discust and concern, that it is truely a really powerful read. it is definatly not for your 15 year old to sit down and read. this book is a psychological ride through the perspective of some very troubled girls. i dont think this is a book i will be able to forget about for a long time.

I just finished it and I am completely drained and wrecked, both by the material and the fact that it's over. Except the way this book is, I'll likely think of it often. There is a pivotal plot twist in this story, a plot twist of the best kind as you will in way see it coming. I had to take pause, not for long because once you read it you can't possibly put it down until the final page, but during that pause I found myself thinking back to and going over all that had come before it; that's when I realized, the twist alone has no meaning; story itself is everything. I will now be reading, more like devouring, every other lyrically woven story this author has given us and will wait on the edge for whatever she has in store for us in the future.

Identical by Ellen Hopkins ****

Never really being a fan of Hopkins other works, feeling that she stretches and often tries to hard to convey here stories which should flow rather than be forced, because they often come of as trite, but not here, not with Identical.

The story of two sisters, or one really and her path to deal with the life of growing up sexually molested and as a identical twin and the grief that comes with both.

Not a lot can be said about the book because of how linear it is written even the slightest detail would spoil the book. But for fans of Hopkins work this should be a real treat as it is by far her strongest work to date.

There are so many similarities between Kaeleigh and Raeanne. They're identical twins. They share an absentee politician of a mother, and lonely drunk of a father. They both have had a painful childhood, and for both, it all began with a gruesome accident. But the source of that pain is entirely different for each girl.

For Kaeleigh, it's the pain of a father who loves her too much, who loves her as no father should love his child. Raeanne's pain is the feeling of being unloved and unwanted, except by a string of sleazy boyfriends with an abundance of alcohol and drugs. Each girl knows that what they're experiencing is wrong, but they know nothing else. And unless someone can do something to bring about a change, their pain is all they'll ever know.

Identical is depressing, disturbing, and yet strangely engrossing and electrifying. Through her irresistible and varying poetry, Hopkins coaxes readers into the story, just far enough in for Raeanne and Kaeleigh grasp on, taking you on an unforgettable ride through their lives, and showing us their convoluted--yet curiously levelheaded--reasoning and their innermost thoughts. The beautiful and innovative poetry gets right down to what makes the twins tick in a frank and straightforward style that is not necessarily comforting, but is gritty and real. Full of passion, pain, remorse, and, amazingly, love, Identical is one of those books that will make you gasp theatrically at the end, and then want to immediately re-read the entire thing with new eyes--it is a book that will cause you to think.

I couldn't make it through this audiobook. It became way too dark and depressing for me. The idea of having the twin sisters telling their sides of the story was interesting at the beginning, and the reader went out of her way to create distinct voices, but the author's choice of subject (which is realistic judging by the news, by the way) and the free verse written style just didn't gel with me.

The reader was excellent, but the sections weren't truly book scenes as much as they were monologues. I missed the feel of other characters, the dialogue that accompanies them, and the ability to simply synthesize the descriptions and emotions into "movie" scenes in my head.

I think this is probably a really good book with a message for some, but it just didn't work for me. I want the characters closer, and I want action taking place instead of merely reflected on. The angst throughout seemed to become a claustrophobic quicksand.

IDENTICAL is written like artistic poetry - no rhyme, but lots of reason. The story unravels in shapes and voices of identical twin sisters. Their stories are eerily told in alternating voices and their experiences are racy, even for young adults.

Though the story is twisted fiction with twists and turns throughout the end, it probably is a taste of someone's unfortunate life. As the parent of a young teen, I read IDENTICAL as a creatively written wake-up call to pray for our youth.

I recommend this novel for parents. It may school you on who's sitting next to your kid. PRAY FOR ALL CHILDREN. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

I really liked the book. I really like books that are written in poetry form, so if your like me, you will love this book! It has a very good story line (which i't not going to tell you about at the time) and is very, again, well written. One of the main features that I loved about the book was that your mind didn't have the urgency to wonder while you were reading it! There was always something going on that made you want to keep reading and learn more about the background of the characters and so on. I rated the book 4 stars because, again, I love books written in poetry form. I also loved the characters of the book and how they seem the same, but there is something about them that makes thems different. This book would be worth your time to read!!!!

First, not a young persons book. This is about incest, drugs, free for all sex with drug use, Good development of characters BUT a hard book to hear or read so unless you are willing to hear about a father abusing his daughter and the emotional and physical results, then do not read this.

Since I was listening to this book instead of reading it, I didn't get the effects of the blank verse. Reader Laura Flanagan very competently spoke in the voices of the alternating identical twins, definitely bringing them to life. Too bad she couldn't bring to life the father/villain of the piece -- or the boyfriend/savior, both more than a little on the flat side.

Here's what Hopkins wants you to swallow, and all without benefit of a single detail that might give some humanity to her character's story: identical twins, harrowing car wrecks, a poor little rich girl, drug abuse, cutting, bingeing, purging, promiscuity, missing grandparents, and not one but two victims of sexual abuse. She even brought a holocaust victim into the mix!

Hmmm, ya think just a little on the sensationalistic side? But without being sensational! Want to read about a dysfunctional family? Read The Glass Castle or Running with Scissors. They're a lot more interesting than this tale. Truth is stranger than fiction, and in this case, much better written.

Ellen Hopkins does it again! Another page-turning book by this amazing author!

This is a story filled with drugs, promiscuity, and sexual abuse. Not for those that are easily offended or may have issues with the content. That being said, if you can handle the mature content, the book surely will not disappoint.

Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical twins. But beyond the external comparison, internally Kaeleigh and Raeanne are as different as night and day. One twin is the apple of their father's eye. The other twin wonders why her father doesn't love her the same way.

One twin dares to defy their father's rules. Running around with the wrong crowd. Toking up during school hours. Trading sex for favors.

The other twin is the goody-two-shoes. Gets great grades. Is the lead in the high school musical. Has a great guy that loves her.

How could the two girls be so different? It all stems back to "the accident." No one will talk about what happened the night their father drank too much and caused the fatal accident. But ever since that night, things have been far from perfect.

Their mother has basically abandoned the family with ambitions of running for Congress. But could it be she's running from them? Their father forbids any of them to speak to his parents. A secret from his past never to be revealed, at least by him. And his love for one of the girls. A love that no father should share with his own child.

Keeping everything to themselves, the girls are on a course for self-destruction. Somehow, they must come to terms with everything since the accident, and possibly trust those that want to help them. But the secrets can't be revealed to outsiders, can they?

Ms. Hopkins tells her story beautifully. Weaving between sisters, she uses the same key words to blend the thoughts of the two together. Ms. Hopkins writes in free verse. At first the pages may not look like much, but upon reading the words written in the designs, the story unfolds and the pictures the words create give more meaning behind the thoughts. The story builds to a powerful crescendo and the ending comes as a surprise as the inner workings of the two girls are revealed.

Don't let the length of this book put you off. It's an addicting read that will find you thinking to yourself, "just one more page." Before you know it, the story has drawn you in and you are hooked until the final page. Ms. Hopkins' is a great author for those teens that are hesitant or resistant to reading. The story moves quickly, and the topics are those that most authors would be afraid to broach. She speaks honestly and openly to teens, who may come away that much more aware of the world that surrounds them.

Reviewed by: Jaglvr

I never thought a book could surprise me as much as Identical did. You'll fall in love with the twins for different reasons, and you won't want to put this book down. Hopkins knew what she was doing when she wrote this one! You'll never see the ending coming- don't even try to guess, just enjoy the art Hopkins has written for us.

Wow, talk about your gritty, heartbreaking, roller coaster of a story. Ellen Hopkins is the master of novels in verse. Though the topic may be tragic, her writing is so well crafted. You're drawn to Kaeleigh and Raeanne. Their story is gripping. They're on a run away train of self-destruction and no one seems to notice.

This book will deliver one shocking secret after another. I would highly recommend this book.

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING! AFTER READING REVIEWS ON HER BOOKS ON the store, I DECIDED TO BUY IT FROM BARNES AND NOBLE. I STARTED READING THIS BOOK YESTERDAY AND JUST FINISHED! GREAT BOOK! GREAT BOOK! TOTALLY WAS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED. I WAS WEARY AT FIRST BECAUSE OF HOW SHE ARRANGES THE TEXT BUT AFTER AWHILE I REALLY LIKED IT BECAUSE THE LAYOUT OF THE TEXT RELATED TO WHAT THE CHARACTERS WERE THINKING IN THAT MOMENT,OR GOING THROUGH. THE ENDING THREW ME FOR A LOOP I NEVER WOULD HAVE GUESSED IT WOULD END IN THAT WAY. REALLY WOULD LIKE FOR THEIR BE A SEQUEL WHERE KAELEIGH DOES TELL IAN THE COMPLETE TRUTH ABOUT HER PAST AND SEE THEIR LOVE FOR ONE ANTOTHER BLOSSOM. ELLEN HOPKINS!!! AMAZING WRITER AND I WILL BE BUYING THE REST OF HER SERIES.

Following in suit, Perfect is written in verse. Very well written and just an overall good read. Way to make me read 97% of the book just to find out everything was waaayyyyy different that I could have imagined. Mind boggling, good read.

I have read one other Hopkins book and was very much drawn in. But this book is a whole different story. It's deep. It's dirty. There were times I wanted to stop reading because I can't handle incestuous situations. It's just hard for me to deal with. But this book keeps you in. And I was completely surprised by the ending. Call it ignorance or what have you. I thought the book was brilliant. Maybe not for younger readers but for high school and up...great read.

Ellan Hopkins has a way of connecting with the reader, a way of inticing them in and getting them to continue reading, even if the read is a painful one. I've read all five of the books that she has written, all of which I thought were very good, but Identical just seemed too much for me. The intensity was too much to bear, yet there I was continuing the read, not because I really wanted to, but because I wanted to prove to myself that I could.
I believe that Ellan Hopkins is an incredible writer. Her free verse is well done, and she is very talented. Identical went a bit too far though. I like how she allows the reader to understand just how tough everything can be, but sometimes things can't just be put out for everyone to see, mostly not a teenage audience.
I am 15 years old and I do not recommend this book for people younger than I. Though well written, those who have gone through something like what the book describes, will not be comforted by it's words.

Great book, but not for younger audience.

A very difficult tale to listen to at times, Ellen Hopkin's story is packed with emotional drama. Kaeleigh & Raeanne are identical twins who have very different identities on a deeply disturbing level and one of them has a secret that threatens to destroy both of them. An intense story that's not for the faint of heart, and a surprise ending I didn't anticipate.

Chrissy K. McVay - Author

I listened to this as an audio book because my library had a copy. This book may be ok for young adults but I would not recommend for teenagers in high school. Lots of titillating explicit sex talk -- I want to suck a big joint then a big ----. Then everything else drug use, incest, eating issues. I kept listening because it has so many good reviews but the end wasn't worth it. A lot of reviews have mentioned the twist at the end but since the story is about twins I think a lot of readers can figure out what the twist is without even reading it. The narrator does a good job and before I listened I had read an article about how we all now use with the valley girl inflection at times and that is how this book is read.

I totally agree that 'issue' books for teens can be a great thing. Victims should know they're not the only one, and others should be aware of what has happened to some of their peers.
But this book is so crammed with issues, that it loses it's focus. It's supposed to deal with the relationship between sisters, a father raping a daughter, and identity issues. But we hear about drugs and an obnoxous boyfriend (who one of the girls is having sex with) as much as the other issues. Could we please maybe focus on one or two issues? The characters aren't developed at all. We are told what the girls are thinking and feeling, but they don't explain their thoughts and actions. One of the twins wants some pretty disturbing things to happen, but she never says why.
I thought that the poetry was cutesy. The book deals with serious subjects, and I think it'd be way better (and would save trees!) to have it in traditional format instead of poetry - some dialoge would have been nice.
Not recommended, because it's depressing and didn't hit the mark.

Identical by Ellen Hopkins is a haunting story that revolves around two identical twin sisters - Kayleigh and Raeanne. Upon turning to the first page, i was immedietely disapointed in the free verse style in which the book is written. However, do not be fooled, for i quickly realized what an easy read it turned out to be and the poetry flows perfectly within the story lines.

Kayleigh - the innocent, shy twin who hides under the covers from her daddy who visits her in the night cannot except love, not even from the one boy who would do anything in the world for her. She uses food and cutting as an escape from the horrific reality that is her life, only to realize that nothing will save her except confronting her demons, and accepting them.

Raeanne - the cold, hard ruthless twin who uses sex, drugs and alchohol as an escape from the love she'll never recieve. Jealous of her twins attention from their father, she seeks love from other boys who use and abuse her.

I am so deeply impressed by this book that i read it in less than two days. The shocking twist is played by many pages of foreshadowing but the way in which the book is written kept me oblivious up until the final moment of revelation.

Although the subject isnt suitable for anyone under the age of eighteen (in my opinion) this is an absolute must read. Five stars for Ellen Hopkins.

Identical is by far the best book I have ever read. Allot of times I have noticed that it is hard for me to stay focused while reading a book. But when I was reading identical I felt like I could just read and read and read. It was so hard for me to put the book down. At night I seriously had to sit there and read until my eyes were closing and I couldn't read anymore.

Identical is about these two girls named rename and kaeleigh. They have a crazy home life. Their mother, a politician, is never home; their father, a judge, who constantly numbs himself with whiskey and pills to cover up his guilt for coming to bed with one of his daughters several nights for the majority of her life, while the other feels jealous and doesn't understand why her daddy doesn't love her the same way as her sister.

The two girls may be identical twins but they are complete opposites. Kaeleigh is a sweet and innocent girl. She is quiet and she binges and cuts herself to express the pain she feels. She and a boy named Ian have been best friends for a while and he is in love with her she just can't accept it. She is scared that "daddy" wouldn't like her having another man in her life. She always does what "daddy" says and couldn't imagine making him mad. She feels that she can only relate to and 80 yr old woman named Greta that lives in the residential center where she works. She wants so badly to tell Ian and great about "daddy" and his love he gives her but can't get the words out.
Arianne is completely opposite. She will say what she feels to anyone and everyone that wants to hear it. She constantly is having sex with boys she barely knows for drugs and she steals pills and whiskey from her father while he is passed out on the couch. She is the only person that knows kaeleighs secret, and she wants to be loved by their father the way he loves her sister.

In this heart-pounding book we learn tons of issues in their family, like why their grandmother wasn't in their life anymore, why she was suddenly calling them, why their father turned to alcohol and drugs and why he is the way he is, and most importantly what happened the day of the car crash several years ago?
Towards the end of the book, there is a HUGE twist. It was crazyy! I wouldn't dare spoil the ending but just know it is a fantastic ending that gets your mind going in crazy loops trying to figure everything out. At the end you will have a lot of ewwws and ahhhs going off in your head about why things were the way they were.

Ellen Hopkins is my favorite author and I have read just about every one of her books, and she is an amazing writer. Everything she does is in the poetry form free verse. The way her stories flow is astounding!!

Overall I think that this book is best suited for the more mature readers. It has many explicit scenes involving sex, alcohol, drugs, purging and cutting.

But put it this way, if I could give this book more than 5 stars I would!

Identical is one of those book you predict what happens before it does. The father is a stereo type you would find in a bad 50's movies of an abusive father with a mad streak to his kids and a snake like demeanor to the outside world. The twins are the soft side of Sweet Valley High. The plot has been seen before and overdone before..and better than this book has presented itself.

On audio, it is tedious and slightly boring. Does this make the story move any faster on audio..NO, but it least it is being read to you by a talented reader.

The problem is that reader can not save this text. This is a TEXT that cries for ABRIDGEMENT! maybe if it was abridged, it might be more entertaining ..UNTIL IT IS, MISS IT!!!!!!!!

Bennet pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

This book is that good. I was truly impressed by it very much. If you like a lot of drama and a book you cant put down, then this book is that type of book. Word of warning, it does read oddly though, but, its different, so, you might like the way its written or you might not. Either case, this book shouldn't be looked over. Recommended!

Identical, by Ellen Hopkins in my opinion is a very raw audio book that is read very deepy real and well by Laura Flanagan. I found the words very distrubing for a young reader. I think it should not be read by a person under 18. This novel is compelling and very interesting, the way the author wove the words to describe a deeply flawed family.

I think the author was showing something in our social stucture that is contray to our outword beliefs and our actual actions behind closed doors. This book would be a good book for a book club and open dialog.

I read a lot and this was the first book I've read by Ellen Hopkins. After reading this i read all of Ellen's books. I thought this book was extremely descriptive and clear. Although the plot did get a little confusing towards the end I couldn't put the book down. I would suggest this book to anyone and everyone.

Reading the description of this book, I was very excited. It seemed like there would be a lot of drama. I knew things weren't going well when I found out it was written in a style reminiscent of My So Called Life (which I actually like). It reads like a bunch of diary entries or maybe a bunch of therapy sessions. Each girl has a lot of issues, but it kind of just drags on and on with no plot with each complaining that their parents aren't involved in their lives (or are too involved in the case of Kayleigh) and that their family has fallen apart.

Identical is a twisted story where the reader learns more with the main character as she relives memories and discovers new secrets. It is hard to tell who is telling the truth until the end. The reader will be guessing and speculating through the entire books events. The end is equally shocking as the end in her other novel, "Burned". This novel is great for any reader looking for a raunchy story that pushes the limits and creates thrill and mystery out of tragedy. Once again, wonderfully written in Hopkins' original style.

I've enjoyed other books by this author. This was a mess though. All Hopkins' books are deeply flawed. Each one has deliriously awkward writing in parts. And every one is full of the worst metaphors you've ever read-anywhere. Holy god the going gets tough. But the subject matter- especially in Crank- is relevant with the author touching on subjects that need addressing.
Unfortunately this book is just farcical, like a bad Flowers In The Attic, with the worst ending I've read in memory. Ungodly. You may have to be a non-reading teenager to find a whole lot of merit here.
The layout of this author's books is truly unpleasant. There's a reason you never see books laid out like this. Cos it's really really dumb.And hyper-pretentious.

Listened to this book in the Playaway (preloaded audiobook) format. It is the story of identical twin teenage girls from an extremely dysfunctional family. The author does a nice job of capturing the way teens speak. As an adult, I found it an ok story, a bit repetitive and tedious, but with a nice, surprise ending.

However, as I read the book, I kept having the overwhelming thought that this book should NOT be in the Young Adult (YA) section, for young teens to read. The book is full of fairly graphic repetitive scenes of incest, scenes of teenage sexual encounters (promiscous sex in order to obtain illegal drugs, sadomasicism and bondage, oral sex, date rape), and numerous scenes depicting (and practically glamorizing) multiple drug abuse (marijuana, prescription narcotics, exotic "weed"), multiple scenes involving drunkenness (by teens and adults), and lots of profanity. More than anything else, we read about one character seeking promiscous sex and drugs, and another character who is a victim of incest throughout her childhood.

This book just left a bad taste in my mouth. Mostly, I am horrified by the thought of young teens reading this sort of trash. It could easily encourage an impressionable young person to want to get involved with drugs or promiscuous sex. I got this book from the YA section of my local library. Think I'll be talking with them about their choice of books for the YA section.

This book does an amazing job at depicting mental illness correctly. It wasn't easy to read, but I was so glad I stuck with it. The ending was a serious surprise for me, but the book was amazing. It is definitely worth reading.

Ellen Hopkins writes about teens, but not necessarily for teens in this unsettling book about overlapping identity, and deep family dysfunction in a political family. Laura Flanagan does a great job with the read on this audio version.

Sharing bodies, minds, thoughts and feelings are strange most times, but when you run into the wonder twins in this story you will think twice the next time you come across a set of twins. This story gives the right details, descriptions and keeps you in grossed throughout the whole story. Kudoossssssss! this was a great read!

Beautifully written...I've read this book twice now and was surprised each time. Dealt with some difficult topics but the truth behind them both was so real. I recommend this author to everyone and I definitely recommend this book.

Incredible is the only way to describe this book. I would very much like to say more but then i would go on and on and who knows when i would stop? This is book was amazing and the ending REALLY caught me off guard, as in i had no clue at all that what happened would happen. The first and only book so far to really blindside me. A Must-Read.

OK, I decided not to read any more of her books after Crank. That one made me worry about my future child getting all hooked on drugs. But Identical wasn't a drug book so I thought I'd give it a try. WRONG CHOICE! This book freaked me out and not in a good way.

1. It's too explicit for YA.
2. The ending was a big surprise. I haven't seen an ending like that since Gail Giles.
3. The ending was not happy. Nothing was really resolved.

And the whole Ian thing. Did he suspect from the beginning? I don't think a 16 or 17 year old is equipped to handle a relationship like this one. Most adults aren't equipped to handle it.

Just a really weird book. The verse style is praised by most but it just annoys me. I do, however, find it clever when she makes the words look like a picture, but mostly just annoying.

I wouldn't reccommend this book to someone else. Glad I borrowed and didn't buy!

I got this book from the library so attached then I finished the ending in class and started bawling my eyes out! A twist of events made me cry and it was emotional but Ellen Hopkins is a phenomenal author! I have loved every book I've read by her and hope to read even more!!

I was very excited to finally read this book. I had waited nearly 6 months to see this book on the book on the shelves. When i got home, I had nearly read half before going to sleep. Ellen did a wonderful job with explaining the characters thoroughly and giving the book an amazing ending. It came as a huge shock to me, and it was definitely an awesome plot line. I recommend this book to teenagers simply because it does an awesome job of addressing issues facing teens today.

Ellen Hopkins has created yet another page turner with a great twist! Her ability to get into the troubled teenage psyche of her characters is unbelievable and enables the reader to immediately feel a connection to them. I won't get into the plot as other reviewers have already done an awesome job of that, but I can say this book will make you want to re-read,once you get to the end! Her writing style is very readable,even though she writes in verse, but don't miss the subtle way she ties the lives of the twins together. The sub poems and mirrored poems are eye-catching and tell another, very intriguing part of the story. So, as much as you want to race to the conclusion, take the time to absorb the well-planned and oh-so-well written verse that Hopkins has brought to Identical.

This book has driven me crazy these past two days. It's one of those books where you can't decide whether you love the book, or hate it. I do know however, that I extremely appreciate Hopkins's writing.
It makes you think.
-h

Identical is easily one of Ellen Hopkins' best novels.
Identical is perfect in every way, it carries an interesting plot from beginning to end. The book tackles heavy subjects such as alcoholism, drugs, sex, and inner turmoil and destruction. The way the characters act and are built is very human like and the way it is all written never leads you to expect the twist ending.
I definitely recommend this book.

This is the first book I've read of Ellen Hopkins' and I love it! I want to read more her works and I recommend this book for anyone over the age of 13, male or female. It was better than I though it would be and it gave me a great surprise at the end! Totally not what I was expecting!

So, I was psyched for Identical, being a huge Ellen Hopkins fan. I pre-ordered it, and it showed up on my doorstep this morning. I eagerly began reading it, and figured out the book's biggest plot twist less than a hundred pages in.

I wanted to scream at Ellen Hopkins. Her "M. Night Shamyalan-esque" twist should not come as a surprise to anybody who has read Crank/Glass, or ever watch an episode of Heroes. I'm sure that figuring out the surprise early is part of my reason for disliking this book, but I know it is not the only reason.

SPOILERS AHEAD (minor, I won't give away the 'surprise' but there will be spoilers.

I felt like for a book that was supposed to be about sexual abuse, it was less about the father/daughter relationship and more about out of control teens in the vibe of Crank/Glass. The parts of the book about this relationship were great, but they were few and far between. The history about how the father became who he is today was fascinating, and Ellen Hopkins really should have played that up more. Another thing, in my opinion, that she could have done to improve the plot would have been to continue the story after the protagonist enters rehab. We know she can write about recovery (Impulse) and it would have added to the plot in my opinion.

All in all, this book was 'Eh.' It was a disappointment, as I have come to expect more from Ellen Hopkins. Consequently, I will still be a fan after reading this book, but I won't advertise it as I have with her other works. It seems as if this summer is the summer of gigantic book disappointments. First Breaking Dawn, now this...I really hope Brisingr (the last of the trifecta of great summer books, following BD and Identical) is great.

Wow! Wow! Wow! What a story! This is the perfect example of how perfect a family can look from the outside. Beautifully written. I was on the edge of my seat with every turn of the page. Impressive twist at the end that literally left me in awe! Wow, just wow!

This is another stellar book by Ellen Hopkins. She has a way with words! Identical deals with intense teen issues, as do all of her books. I would definitely recommend checking them out!!!
Crank
Glass
Burned
Impulse
Identical

This was brilliant. The stunning use of vocabulary would raise the intensity until you were on your toes. The unexpected twist at the end left me breathless and my mother had the same reaction. This book was and is truly fantastic.

As I struggled to finish listening to this audio CD of IDENTICAL, by Ellen Hopkins, I found myself baffled by the question of just who the audience is supposed to be. While it is listed as a YA (roughly ages 12-18), I simply cannot believe that this age group is the intended audience. IDENTICAL is filled with extremely twisted, horrific, graphic incest, date rape, sadomasochism, sexual child abuse, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, emotional abuse, binging and purging, and cutting. As a YA herself, my 13 year old, 8th grade daughter would not be permitted nor would she want to read this book. At any age younger than 18, I would hesitate to recommend this extremely disturbing book to her. And I am quite appalled that School Library Journal would actually recommend this book for grade 9. If I found IDENTICAL in my daughter's school library, I would request that it be pulled immediately.

Please understand, I am not advocating censorship. I have no objections to this book being for sale in a bookstore, on the shelf at a public library, or freely available to adults. In these places, teens and their parents together can make the decisions as to whether or not this book is right for them. But in a school library, a single, overworked librarian cannot possibly help every child choose appropriate material. The children are mostly on their own. And I do expect every book there to be an appropriate choice. A school library should be a safe, comfortable environment.

As for the story in IDENTICAL, it is very slow moving, at times hard to follow, and has way too many "issues" within it. It is almost as if IDENTICAL is attempting to be the story of the most disturbed teenager and the most dysfunctional family in the history of the world. It would have been more effective if one or two major issues were selected; the impact would have been much greater. As it stands, this family is so screwed up, that the reader has no hope of any of them. And certainly if they were this obviously messed up, SOMEONE would have noticed.

I am giving IDENTICAL an extra star for the talent of the reader on the audio CD, Laura Flanagan. Laura has a very engaging style, a distinct voice and unique vocal qualities for each character, and is very believable. I would love to hear her read something else. But I will have to look for her on the CDs of other authors. I will not be reading or listening to any more Ellen Hopkins.

I have been a fan of Ellen Hopkins for quite some time and her books never disappoint. Her interesting writing style is refreshing and different. Identical is definitely one her best works, the ending is absolutely unbelievable. It makes you want to re-read the book since you now have a completely different perspective about who the characters really are.

i thought the book was well written and VERY powerful. there were times when i was just so sucked into the book that i didn't want to stop reading. there are some parts where its very graphic and disturbing to read. the book involves cutting, some pretty explicit sex scenes, molestation, drinking, bulimia, and pill popping. so be warned if you're not ready to read about somethings i listed. you may not want to read it.

I just couldn't get interested in the characters or caught up in the story. My husband and I listened to this audio book on our long commutes into work but neither of us enjoyed the story and we were relieved when the book ended and we could move on to something more entertaining. It takes dysfunctional to a depressing new low.

I found the narration to be underwhelming. There was little inflection and the reading pace seemed too set and rhythmic...my husband described the reading as "boring". I was most irritated that the pace of the reading just kept plodding along.

It was difficult to get into the story and took several hundred pages before making even the slight connection and discovering the 'jist' of the tale.

The whole tale was just not to my liking. It was off-putting in the way it moved forward. I think this story might be better read than listened to.

I fell in love with this book, I was unable to put it down and when I actually did i kept thinking about what the next turn of the page would bring. Just when i thought that the book couldn't get any better the ending shocked me...i highly recommend this book (and all other Ellen Hopkins books)highly, it is a really captivating read.

This book was incredible. I was on edge since the first page. At one point i was laying down reading it and jumped up so quick i got whiplash because it suprised me. Best 8.99 i ever spent. Bravo Ellen Hopkins.

This book is amazing. Ellen Hopkins is such a great author. You feel like you are in that persons shoes. The imagery and details were astonishing. Her books, like always, keeps you in suspense and the endings are so UNPREDICTABLE. Amazing, reallllyyy amazing.

Dont get me wrong i enjoy most of Hopkins` books. This one just takes it to a new extreme. Theres a large amount of drug abuse, incest and rape, self mutiltion, promiscuity. Is this really what peple want there children exposed to, dont kids already see enough of this in their schools i dont believe that they need to see it in thier literature as well. This book very graphicly exposes the world of a teen struggling with many issues (not listing any so I wont be a spoiler) that some are faced with. Although this book was written for teens perferably in the 9 grade, i wouldnt allow your child to read it until they`re about 17 18.

8 or 9 years ago, I read this book called Haunted Sister by Lael Littke. It had me scared for days. A few hours ago, I finished the same book. Different title, different author, slight variations, but the same exact plot, even the same shiny silver cover. Two girls. Twins. One has a life of perfection, and the other one is evil. But you know what? One twin is alive. One twin is dead. Died in a childhood accident. But the living twin doesn't know this. The living twin only knows that she and her twin are both still alive, still two halves of one. I'm not going to lie. Identical was extremely powerfully written. But I read it before. I knew, before even beginning the book, just by reading about the two twins on the inside flap, I knew the entire story. Throughout the book, the signs were clear. Their dad did it to Kaeleigh, but not Rae. But they're identical. And somehow, Rae still knows everything their dad had done to Kaeleigh--are we led to believe she sits and watches? And then their mother says "you look exactly like her", saying it to only one twin. But they're identical. The writing was genius. The style, the identical mirrored words were genius. But the plot left a lot to be desired, since I've read it once before. The only good addition was Ian.

(And didn't anyone else expect to hear GLADOS start singing "Still Alive" at the end? No? That was just me?)

Rating: 5/5 for writing.
As for plot, I would really like to give it a 0/5, but instead, I think I'll just leave it fair and won't rate it. I just feel a little cheated.

This is a horrible book. I cannot say anything good about it. I would never recommend it to anyone. I started to read it and after the first six chapters was so disgusted I had to delete it off my kindle. I have NEVER done that with any other book.

I am a huge fan of Ellen Hopkins' four other books: Crank, Glass, Burned, and Impulse. I've been awaiting Identical all summer, having preordered it in June.

As I began reading the book, I instantly loved it. I was so intrigued with the family history, and I found myself rooting for Kaeleigh to tell her secret from page one.

When the twist was presented towards the end of the book, however, I was severly disappointed. Ellen Hopkins definitely let me down.

this book is way over rated it is a little strong and was a waste of my time to read but if youwanted to read a weird strange book this would be right for you well ok i might have went over bored it is an ok book but it was not right for me