Identical

Written by Ellen Hopkins

Narrated by Laura Flanagan

In the latest hard-hitting YA novel by the New York Times bestselling author, sixteen-year-old identical twin girls must come to terms with their abusive father.

Kaeleigh and Raeanne are sixteen-year-old identical twins, the daughters of a district court judge father and politician mother running for Congress. Everything on the surface of their lives seems Norman Rockwell perfect, but underneath run deep and damaging secrets.

Kaeleigh is the good girl-her father's perfect flower, something she has tried so hard to be since she was nine and he started sexually abusing her. She cuts herself and vomits after every binge, desperate to feel something normal. Raeanne uses painkillers, drugs, alcohol, and sex to numb the pain of not being Daddy's favorite. Both girls must figure out how to become whole, but how can they when their world has been torn to shreds?

Writing in her characteristic narrative poetry style, Ellen Hopkins shows once again how well she knows today's teens and the issues that matter to them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Highbridge Company
• Release date: Aug 27, 2008
• ISBN: 9781598877434

Ellen Hopkins

Ellen Hopkins is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of numerous young adult novels, as well as the adult novels such as Triangles, Collateral, and Love Lies Beneath. She lives with her family in Carson City, Nevada, where she has founded Ventana Sierra, a nonprofit youth housing and resource initiative. Follow her on Twitter at @EllenHopkinsLit.

Reviews for Identical

[kennylef_495849271 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When a character constantly infuriates you, that's when you know a book is well written because it makes you feel something. Ray is a very disgusting character and at times I had to press pause and find something else to do. This book, just like Ellen Hopkins other books is so well written and I love how it deals with true to life scenarios even if they do at times make you uncomfortable, but that's what makes her writing style so good, she has a way of lighting a fire in you, and it makes you think, or it opens your eyes to things in life that are so easily pushed to the back of our minds. I could go on, but I won't, just know this is another brilliantly written story and I look forward to more!

[sixteendays · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Identical is the story of two identical twin sisters in the midst of their teenage years, growing up in a less-than-ideal family. Kaeleigh is the sweet-natured, obedient twin who craves the maternal love she doesn’t receive and fears the paternal love that comes too often. Raeanne is the wild-child, promiscuous twin who seems to be completely ignored by both her parents and actively searches out “love” in all the wrong places, and with all the wrong people.Hopkins is extremely talented at making you really care for her characters, and Kaeleigh and Raeanne are no exception. I think the problem with Identical is how much shit these characters go through. It’s almost unbelievable, how terrible their lives are; it’s an introduction to a new kind of misery. While none of the abuse or destructive behaviors are necessarily out of place, it’s the non-stop assault that makes it difficult to truly connect with the story. It’s a page-turner, without a doubt, but that’s because you’re praying for it to end and for the misery to stop.The ending is also rather abrupt. While I had guessed the major twist about 100 pages before it occurred, the lack of ‘after’ was disappointing.Please note that this book includes a ton of triggering subjects up-to and including: psychological abuse, cutting, bulimia, sexual violence, pedophilia, and incest.

[salsabrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This reminded me of "Uncle Vampire" by Cynthia Grant. I figured out the surprise development long before it happened but couldn't guess which twin it was. The intensity and raw honesty will draw readers in but I found this book much longer than I felt it needed to be.

[Christie Novak · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I gave this three stars because this is a book that must be read, not heard. The author wrote this in a form that demands to be seen. I listened to about 2/3 and kept wondering what I was missing. Then I looked at the book and realized what it was. Please go look at the book before you decide to listen.

[pmlyayakkers · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical twins. A car accident changed everything for their family. Now their mother is running for political office and is uninvolved, and Kaeleigh's father controls her in every way.

[dawn.zimmerer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Identical is the story of Kaeleigh and Raeanne, mirror image identical twins. It deals with incest/sexual abuse, drug abuse, alcoholism, cutting and mental illness. It also has a surprising twist and a hopeful ending.

Kaeleigh deals with her issues by trying to be a "good girl". Making others happy, acquiescing to the needs of others, not saying NO. Raeanne becomes the "bad girl". Turning to drugs, alcohol and sex, rarely saying NO (even when she should).

It is well written enough that I started it at noon and didn't put it down until I finished it at 6:30pm (well, I did make lunch in there and I might have taken a wee nap). While the subject matter is intense, it is not gratuitously graphic.

As a survivor of several of the subject matters discussed, I can honestly say that Ms. Hopkins deals with them honestly. Many may not like the issues (and, no doubt, she is or will be often challenged in libraries) the emotions and language are genuine. I can hear much of myself in her words.

I am looking forward to reading more of her books.

[bookscantgetenough · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book held my attention like her other books. The twist was like going down a road think there is no end and then all the sudden the cliff appears. It also gave me a look in how some people deal with traumatic situation or in better words don't deal with them.

[lvstrongpuff · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow, wow, wow! This book is an emotional roller coaster. I went from hating it, to loving it, to not liking any of the characters to falling in love with two of them. The ending is just a complete twist and I was not expecting it at all. The two main characters draw you in and really make you feel for them. This is a great book!

[jenniebooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Twin sisters deal with dysfunctional home.

[shahnareads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love books written in poem.
This was wonderful. I want to read everything else she's written.
Such a good story. Love the twists.

[melanietid · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really like these books and I love that they are written in verse.

[jackiewark · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When a fatal accident sets off a string of dysfunctional scenarios in the Gardella household, identical twins Kaeleigh and Raeanne cope in their own destructive, abusive ways. Their father is a high-powered judge who has had an awful childhood that he blames on a absent mother and a father who works too much. The twins' mother is a congresswoman who has time for her constituents, but not her own flesh-and-blood. Raeanne falls into sex, drugs, and promiscuity, while Kaeleigh cuts, binges and purges, and is victim of an incestuous sexual relationship. What has triggered these self-destructive acts are almost beyond comprehension, as we learn just how abusive, sick, and mentally ill the family is. To say Identical is powerful reading is an understatement. As a reader, you are filled with rage, sorrow, confusion, and unadulterated bewilderment. A must-read? Yes. Will any member of this family be 'saved'?...or is the family too torn apart to be put back together? As with all of Hopkin's books, the story isn't pretty, but the writing is powerful and necessary.

[c.davidson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3Q 4PBrutal, shocking story about twins Raeanne and Kaigleigh, who are suffering from neglect by their mother and too much of the wrong kind of attention from their father. Some of the descriptions in this novel-in-verse made me very uncomfortable because of the intensity of hurt and emotions the characters experience. The arrangement of text on the page adds another layer of meaning with the shapes and alternate ways of reading each poem. Although I guessed the major plot twist early on, I was still motivated to keep reading and still encountered some surprises.

[samarnold1975 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The premise of this book is fairly common. Teenage problems are dealt with in detail and there are a number that are mentioned in this book. The book is written in verse which is common for this author. I started by finding this way of writing very refreshing. As the book progressed however I hoped for more in-depth prose. Even though this book is shorter than some with written word you find that you still get to know the characters well. The story was engaging and the twist was excellent at the end of the book. I enjoyed this book and will definitely look up more by this author although I am not immediately drawn to read everything by her in the next month.

[laneliterati · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was a mind blowing. The subject matter is difficult but the issues exist and it is important for fiction like this to be available to help readers who may be in a similar situation.

[mjspear_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kaeleigh and Raeanne are "identical" in looks but couldn't be more different in temperment or personality AND their fates. Kaeleigh is sexually abused by her father (the mother is a politician) and Raeanne acts out by engaging in equally high-risk behaviors: sex and drugs (marihuana). The family's deep dysfunction belies the sunny California setting and public face. The girls' tales are told in usual Hopkins free verse, with each twin alternating chapters. The voices are distinct and real. This honesty transcends the slightly hyperbolic cast of problems. For mature teens seeking bibliotherapy or, perhaps, escapism/ reassurance (my family is bad but not this bad...) Hopkins trumps again.

[sublunarie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Identical is the story of two identical twin sisters in the midst of their teenage years, growing up in a less-than-ideal family. Kaeleigh is the sweet-natured, obedient twin who craves the maternal love she doesn’t receive and fears the paternal love that comes too often. Raeanne is the wild-child, promiscuous twin who seems to be completely ignored by both her parents and actively searches out “love” in all the wrong places, and with all the wrong people.Hopkins is extremely talented at making you really care for her characters, and Kaeleigh and Raeanne are no exception. I think the problem with Identical is how much shit these characters go through. It’s almost unbelievable, how terrible their lives are; it’s an introduction to a new kind of misery. While none of the abuse or destructive behaviors are necessarily out of place, it’s the non-stop assault that makes it difficult to truly connect with the story. It’s a page-turner, without a doubt, but that’s because you’re praying for it to end and for the misery to stop.The ending is also rather abrupt. While I had guessed the major twist about 100 pages before it occurred, the lack of ‘after’ was disappointing.Please note that this book includes a ton of triggering subjects up-to and including: psychological abuse, cutting, bulimia, sexual violence, pedophilia, and incest.

[backus2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This novel in verse highly contributes to the content of the story, which makes you want to go back and read it a second time. Kaeleigh and Raeanne are two 16 year old identical twins. They have the perfect family…on the outside: their father is a district judge, and their mother is running for Congress. There is no such thing as perfect, especially with this family. Kaeleigh has been sexually abused by her father since she was 9; Raeanne drinks and uses drugs heavily because she is jealous of her twin sister and the love and attention she gets from her father, even sexually. Like that wasn’t enough to disturb a reader, Hopkins creates an even more twisted ending that brings all the pieces together.

[librarybrandy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the first of Hopkins' books I've read, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. I picked it up because the kids who look for her books don't really read much else, so if I'm going to point them new directions I need to at least know what her books are about.

Overall, I wasn't terribly impressed. The story is interesting, but I had some troubles knowing who was speaking, as the sisters' voices were indistinguishable*. Exposition is clunky at times, with large blocks of dialogue that sound ridiculously stilted. Handy coincidences lend support from different quarters (like the old lady in the nursing home), and Dad's past wasn't any big surprise--anyone who inflicts abuse had it inflicted upon them as a child, of course. (Really? All the time? it seems that way in books and I know it's common in real life, too, but it seems lazy to assume that sexual abusers are that way because they were abused as kids.)

*The ending of the book, in which the two sisters are really one person with dissociative identity disorder, do a little to clear up the indistinguishable voices issue, and also explains why Mean-Girl Madison is hitting on both girls' boyfriends and spreading rumors about Kaeleigh's promiscuity. Unfortunately, the ending doesn't justify the problems I had--while the issues make sense in the context of the revelation, the revelation isn't strong enough to support the 500 pages before it.

[emleemay · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was... disturbing. Very disturbing. I really like the author's style and I think the use of verse is highly effective and contributes something to the story that I never imagined possible... but. And there is a but. I felt this book, unlike Burned which I loved, just went too far. It made me feel uncomfortable, too much so. I can't explain, I usually really like books that are controversial and stretch boundaries but... a man performing oral sex on his daughter while her twin watched and secretly wished it was her? The revulsion I felt was too much. Way too much.

I thought the plot idea was great, very interesting and a rather dangerous subject area to delve into (child abuse, amongst other things). Basically, it's the story of identical twins, almost completely alike except one is the reluctant centre of her father's attention... sexual attention. The other twin feels unloved by her father and longs to please him... even sexually. That was the part of this book that made my stomach churn, not so much the abuse of one twin but the incestuous desires of the other.

I read it in a few hours and was gripped in a manner that can only be described as 'horrified'. I couldn't put it down, like the inability to look away from a road accident even after seeing a mangled body. Perhaps it should be given more stars, but I didn't really enjoy this book. Who knows? I'll probably read it again in the future and I might decide to revise this rating. We shall see.

[briedrake · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was amazing, It totally blew my mind at the end with that huge twist. It made me go back and think about all that I have read and how all the clues are there. Ellen Hopkins does an amazing job at bringing the characters to life and managing to throw in that suspensful twist.

[meags222_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I got this book at Chapters with some of my Christmas giftcards. I picked this up because I really enjoyed Hopkins' Crank trilogy and this book didn't disappoint. It is a tough book to read because it deals graphically with sexual abuse between a father and a daughter. It focuses on the family dynamics and how the abuse has affected not only the victim but also the victim's sister, mother and the perpetrator himself. I could not put this down because it was so interesting to see how Hopkins is able to write so fluidly about such a disturbing topic. The book, like Hopkins' other books, is told entirely in verse and I think that her writing style is genius. When the book shifts from one sister to the other there is a line that is mirrored on bother pages. I for one would have great difficultly trying to write like this. I found myself wanting to yell at the mother in this book. I wanted her to take her head out of her butt and take a real look at her family and demonstrate that she cared. I do not want to spoil any of the plot line but I have to say that the ending blew me away. I never saw it coming and it made the book all that much better. While this book may be too much for some people to digest I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. I would recommend reading this book if you can handle some disturbing scenes.

[sshadoan_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

She's a poetic genius, but I couldn't take the intensity of the subject matter, and I felt the ending was contrived.

[taletreader_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm a fan of Hopkins' writing, so I knew what I was getting into when I started this book. What I didn't know, however, was how much of a light this book shone on the topics of abuse, and more deeply, psychological warfare. Being a psychology minor, I already knew right away what was going on. Still, having it end the way I knew it was going to didn't take away from the story in the least bit. I bet many people out there--including young girls--can sympathize with the characters in Hopkins' book, and as sad as that is, it's hopeful that maybe books like these can help young adults come out with their problems and seek help.

[sb631 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love Ellen Hopkins and i love her style of writing! This was a really good book. I deals with a lot of serious issues that unfortunately many people deal with.

[acleveland_14 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Identical was a story about two girls...or one depending on how you look at it.This book opens the eyes to what PTSD can do along with Bulimia, addiction to drugs and Qxycotton, as well as sexual abuse.It also shows you the type of pressure that parents can put upon their kids as well as their very own peers.A mother who has no more loveA father who has to much loveTwo daughters who are one looking/competing for love and finding it in all the wrong/right placesi cant talk about it anymore with spoiling everything.just make sure that you read it.

[roselanhe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is the story of twin sisters Kaeleigh and Raeanne Gardella. They live with their father, a district court judge, and their mother, a hopeful for the United States Congress. On the outside, their life is seemingly perfect. But in reality, there are earth-shattering secrets that are threatening to rip their already torn family apart. Dealing with issues such as incestual rape, death, addiction, self-injury, affairs, and relationships, Identical is a story of despair and struggle that ultimately leads Kaeleigh Gardella down the road to redemption and healing. This is a story everyone can relate to in some way. Everyone should definitely read it.

[k1chapman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I thought this was a great book. I like the hole twist of the story, the ending is something i didnt expect to happen but it made the story more interesting.

[edward6montoya · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

like all of Ellin Hopkins previous books it really captures your attention and makes actually want to read it. its gritty its intense and most of awesome.

[lisagibson_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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. I'm giving it five kisses!