Contributed by Victoria K., grade 11

Have words ever leapt off the page to greet you? To hold your hand as you glide happily among its pages, its world? To beckon you closer and whisper in your ear a story that will excite, delight, and astound? It seems inconceivable that in a world where many shy away from literature, a book could be “inviting” or “smooth”.

Identical, like the rest of Ellen Hopkins’s novels, is written in verse, meaning the book lays out the tale in a series of poems. No worries though, alliteration can be cast aside and iambic pentameter forgotten, for this the type of poetry tells a clear and tragic tale from the first person. It’s the kind of poetry that inspires awe, not confusion. It’s the kind of poetry that carries you from page to page in a rather thick novel.

Another similarity prevalent in all of Ellen Hopkins’s tales (from her stunning debut novel, Crank, to her latest, Tricks) is the darker themes she writes about. Certainly writers for “young adults” don’t write about unicorns and fairies (of course Harry Potter is the exception here), but most don’t write about topics such as meth and pot addictions, underage drinking, teen prostitution, and sexual abuse, as is the case with Identical. The story centers on Kaeleigh and Raeanne, two twins who couldn’t be more different. Since an accident ripped apart their family several years ago, their mother has thrown herself into her political life. Meanwhile their father has thrown himself at Kaeleigh, sexually abusing her as he tries to fight with his own demons, stemming from his involvement in the accident and his own corrupted childhood. In a twisted way, Raeanne finds herself the loser in the equation, not even getting her father’s (albeit negative) attention. She uses alcohol, drugs from pot to heroin, and sex to compensate for the neglect she feels.

This in itself would certainly be enough to compel the reader forward as the tale neatly alternates between Kaeleigh and Raeanne’s perspectives. And yet, somehow, there’s more hidden between the passages. For example, we learn what truly haunts their father to drive him towards abusing his daughter, alcohol, and prescription drugs, what really happened in that car crash several years ago, and its lingering effects on Kaeleigh. It’s these types of reveals that lead up to a climax you had no way of anticipating. It’s chilling once you truly understand the situation and you’re floored by Hopkins’s talent in telling this story.

It is really these aspects that set it apart from the rest of Hopkins’s books. Though Crank and its sequel are superb, Identical is hard to beat because of the author’s great talents as a poet in a novel that begs to be devoured from beginning to end.