Identical

just finished: Identical
reading next: Looking for Alaska



Identical
written by Ellen Hopkins

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.

I don't know whether to think this was stolen or just...an uncannily similar idea. But THAT similar? I can't see how two distinctly different authors would have an idea that original.
(Unless of course, Ellen Hopkins and Lael Littke are the same person. Or twins. DUM DUM DUMMMMMMM...)