Hello, Internet! Library Fairy here. My latest find is, well, a bit of downer. However, not all good books are intrinsically happy, and this one is tough, painful, and beautifully written, and I believe that it bears a closer look. I give you…
Identical by Ellen Hopkins
At first glance, the reader might be a little daunted by Identical’s staggering 576 pages. However, you’ll find that each page goes by relatively quickly. Ellen Hopkins is known for a rather unique style of writing. Her first person narratives are written in a style of free-verse poetry, often arranging the words into shapes in a fashion reminiscent of e.e. cummings. The author’s other works include Burned, Impulse, Tricks, and Crank, and her characters deal with such hard-hitting issues as drug addiction, eating disorders, and sexual abuse.
Identical is the story of a pair of twin girls, Kayleigh and Raeanne. On the surface, their life looks pretty plush: they live in a beautiful house, they have pretty clothes to wear, and they come from a well-to-do family. Their mother is running for Congress, and their father is a well-established judge. On the inside, though, is a very different picture. The family has been splintered since a terrible car accident that injured their mother, causing her to physically and emotionally distance herself from her husband and children. Daddy, as he is called, abuses alcohol and pills and regularly sexually abuses Kayleigh and ignores Raeanne. Each girl finds her own way of coping with the pain: Kayleigh turns to binge eating and self-mutilation, while Raeanne indulges in drugs and casual sex.
Image source: http://rapesexualabuse.blogspot.com/
While the text isn’t graphic, the author pulls no punches in letting the reader know exactly what’s going on. The flashbacks that the two girls relive, though brief, make the reader very uncomfortable. The story manages to be both difficult to read and difficult to put down. On a personal note, I was biting my lip and wondering if this story could possibly have a happy ending. I won’t give anything away, but Hopkins gives an artful one-two punch at the climax when everything that’s been buried is revealed again. If a book can be both beautiful and terrible, this is it. As a warning, this may be a difficult read if you have a weak stomach or post-traumatic stress disorder.
As a sidenote, April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, for more information, go to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center's website, http://www.nsvrc.org/saam.
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