Sixth Post : Ending

Close to the end of this phenomenal novel, it takes a crazy twist.  Something you would never expect to happen.  Raeanne is spending some time with Ty (kaeleighs' Boyfriend), and there is a knock on the door. Ian was wondering what Kaeleigh was doing with this stranger.  She kept trying to explain that she was Raeanne, but all Ian could tell her is that Raeanne was dead.  Of course, Raeanne thought that statement was very absurd because how could she be dead if she was standing right there? Finally, Ian confessed about the accident where Raeanne died a few years back.  Come to find out, Kaeleigh had Dissociative Identity Disorder, and sometimes she would take on her sisters personality; after all they were twins.

Fifth Post : Feelings/Emotions

IDENTICAL is raw and disturbing, painful and powerful. 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. You want to scream at them to tell someone about their problems, but you're so deep in their minds that you understand why they feel trapped in their world. You will defiantly have mixed emotions on the story.

Forth Post : Writing Style

Ellen Hopkins uses characteristic narrative poetry style, Writing in free verse she manages to pull you into her stories so quickly that before you know, the story has ended. Hopkins writing style is very unique and just one page of her writing is all it takes to hook you .

Third Post : Characters Problems

Both Characters have many problems , which revolve around their Father . He started sexually abusing Kaeleigh . She cuts herself and vomits after every eating, desperate to feel something normal. Raeanne, the other twin , uses painkillers, drugs, alcohol, and sex to numb the pain of not being her dads favorite. Both twins have a lot of problems through out the novel ,but hopefully they can work everything out and fix them.

Second Post : Main Themes

The main Themes : 1. Siblings first and foremost. To me, the central theme wasn't the abuse Kaeleigh goes through, but the relationship between the two sisters, from disfragmented to unity. Being identical twins can be tough. Finding your own self while others may look at you in the same way is frustrating. Haven't some of use experienced the "I know your sister/brother and expect the same behavior from you?" expectations teachers put on siblings alone? These two characters are so different, especially Raeanne, because of the need for identity as well as perhaps some one upmanship. 2. Dyfunctional families. Mother is absent, father is a drunk, the kids take the brunt of the situation, but they have to keep it all together because of job and community status .

First post - Comparing Characters

Compare/Contrast two characters : Kayleigh and Raeanne may be twins but they could not be more different. Kayleigh who is abused by her father and in turn abuses her body by binging and then vomiting to deal with this struggles to cope with life. Raeanne can’t deal with not being daddy’s favourite and so uses drugs and sex to deal with the pain

Introduction

• Author -  Ellen Hopkins
• Publisher - Margaret K. McElderry
• Number of Pages - 565
  
  

I chose this book because it looked very interesting . The book is written in free verse poetry and talks about Kaeleigh and Raeanne who are 16 year old identical twins, the daughters of a district court judge father and politician mother running for US Congress. Everything on the surface seems fine, but underneath run very deep and damaging secrets. Basically the book is about these 2 girls : Kaeleigh  the "good girl" and she just wants her dad to love her and Raeanne the "bad ass" who is jealous of Kaeligh because her dad loves her more.


The book seems very deep and dark so far , Ive leaned that even though someone might seem perfect , there is always more underneath the surface.