More Than What Meets the Eye

Who Wrote This?

Ellen Hopkins is a writer of many stories, the majority of them aimed toward young adult audiences. As someone who is not a follower of this genre, I surprisingly found myself rather delighted while reading her novel, Identical. The story centers around two twin sisters, Raeanne and Kaeleigh, and the problems that they find themselves faced with. Whether it be drugs, boys, or a deeply disturbing family life, these two personalities are explored in vivid fashion.

Before I opened the first page of this text, I was aware of its premise. Quite simply, without giving away any crucial details, the protagonists of the story are not exactly what the reader may expect them to be. Despite knowing this ahead of time, I still found myself enthralled in the story, and that could be because of my prior knowledge. After all, sometimes knowing the end or twist to a story can make the remainder of the journey more fascinating than it would otherwise be. Additionally, the story is not written in a traditional manner. Instead, Hopkins implements her own style of formatting, ditching traditional paragraphs. This stanza-like structure, which could be seen as freestyle poetry, allows the reader to not only refresh their eyes from page to page, but also creates a rapid flow in the story.

Identical is more than what meets the eye. Whether it be the true significance of the characters, the mysteries that are slowly unraveled throughout, or the truly unique style in which it is written, Ellen Hopkins' Identical will more than likely tickle your mind.

Identical, by Ellen Hopkins, McElderry Books, August 2008, 565 pages