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Almost Identical (2012)

by Lin Oliver(Favorite Author)

4.25 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0448458659 (ISBN13: 9780448458656)

languge

English

genre

Middle Grade & Children's

publisher

Grosset & Dunlap

series

Almost Identical

review 1: This was just awful! The plotline comes across as a rip off of the first book in the Sweet Valley Twins series, but it's so poorly executed that I felt sorry for today's kids that they could be subject to junk like this. The twins are written in a very flat manner...one is fat, even though she supposedly practices tennis constantly...that came across as fake because anyone who has spent that much time on the court knows it would be impossible to be fat with that type of exercise. The fat twin is obsessed with her weight and spends a lot of time making hateful, resentful comments towards everyone around her. The other twin is a follower and a mouse... they have a hot older brother who starts dating the popular girl in their class. (If he's so hot, why wouldn't he date a gir... morel his own age?)... the book is filled with pc stereotypes...all the artistic, thoughful girls that the fat twin hangs out with are non-white, while the mean girls are of course portrayed as blondes. Anyone see some subliminal messaging here? We are also given a sob story from illegal alien Alicia, who remembers being smuggled in to the country as a child and thought blond people were aliens. (No, honey, YOU are the alien. ;) ) Ugh! Do yourself a favor and just go back and read Sweet Valley...you'll get less of a stomachache.
review 2: Middle school novel about twin tennis playing sisters. A lot of subjects are touched on: change in financial circumstances, social class, mom away from home while she pursues her dream, competitive sports/coach dad, body image, grandparent relations, sibling relations...But the main focus is on twins, Charlie and Sammie, who play competitive tennis and are "two halves of a circle". When the family moves and the girls start in a new middle school they begin to learn how to navigate their differences.Quick read with no language, sex or violence to worry about. Overall mild book, though I did want someone to stand up to the dad. It wasn't until the end that the author threw in a little story to help us realize he was a good guy. He comes across as a bit of a bully. But the author just manages to keep me from hating him. I could recommend this to elementary girls who want to read about middle schoolers but aren't ready for more mature content. less

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