Mirror to Mirror by Rajani LaRocca

Mirror to Mirror by Rajani LaRocca
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another Rajani La Rocca winner; this novel in verse about twin sisters with very different personalities was awesome; middle grade and young adult readers will enjoy the format, the girls' drama, and their summer camp escapades. Will Maya & Chaya find each other as their differences threaten to tear them apart? Highly recommended!

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Swamp Thing: Twin Branches by Maggie Stiefvator and illustrated by Morgan Beem

Swamp Thing: Twin Branches by Maggie Stiefvater
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Maggie Stiefvater along with brilliant illustrator, Morgan Beem has crafted a gripping graphic novel about opposite twin brothers visiting down south before college. I particularly liked shy but steady Walker who loves plants and has ideas for experimenting. It has all the feels, magical realism, mystery, creepy woods, and complex. I am hoping the brothers' adventures will be continued in a 2nd book!

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The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand

The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to my daughter-in-law for passing this gem along to me! Identical twins Harper and Tabitha have quite a life and I could not stop turning the pages as we learn about their (separate) lives when their parents divorce and each take one twin! The changes in their lives and loves were scintillating, awesome, and heartbreaking (at times), highly recommended!

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I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Love, love, love this author and this second book by Jandy Nelson has so much to savor and enjoy. I have to agree with my friend, Tiff Emerick, I did not want it to end. I kept reading small bits, hoping that would make the love, drama, brother/sister dysfunction, family sagas, and the art that wove its way through the plot, the characters, and healing last forever. Twins Jude and Noah tell parts of the story at different ages. At a certain point, what they once had so much of- love, honesty, and sharing became jealousy, lies and separation. Nelson's characters affected me deeply- not just Noah and Jude, but their mom (and her ghost), their grandmother's ghost, Brian, the English model and the crazy artist who takes Jude on as a student. There is so much to love about this novel, but I will leave you with the beauty of Nelson's words as Noah describes Brian, "I swear I can see sound, the dark green howling wind, the crimson crush of rain- all these sound-colors swirling around my room while I lie on my bed thinking about Brian. His name when I say it aloud: Azul." This is a must read; you will laugh, cry, sing, and sigh. The words evoke such wonderful colors, images, and emotions.


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