*SPOILER ALERT*
Right now I am in the middle of a Ellen Hopkins marathon! I love Ellen Hopkins and have been waiting to read a few of her books because in 6th grade when I read Crank for the first time I was scared to death for weeks. I'm not kidding. After that terrifying experience I decided to wait at least a year to read her other books. In the past weekI have made my way through Crank (for a second- much less scary-time) and am already 3/4 done with Identical. I adore Identical! It's about these two identical (duh!) twin sisters who are trapped in a crumbling family. These two girls are perceived as being two identical people, but they are so FAR from it.
Raeanne is a very complicated character. She has so many different Raeannes bottled up inside her. She claims a few time that she is unlike her sister who is frigid and keeps everything bottled up inside her, but I think she is. She has an exterior that is tough and seemingly relaxed. She is a stoner and has a series of terrible boyfriends. She is also bulimic. Her explanation was that it helps her feel in control, she says it really isn't about body image. She is using drugs, alcohol, and boys to cope with the lack of attention from her father. She is jealous of her sisters closeness with her father. She knows how sick it is that she wants a sexual relationship with her father, but all she really wants is a little love. I feel awful for Raeanne, but at the same time I want her to wake up and smell the flowers. I wish she'd just realize that there are better things to want than a sick man's love, but then again, how can poor Raeanne help it?
Kaeleigh is the opposite of Raeanne. Kaeleigh has had to deal with one of the worst things possible. Her father sexually abuses her. She has to deal with this in many ways. She closes herself off to other people by being "frigid". She is also excels in school and is involved in everything to get away. She tries to stay far far away from home. She is a binge eater. She eats because she wants curves because she wants to be the opposite of "daddy's image"and he likes thin. She eats to become her mother because that relationship fell apart. She also cuts herself to feel better. She doesn't wants any of the attention her dad gives her. She also wants her mother's love while Raeanne has given up on her mother. I have so much pity for her but as with her sister I can't help wanting to shake her awake just to try to fix her.
This book is an incredible novel, but it's really disturbing. Once you get over the initial shock of the story and all their problems you start to see the characters. This is when you see their internal problems and true differences. I want to read it again and just read to learn more about Kaeleigh and Raeanne.
First of all this had so much of you in it! I could really hear your tone and thoughts throughout the story which was great! Also, I've read this book before, and the characters are very deep and confusing, but you've done a great job of getting into their minds and decoding their actions! Really good job!!
ReplyDeleteDelia, I can just see your open mouth when you read the last few pages. You've probably (no, you've definitely) noticed this by now, but on the pages where the switch characters, the middle words are the same but the outside words are different. The two poems look the same at a first glance, but if you take time to read it, they are about two completely different things, just like the sisters are. I love how Hopkins plays on each girls vulnerabilities, (and the reader's too), and just when you think things can't get any worse, BOOM, they do. You are completely right about the characters though. They are each other's yin and yang. Their problems play off the other's good aspects of life. what kind of relationship do you think sisters have to have for that to happen?
ReplyDeleteI like how you started the post with a pesonal experience it really drew me in. I like how you described/almost explained the characters to us. Your pesonal responses show that you really think about your character. Good job!!
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