Talk about a dysfunctional family. Neglectful, workaholic parents. Twin daughters, one of whom thinks she owns the other and acts like a jealous lover whenever the other makes a friend, and their older brother, who gives them a book on twin experiments conducted in Nazi Germany for their 13th birthday. The story is told from the point of view of the twins, in alternating first-person accounts. Sue, the jealous twin, truly scared me for quite awhile with her jealousy and violent tendencies. And I felt sorry for Chloe, who wanted friends and boyfriends and basically a normal adolescence, which was essentially denied her by Sue. Their largely absentee parents were no help at all. When they were present, they tended to use a tape recorder and note pad when talking to their kids, basically acting as though they were clients in their law firm.
Both girls had trouble with eating disorders, and Sue abused pills. Their choices for friends and lovers usually were not terribly wise. Their brother, Dan, took an interest in Sue and was somewhat of a source of support for her, but he didn't really know how to help her either. The books spans the ages of 13 to 18 for the girls, and their parents basically give up when they are 16 or 17. Sue runs away from home to stay with an ex-girlfriend of her brother's, and the parents pull back completely and give Dan money to give to her. They also pretty much abandon Chloe, leaving her to live in their house all alone while they spend their time in a Manhattan apartment (after which Chloe immediately chooses inappropriate housemates). Giving money is no problem, but forget about guidance and emotional support. They just amazed me with their incompetence. The twins struggle to find heir way, which only happens when they can forge their own separate identities.
The book is amazingly good. It pulls the reader in from the very beginning. This is Dermansky's first novel, and I hope to see many more from her.
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