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oldpondnewfrog's review against another edition
1.0
Ye olde one-star—yet it says something that I did finish it.
"How did you know which life was the right one for you when there were so many to choose from? I wondered."
The thought evident in the writing, through its immaturity, engenders mistrust of the spiritually worthwhile messages—take risks, do work you love, know that the people in your life are complicated individuals and not just flat stereotypes—that it attempts to send.
Just as the style undermines these messages, so does the plot. Is living with your parents and taking the first new job that comes along really "jumping"? Is working for a dating agency really work worth loving for our heroine? If characters who are meant to be complicated and real in this universe still seem like sitcom stereotypes, are people in real life who are probably complicated and real but who seem to be sitcom stereotypes also juts sitcom stereotypes? I hope the answers to all of those is no, but the book suggests otherwise. I'm stuck trying to figure out how a book so bad was so readable; I flew through it, and it kept me wanting more until about the last third, where I started to finally get upset. It's kind of like browsing the Internet, which especially at first tends to feel good and interesting, but soon I feel terrible yet keep on browsing, perhaps in the vain hope that something might change.
The main character pays so much attention to what she wears, what she buys, especially the brands or the stores she buys from. This is fine and makes sense when she works for an advertising agency, but I would like to have seen that care fade as she becomes a new person. And she just buys so much. Even when she stages a picnic on the roof of her high school, her love interest is sitting on "the soft cushion I'd chosen at Pier 1 earlier today." It pains me. On top of plain materialism, the book is also so heavily saturated with product placements that I can't help but wonder if these companies had some kind of deal with the publishers. Or are the brands in Lindsey's life really such an essential window into her character and her cultural scene? The only thing they show me is that after the dramatic action comes to a close, Lindsay is not as transformed as the author would suggest. Instead, she is just the same person with a new job, new clothes, a new house, and possibly a new boyfriend.
"I sometimes wondered: if Alex wasn't my sister, would I be a different person?"
"I grinned and laid the bill the waitress had dropped on the table, leaving a good tip to make up for camping out so long."
"I popped the cork and watched the vapor rise like a ghost from the mouth of the bottle."
This was well worth reading. It helps me see what went wrong, at least for me, and helps me appreciate the books I do like, which are like breathing cleaner air.
"How did you know which life was the right one for you when there were so many to choose from? I wondered."
The thought evident in the writing, through its immaturity, engenders mistrust of the spiritually worthwhile messages—take risks, do work you love, know that the people in your life are complicated individuals and not just flat stereotypes—that it attempts to send.
Just as the style undermines these messages, so does the plot. Is living with your parents and taking the first new job that comes along really "jumping"? Is working for a dating agency really work worth loving for our heroine? If characters who are meant to be complicated and real in this universe still seem like sitcom stereotypes, are people in real life who are probably complicated and real but who seem to be sitcom stereotypes also juts sitcom stereotypes? I hope the answers to all of those is no, but the book suggests otherwise. I'm stuck trying to figure out how a book so bad was so readable; I flew through it, and it kept me wanting more until about the last third, where I started to finally get upset. It's kind of like browsing the Internet, which especially at first tends to feel good and interesting, but soon I feel terrible yet keep on browsing, perhaps in the vain hope that something might change.
The main character pays so much attention to what she wears, what she buys, especially the brands or the stores she buys from. This is fine and makes sense when she works for an advertising agency, but I would like to have seen that care fade as she becomes a new person. And she just buys so much. Even when she stages a picnic on the roof of her high school, her love interest is sitting on "the soft cushion I'd chosen at Pier 1 earlier today." It pains me. On top of plain materialism, the book is also so heavily saturated with product placements that I can't help but wonder if these companies had some kind of deal with the publishers. Or are the brands in Lindsey's life really such an essential window into her character and her cultural scene? The only thing they show me is that after the dramatic action comes to a close, Lindsay is not as transformed as the author would suggest. Instead, she is just the same person with a new job, new clothes, a new house, and possibly a new boyfriend.
"I sometimes wondered: if Alex wasn't my sister, would I be a different person?"
"I grinned and laid the bill the waitress had dropped on the table, leaving a good tip to make up for camping out so long."
"I popped the cork and watched the vapor rise like a ghost from the mouth of the bottle."
This was well worth reading. It helps me see what went wrong, at least for me, and helps me appreciate the books I do like, which are like breathing cleaner air.
abookishaffair's review
4.0
3.5 stars. "The Opposite of Me" was my first Sarah Pekkanen book. I was happy that I finally got to read something by her and I know that I will definitely be reading more by here in the future. I love stories about family ties and I especially like stories about sisters. Pekkanen tells the story of two sisters who are fraternal twins although they are not especially close.
The star of this book really is the writing. The story is good but it is really Pekkanen's writing that brings the story and its characters to life. She writes really believable characters. The narrator of the story is Lindsey, one of the sisters, and she felt really real to me. You feel like she is almost talking to you, the reader, as a friend, which really pulled me into the story.
I also really liked that this book took place in Maryland and in the D.C. Metro area, which I am very familiar with. It was really cool to see places that I am so familiar with in this book. I thought the author did a really good job of capturing what this area was like. I love when I can find books set in this area that aren't political thrillers (believe me, it is difficult to do)!
Some parts of the book were a little disjointed. The end seemed very, very rushed. I almost wished that the big turn in the story (I don't want to give anything away) came earlier in the book so that things could be a little more resolved by the end of the book. Overall, this story was still very enjoyable to me.
Bottom line: I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a really realistic voice in a story about the familial ties that bind us.
The star of this book really is the writing. The story is good but it is really Pekkanen's writing that brings the story and its characters to life. She writes really believable characters. The narrator of the story is Lindsey, one of the sisters, and she felt really real to me. You feel like she is almost talking to you, the reader, as a friend, which really pulled me into the story.
I also really liked that this book took place in Maryland and in the D.C. Metro area, which I am very familiar with. It was really cool to see places that I am so familiar with in this book. I thought the author did a really good job of capturing what this area was like. I love when I can find books set in this area that aren't political thrillers (believe me, it is difficult to do)!
Some parts of the book were a little disjointed. The end seemed very, very rushed. I almost wished that the big turn in the story (I don't want to give anything away) came earlier in the book so that things could be a little more resolved by the end of the book. Overall, this story was still very enjoyable to me.
Bottom line: I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a really realistic voice in a story about the familial ties that bind us.
leahmichelle_13's review
4.0
Twenty-nine-year-old Lindsey Rose has, for as long as she can remember, lived in the shadow of her ravishingly beautiful fraternal twin sister, Alex. Determined to get noticed, Lindsey is finally on the cusp of being named VP creative director of an elite New York advertising agency, after years of eighty-plus-hour weeks, migraines, and profound loneliness. But during the course of one devastating night, Lindsey’s carefully constructed life implodes. Humiliated, she flees the glitter of Manhattan and retreats to the time warp of her parents’ Maryland home. As her sister plans her lavish wedding to her Prince Charming, Lindsey struggles to maintain her identity as the smart, responsible twin while she furtively tries to piece her career back together. But things get more complicated when a long-held family secret is unleashed that forces both sisters to reconsider who they are and who they are meant to be.
Sarah Pekkanen’s debut novel came to my attention when Sarah emailed us in 2009 about signing her book deal. It sounded like a wonderful novel and I was thrilled when in 2010 Sarah sent me a signed copy of her novel to read. It’s taken me absolutely ages to finally find the time to pick it up – partly due to how busy I’ve been with other novels but partly because I didn’t want to be disappointed by the novel. I eventually took the plunge though, and I must admit, I was very impressed with the novel. Obviously when it comes to Chick Lit there are many labels that fly around and Sarah’s novel is definitely more Women’s Fiction than Chick Lit. But then again, these days it’s all the same, we just need to find an umbrella to cover it all (’cause Chick Lit apparently isn’t sufficient)!
There are lots of novels around featuring twins. Well, three, that I can think of (this one, Getting Away With It by Julie Cohen and Sweet Valley Confidential). I must admit I’ve always wanted to be a twin. It’s a long sought after dream of mine to have someone exactly like me, to think like me, to have by my side at all times, to trust implicitly, but, er, it’s not going to happen since I’m almsot 21. Unless of course my parents sent my twin out to be adopted, but then again, I’m not in an American TV show so the odds are slim. So obviously for the twin-less me, the next best thing is novels about twins. Not that they extol the virtues of twinhood. In fact, they make it sound downright annoying and not the fabulousness I always imagined it would be. The Opposite of Me is no different, in that despite being twins Lindsey and Alex are like chalk and cheese. Alex is the pretty twin, Lindsey is the smart twin. They don’t get on, they have no twinship, and Lindsey always feels like the lesser twin.
The Opposite of me starts brilliantly, introducing us to Lindsey who is super busy at the ad-firm she works at. She’s a shoo-in for VP, until one catastrophic night changes that and she find herself back at home in Maryland, lying to her family and friends about losing her job. The most interesting part of the novel for me – apart from the obvious feud between Lindsey and Alex – was the friendship Lindsey has with a lady she helps when she’s out shopping, May. I can understand why Lindsey was reluctant to tell her family about losing her job and her subsequent new job with May. The book wasn’t what I expected, I did expect it to revolve around Lindsey and Alex but it wasn’t. It obviously was a major part of the novel, but the book was about Lindsey becoming her own person, not letting the shadow of Alex ruin her life for good.
I found Lindsey to be a very interesting and complex character. There’s a lot to her, despite her workaholic tendencies. I can understand completely why she felt the need to work so hard – after all, when you perceive yourself as the ugly twin, you need to feel as if you’re good at something, right? There’s a lot of deep-seated resentment buried deep, but despote all of her issues and bitterness (it has to be said), I was really taken in by her. I thought Lindsey really came into her own during the second half of the novel as a big twist was unleashed. I did think her crush on Bradley was stupid, but again, I understood why she thought she liked him so much, mainly to get one-up on Alex, despite the fact Alex was engaged. I expected to hate Alex, and for a lot of the novel I did. Because from Lindsey’s point of view, she does come across as a bit of a spoiled brat. But Alex is faced with something huge about three-quarters of the way through the novel and I saw her in a new light. I definitely feel like I misjudged her. One of the stand-out characters for me was Matt, Lindsey’s friend in New York. He doesn’t feature much – sadly – but he’s always there and I’d have loved to have seen more of him.
Like I’ve said, there’s a fairly large twist in the last quarter of the book, it stunned me in fact. It was a real heart-stopper, and it came totally out of left field. It threw me for a loop but it didn’t entirely make me incredibly sad like it should have. I can’t explain why not. It was shocking, it was sad, it had all the right ingredients but for some reason that I can’t pinpoint, I just didn’t feel as if I’d been punched in the gut. But it definitely opened my eyes and it definitely changed some relationships in the novel. The Opposite of Me was a wonderful read. From start to finish I was hooked, and I’m so pleased I finally gave in and read the novel, it didn’t disappoint me at all. Sarah is a wonderful new voice in Chick Lit and I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on Skipping a Beat, her second novel, it’s one I’ll be purchasing in the near future!
Sarah Pekkanen’s debut novel came to my attention when Sarah emailed us in 2009 about signing her book deal. It sounded like a wonderful novel and I was thrilled when in 2010 Sarah sent me a signed copy of her novel to read. It’s taken me absolutely ages to finally find the time to pick it up – partly due to how busy I’ve been with other novels but partly because I didn’t want to be disappointed by the novel. I eventually took the plunge though, and I must admit, I was very impressed with the novel. Obviously when it comes to Chick Lit there are many labels that fly around and Sarah’s novel is definitely more Women’s Fiction than Chick Lit. But then again, these days it’s all the same, we just need to find an umbrella to cover it all (’cause Chick Lit apparently isn’t sufficient)!
There are lots of novels around featuring twins. Well, three, that I can think of (this one, Getting Away With It by Julie Cohen and Sweet Valley Confidential). I must admit I’ve always wanted to be a twin. It’s a long sought after dream of mine to have someone exactly like me, to think like me, to have by my side at all times, to trust implicitly, but, er, it’s not going to happen since I’m almsot 21. Unless of course my parents sent my twin out to be adopted, but then again, I’m not in an American TV show so the odds are slim. So obviously for the twin-less me, the next best thing is novels about twins. Not that they extol the virtues of twinhood. In fact, they make it sound downright annoying and not the fabulousness I always imagined it would be. The Opposite of Me is no different, in that despite being twins Lindsey and Alex are like chalk and cheese. Alex is the pretty twin, Lindsey is the smart twin. They don’t get on, they have no twinship, and Lindsey always feels like the lesser twin.
The Opposite of me starts brilliantly, introducing us to Lindsey who is super busy at the ad-firm she works at. She’s a shoo-in for VP, until one catastrophic night changes that and she find herself back at home in Maryland, lying to her family and friends about losing her job. The most interesting part of the novel for me – apart from the obvious feud between Lindsey and Alex – was the friendship Lindsey has with a lady she helps when she’s out shopping, May. I can understand why Lindsey was reluctant to tell her family about losing her job and her subsequent new job with May. The book wasn’t what I expected, I did expect it to revolve around Lindsey and Alex but it wasn’t. It obviously was a major part of the novel, but the book was about Lindsey becoming her own person, not letting the shadow of Alex ruin her life for good.
I found Lindsey to be a very interesting and complex character. There’s a lot to her, despite her workaholic tendencies. I can understand completely why she felt the need to work so hard – after all, when you perceive yourself as the ugly twin, you need to feel as if you’re good at something, right? There’s a lot of deep-seated resentment buried deep, but despote all of her issues and bitterness (it has to be said), I was really taken in by her. I thought Lindsey really came into her own during the second half of the novel as a big twist was unleashed. I did think her crush on Bradley was stupid, but again, I understood why she thought she liked him so much, mainly to get one-up on Alex, despite the fact Alex was engaged. I expected to hate Alex, and for a lot of the novel I did. Because from Lindsey’s point of view, she does come across as a bit of a spoiled brat. But Alex is faced with something huge about three-quarters of the way through the novel and I saw her in a new light. I definitely feel like I misjudged her. One of the stand-out characters for me was Matt, Lindsey’s friend in New York. He doesn’t feature much – sadly – but he’s always there and I’d have loved to have seen more of him.
Like I’ve said, there’s a fairly large twist in the last quarter of the book, it stunned me in fact. It was a real heart-stopper, and it came totally out of left field. It threw me for a loop but it didn’t entirely make me incredibly sad like it should have. I can’t explain why not. It was shocking, it was sad, it had all the right ingredients but for some reason that I can’t pinpoint, I just didn’t feel as if I’d been punched in the gut. But it definitely opened my eyes and it definitely changed some relationships in the novel. The Opposite of Me was a wonderful read. From start to finish I was hooked, and I’m so pleased I finally gave in and read the novel, it didn’t disappoint me at all. Sarah is a wonderful new voice in Chick Lit and I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on Skipping a Beat, her second novel, it’s one I’ll be purchasing in the near future!
janet's review
3.0
I'd never heard of this book before someone who works at the publishing house responded to an inquiry I made in a newsletter called _Shelf Awareness_. I am always on the lookout for books that mention migraine and other headache diseases (nonfiction & fiction alike), and the publicist mentioned that Pekkanen's book had a character who suffered from headaches. This was true, but references were few enough that I chose not to add this to my "migraine" list on Goodreads.
I am happy I read the book, though. This is exactly the sort of book I was in the mood for this weekend. I am in the midst of a migraine as we speak (a regular occurrence this time of the month), and I wanted something quick, fairly lighthearted, and not too dense to distract me from my discomfort. THE OPPOSITE OF ME fit the bill.
This novel get a solid three stars from me. Entertaining, enjoyable, funny in parts, tearjerking in parts. Some of the details of the story aren't quite believable because the characters aren't always quite fleshed out enough. I warn you (or comfort you?) with the fact that the storyline is predictable to a T, but that doesn't necessarily come as a bad thing. I was reminded of how viewers pretty much know the outcome of any given romantic comedy after seeing just one Julia Roberts or Cameron Diaz movie. I knew what was going to happen with the plot but didn't mind so much--I was along for the ride.
While not literary fiction, Pekkanen's writing is organized and pretty strong. No shockingly bad sentences like the ones I encounter in many "chick-lit" books. The author herself mentions in the afterword that she's not sure if this is chick-lit or not--she just hopes that people read it and like it. And I did.
I am happy I read the book, though. This is exactly the sort of book I was in the mood for this weekend. I am in the midst of a migraine as we speak (a regular occurrence this time of the month), and I wanted something quick, fairly lighthearted, and not too dense to distract me from my discomfort. THE OPPOSITE OF ME fit the bill.
This novel get a solid three stars from me. Entertaining, enjoyable, funny in parts, tearjerking in parts. Some of the details of the story aren't quite believable because the characters aren't always quite fleshed out enough. I warn you (or comfort you?) with the fact that the storyline is predictable to a T, but that doesn't necessarily come as a bad thing. I was reminded of how viewers pretty much know the outcome of any given romantic comedy after seeing just one Julia Roberts or Cameron Diaz movie. I knew what was going to happen with the plot but didn't mind so much--I was along for the ride.
While not literary fiction, Pekkanen's writing is organized and pretty strong. No shockingly bad sentences like the ones I encounter in many "chick-lit" books. The author herself mentions in the afterword that she's not sure if this is chick-lit or not--she just hopes that people read it and like it. And I did.
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