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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
I've read many of Elin Hilderbrand's books, and while The Identicals is a decent summer read, it's not my favorite. The story follows identical twins split by their parents' divorce; despite years of rivalry, a family crisis forces Tabitha and Harper to come together, reminding them that their bond runs deeper than their differences. The story had potential, but I struggled to connect with the female characters, including Harper’s daughter, Ainsley—they all seemed selfish and a bit one-dimensional, though they did become slightly more likable by the end.
Growing up in Massachusetts, I've visited Martha's Vineyard (but not Nantucket), so I was more interested in this book since it incorporates Martha’s Vineyard into the story and had places that I recognized. In typical Hilderbrand fashion, there was plenty of drama to keep things moving, but the characters didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The chapters are told from various perspectives, including the twins, Tabitha's daughter, and a special guest at the end. The setting on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard is as gorgeous as ever, making it a solid, if not standout, beach read.
Growing up in Massachusetts, I've visited Martha's Vineyard (but not Nantucket), so I was more interested in this book since it incorporates Martha’s Vineyard into the story and had places that I recognized. In typical Hilderbrand fashion, there was plenty of drama to keep things moving, but the characters didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The chapters are told from various perspectives, including the twins, Tabitha's daughter, and a special guest at the end. The setting on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard is as gorgeous as ever, making it a solid, if not standout, beach read.
Not Hilderbrand's best work (Golden Girl or 28 Summers), but also not her worst (Matchmaker). Hilderbrand writes flawed characters, but the twins were so painfully frustrating at times without much reward or development. Many novels require the suspension of belief, though I cannot in good faith believe that in any world (other than maybe in the Parent Trap) parents would deal with a divorce by forcing their college-aged twins to choose to live with only one parent for the rest of their lives.
I didn't care for the repeated sexualization of twins. I found her covert theme of the redemptive force of Christianity to be oddly placed. Why doesn't Ainsley, a seventeen year-old, know what rock paper scissors is? It's not some weird ancient game. Tabitha (Pony) would have loved hobby horsing. Poor woman should've been born thirty five years later.
I didn't care for the repeated sexualization of twins. I found her covert theme of the redemptive force of Christianity to be oddly placed. Why doesn't Ainsley, a seventeen year-old, know what rock paper scissors is? It's not some weird ancient game. Tabitha (Pony) would have loved hobby horsing. Poor woman should've been born thirty five years later.
It was right, good beach read author, good beach read book
A tale of two sisters (twins) and two islands. I love that Hilderbrand was inspired to write this book after watching The Parent Trap. Can a decades long rift between two very opposite sisters be mended after the death of their father? You will tear through the chapters to find out.
Is this book memorable? Probably not. Is it the perfect beach read? Absolutely!
Is this book memorable? Probably not. Is it the perfect beach read? Absolutely!
Generally an entertaining and engaging read, but the use of details was distractingly uneven, and the characters' personalities only developed in limited directions or circumstances. A novel about place -- and by that I mean, like, a specific list of restaurants and streets as much as what it feels like to create a life in those places-- dwarfing the relationships at its alleged core.
There's nothing I love more than reading a new Hilderbrand novel at the beach. This one didn't disappoint. I'd love to see the characters again- prequel? Sequel?
Pop sugar challenge - Book with characters who are twins. Good summer read. Felt predictable and sappy. My sixteen year old self would have loved this one.
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rounding up. She is the absolute queen of summer novels and this is another great beach read. The setting is always done so very well in her books, I really felt like I was there. My only quibbles are it goes on a little longer than it needs to, and there’s an unplanned pregnancy but no mention at all of the possibility that maybe you’ll terminate a very badly timed surprise like that. It’s just a thing that always bugs me when it feels like the very word “abortion” doesn’t exist in fiction. But this is mostly lovely escapism about beautiful people in a beautiful setting.
