A review by kathyellendavis
Twins by Shannon Wright, Varian Johnson

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

A pitch perfect graphic novel for middle schoolers! Fran and Maureen are so relatable and your heart goes out to them as they try to navigate being twins but also their own people. I loved the supportive parents and older brother too; they help the girls navigate some tough times not by giving them the answers but by listening and sometimes guiding them to them. I also loved seeing that the parents made mistakes: they tried to protect the girls by not telling them certain things, and when they called one of the twins the “talker” and one the “thinker” at a young age, it made the other one think they were no good at that. I think it’s really important to see that parents mess up too, and how they handle it. Not many graphic novels star black main characters or families, so it was awesome to see this one. The supporting cast is plenty diverse too, including the teachers at school. I really appreciated that they put an example of racism in the book (at the mall) and how the kids asked for help to handle it. Though the book focuses mostly on the girls at home and at school, trying to figure out their identities as sisters and individuals, they are still moving through the world as Black girls, and unfortunately incidents like the mall incident happen. I hope that part makes all readers reflect on how we can help change our society for the better. Middle school is such a time of turmoil for so many kids (me included) and it’s difficult to truly be yourself while trying to fit in. Readers will relate to that theme of the book and hopefully takeaway that it’s normal to be scared, to want to change, to not know. The illustrations are amazing and engaging too; I absolutely loved them.