SarahJanet's Books

The Girls

Right, hi. I have a booklog. Sorry about that, booklog.

I haven't been reading much in the way of new stuff lately. I reread HP4 after I saw the movie, and then wanted to reread 5, and I'll probably reread 6 after I'm done 5, because I'm anal like that. I'm rereading East right now, because my YA book group is reading it for the December meeting. I just finished rereading We Need to Talk About Kevin, because I am evil and I am making my regular book group read it in January. But that book needs its own entry.

But I have read a few things.

One of them was The Girls, by Lori Lansens. This is the fictional autobiography of conjoined twins. I picked it up when somebody checked it out at work, and I immediately put it on hold, because I am somewhat of a sucker for gimmicky books like that.

I really have no idea how fair or accurate this depiction of life as a conjoined twin. I'm going to blithely assume that she did her research, and even if it's innaccurate it seems like a convincing portrayal, which is really all I ask for in a book. It's a Canadian book, but didn't really feel like one, which is generally a compliment coming from me as I'm not known to be wild about a lot of Canadian fiction.

This book had an absolutely killer opening, and the entire story was compelling from start to finish. There was one plot point running through most of the book that I wasn't entirely wild about, but overall I found it really well-written, and made me both interested in and sympathetic to the totally unimaginable lifestyle of the sisters. It was a complicated concept that was immensely well executed, and this is a book that I'd recommend to many of my friends and may well buy for my stepmother-in-law for Christmas.

I shall leave you with the opening to the book, since it's pretty irresistable.

I have never looked into my sister’s eyes. I have never bathed alone. I have never stood in the grass at night and raised my arms to a beguiling moon. I’ve never used an airplane bathroom. Or worn a hat. Or been kissed like that. I’ve never driven a car. Or slept through the night. Never a private talk. Or solo walk. I’ve never climbed a tree. Or faded into a crowd. So many things I’ve never done, but oh, how I’ve been loved. And, if such things were to be, I’d live a thousand lives as me, to be loved so exponentially.

posted by SarahJanet @ 12:27 AM