Monday, July 12, 2010

The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen

In The Opposite of Me, Lindsey is about to land the position of VP creative director for her advertising firm. She's been working her butt off for years and really deserves this promotion. However, it all slips away after a night of bad decisions. Just like that her chance at the position is gone, along with her job. To regroup, she decides to move back to Maryland, where her parents and her twin sister, Alex, live. Alex, is preparing for her upcoming wedding, while Lindsey tries to figure out where to go and what to do next. All of their lives, Lindsey was the smart one, while Alex was the pretty one, but after a chance discovery, things get turned upside down and Lindsey and Alex struggle to figure out who they are.

I really enjoyed this book. The story was smart, cheerful, and witty, with some very touching and sensitive moments. The author brought a few surprises into the story making it unpredictable and fun to read. Even though the story was mostly upbeat, there were a few events that choked me up to the point of tears. I can't exactly remember now which events moved me, but it happened more than a few times. In those instances, I knew what was coming, but that wasn't enough to take the sting out of it for me. Perhaps it dredged up some long buried memories.

This is the second book in a row I've read that involved twins. As I mentioned in my previous review, the book was especially interesting because I'm a twin. I really could relate to Lindsey and Alex's relationship because my relationship with my sister is similar. We have different issues, but like them, we have more differences than similarities.

It would have been interesting to hear the story from both Lindsey and Alex, however, I loved that the author chose just one of them to tell the story. That's probably my own bias of wanting to very much be an individual rather than half of a whole. I even liked that the title used the word "me" (individual) instead of the "us". I can’t think of anything I dislike more than being called “the twins”.

This edition of the book includes both a Readers Club Guide and a Q&A with the author. Both are worth checking out.

Recommended. Good summer read.

There are lots of other reviews out there for this book. Here are a few that I found: Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin?, Devourer of Books, Beth Fish Reads and Books, Movies and Chinese Food.

For more information about this book or to browse inside, please visit Simon & Schuster's website.

For more information about the author, please visit Sarah Pekkanen's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Simon & Schuster Canada for this review copy.

The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen, Washington Square Press (Simon & Schuster), ©2010. ISBN 9781439121986(Trade paperback), 373p.

4 comments:

  1. I love the new look of your blog! Calm and refreshing. Great job!

    I'm glad that you liked "The Opposite of Me", for the most part. It would have been interesting from both points of view, but I think that I didn't mind the one- sidedness. I really got into her head that way. Hmmm...it would be interesting if Pekkanen wrote another book from the other sister's point of view!

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  2. Thanks so much for the review and I'm glad you enjoyed this book. I think I would also appreciate reading the story from just one of the sister's perspective. I would think it would help to single her out as an individual rather than a twin.

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  3. Nice review. I haven't read this one yet but it sounds so good. I like books that make me emotional.

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  4. Jonita,
    Thanks. That would be funny (and interesting) if she wrote the same story from Alex's point of view.

    Jo-Jo,
    I find that with a lot of books I read, I'm left wondering how different the story would be if it were told from another character's perspective. This happens even with books I absolutely adore.

    Darlene,
    Thanks for stopping by. If you read this book, I hope you enjoy it.

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