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.