One Book Review

One takes an experience a small percentage of the world will ever partake and personalizes it for each reader. Very few people are born as a conjoined twin, but most readers can understand the trials of fitting in at school, falling in love, enduring their sisters, and feeling family trials. It’s unique yet relatable. The characters relay this as well. Grace, the protagonist, undergoes choices most teenagers make but at the same time can’t fall in love considering her sister Tippi is attached to her. Dragon, their little sister, laughs and plays and dances like any other child, but she works at a daycare because the hospital bills cost too much and her older twin sisters can’t help out. Like most realistic fiction novels, the plot moves at a reasonable pace, pausing in places to better interact with the characters. The format of the book, entirely in free verse poetic stanzas, better suits the story, allowing for many changes in the topic while making the breaks feel natural. This also includes the cover art in the month sections, which helps the reader better understand the conflicts within the story. Both reflect the style of writing as a whole: Crossan incorporates many different metaphors and symbolism as she recounts these teens’ journey. Altogether, the piece is stunning in both its ingenuity and execution.

“ "every time I hold the tenth one, // the tiniest that lives at the center of them all, // as small and forgettable as a grain of rice, // I find myself wanting to // throw her out with the garbage // to see how // the rest of the dolls // get along // without her.”

Recommended for anyone who entirely belongs and yet doesn’t.

-Grace Nask