Star Book Review: The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen

A truly satisfying debut...

The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen

This was an excellent debut from Sarah Pekkanen about two sisters who just might not be as opposite from each other as they think. Twins, Lindsey and Alex Rose, couldn’t be more opposite from one another. Alex, the gorgeous, fair haired twin has always been praised for her looks and continues to prosper in a successful modeling career. She has chosen to live in their hometown in Maryland, just outside Washington DC where she plans to marry Gary, a carbon copy for the Ken doll. Lindsey, the darker-haired twin realized long ago that in order to gain attention she would be far better off capitalizing on all the things that Alex “was not”, and so she focused hard on getting all A’s in school, getting into a great college and then getting hired by a leading advertising firm in New York City. Unfortunately, just when Lindsey thinks her life in Corporate America is about to really take-off, everything crumbles. After a humiliating series of events, she feels she is left with no choice but to leave the city and move home. Everything Lindsey has planned for her life has gone or is about to go awry, and soon she is in the throes of a major identity crisis and finds herself doing (and wearing) all kinds of things she never dreamed she would. Meanwhile, little does Lindsey know, but Alex is undergoing her own drama in life and before the two sisters know it, their lives begin to intersect in ways they’d never imagined. Read the entire novel to find out what happens when these two sisters outgrow the competition of their relationship and start learning from and leaning on one another.

I really loved this story because of its complexity, its unique plot line, and its diverse range of emotional drama. Just when you think the story is about to get going, it gets even better. It had all the ups and downs you could want in a women’s fiction/chick lit story. There was ample emotion, conflicting relationships and above all, two women's search for self. At times uplifting, poignant, heartbreaking and motivating, this book truly had it all. I read this book after my home group, The Chick Lit Book Club, chose it for the January book of the month and I am so grateful that it won. It makes for a great debut and addition to the chick lit genre. I can't wait to try more books from the author. I would predict she'll be around for a long time. Rating: 5 STARS

For more information on Sarah Pekkanen or her next book release, Skipping A Beat, visit her web site at http://www.sarahpekkanen.com/.