This novel is set in the 1950s America, with Wesley and Rory, identical twins, who have waited long enough to be adopted. When a husband and wife show up to adopt them, they are very happy. The well-to-do family they end up with has a dog and the boys get their own room.

What they haven’t expected is the meanness of their new father that shows up unexpectedly and escalates. Then, the father somewhat mellows down, and now, it is the mother’s turn, but her meanness tops the father’s by leaps and bounds. On top of the spankings and whippings, emotional abuse is there, too, and it hurts Wesley a lot. Still, the boys are grateful, especially Rory. As abused children, they are both secretive and the outside world doesn’t know what’s happening to them.

Wesley is curious about the disappearance and murder of a little boy in the area due to a newspaper article, while his recurring dreams leave him worried about his earlier life’s connection to it, but Rory, the accepting one, takes things as they come.

Was Wesley the one who knew the killer? Will he ever find out about the darker areas of the twins’ past? Just who was the killer? This is for the readers to find out.

The story is written through Wesley’s point of view and the readers only hear his voice. I wasn’t too impressed with the characterization, although I read the story to the end, which barely resolved anything.

The idea and the premise of the plot are interesting and the innocence and naivete of the two boys are touching.

The ending with holes was disappointing for me but only second to the lack of good characterization, as some closure doesn’t point to all ends being tied up.

I think this story has many promising assets, which might be taken care of and even enhanced, should the writer plan a well-thought-out rewrite.

the setup and the premise, but the execution was way below par.

the iffy ending and one-sided characters

is Tom Evans, a librarian.

I neither recommend nor not recommend this book. It has a few good points but I was disappointed, maybe because on my list, I had many other much better books to read.

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Created May 22, 2019 at 3:35pm • Submit your own review...