What do you think?
Rate this book
Identical
‘Please, I need your help. You’re the only person I can turn to. The only person who can pretend to be me…’
When Alice gets a desperate message from her estranged identical twin sister Cecily, she can’t help herself. She has to say yes. Pushing down the memories of the terrible childhood that ultimately tore them apart, she arrives at her sister’s house.
Cecily has left instructions: how to work the oven, what to cook for supper, what to say to her husband.
She says she’ll only be gone a week. She just needs to contact a lawyer, sort her head out, and work out how to get away from her marriage safely.
Alice barely knows why she’s agreed. But as she puts the key in the door, she wonders if – in coming to help her sister – she might be putting herself in the most terrible danger.
Because when Cecily stops replying to messages, and the words ‘die, die, die’ appear scrawled in lipstick on the bathroom mirror, Alice realizes – someone is out to get Cecily. And now they think Alice is her…
When Alice gets a desperate message from her estranged identical twin sister Cecily, she can’t help herself. She has to say yes. Pushing down the memories of the terrible childhood that ultimately tore them apart, she arrives at her sister’s house.
Cecily has left instructions: how to work the oven, what to cook for supper, what to say to her husband.
She says she’ll only be gone a week. She just needs to contact a lawyer, sort her head out, and work out how to get away from her marriage safely.
Alice barely knows why she’s agreed. But as she puts the key in the door, she wonders if – in coming to help her sister – she might be putting herself in the most terrible danger.
Because when Cecily stops replying to messages, and the words ‘die, die, die’ appear scrawled in lipstick on the bathroom mirror, Alice realizes – someone is out to get Cecily. And now they think Alice is her…
314 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 28, 2024
308 people are currently reading
255 people want to read
About the author
Saskia Sarginson
16 books220 followersSaskia grew up in Suffolk and now lives in London. She is the mother of four children, including identical twin girls. She has a B.A hons in English Literature from Cambridge and an M.A in Creative Writing from Royal Holloway. She's worked as a Health & Beauty Editor,freelance journalist, ghost-writer and script reader. As well as writing and reading, she loves tango dancing and dog walking,
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
July 19, 2024
This is a first read from this author..Alice recieves a message from her twin sister Cecily she decides to follow her sisters instructions she asked her to follow it was only meant to be a week,is she in danger? This read was a bit slower than I liked. I prefer fast-paced reads it was a good read. I wanted a bit more. My rating for this read is 3.5...
May 24, 2024
I’m having trouble with giving feedback on this one. There was a back-and-forth timeline with the chapters, and although they are labeled by which persons perspective it is, it does not state whether it is present or past. This threw me off several times and I had to reset myself, which was frustrating. I thought the idea behind the book was interesting, two identical “mirrored” twins, stuck in a situation where one sister asked the other to take over her life for a week (be a wife, mom and friend to the people in her life), while she gets her affairs in order, preparing herself to ask for a divorce. What could happen, right? No one is going to know …. Which in this story, honestly, no one seems to notice. Problems start to brew when the one sister doesn’t show to swap their lives back. SNAP, let’s go … I was left hanging. This read was a bit slower than I liked. I prefer fast-paced reads that give me whiplash. This was overall a good read, but not the thrilling ride I had hoped for. When I hit the 90% mark is where I started to get excited, and that is way too long to wait.
May 22, 2024
Thanks to #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for the book #Identical by #SaskiaSarginson. This book is about identical twins who have faced a lot of abuse and tragedy in their pasts. Their older brother Henry committed suicide and there is a lot of guilt from that. Cecilia contacts her sister, Alice, to come home so she can have a week to get “some things” taken care of. She wants her to pretend to be her. A wife to Gabriel and a mother to Bea. But in the end, things aren’t what they seem. Loved this book and recommend it.
May 7, 2024
3.5 stars
I'm a sucker for a thriller with twins. And I did enjoy this book but my main issue with it was that the twins weren't relatable or likable. Maybe that was the point. I'm not too sure. But I struggled to connect to either of them and found the first half of the book a little slow and a little dull.
It soon picked up though! I flew through the last part of the book despite guessing the twist fairly early on. Did I like it? Yes! Because I've written a book that's similar!
However the ending was wrapped up far too quickly and seemed to just end. Yes there was some explanation but not enough.
I would recommend this book for thriller lovers. It has a unique twist (although I'm now starting to see more and more of the same) and an easy to read writing style.
I'm a sucker for a thriller with twins. And I did enjoy this book but my main issue with it was that the twins weren't relatable or likable. Maybe that was the point. I'm not too sure. But I struggled to connect to either of them and found the first half of the book a little slow and a little dull.
It soon picked up though! I flew through the last part of the book despite guessing the twist fairly early on. Did I like it? Yes! Because I've written a book that's similar!
However the ending was wrapped up far too quickly and seemed to just end. Yes there was some explanation but not enough.
I would recommend this book for thriller lovers. It has a unique twist (although I'm now starting to see more and more of the same) and an easy to read writing style.
May 6, 2024
This is my first book by this author. I was attracted by the cover and the blurb, One twin desperately demanding the help of her identical twin. It goes without a doubt Alice would f-drop everything and come to the rescue of Cecily. Everybody would do the same, right?
I liked the way the story was told by the two sisters in alternating chapters and the fact the past and present were woven together made it all the more interesting. It gave the reader a glimpse into the past lives of the siblings and helped us understand how they grew into the women they are now.
It was an intriguing story that made me keep on reading and I was shocked by the twisty plot.
The only thing I liked less was the history about the house, but that is personal of course. Nevertheless, the story was interesting showing how someone can really mess up other people's lives with their beliefs and rules. 4 stars
Thank you
I liked the way the story was told by the two sisters in alternating chapters and the fact the past and present were woven together made it all the more interesting. It gave the reader a glimpse into the past lives of the siblings and helped us understand how they grew into the women they are now.
It was an intriguing story that made me keep on reading and I was shocked by the twisty plot.
The only thing I liked less was the history about the house, but that is personal of course. Nevertheless, the story was interesting showing how someone can really mess up other people's lives with their beliefs and rules. 4 stars
Thank you
June 3, 2024
Identical by Saskia Sarginson
I hadn’t heard of this author before, but I was intrigued by the blurb and wanted to know more about the story – and I’m so pleased I did. What an exciting read!
The book is about Alice and her twin sister Cecily, who had a very difficult childhood with their mother, domineering father and older brother Henry. They were brought up as Catholics and religion was very important, their father using it to enforce his long list of rules and his severe punishments for breaking any.
The story is told in first person, so we get to see the viewpoints of both Alice and Cecily. It is the present day and Cecily contacts Alice after years of being estranged and Alice not even being in the country. Cecily explains she is in an unhappy marriage, her husband is an alcoholic and she needs to get away for a few days to work out what to do and how to sort everything out. But she wants Alice to play her, while she has the time away. They’re identical twins, so she is the only person available. Alice accepts.
She moves into Hollyhocks Cottage with Cecily’s husband Gabriel (Thankfully they’re sleeping in separate rooms!), her teenage daughter Bea and the cat Sukie. She isn’t particularly happy about it, but feels she owes Cecily a favour and after all, it’s only for a week and then her sister will come back. She has a notebook her sister’s written, so she knows her routine, a wardrobe of Cecily’s clothes to wear, her special beauty products and even what kind of foods to cook. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, I absolutely loved this book! I do enjoy a good psychological thriller and this was fascinating. There was mystery and intrigue straight away, as you want to know what’s happening and why Cecily wants her sister to take her place. It becomes even more interesting as it soon becomes clear that what she has told Alice isn’t entirely true. Your thoughts run this way, then the other, as you try to piece things together and work out what’s actually going on and why.
I don’t want to say much else about the story, because it’s quite twisty-turny and I don’t like spoilers, but I loved it. It was a real page-turner, I was up until the early hours reading and was desperate to know what was going to happen next. This was the first of the author’s books I have read, but it’s unlikely to be the last.
I hadn’t heard of this author before, but I was intrigued by the blurb and wanted to know more about the story – and I’m so pleased I did. What an exciting read!
The book is about Alice and her twin sister Cecily, who had a very difficult childhood with their mother, domineering father and older brother Henry. They were brought up as Catholics and religion was very important, their father using it to enforce his long list of rules and his severe punishments for breaking any.
The story is told in first person, so we get to see the viewpoints of both Alice and Cecily. It is the present day and Cecily contacts Alice after years of being estranged and Alice not even being in the country. Cecily explains she is in an unhappy marriage, her husband is an alcoholic and she needs to get away for a few days to work out what to do and how to sort everything out. But she wants Alice to play her, while she has the time away. They’re identical twins, so she is the only person available. Alice accepts.
She moves into Hollyhocks Cottage with Cecily’s husband Gabriel (Thankfully they’re sleeping in separate rooms!), her teenage daughter Bea and the cat Sukie. She isn’t particularly happy about it, but feels she owes Cecily a favour and after all, it’s only for a week and then her sister will come back. She has a notebook her sister’s written, so she knows her routine, a wardrobe of Cecily’s clothes to wear, her special beauty products and even what kind of foods to cook. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, I absolutely loved this book! I do enjoy a good psychological thriller and this was fascinating. There was mystery and intrigue straight away, as you want to know what’s happening and why Cecily wants her sister to take her place. It becomes even more interesting as it soon becomes clear that what she has told Alice isn’t entirely true. Your thoughts run this way, then the other, as you try to piece things together and work out what’s actually going on and why.
I don’t want to say much else about the story, because it’s quite twisty-turny and I don’t like spoilers, but I loved it. It was a real page-turner, I was up until the early hours reading and was desperate to know what was going to happen next. This was the first of the author’s books I have read, but it’s unlikely to be the last.
May 31, 2024
Cecily and Alice are identical twins but estranged, so when Alice receives a desperate message from her twin, it leaves Alice in a quandary. Their past has scarred them both and fractured their twin sibling bond. Alice decides to go to Cecily's aid, leaving Alice in a precarious position. One which seems to feel like a nightmare that has her trapped.
What a chilling and tense thriller! Saskia Sarginson has skilfully written this book in a way that had me captivated. Narrated from the past and present day by both of the twins. I thought this worked so well, I always prefer to have multiple points of view. I find I get a more fuller picture of everything. This time, I have to say the twists and the plotting kept me glued to the pages and in suspense constantly.
As the story unfolded and the pages flew by, I was dying to get to the bottom of everything, and on the other hand, I didn't want the book to actually end. The pacing was perfect for me, and the conclusion was truly unexpected. Everything made this a psychological thriller I would recommend for anyone who, like me, loves a great psychological thriller.
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the gifted ebook to write my honest review.
What a chilling and tense thriller! Saskia Sarginson has skilfully written this book in a way that had me captivated. Narrated from the past and present day by both of the twins. I thought this worked so well, I always prefer to have multiple points of view. I find I get a more fuller picture of everything. This time, I have to say the twists and the plotting kept me glued to the pages and in suspense constantly.
As the story unfolded and the pages flew by, I was dying to get to the bottom of everything, and on the other hand, I didn't want the book to actually end. The pacing was perfect for me, and the conclusion was truly unexpected. Everything made this a psychological thriller I would recommend for anyone who, like me, loves a great psychological thriller.
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the gifted ebook to write my honest review.
June 12, 2024
Holy moly what a mother of all twist I didn't see coming! Totally mind-blowing and yet so well written and well played that I couldn't stop listening to this after the second half and was wanting so bad to find out what was going to happen. And the twist of the story didn't disappoint, that's for sure. I'm a little sad my county library doesn't have any other audios of Saskia Sarginson on HOOPLA which is where I listened to this book. Maybe I'll try requesting a couple of other audiobooks on there and see which one(s) I want to request for.
Overall, well written, super impressed, and I loved the epilogue even more. Perfect way to end this book! This books is so underrated and one I'd highly recommend if you want a good psychological thriller to mess with your mind. Now I'm going to end this review before I spoil something hahahaha
June 1, 2024
The premise of this book had me intrigued as I am fascinated by identical twins. The beginning pulled me right in and had me so curious where Cecily was. The character development in this one was great. You really get to know the twins, as well as Cecily's husband and daughter. This story is told from dual POVs narrated by the twins. We also have dual timelines - the past that details the twins childhood (how traumatic!), and the present alternating between Cecily and Alice.
I did feel that the book dragged in the middle. I found myself bored through a good bit of the middle chapters. The last 10, 15% picked back up, and I was fully invested at this point. I felt that I had to wait too long for things to happen. This was a slow burn thriller that was an ok read. 3.5 stars.
Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I did feel that the book dragged in the middle. I found myself bored through a good bit of the middle chapters. The last 10, 15% picked back up, and I was fully invested at this point. I felt that I had to wait too long for things to happen. This was a slow burn thriller that was an ok read. 3.5 stars.
Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 28, 2024
Oh my word this book was truly unputdownable. A dark and gripping psychological thriller that had my head in a complete spin at times. I loved everything about this book and really found it hard to put down. Excellent characters and I really liked the going back and forward between past and present. I don’t want to say too much more in case of spoilers but I will say this is a must read for psychological thriller fans.
August 30, 2024
I really tried to stay interested in this book. Yes, sure the writer did a wonderful job of connecting the readers through a synopsis of the story. The flashbacks of the twins was a little informative, but were was the intensity? Where is the thrill of the story? I really felt that that the book lost me, because there was no action. There was no gotcha! Nothing exciting happened at all! Ugh.
October 30, 2024
This is the first book I've read by this author! Was an excellent read that kept me hooked from start to finish! Looking forward to reading more by this author! 5+++ stars for this one!
July 31, 2024
My unrestrained thoughts: Unintelligible, grieving noises.
Now, onto a little sophisticated review – it may contain tiny spoilers!
If you think you’re prepared for Saskia Sarginson’s Identical, you couldn’t be more wrong! The book is about identical twins, where Alice takes her estranged sister’s place for a week. Why? Because Cecily wants a divorce from her abusive husband. And a week is all she needs to arrange a divorce lawyer, a job, and get her life back on track. Alice agrees because that’s what sisters do for each other.
One week passes with Alice working the oven, cooking supper, and talking with Cecily’s family exactly the way Cecily would do. But there’s no sign of her sister and Alice realizes your once-meek-and-obedient sister is playing a really dangerous game. And she could be the one who gets the brunt of her actions…
The chapters proceed in an alternate pattern, with the present written from Alice’s point of view while we see snippets of their childhood in Cecily’s words. Their childhood was not a fun time, with the twins and their brother living under the control of a fanatic, deeply religious father and an obedient-to-a-fault mother in a dilapidated mansion. In the present, they are free, but the trauma of their past is imprinted on their souls and it reflects in their day-to-day actions.
Right from the start, the author presents our MIA heroine in a peculiar way that you can’t help but think she’s really odd. But not odd enough to hate her outright – so I had to settle for feeling uncomfortable whenever I read her voice. Which is really impressive, given the INSANE twist at the end!
The mystery is really well done, and you better believe I will say this a thousand times. Nothing, absolutely nothing prepares you for it… and once we get to the reveal, you can’t help but go back and connect the dots. Well, admittedly, I can’t make sense of some things.
Well, I have no other option but to reread it to make sense of it again! *eagerly goes back to read it*.
What I liked:
o The mystery:
I was initially intrigued by the fact that the story is about sisters because I have one. But then, the story took such different turns that I was left breathless, seriously! I literally made theories about why Cecily is acting this way and wrote them down in a document. Sarginson has placed a handful of red herrings throughout the chapters, camouflaged under the strings of suspenseful words. You can imagine I never went anywhere close to the actual reveal…
Some snippets of my theories, if anyone is interested –
o Cecily’s personality:
You know the actor is really good at their role when you start hating them because of a character they played. The exact same happened to me when I started hating on Cecily right away. She was a spoilsport from the start; every single action of hers pissed me off.
It had me thinking that I would never be able to tolerate her if she was my sister. But then, the big reveal happened and it had me going back to analyze her life and trauma. Needless to say, I was able to feel sympathy for her. For everything she went through and for how she’ll have to live from now on.
o The details of domestic life:
It’s such a small point that everyone would skim through, but I really loved the snippets of Alice playing mom and wife to Cecily’s family. The way she connected with Bea – helping her enjoy yoga, feeding her hummus (yes, I remember every detail), and making her comfortable enough to confide in her – was really comforting to read.
Progress with Gabriel was slow but they did become the perfect husband and wife after some time. She fit into the family like a lost puzzle piece and I almost wanted her to replace Cecily and live there forever… .
What I wasn’t impressed with:
The book is well-written, so it’d be difficult to pinpoint something really worthy of dislike. Despite what other people are saying, I found it pretty easy to keep up with the leaps in time and the POV changes.
The only problem would be the way the story slows down during the finale when it should’ve picked up pace. It dragged so much that I actually skimmed through the pages
I think the chapters covering confrontation and the subsequent reveal were dragged to keep the mystery alive. But, for me, it watered down the effect it should have delivered. I was kinda distracted during that part, but, thankfully, Alice’s death pulled me right back into the plot.
My final thoughts?
Identical is a one-of-a-kind mystery that hits you in your feels like a ton of bricks. If you’re a fan of a heroine with a layered past (an understatement), family drama (but make it fatal), and a dash of religious fanaticism on the side, this is the best choice for you!
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
#netgalley #arcreview
Now, onto a little sophisticated review – it may contain tiny spoilers!
If you think you’re prepared for Saskia Sarginson’s Identical, you couldn’t be more wrong! The book is about identical twins, where Alice takes her estranged sister’s place for a week. Why? Because Cecily wants a divorce from her abusive husband. And a week is all she needs to arrange a divorce lawyer, a job, and get her life back on track. Alice agrees because that’s what sisters do for each other.
One week passes with Alice working the oven, cooking supper, and talking with Cecily’s family exactly the way Cecily would do. But there’s no sign of her sister and Alice realizes your once-meek-and-obedient sister is playing a really dangerous game. And she could be the one who gets the brunt of her actions…
The chapters proceed in an alternate pattern, with the present written from Alice’s point of view while we see snippets of their childhood in Cecily’s words. Their childhood was not a fun time, with the twins and their brother living under the control of a fanatic, deeply religious father and an obedient-to-a-fault mother in a dilapidated mansion. In the present, they are free, but the trauma of their past is imprinted on their souls and it reflects in their day-to-day actions.
Right from the start, the author presents our MIA heroine in a peculiar way that you can’t help but think she’s really odd. But not odd enough to hate her outright – so I had to settle for feeling uncomfortable whenever I read her voice. Which is really impressive, given the INSANE twist at the end!
The mystery is really well done, and you better believe I will say this a thousand times. Nothing, absolutely nothing prepares you for it… and once we get to the reveal, you can’t help but go back and connect the dots. Well, admittedly, I can’t make sense of some things.
Well, I have no other option but to reread it to make sense of it again! *eagerly goes back to read it*.
What I liked:
o The mystery:
I was initially intrigued by the fact that the story is about sisters because I have one. But then, the story took such different turns that I was left breathless, seriously! I literally made theories about why Cecily is acting this way and wrote them down in a document. Sarginson has placed a handful of red herrings throughout the chapters, camouflaged under the strings of suspenseful words. You can imagine I never went anywhere close to the actual reveal…
Some snippets of my theories, if anyone is interested –
o Cecily’s personality:
You know the actor is really good at their role when you start hating them because of a character they played. The exact same happened to me when I started hating on Cecily right away. She was a spoilsport from the start; every single action of hers pissed me off.
It had me thinking that I would never be able to tolerate her if she was my sister. But then, the big reveal happened and it had me going back to analyze her life and trauma. Needless to say, I was able to feel sympathy for her. For everything she went through and for how she’ll have to live from now on.
o The details of domestic life:
It’s such a small point that everyone would skim through, but I really loved the snippets of Alice playing mom and wife to Cecily’s family. The way she connected with Bea – helping her enjoy yoga, feeding her hummus (yes, I remember every detail), and making her comfortable enough to confide in her – was really comforting to read.
Progress with Gabriel was slow but they did become the perfect husband and wife after some time. She fit into the family like a lost puzzle piece and I almost wanted her to replace Cecily and live there forever… .
What I wasn’t impressed with:
The book is well-written, so it’d be difficult to pinpoint something really worthy of dislike. Despite what other people are saying, I found it pretty easy to keep up with the leaps in time and the POV changes.
The only problem would be the way the story slows down during the finale when it should’ve picked up pace. It dragged so much that I actually skimmed through the pages
I think the chapters covering confrontation and the subsequent reveal were dragged to keep the mystery alive. But, for me, it watered down the effect it should have delivered. I was kinda distracted during that part, but, thankfully, Alice’s death pulled me right back into the plot.
My final thoughts?
Identical is a one-of-a-kind mystery that hits you in your feels like a ton of bricks. If you’re a fan of a heroine with a layered past (an understatement), family drama (but make it fatal), and a dash of religious fanaticism on the side, this is the best choice for you!
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
#netgalley #arcreview
March 23, 2025
IDENTICAL By Saskia Sarginson
‘Please, I need your help. You’re the only person I can turn to. The only person who can pretend to be me…’
When Alice gets a desperate message from her estranged identical twin sister Cecily, she can’t help herself. She has to say yes. Pushing down the memories of the terrible childhood that ultimately tore them apart, she arrives at her sister’s house.
Cecily has left instructions: how to work the oven, what to cook for supper, what to say to her husband.
She says she’ll only be gone a week. She just needs to contact a lawyer, sort her head out, and work out how to get away from her marriage safely.
Alice barely knows why she’s agreed. But as she puts the key in the door, she wonders if – in coming to help her sister – she might be putting herself in the most terrible danger.
Because when Cecily stops replying to messages, and the words ‘die, die, die’ appear scrawled in lipstick on the bathroom mirror, Alice realizes – someone is out to get Cecily. And now they think Alice is her…
😊What i liked -
✔ Mystery/Thriller.
✔ My first book by this author and I was pleasantly surprised with her writing style.
✔ Told in two Pov's. Past and present woven together made it really interesting yet intriguing.
✔ Troubled past with tons of secrets. Some really disturbing ones.
✔ The main characters were not likeable, but that's what this book needed.
🤔What could have been better -
✔ Few Beliefs rather disturbed me. Was not surprised by them but it did disturb me.
✔ Though I liked the book, it was rather slow and I did guess a key twist. Not at the beginning but yes a bit after finishing 60% of the book.
📚Who Should read :
👶Beginners
🕵️Thriller Lovers
📈My Rating : 4/5
‘Please, I need your help. You’re the only person I can turn to. The only person who can pretend to be me…’
When Alice gets a desperate message from her estranged identical twin sister Cecily, she can’t help herself. She has to say yes. Pushing down the memories of the terrible childhood that ultimately tore them apart, she arrives at her sister’s house.
Cecily has left instructions: how to work the oven, what to cook for supper, what to say to her husband.
She says she’ll only be gone a week. She just needs to contact a lawyer, sort her head out, and work out how to get away from her marriage safely.
Alice barely knows why she’s agreed. But as she puts the key in the door, she wonders if – in coming to help her sister – she might be putting herself in the most terrible danger.
Because when Cecily stops replying to messages, and the words ‘die, die, die’ appear scrawled in lipstick on the bathroom mirror, Alice realizes – someone is out to get Cecily. And now they think Alice is her…
😊What i liked -
✔ Mystery/Thriller.
✔ My first book by this author and I was pleasantly surprised with her writing style.
✔ Told in two Pov's. Past and present woven together made it really interesting yet intriguing.
✔ Troubled past with tons of secrets. Some really disturbing ones.
✔ The main characters were not likeable, but that's what this book needed.
🤔What could have been better -
✔ Few Beliefs rather disturbed me. Was not surprised by them but it did disturb me.
✔ Though I liked the book, it was rather slow and I did guess a key twist. Not at the beginning but yes a bit after finishing 60% of the book.
📚Who Should read :
👶Beginners
🕵️Thriller Lovers
📈My Rating : 4/5
May 28, 2024
Identical twin sisters, Alice and Cecily, live in an old mansion called Hawksmoor, along with their older brother Henry. Their parents are very rigid Catholics and their father comes down very hard on them if they do another wrong in his eyes.
When they finally escape the house, Alice lives as far away as possible doing what she wants. Cecily has maintained her strict Catholic upbringing. She is married to Gabriel, a history academic and they have a teenage daughter, Bea.
The twins have not seen one another for many years. So when Alice receives a letter from Cecily begging her to come to her home and pretend to be her for just one week so she can get away and think, Alice reluctantly agrees. As Gabriel and Bea don’t know Cecily has a twin, they can, hopefully, be easily fooled. Cecily has left Alice detailed instructions and she hopes to pull it off. But she doesn’t realize how troubled Bea is and how Gabriel worries about Cecily and the state of their marriage. When the week is up and Alice is ready to leave, Cecily leaves her a note begging her to stay for a few more days. With Bea as fragile as she is, Alice stays.
The story goes into depth about the strict and cruel upbringing the three siblings suffered from their evil father. His treatment left serious scars and more. As it headed toward the ending, I finally put two and two together and figured out the ending. What a spectacular and scary read. I have to add that Gabriel is a saint among men. Enjoy!
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
When they finally escape the house, Alice lives as far away as possible doing what she wants. Cecily has maintained her strict Catholic upbringing. She is married to Gabriel, a history academic and they have a teenage daughter, Bea.
The twins have not seen one another for many years. So when Alice receives a letter from Cecily begging her to come to her home and pretend to be her for just one week so she can get away and think, Alice reluctantly agrees. As Gabriel and Bea don’t know Cecily has a twin, they can, hopefully, be easily fooled. Cecily has left Alice detailed instructions and she hopes to pull it off. But she doesn’t realize how troubled Bea is and how Gabriel worries about Cecily and the state of their marriage. When the week is up and Alice is ready to leave, Cecily leaves her a note begging her to stay for a few more days. With Bea as fragile as she is, Alice stays.
The story goes into depth about the strict and cruel upbringing the three siblings suffered from their evil father. His treatment left serious scars and more. As it headed toward the ending, I finally put two and two together and figured out the ending. What a spectacular and scary read. I have to add that Gabriel is a saint among men. Enjoy!
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
May 21, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up.
When Alice gets a desperate message from her estranged identical twin sister Cecily, she can't help herself. She has to say yes. Pushing down the memories of the terrible childhood that ultimately tore them apart, she arrives at her sister's house. Cecily has left instructions: how to work the oven, what to cook for supper, what to say to her husband. She says she'll only be away for a week. She just needs to contact a lawyer, sort her head out, and work out how to get away from her marriage safely. Alice barely knows why she'd agreed. But as she put the key in the door, she wonders if - in coming to help her sister - she might be putting herself in the most terrible danger.
The first half of this book, the pace was quite slow, but it picked up it's pace, and I quickly read the rest of the book. I do like reading books about twins, but I don't know if put myself in my twin's shoes if I knew things weren't right at home. The story is told from the twin's perspectives in alternating chapters and told in the past and present-day format. Some parts of this story were fascinating to read. The characters are well-developed, but I did not like the twins. I did feel the ending was quick and unexpected, so I took off half a star for this reason.
Published 28th May
I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #SaskiaSarginson for my ARC of #Identical in exchange for an honest review.
When Alice gets a desperate message from her estranged identical twin sister Cecily, she can't help herself. She has to say yes. Pushing down the memories of the terrible childhood that ultimately tore them apart, she arrives at her sister's house. Cecily has left instructions: how to work the oven, what to cook for supper, what to say to her husband. She says she'll only be away for a week. She just needs to contact a lawyer, sort her head out, and work out how to get away from her marriage safely. Alice barely knows why she'd agreed. But as she put the key in the door, she wonders if - in coming to help her sister - she might be putting herself in the most terrible danger.
The first half of this book, the pace was quite slow, but it picked up it's pace, and I quickly read the rest of the book. I do like reading books about twins, but I don't know if put myself in my twin's shoes if I knew things weren't right at home. The story is told from the twin's perspectives in alternating chapters and told in the past and present-day format. Some parts of this story were fascinating to read. The characters are well-developed, but I did not like the twins. I did feel the ending was quick and unexpected, so I took off half a star for this reason.
Published 28th May
I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #SaskiaSarginson for my ARC of #Identical in exchange for an honest review.
May 18, 2024
Alice cannot say no when she gets a message from her identical twin sister, Cecily to stand in for her.
Cecily will be gone for a week, and has left instructions on what Alice has to do, and say.
Alice discovers a lot about her sister in the time she is in Cecily's home, and discovers just how different they are.
Told from two POV's, this book was fascinating.
I was intrigued, and truly could not stop reading, I finally got to sleep around 3am!
Alice has not seen Cecily in 17 years and has to step into her life seamlessly, and not be found out by the husband and daughter that have known Cecily for so many years?
About half way through, I had a theory, and by the time I got to the end of the book, I found out that I was right.
Alice's entire family are flawed. Her father is a staunch Catholic, fanatical in fact. He spends his time writing a book that will never be finished.
Her mother never steps in when the children are punished.
Only Cecily is the perfect daughter, and fights for her father's love and attention, and always seems to be second best.
Like I said. Intriguing. Unputdownable.
Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this book.
Cecily will be gone for a week, and has left instructions on what Alice has to do, and say.
Alice discovers a lot about her sister in the time she is in Cecily's home, and discovers just how different they are.
Told from two POV's, this book was fascinating.
I was intrigued, and truly could not stop reading, I finally got to sleep around 3am!
Alice has not seen Cecily in 17 years and has to step into her life seamlessly, and not be found out by the husband and daughter that have known Cecily for so many years?
About half way through, I had a theory, and by the time I got to the end of the book, I found out that I was right.
Alice's entire family are flawed. Her father is a staunch Catholic, fanatical in fact. He spends his time writing a book that will never be finished.
Her mother never steps in when the children are punished.
Only Cecily is the perfect daughter, and fights for her father's love and attention, and always seems to be second best.
Like I said. Intriguing. Unputdownable.
Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this book.
May 16, 2025
Tell me you hate characters without telling me... I go first...
Identical by Saskia Sarginson is pure evidence of how dangerous and evil fanatically religious people can be. Seriously, they are the most hypocritical and two-faced humans you can meet in your life. And all this is hidden behind "religion", which is pure evil most of the time!
I am seriously curious when these kinds of people wake up and understand that religion was built long before science was developed, what they once struggled to explain is now explained with science! But you still meet brainwashed people who blindly follow million-year-old man-maid rules called "religion", who can be bent, depending on how powerful you are...
I don't believe in "Dexter", but please, God, send Dexter to take that man and send him where he belongs to be!
My heart is bleeding with every human who is so brain-washed, who can't see the sense of reality...
"We do this to please God", says everything... Can I scream out loud now? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
I believe this is the most blood-boiling book in a long time!
Three siblings trapped in a ridiculously religious household. Now one of them is asking for help, "Can you be me for a week?" And she agrees, but what is the price?
This one is a heavy one...
Identical by Saskia Sarginson is pure evidence of how dangerous and evil fanatically religious people can be. Seriously, they are the most hypocritical and two-faced humans you can meet in your life. And all this is hidden behind "religion", which is pure evil most of the time!
I am seriously curious when these kinds of people wake up and understand that religion was built long before science was developed, what they once struggled to explain is now explained with science! But you still meet brainwashed people who blindly follow million-year-old man-maid rules called "religion", who can be bent, depending on how powerful you are...
I don't believe in "Dexter", but please, God, send Dexter to take that man and send him where he belongs to be!
My heart is bleeding with every human who is so brain-washed, who can't see the sense of reality...
"We do this to please God", says everything... Can I scream out loud now? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
I believe this is the most blood-boiling book in a long time!
Three siblings trapped in a ridiculously religious household. Now one of them is asking for help, "Can you be me for a week?" And she agrees, but what is the price?
This one is a heavy one...
May 29, 2024
When Alice receives a desperate message from her estranged identical twin sister, Cecily, she feels a wave of conflicting emotions wash over her. The bond they once shared in their youth has been shattered by the tumultuous events of their childhood, leaving scars that seem impossible to heal.
Arriving at Cecily's house, Alice is met with a chilling silence. The instructions left behind by her sister feel like a script for a macabre play, dictating every detail of her temporary existence in this unfamiliar setting.
Cecily reveals her plans to escape her marriage and seek out a lawyer. Alice can’t shake the feeling of unease that settles in the pit of her stomach.
As Cecily's absence stretches into days, with no sign of her return or any explanation for her disappearance, Alice finds herself thrust into a nightmare from which she can’t wake.
The echoes of the past reverberate through the present, weaving a tapestry of betrayal, loss, and redemption.
This was a chilling and captivating read which held my attention throughout. It’s told in the past and present between Alice & Cecily. A cleverly plotted story with some great twists. The ending was brilliant, and the pace really picked up and I was racing to finish it. I definitely didn’t see the final twist coming.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an early copy.
Arriving at Cecily's house, Alice is met with a chilling silence. The instructions left behind by her sister feel like a script for a macabre play, dictating every detail of her temporary existence in this unfamiliar setting.
Cecily reveals her plans to escape her marriage and seek out a lawyer. Alice can’t shake the feeling of unease that settles in the pit of her stomach.
As Cecily's absence stretches into days, with no sign of her return or any explanation for her disappearance, Alice finds herself thrust into a nightmare from which she can’t wake.
The echoes of the past reverberate through the present, weaving a tapestry of betrayal, loss, and redemption.
This was a chilling and captivating read which held my attention throughout. It’s told in the past and present between Alice & Cecily. A cleverly plotted story with some great twists. The ending was brilliant, and the pace really picked up and I was racing to finish it. I definitely didn’t see the final twist coming.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an early copy.
May 31, 2024
4.5*
Cecily has been manipulated and abused for years. She’s now turning to the tables and using the manipulation she’s endured to her advantage. Alice being the twin she is agrees to help her sister go through with her plan but Alice isn’t party to the full story. Has she agreed to something she can’t control?
I loved flicking between the twins’ perspective along their own timelines, Alice in the present and Cecily in the past. They may be similar in look but their mindset and thoughts are starkly different. Each chapter set at a different time kept me on my toes.
Throughout, I felt I was walking in the dark, the words giving me enough light to see just in front of me. I really didn’t know where I was going and I was unnerved not knowing what Cecily’s end game was – was Alice in danger??
Identical is a chilling tale that I was glued to. Alice and Cecily’s past and present lives captured this thriller lover’s intrigued mind and kept it guessing right to the end and oh boy, what an ending!!!!
Cecily has been manipulated and abused for years. She’s now turning to the tables and using the manipulation she’s endured to her advantage. Alice being the twin she is agrees to help her sister go through with her plan but Alice isn’t party to the full story. Has she agreed to something she can’t control?
I loved flicking between the twins’ perspective along their own timelines, Alice in the present and Cecily in the past. They may be similar in look but their mindset and thoughts are starkly different. Each chapter set at a different time kept me on my toes.
Throughout, I felt I was walking in the dark, the words giving me enough light to see just in front of me. I really didn’t know where I was going and I was unnerved not knowing what Cecily’s end game was – was Alice in danger??
Identical is a chilling tale that I was glued to. Alice and Cecily’s past and present lives captured this thriller lover’s intrigued mind and kept it guessing right to the end and oh boy, what an ending!!!!
July 14, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. This mystery was an intriguing one for me. Twin sisters Alice and Cecily were close growing up but drifted apart after they lost their brother to suicide and the guilt they feel over that loss. Out of the blue one day Alice receives a call from Cecily asking her to move into her life and pretend to be her so that Cecily can start to get things in order to start divorce proceedings. Alice is told it will only be for a week and Cecily's husband and her have been living separate lives in separate bedrooms so he won't even notice the switch as no one knows that Cecily has a twin sister. Alice agrees to help her out and she must try to fool not only Cecily's husband but also their teenage daughter Bea. What happens when the week comes to an end and there is no way of contacting Cecily? Is there more going on here than what Alice was told? Great read but could have been so much more. Enjoy!!!
May 1, 2024
Identical twins, Alice and Cecily, traded places sometimes as children. When Cecily wants Alice to take over her life with her husband and daughter for a week, she doesn’t hesitate to help her out. Cecily has left her all the instructions she needs. When horrible words appear on the mirror, Alice realizes her life is in danger – someone is out to get Cecily and thinks Alice is her!
I loved the way this book starts out in the present and then goes back to Cecily and Alice’s childhood for some background on their life as sisters and twins. The writing definitely kept my interest as the time periods alternated between past and present. Identical was spellbinding, and I couldn’t wait to see what happened to the twins and was shocked by the ending. It kept my interest and kept me guessing the entire book – it is not to be missed!
#NetGalley #SaskiaSarginson #BoldwoodBooks #Identical
I loved the way this book starts out in the present and then goes back to Cecily and Alice’s childhood for some background on their life as sisters and twins. The writing definitely kept my interest as the time periods alternated between past and present. Identical was spellbinding, and I couldn’t wait to see what happened to the twins and was shocked by the ending. It kept my interest and kept me guessing the entire book – it is not to be missed!
#NetGalley #SaskiaSarginson #BoldwoodBooks #Identical
May 5, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books.
When Cecily asks her identical twin Alice for help to get out of a toxic marriage, she has no doubt that she will accept the proposal to replace her for a week. Alice finds herself in a bind when Cecily fails to show up at the deadline.
The novel is narrated from Cecily's and Alice's POVs. Cecily takes us into her past with an extremely strict father who traumatized her childhood and that of her siblings. Alice instead focuses on the present, how she tries to make sense of her sister's disappearance and how she becomes attached to her sister's family.
Characters that I liked for their well-defined personalities, Alice the rebel and Cecily the submissive, who also has a dark side, always seeking the approval of a religious and abusive father.
Identical's intricate plotting makes it a real page turner with a story that keeps you completely intrigued, guessing and on the edge of your seat until you reach the shocking ending.
When Cecily asks her identical twin Alice for help to get out of a toxic marriage, she has no doubt that she will accept the proposal to replace her for a week. Alice finds herself in a bind when Cecily fails to show up at the deadline.
The novel is narrated from Cecily's and Alice's POVs. Cecily takes us into her past with an extremely strict father who traumatized her childhood and that of her siblings. Alice instead focuses on the present, how she tries to make sense of her sister's disappearance and how she becomes attached to her sister's family.
Characters that I liked for their well-defined personalities, Alice the rebel and Cecily the submissive, who also has a dark side, always seeking the approval of a religious and abusive father.
Identical's intricate plotting makes it a real page turner with a story that keeps you completely intrigued, guessing and on the edge of your seat until you reach the shocking ending.
May 19, 2024
Alice agrees to fill in and pretend to be Cecily, her estranged identical twin, for one week, as she is the only one that can help her sister. Alice soon learns that there was a dark, ulterior motive behind the plea. Chapters were told in alternating sister’s view points: mainly in the present from Alice’s point-of-view as she learns to be her sister as asked, and with flashbacks from Cecily’s point-of-view where secrets unfolded of their Catholic upbringing childhood and how their hypocritical father affected the twins in different ways. This thriller/mystery had a slow build up, did include a major twist (albeit with a somewhat abrupt ending), but I can see the entirety of the book offering up many points for a great bookclub discussion. The cover and title for sure drew me in…being an identical twin myself I had read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advanced copy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advanced copy.
May 7, 2024
We meet identical twins, Alice and Cecily, they would trade places sometimes as children. When Cecily calls and wants Alice to take over her life with her husband and daughter for a week, she doesn’t hesitate to help her out. Cecily has left her all the instructions she needs. When horrible words appear on the mirror, Alice realizes her life is in danger – someone is out to get Cecily and thinks Alice is her! Alice finds herself in a bind when Cecily fails to show up at the deadline. What is going on and why didn’t she show up? The novel is narrated from Cecily's and Alice's POVs. Cecily takes us into her past with an extremely strict father who traumatized her childhood and that of her siblings. Alice instead focuses on the present, how she tries to make sense of her sister's disappearance and how she becomes attached to her sister's, Identical's intricate plotting makes it a real page turner with a story that keeps you completely intrigued, guessing and on the edge of your seat until you reach the shocking ending.
May 31, 2024
This was my first book by this author but it won’t be my last. Although I felt the beginning was a bit slow it did pick up the pace in the second half of the book.
Cecily asks her twin sister, Alice to take her place in her family while she sorts some things out. She says she is unhappy in her marriage and needs to contact a lawyer. Alice agrees then is puzzled when her ‘husband’ is not the person Cecily said he was. The swap was only supposed to be for a week, but when Cecily stops contacting Alice. Things take a much darker turn.
Memories of an abusive and traumatic childhood haunt Alice and Cecily. The twist in the tale is really good, although I guessed it wasn’t until the very last moment.
A dark and sinister story with a clever ending. I really enjoyed Identical.
Cecily asks her twin sister, Alice to take her place in her family while she sorts some things out. She says she is unhappy in her marriage and needs to contact a lawyer. Alice agrees then is puzzled when her ‘husband’ is not the person Cecily said he was. The swap was only supposed to be for a week, but when Cecily stops contacting Alice. Things take a much darker turn.
Memories of an abusive and traumatic childhood haunt Alice and Cecily. The twist in the tale is really good, although I guessed it wasn’t until the very last moment.
A dark and sinister story with a clever ending. I really enjoyed Identical.
May 15, 2024
Identical
by Saskia Sarginson
Pub Date: May 28 2024
"Identical" is a fascinating story about two siblings going from the present to the past told by each sister's point of view. The sisters, Alice and Cecily are identical twins they have traded lives since they were young children playing games and now that they are adults they are finding it's not as fun! I liked the authors writing style, alternating between past and present as it kept my attention. I was guessing how this book would end and was not expecting the shocking ending! A definite must read!
Many thanks to #Identical #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for the opportunity to read this E-ARC.
by Saskia Sarginson
Pub Date: May 28 2024
"Identical" is a fascinating story about two siblings going from the present to the past told by each sister's point of view. The sisters, Alice and Cecily are identical twins they have traded lives since they were young children playing games and now that they are adults they are finding it's not as fun! I liked the authors writing style, alternating between past and present as it kept my attention. I was guessing how this book would end and was not expecting the shocking ending! A definite must read!
Many thanks to #Identical #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for the opportunity to read this E-ARC.
May 26, 2024
I think this physcological thriller is brilliant! Cecily and Alice are twins and when Cecily reaches out asking for a favour Alice steps up. Omg the twist was not one that I was anticipating but it made sense when it is explained. It is actually quite a sad twist and I felt emotional. The only thing I would have liked to see in the book is in the chapters it has a title of which character is speaking and I would have liked it to also say past and present to know which timeline you are reading. The intricacy of the plot had me turning the pages at a alarming rate right up to the shocking end. The talent of this author shines through in the well plotted story.
June 11, 2024
This book was not what I was expecting at all - it was so much more! Evocative, compelling and utterly engrossing, I had no idea where this story was going and I was compulsively turning the pages until late into the night. I completely lost myself in the wonderful writing. It’s a dark tale of a traumatic and isolated up-bringing in a house ruled by a father who is ultra religious. This shapes the lives of the twins, Alice and Cecily. fast-forward to the present and the effects of the trauma start to become clear as one twin tries to save the other from their downward spiral by temporarily stepping into their life. The ending was mind-blowing. A marvellous read and a haunting story that will stay with me.
August 6, 2024
The actually story was really captivating throughout and the writing style keeps you interested, but honestly the ending was just terrible. It wasn’t quite as bad as “then she woke up and it was all a dream” but it wasn’t far off. I’m so annoyed and disappointed because it had potential for such a good ending to conclude a book I really enjoyed but it knocked it down completely for me from a 4.5* to barely a 3. Honestly I’d almost recommend not reading it just because the ending is so infuriating. I haven’t read any other reviews before writing this so maybe other people liked it but it just feels like the author got bored and wanted to wrap it up ASAP without any imagination.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews