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T*Witches #5
Don't Think Twice
Cam’s best, Bree, is unraveling, and Cam feels locked out. Not so for Alex, who has been breaking into people’s minds. She knows all Bree’s secrets. But before the twins can help Bree, she is taken away. To a private place, for help. Serious help.
There, Bree meets a mysterious woman who is able to heal her like no one else. But this woman is more than a stranger. She holds the key to everything that Alex and Camryn have been searching for. If only they can get to her.
There, Bree meets a mysterious woman who is able to heal her like no one else. But this woman is more than a stranger. She holds the key to everything that Alex and Camryn have been searching for. If only they can get to her.
101 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2002
13 people are currently reading
434 people want to read
About the author
H.B. Gilmour
66 books54 followersH. B. Gilmour was a bestselling author of children's books. She grew up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with her mother and the extended family and fondly remembered writing her very first poem for Arbor Day when she was just eight years old. As a teenager, she moved to Florida to live with her father. She attended college there and then moved back to New York City.
Gilmour’s first publishing job was at E.P. Dutton. In 1964 she joined Bantam Books where she worked as copywriter, editor, and copy chief and as an associate director of marketing. She was married to Bruce Gilmour in 1968. She had a child, Jessica, with him in 1970. They were divorced in 1972. Her first novel "The Trade", a trashy paperback about the publishing business, was published in 1969.
She wrote novelizations (including Saturday Night Fever) and children's books (including Muppets books) while working full-time at Bantam and raising a child on her own. She published her second original novel "So Long, Daddy" in 1985. The artwork for the dust jacket of the hardcover release includes a photo of her daughter, Jessica. Her third novel was "Ask Me If I Care", a book about a teenage girl who gets in with the wrong crowd.
In 1992 she joined the book division at Scholastic, leaving in 1995 to pursue writing full-time. She focused her energy on books for "tweens" and children which is what gave her the most joy.
She met John Johann, whom she would later marry, in 1992. They later moved to Cornwallville in upstate New York where she happily tended to the garden she never had in the city until her death. She died on June 21, 2009 of pneumonia due to complications from lung cancer. She is survived by her husband John, daughter Jessica, stepchildren Wendy and John, Jr. and step-grandchildren Reef, Riley, John Jr. and Jasmine.
Gilmour’s first publishing job was at E.P. Dutton. In 1964 she joined Bantam Books where she worked as copywriter, editor, and copy chief and as an associate director of marketing. She was married to Bruce Gilmour in 1968. She had a child, Jessica, with him in 1970. They were divorced in 1972. Her first novel "The Trade", a trashy paperback about the publishing business, was published in 1969.
She wrote novelizations (including Saturday Night Fever) and children's books (including Muppets books) while working full-time at Bantam and raising a child on her own. She published her second original novel "So Long, Daddy" in 1985. The artwork for the dust jacket of the hardcover release includes a photo of her daughter, Jessica. Her third novel was "Ask Me If I Care", a book about a teenage girl who gets in with the wrong crowd.
In 1992 she joined the book division at Scholastic, leaving in 1995 to pursue writing full-time. She focused her energy on books for "tweens" and children which is what gave her the most joy.
She met John Johann, whom she would later marry, in 1992. They later moved to Cornwallville in upstate New York where she happily tended to the garden she never had in the city until her death. She died on June 21, 2009 of pneumonia due to complications from lung cancer. She is survived by her husband John, daughter Jessica, stepchildren Wendy and John, Jr. and step-grandchildren Reef, Riley, John Jr. and Jasmine.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 25, 2025
Don’t Think Twice (Updated)
It’s a Friday night and Cam and Alex are taking the night off and enjoying (well Camryn is) a night of “normal” at the bowling alley. Brianna keeps taking calls and is distracted from the game. So, Kristen offers to take her turn. Lately we find out Brianna has been letting her appearance slip and wearing overly baggy clothes and hasn’t had her normal “sass”. Alex isn’t happy to be there and is bored out of her mind, but Camryn tells her to just (lets) have fun.
So, Alex decides to have a little fun with Bree. One of Alex’s gifts is hearing thoughts. So, when she hears Kris call her “the evil twin” and “Iodine head” she makes her bowling ball go in reverse. She also hears her think “What made me think she could help?” and wonders briefly what that could be about. Bree returns from her call and is about to take her turn. Alex notices her hand shake as if the balls too heavy for her. Then her phone rings again and she excuses herself and says its her dad again.
. He’s supposed to be throwing her a birthday party to make up for the one he ghosted her on the week she turned 15. Alex overhears Bree talking to her father’s personal assistant. Bree wants to talk to her dad about the party but his assistant says he’ll call her later. Alex hears Bree’s inner thoughts about her fearing her dad’s about to flake on her again and him not loving her because she’s fat, ugly, or stupid.
Bree plays it off to the rest of the Six Pack tho as if everything’s going great with the party. Marco (the guy she’s bringing to the party) comes over and tells her he can’t go with her. He’ll be going with another girl to a sports event. As he turns to walk away Alex makes him trip over his laces and he falls again and breaks his tailbone. When the twins get home, they argue over Cam delaying them finding Miranda. Alex found a picture of Thantos in a magazine visiting a celebrity clinic and is convinced he was visiting their mom. She emailed the editor but no one’s contacted her. Alex finds a note in her bowling bag that says “She needs you. Only you can save her.”
Meanwhile, on Coventry Thantos shows up to speak in his brother’s defense. The twins decide the note must mean Miranda needs help but they can’t tell who might have sent the note. There were two sketchy guys in the bowling alley. Maybe one of them. Maybe both. Brianna calls and says her dad is taking her to LA for the weekend to throw her a big Hollywood bash and she can only bring one person. She chooses Kristen. She tells Cam to cover for her (for school). Cam tells Alex something is wrong with Bree. The twins decide they’ll give Starstruck until Monday. Then they’ll track down the photographer.
At school, the students have created things with a friendship theme. One of the most interesting is a collage that shows two girls. One so thin you can see her skeleton and make out the bones in her transparent body. Her eyes were impenetrable. The other so fat she was exploding. Bits of paper that made up her form were torn in places. The picture is dotted with cutouts of food and there were letters posted over the fat girl’s mouth that spell out secrets. It looks like the girl is chocking on them. The college belongs to Kristen.
In class, Mr. Snibble says Brianna is the only one who did well on a test and then asks if anyone knows where she is. Cam has a vision of someone (a girl) she knows but doesn’t recognize shivering in the snow and clutching her stomach crying. Alex “who just happens to be in the hallway” offers to take her to the nurse. Alex says she heard someone crying out “I’m so scared, so alone. No one understands. Why is this happening?”
After school, Cam and Alex call the magazine and speak to Mr. Edwards. They tell him their uncle wants to buy the photo because he wasn’t happy, they published it. Mr. Edwards won’t let them speak to the photographer, tells them their uncle has already made his displeasure known, and hangs up the phone on them.
Dylan says he saw Kristen on Sunday and when he spoke to her she dropped her stuff and bolted. When Cam calls Kris on it, she tells she can’t talk about it and asks that Cam not call her again. Cam and Alex get a note in the mail that says “If she doesn’t get help she could die.” Since Thantos has showed up, Illeana and a lot of the others on Coventry see it as the opportunity they’d been wanting for to publicly accuse Thantos of killing Aaron. Even tho Karsh hints to her this may not be the case. Fredo was also there. Fredo’s son’s Vey and Tsuris show up for the trial and try to attack Karsh but his fellow council members turn them into infants. Before Illena can accuse Thantos Vey and Tsuris tell her the twins might need her help.
The twins use the Transporter Spell to take them to LA. Only in transition the twins get seperated. Cam ends up behind a building. She sees a man, his wife, and their baby. Then she sees a car speeding around the corner and sees they’re the shady guys from the bowling alley. (If you haven’t guessed the guys are Tsuris and Vey). Cam is able to use a spell to make the lady step back on the curb but the man rushes into the street (trying to get away from someone). Illena appears and takes Cam back home.
Meanwhile, Alex has landed inside the magazine’s photo department. After searching Edwards office, Alice comes up with nothing. When she touches a photo badge she hears a car crash. Shortly after she’s found by Edwards. He’s knocked out by Illena and Alex is taken back home. At school, Cam has another vision of the blond woman in the snow and Alex figures out after hearing Bree’s thoughts again that it was her in the vision not Miranda. This is confirmed when Cam says the lady was blond. (Alex also sees Bree dump her lunch in the trash). On the news there’s a report about recent hit and runs and McCraken is mentioned. He’s the photographer and the man Cam couldn’t save.
Alex proposes to Cam the idea that their magic sometimes thinks on its own when needed. Alex makes up her mind that even tho Ileana forbid them from using the Transporter Spell again she’ll go see the photographers. She also tells Cam she suspects Bree was lying. Her father let her down again. They know Kris wasn’t there and at lunch Bree said Brice Stanley was but they read in a magazine he was on an unnamed island. At school, Cam gets a college in her locker with a message that says Open your eyes. Why can’t you see what’s happening to her. She’s crying out. Why can’t you bear her? Beth realizes it as Kristen’s style.
Surprisingly when Alex pops in on Bree to study for their makeup test, she finds out that Bree’s mom is a lot like Sarah. She works 2 jobs and won’t accept help from her father. Bree also turns out to be smart. But her self-esteem is tied up in his neglect and being a dead beat dad. Cam and Alex share what they learned and Cam says she knows whose sending the notes. They go to Kristen’s and realize that the notes were about Bree whose starving herself to death.
When Illena goes to a sacred cave with the thought of bringing back Aaron, instead she finds Laila who tells her she’s her grandmother and apologizes to her for turning her back on her. She says that one of Aaron’s brothers was the one who killed him and agrees to go back with Illena to tell the Council. Cam and Alex take Brianna to Mariner’s Park and confront her about having an eating disorder. At first, she denies this and says she’s fat. Alex uses her magic to make her see what she looks like through others eyes and she breaks down and cries (finally realizing the truth).
Her dad to avoid bad press (for himself) puts her in a private rehab. Alex does speak with the photographer’s wife but she tells her she doesn’t know where the photo is or where it was taken.
At the trial, Laila points out Fredo as the killer of Aaron. Fredo reveals that Thantos is Illeana’s father. Bree starts to write Cam and Alex about a woman she calls “Rapunzel” (at Rolling Hills) that has a regal air. She carries a patchwork quilt and is into crystals. She also has this necklace she says that when you put it together looks like thiers. Bree says she’s a lifer and only has one vistor with a black beard and lumber boots. She says her name is “Minda”. She says her husband was killed. She’s the only one Bree feels comfortable talking too. Bree gets the lady to call the twins and they reunite. Cam asks if they can come to her and she says soon. She says she’ll come to them.
Alex wants to know she hadn’t come to them. She says she was sick and when she got better she asked for them but she was told they didn’t survive. They make plans to meet at Marnier’s tree and she promises them it’ll be soon. She tells them also that she also always had hope in her heart they’d be together.
My Thoughts:
This wasn't bad! It had a serious message in it about someone with an eating disorder caused by a neglectful parent. I don't agree with what Kristen did. If a friend is hurting themselves in some way and it might lead to them potentially killing themselves you don't promise them not to tell anyone. You point them in the direction of someone who can help them. Suppose Cam and Alex didn't have their powers? How long were you planning to drop hints before it got to the point where she would have needed to be hospitalized? So Kristen was VERY stupid! I know you wanna be a good friend but how good a friend are you to watch a friend do something this damaging and just wait for someone else to do something about it? The most interesting part was the reveal of who REALLY killed Aaron. Surprise! Surprise! It's not the brother we think. (Although if you're used to reading mysterious you know it's never the obvious choice half the time in a decent one). And interestingly enough if they would have just let Fredo talk he would have gladly told them probably YEARS ago. The idiot sounded pleased about it. Like I didn't mean to kill him but oh well. IM THE MAN! It was interesting that the story went in a circle and came all the way back around to Miranda being found at the clinic Bree was sent to. The reveal did feel a little quick and the search to track down the photographer dragged on and on. But I wasn't disappointed with the reveal. It was just one of those things that was carried out better in the Twitch movie than here. A tad bit more emotional. I wasn't feeling it that much through the brief phone call.
Rating: 7
It’s a Friday night and Cam and Alex are taking the night off and enjoying (well Camryn is) a night of “normal” at the bowling alley. Brianna keeps taking calls and is distracted from the game. So, Kristen offers to take her turn. Lately we find out Brianna has been letting her appearance slip and wearing overly baggy clothes and hasn’t had her normal “sass”. Alex isn’t happy to be there and is bored out of her mind, but Camryn tells her to just (lets) have fun.
So, Alex decides to have a little fun with Bree. One of Alex’s gifts is hearing thoughts. So, when she hears Kris call her “the evil twin” and “Iodine head” she makes her bowling ball go in reverse. She also hears her think “What made me think she could help?” and wonders briefly what that could be about. Bree returns from her call and is about to take her turn. Alex notices her hand shake as if the balls too heavy for her. Then her phone rings again and she excuses herself and says its her dad again.
. He’s supposed to be throwing her a birthday party to make up for the one he ghosted her on the week she turned 15. Alex overhears Bree talking to her father’s personal assistant. Bree wants to talk to her dad about the party but his assistant says he’ll call her later. Alex hears Bree’s inner thoughts about her fearing her dad’s about to flake on her again and him not loving her because she’s fat, ugly, or stupid.
Bree plays it off to the rest of the Six Pack tho as if everything’s going great with the party. Marco (the guy she’s bringing to the party) comes over and tells her he can’t go with her. He’ll be going with another girl to a sports event. As he turns to walk away Alex makes him trip over his laces and he falls again and breaks his tailbone. When the twins get home, they argue over Cam delaying them finding Miranda. Alex found a picture of Thantos in a magazine visiting a celebrity clinic and is convinced he was visiting their mom. She emailed the editor but no one’s contacted her. Alex finds a note in her bowling bag that says “She needs you. Only you can save her.”
Meanwhile, on Coventry Thantos shows up to speak in his brother’s defense. The twins decide the note must mean Miranda needs help but they can’t tell who might have sent the note. There were two sketchy guys in the bowling alley. Maybe one of them. Maybe both. Brianna calls and says her dad is taking her to LA for the weekend to throw her a big Hollywood bash and she can only bring one person. She chooses Kristen. She tells Cam to cover for her (for school). Cam tells Alex something is wrong with Bree. The twins decide they’ll give Starstruck until Monday. Then they’ll track down the photographer.
At school, the students have created things with a friendship theme. One of the most interesting is a collage that shows two girls. One so thin you can see her skeleton and make out the bones in her transparent body. Her eyes were impenetrable. The other so fat she was exploding. Bits of paper that made up her form were torn in places. The picture is dotted with cutouts of food and there were letters posted over the fat girl’s mouth that spell out secrets. It looks like the girl is chocking on them. The college belongs to Kristen.
In class, Mr. Snibble says Brianna is the only one who did well on a test and then asks if anyone knows where she is. Cam has a vision of someone (a girl) she knows but doesn’t recognize shivering in the snow and clutching her stomach crying. Alex “who just happens to be in the hallway” offers to take her to the nurse. Alex says she heard someone crying out “I’m so scared, so alone. No one understands. Why is this happening?”
After school, Cam and Alex call the magazine and speak to Mr. Edwards. They tell him their uncle wants to buy the photo because he wasn’t happy, they published it. Mr. Edwards won’t let them speak to the photographer, tells them their uncle has already made his displeasure known, and hangs up the phone on them.
Dylan says he saw Kristen on Sunday and when he spoke to her she dropped her stuff and bolted. When Cam calls Kris on it, she tells she can’t talk about it and asks that Cam not call her again. Cam and Alex get a note in the mail that says “If she doesn’t get help she could die.” Since Thantos has showed up, Illeana and a lot of the others on Coventry see it as the opportunity they’d been wanting for to publicly accuse Thantos of killing Aaron. Even tho Karsh hints to her this may not be the case. Fredo was also there. Fredo’s son’s Vey and Tsuris show up for the trial and try to attack Karsh but his fellow council members turn them into infants. Before Illena can accuse Thantos Vey and Tsuris tell her the twins might need her help.
The twins use the Transporter Spell to take them to LA. Only in transition the twins get seperated. Cam ends up behind a building. She sees a man, his wife, and their baby. Then she sees a car speeding around the corner and sees they’re the shady guys from the bowling alley. (If you haven’t guessed the guys are Tsuris and Vey). Cam is able to use a spell to make the lady step back on the curb but the man rushes into the street (trying to get away from someone). Illena appears and takes Cam back home.
Meanwhile, Alex has landed inside the magazine’s photo department. After searching Edwards office, Alice comes up with nothing. When she touches a photo badge she hears a car crash. Shortly after she’s found by Edwards. He’s knocked out by Illena and Alex is taken back home. At school, Cam has another vision of the blond woman in the snow and Alex figures out after hearing Bree’s thoughts again that it was her in the vision not Miranda. This is confirmed when Cam says the lady was blond. (Alex also sees Bree dump her lunch in the trash). On the news there’s a report about recent hit and runs and McCraken is mentioned. He’s the photographer and the man Cam couldn’t save.
Alex proposes to Cam the idea that their magic sometimes thinks on its own when needed. Alex makes up her mind that even tho Ileana forbid them from using the Transporter Spell again she’ll go see the photographers. She also tells Cam she suspects Bree was lying. Her father let her down again. They know Kris wasn’t there and at lunch Bree said Brice Stanley was but they read in a magazine he was on an unnamed island. At school, Cam gets a college in her locker with a message that says Open your eyes. Why can’t you see what’s happening to her. She’s crying out. Why can’t you bear her? Beth realizes it as Kristen’s style.
Surprisingly when Alex pops in on Bree to study for their makeup test, she finds out that Bree’s mom is a lot like Sarah. She works 2 jobs and won’t accept help from her father. Bree also turns out to be smart. But her self-esteem is tied up in his neglect and being a dead beat dad. Cam and Alex share what they learned and Cam says she knows whose sending the notes. They go to Kristen’s and realize that the notes were about Bree whose starving herself to death.
When Illena goes to a sacred cave with the thought of bringing back Aaron, instead she finds Laila who tells her she’s her grandmother and apologizes to her for turning her back on her. She says that one of Aaron’s brothers was the one who killed him and agrees to go back with Illena to tell the Council. Cam and Alex take Brianna to Mariner’s Park and confront her about having an eating disorder. At first, she denies this and says she’s fat. Alex uses her magic to make her see what she looks like through others eyes and she breaks down and cries (finally realizing the truth).
Her dad to avoid bad press (for himself) puts her in a private rehab. Alex does speak with the photographer’s wife but she tells her she doesn’t know where the photo is or where it was taken.
At the trial, Laila points out Fredo as the killer of Aaron. Fredo reveals that Thantos is Illeana’s father. Bree starts to write Cam and Alex about a woman she calls “Rapunzel” (at Rolling Hills) that has a regal air. She carries a patchwork quilt and is into crystals. She also has this necklace she says that when you put it together looks like thiers. Bree says she’s a lifer and only has one vistor with a black beard and lumber boots. She says her name is “Minda”. She says her husband was killed. She’s the only one Bree feels comfortable talking too. Bree gets the lady to call the twins and they reunite. Cam asks if they can come to her and she says soon. She says she’ll come to them.
Alex wants to know she hadn’t come to them. She says she was sick and when she got better she asked for them but she was told they didn’t survive. They make plans to meet at Marnier’s tree and she promises them it’ll be soon. She tells them also that she also always had hope in her heart they’d be together.
My Thoughts:
This wasn't bad! It had a serious message in it about someone with an eating disorder caused by a neglectful parent. I don't agree with what Kristen did. If a friend is hurting themselves in some way and it might lead to them potentially killing themselves you don't promise them not to tell anyone. You point them in the direction of someone who can help them. Suppose Cam and Alex didn't have their powers? How long were you planning to drop hints before it got to the point where she would have needed to be hospitalized? So Kristen was VERY stupid! I know you wanna be a good friend but how good a friend are you to watch a friend do something this damaging and just wait for someone else to do something about it? The most interesting part was the reveal of who REALLY killed Aaron. Surprise! Surprise! It's not the brother we think. (Although if you're used to reading mysterious you know it's never the obvious choice half the time in a decent one). And interestingly enough if they would have just let Fredo talk he would have gladly told them probably YEARS ago. The idiot sounded pleased about it. Like I didn't mean to kill him but oh well. IM THE MAN! It was interesting that the story went in a circle and came all the way back around to Miranda being found at the clinic Bree was sent to. The reveal did feel a little quick and the search to track down the photographer dragged on and on. But I wasn't disappointed with the reveal. It was just one of those things that was carried out better in the Twitch movie than here. A tad bit more emotional. I wasn't feeling it that much through the brief phone call.
Rating: 7
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2020
Ich liebe diese Buchreihe. Habe die mal als Kind gelesen und wollte testen ob ich es es immer noch so toll finde. Und ja ich liebe es immer noch. Die Geschichte ist echt schön. Hatte am Ende sogar Tränen in den Augen, das ist bei mir sehr schwer da ich bei Büchern nie weine xD
Es geht um Camryn und Alexandra, sie sind Zwillinge die bei ihrer Geburt getrennt wurden um sie vor ihrem bösen Onkel Lord Thantos zu beschützen. Er jagt sie da er ihre Kräfte für seine Zwecke einsetzten möchte. Im ersten Band der Reihe treffen die beiden das erste Mal durch Zufall oder wars doch Schicksal, aufeinander. ;)
In diesem Band sind sie auf Suche nach ihrer richtigen Mutter. Ob sie sie finden und was sonst noch passiert das verrate ich nicht, das müsste man selber lesen. Also ist dieses Buch eine absolute Lesenempfehlung von mir. Obwohl es ein Kinderbuch ist, ist es auch für ältere geeignet finde ich :)
Es geht um Camryn und Alexandra, sie sind Zwillinge die bei ihrer Geburt getrennt wurden um sie vor ihrem bösen Onkel Lord Thantos zu beschützen. Er jagt sie da er ihre Kräfte für seine Zwecke einsetzten möchte. Im ersten Band der Reihe treffen die beiden das erste Mal durch Zufall oder wars doch Schicksal, aufeinander. ;)
In diesem Band sind sie auf Suche nach ihrer richtigen Mutter. Ob sie sie finden und was sonst noch passiert das verrate ich nicht, das müsste man selber lesen. Also ist dieses Buch eine absolute Lesenempfehlung von mir. Obwohl es ein Kinderbuch ist, ist es auch für ältere geeignet finde ich :)
June 17, 2020
This was by far the best book in the series to date. It took on a serious teenage issue while at the same time having great character development and a plot with a couple of really suspenseful twists and turns. I highly recommend this series, especially to its intended fifth-grade audience.
December 9, 2021
These really don’t hit the same as an adult - the authors’ clues are just so OBVIOUS - but Cam and Alex are well-rounded enough and the general plot interesting enough that I don’t want to rate it any lower.
December 28, 2024
Cam is extremely self absorbed and so is alex, the fact that they assumed its their mother and not about one of the 6 pack is upsetting when their was clear signs. Now the twists regarding coventry was amazing
July 31, 2017
In book five of the Twitches series, Cam and Alex begin to receive strange messages - messages they believe are about their long, lost mother, Miranda. And although they've got the right idea, the way to Miranda seems to be through their friend, Bree, who is suffering through anorexia.
Meanwhile on Coventry Island, Thantos, Karsh, Ileana, and others are joining center stage at a trial destined to discover who really murdered the father of the twins. Ileana, believing it's Thantos, is the number one accuser. But the truth she may discover may put her on a path to madness and misery.
This is one of the shorter books in the series and since I've read all ten books, I also know it's one of those transitional books with a minor plot. Basically, this book is here so that the twins have a link to their long-lost and thought-to-be-dead mom. However, there are a lot of secrets that are revealed in the process... but those said secrets are pretty obvious if you were to read the four before this one because a lot of hints are given.
I think it's weird that the twins are ragged on a lot for being "self-centered." It's a shame they can't tell everyone that they're going through a lot - both personally and magically. Because I think everyone who labels them as conceited would see they weren't really. Even Alex, who doesn't really want to join her sister's "Six Pack" is drawn to Bree's silent cry for help and Alex is able to assist her without worrying about what she could get in return.
But anyway, this is an enjoyable read.
Meanwhile on Coventry Island, Thantos, Karsh, Ileana, and others are joining center stage at a trial destined to discover who really murdered the father of the twins. Ileana, believing it's Thantos, is the number one accuser. But the truth she may discover may put her on a path to madness and misery.
This is one of the shorter books in the series and since I've read all ten books, I also know it's one of those transitional books with a minor plot. Basically, this book is here so that the twins have a link to their long-lost and thought-to-be-dead mom. However, there are a lot of secrets that are revealed in the process... but those said secrets are pretty obvious if you were to read the four before this one because a lot of hints are given.
I think it's weird that the twins are ragged on a lot for being "self-centered." It's a shame they can't tell everyone that they're going through a lot - both personally and magically. Because I think everyone who labels them as conceited would see they weren't really. Even Alex, who doesn't really want to join her sister's "Six Pack" is drawn to Bree's silent cry for help and Alex is able to assist her without worrying about what she could get in return.
But anyway, this is an enjoyable read.
March 31, 2020
First off, the back cover is extremely misleading, and I don’t know what whoever wrote it was thinking:
Cam’s best, Bree, is unraveling, and Cam feels locked out. Not so for Alex, who has been breaking into people’s minds. She knows all Bree’s secrets. But before the twins can help Bree, she is taken away. To a private place, for help. Serious help.
There, Bree meets a mysterious woman who is able to heal her like no one else. But this woman is more than a stranger. She holds the key to everything that Alex and Camryn have been searching for. If only they can get to her.
What is really going on in that first mis-represented paragraph is this: Bree is unraveling, but no one notices, not even Cam, even though she’s one of her besties. Alex’s telepathy keeps tuning her into Bree’s thoughts and her super-hearing keeps eavesdropping on her, but Alex can’t figure out what it all means beyond Bree needs help, and maybe not in the way Alex first expected. The twins are so wrapped up in some mysterious letters they’ve been receiving, sure that they are clues to Miranda’s whereabouts (their mother, missing since their birth), that they are blind to what is really going on with Bree. Instead, they are seeking out the source and location of a picture snapped of Thantos exiting a rehab center, hoping it will help them find Miranda.
The second paragraph of the book jacket quite simply and completely misrepresents what happens, not to mention it is only relevant to literally only the last chapter, so I won’t dwell on it at all.
Phew, that aside, in addition to the clues us readers have been getting all along to the big mysteries (Ileana’s parentage, what happened to Miranda after the twins’ birth), some of these clues are now starting to bash Ileana, Cam, and Alex on top of the head. Basically, the authors have not only made the readers privy to more information (through both Karsh and Thantos), but also ensured that the three grey-eyed witches are conveniently unable (or just unwilling) to put 2 and 2 together to get 4 until the very last moment possible. Ileana’s not figuring out her parentage is slightly more ridiculous than the twins’ difficulties in finding Miranda, especially considering she is an adult (she’s 31 years old, if memory serves). Ileana can be hyper self-centered and too-focused, but it’s stretched a little too far in my opinion to justify how she has not yet figured out who her father is, let alone who actually killed Aron that fateful night. Side note: so the twins are only supposed to learn magic on their own, through trial and error with what they do and is in that little book Ileana gave them a couple books ago? No direct lessons on using magic or anything? I would have thought Karsh at least would advocate for a little more guidance and teaching being given to the twins.
In this book, we have more standard teen experiences to share – where book 3 dealt with Beth’s home life falling apart (her parents fighting) and book 4 dealt with a good kid (Evan) getting caught up with bad people/in a bad situation, this book deals with the hidden trouble of eating disorders, and how it can be so easy for even the sufferer’s closest friends and family to be blind to their trouble. I guess it seemed realistic how that whole plot unfolded, with unnoticed clues and friends sworn to secrecy even when someone is in trouble:
She - and Cam - had seen and heard only what they'd wanted to instead of what was right in front of them. (page 142)
While I like that Cam and Alex are starting to do more on their own, without calling for Ileana and Karsh’s help right away, it does make it feel like they’re supposed to just figure everything out alone, with little guidance from the people who are supposed to be their magical guardians. Seems kind of counterintuitive to me. On Coventry Island, more and more revelations are happening, between getting some new POVs and Fredo’s trial, though admittedly, most of them are easy enough to figure out, especially as a reader who gets to be privy to sometimes more clues, and always a clear view of things (seriously, how could Ileana misinterpret what Fredo said about Aron early on, except through willful ignorance?). Not a bad installment, just back to the standard/average. Maybe I’ll have time to take a small break from this to catch up on some other buddy reads I have (though considering my lower-than-usual detail retention on this series, I’m not sure it’s a good idea to take a break from it…we’ll see!).
Cam’s best, Bree, is unraveling, and Cam feels locked out. Not so for Alex, who has been breaking into people’s minds. She knows all Bree’s secrets. But before the twins can help Bree, she is taken away. To a private place, for help. Serious help.
There, Bree meets a mysterious woman who is able to heal her like no one else. But this woman is more than a stranger. She holds the key to everything that Alex and Camryn have been searching for. If only they can get to her.
What is really going on in that first mis-represented paragraph is this: Bree is unraveling, but no one notices, not even Cam, even though she’s one of her besties. Alex’s telepathy keeps tuning her into Bree’s thoughts and her super-hearing keeps eavesdropping on her, but Alex can’t figure out what it all means beyond Bree needs help, and maybe not in the way Alex first expected. The twins are so wrapped up in some mysterious letters they’ve been receiving, sure that they are clues to Miranda’s whereabouts (their mother, missing since their birth), that they are blind to what is really going on with Bree. Instead, they are seeking out the source and location of a picture snapped of Thantos exiting a rehab center, hoping it will help them find Miranda.
The second paragraph of the book jacket quite simply and completely misrepresents what happens, not to mention it is only relevant to literally only the last chapter, so I won’t dwell on it at all.
Phew, that aside, in addition to the clues us readers have been getting all along to the big mysteries (Ileana’s parentage, what happened to Miranda after the twins’ birth), some of these clues are now starting to bash Ileana, Cam, and Alex on top of the head. Basically, the authors have not only made the readers privy to more information (through both Karsh and Thantos), but also ensured that the three grey-eyed witches are conveniently unable (or just unwilling) to put 2 and 2 together to get 4 until the very last moment possible. Ileana’s not figuring out her parentage is slightly more ridiculous than the twins’ difficulties in finding Miranda, especially considering she is an adult (she’s 31 years old, if memory serves). Ileana can be hyper self-centered and too-focused, but it’s stretched a little too far in my opinion to justify how she has not yet figured out who her father is, let alone who actually killed Aron that fateful night. Side note: so the twins are only supposed to learn magic on their own, through trial and error with what they do and is in that little book Ileana gave them a couple books ago? No direct lessons on using magic or anything? I would have thought Karsh at least would advocate for a little more guidance and teaching being given to the twins.
In this book, we have more standard teen experiences to share – where book 3 dealt with Beth’s home life falling apart (her parents fighting) and book 4 dealt with a good kid (Evan) getting caught up with bad people/in a bad situation, this book deals with the hidden trouble of eating disorders, and how it can be so easy for even the sufferer’s closest friends and family to be blind to their trouble. I guess it seemed realistic how that whole plot unfolded, with unnoticed clues and friends sworn to secrecy even when someone is in trouble:
She - and Cam - had seen and heard only what they'd wanted to instead of what was right in front of them. (page 142)
While I like that Cam and Alex are starting to do more on their own, without calling for Ileana and Karsh’s help right away, it does make it feel like they’re supposed to just figure everything out alone, with little guidance from the people who are supposed to be their magical guardians. Seems kind of counterintuitive to me. On Coventry Island, more and more revelations are happening, between getting some new POVs and Fredo’s trial, though admittedly, most of them are easy enough to figure out, especially as a reader who gets to be privy to sometimes more clues, and always a clear view of things (seriously, how could Ileana misinterpret what Fredo said about Aron early on, except through willful ignorance?). Not a bad installment, just back to the standard/average. Maybe I’ll have time to take a small break from this to catch up on some other buddy reads I have (though considering my lower-than-usual detail retention on this series, I’m not sure it’s a good idea to take a break from it…we’ll see!).
February 10, 2016
This is the fifth book in the series and is another good one. Cam and Alex are trying to find their birth-mother; there are visions involved, mysterious notes and a tabloid photo that all play into the story.
There's also a trial going on on Coventry Island, a trial of Fredo, accused of various crimes, Lord Thantos is the defense attorney, Karsh the prosecuting attorney. Ileana is the angriest one there, though, and she's willing to raise the dead to prove Thantos guilty of murdering the twin's father.
Yet not everything is what it seems, to put in mildly. The notes the twins have been getting might and might not be about their mother; they could be about someone else entirely, someone in physical danger. The murderer of the twin's father turns out to be someone other than the main suspect.
There's a lot going on in this book, one of the things being a message about eating disorders and what can trigger them and how parents can not see them in their own children.
Quite a good addition to the series.
There's also a trial going on on Coventry Island, a trial of Fredo, accused of various crimes, Lord Thantos is the defense attorney, Karsh the prosecuting attorney. Ileana is the angriest one there, though, and she's willing to raise the dead to prove Thantos guilty of murdering the twin's father.
Yet not everything is what it seems, to put in mildly. The notes the twins have been getting might and might not be about their mother; they could be about someone else entirely, someone in physical danger. The murderer of the twin's father turns out to be someone other than the main suspect.
There's a lot going on in this book, one of the things being a message about eating disorders and what can trigger them and how parents can not see them in their own children.
Quite a good addition to the series.
November 9, 2011
I gave this book three stars instead of two because it deals with some really important issues. But first, let's look at some other things. There are two revelations in this book, one about the twins' mother and one about the Ileana's father. Once again, this series proves it's pretty good about keeping the story moving. The authors could have easily strung these two plot lines along for the entire series, but they didn't. Of course, once again, the 'teen speak' in this book is incredibly grating, but thankfully there's not much of it. What I liked most about this book (and why I gave it three stars) was the way it handled .
September 17, 2012
This book was written better than the others (there was less ridiculous nineties slang, albeit it was there) but at the same time it was worse. Reading the back, you think - oh, this is gonna be about Bree and probably the twins mother.
Truth: Nothing all that important happens with Bree until the very end. The majority of the book is the twins searching for the photographer who took the photo on the cover of Starstruck from the fourth book. And I think how the twins finally meet their mom is too fast and just kind of, oh, by the way, we're your twins and hi mom!
But the writing is better, at least the style. I'm not sure what it is about these books - must be childhood nostalgia - but I keep reading them. It's kind of nice to not think about a book except when you're reading it. And they're pretty short, quick reads.
Truth: Nothing all that important happens with Bree until the very end. The majority of the book is the twins searching for the photographer who took the photo on the cover of Starstruck from the fourth book. And I think how the twins finally meet their mom is too fast and just kind of, oh, by the way, we're your twins and hi mom!
But the writing is better, at least the style. I'm not sure what it is about these books - must be childhood nostalgia - but I keep reading them. It's kind of nice to not think about a book except when you're reading it. And they're pretty short, quick reads.
August 30, 2017
Teen me: 5 stars
Adult me: 5 stars
*For the first book in a "child/teen/middlegrade/nostalgic" book, I am going with the rating younger me would have gone with, then if I read on in the series, I will rate the books what adult me believes it should be rated. If the book is a stand alone, I will go with whatever rating I feel most comfortable giving the book. Please note, I do not really think books should have an age limit. People should read what they want to regardless of the intended age group, except for kids reading erotica or something, of course.*
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I really liked this as a teen and I have not read it as an adult yet, but I would like to believe that my feelings and rating would be the same. I will see upon a reread.
Adult me: 5 stars
*For the first book in a "child/teen/middlegrade/nostalgic" book, I am going with the rating younger me would have gone with, then if I read on in the series, I will rate the books what adult me believes it should be rated. If the book is a stand alone, I will go with whatever rating I feel most comfortable giving the book. Please note, I do not really think books should have an age limit. People should read what they want to regardless of the intended age group, except for kids reading erotica or something, of course.*
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I really liked this as a teen and I have not read it as an adult yet, but I would like to believe that my feelings and rating would be the same. I will see upon a reread.
Read
August 4, 2011Think Twice is a bit predictable. A story of twins that were raised apart, but identical in looks. Their personalities are polar opposites. The basic premise is good vs. evil. The evil twin steals the life of the good one, but can’t quite bring herself to kill her spitting image. She buries her sister alive. Of course, the story can’t go on if she doesn’t live. Which will win – good or evil?
October 26, 2009
I read all these books about 4ish years ago (I think). It was right after the last one came out..anyways, they are WAY better than the movie!
May 24, 2021
Official Rating:
5/5 stars 🌟
5/5 stars 🌟
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