Twins in YA Fiction
Milda Harris
My new book, a YA sci-fi/horror romance novel called Doppelganger is about evil twins. Well, there's more to it than that--they might be aliens or maybe something even more sinister, but in general, they're beings that look like you, act like you, and pretty much could replace you because they appear to be your identical twin in every way.
This had me thinking about twins in YA fiction and I came up with a list of some of my favorite twins and a couple that I want to meet and read...not all of them evil, but all of them fun to read about!
- The Weasley twins from the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling: Fred and George Weasley, Ron's brothers, in the Harry Potter series are notable for their pranks and mischief. For me, whenever I got to a part in the books about the Weasley twins, I was always prepared for a laugh.
- The Bobbsey twins from the Bobbsey Twins series by Laura Lee Hope: These were written of a long period of time, from something crazy like 1904-1992. Originally, the Bobbsey Twins went on a series of adventures, but as the popularity of Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys increased, they solved mysteries. The Bobbsey twins are actually two sets of fraternal twins, Bert and Nan, who were 12 years old, and Flossie and Freddie, who were six. I actually never read these, but my mom loved them and when I was growing up, she kept the original versions on a bookshelf. I was always fascinated by the old covers, but they were too fragile to read. Now, thinking about them again, I should definitely read a few just to check them out.
- The Newman twins from The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott: Twin 15-year-old siblings Sophie and Josh Newman find themselves on an adventure involving Nicholas Flamel--who may have discovered the secret to eternal life. I actually came across this one as I was thinking about twins and seeing if there were any newer, interesting books featuring them--and now it's on my must read list! It sounds fun!
- The Wakefield twins from Sweet Valley Twins & Sweet Valley High by Francine Pascal: Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield are famous for their long lasting series of grade school/high school novels about being twins and the drama involved in that and in simply having a sister. Jessica is impulsive and gets what she wants, while Elizabeth is more studious and rational. It creates a lot of conflict! I used to love these when I was a kid. The Wakefield sisters were always getting themselves involved in some sort of drama!
- The twins from Stranger With My Face by Lois Duncan: Laurie finds out she has a long lost twin sister, who wants to take over her life. Dun, dun, dun! For a fun horror read, Lois Duncan is great at horror and suspense and who doesn't love being scared about an evil twin who wants to take over your life?
That brings me back full circle to my latest book, Doppelganger. Citrus Leahy does not have a twin. In fact, she's an only child so when she is late to class one day and she sees herself already inside, she completely freaks out. It's probably aliens taking over the world and her life has just turned totally upside down. Goodbye, normal. Hello, paranormal! Luckily, her crush Aedan has the exact same problem!
I know I find twins, from the good ones to the evil ones, fascinating. You can either have fun switching places with your twin to fool your teachers or you get magical powers like a psychic connection. On a scary note, you could also have an evil one who just wants to take over your life or on the opposing side, you could simply just have a close sibling that you share everything with, including adventures. All of those scenarios make great stories and very fun reads!
Happy reading!
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About the Author:
Author Milda Harris is a Chicago girl who ran off to Hollywood to pursue a screenwriting dream! She has a dog named after a piece of candy (Licorice), was once hit by a tree (seriously), and wears hot pink sunglasses (why not?). Between working in production on television shows like Austin & Ally, Hannah Montana, and That's So Raven and playing with her super cute dog Licorice, she writes young adult murder mystery, horror, paranormal romance, and chick lit novels.
Thanks for having me on your blog! I had a blast writing this post!
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