I first picked up Her and Me and You, by Lauren Strasnick because of the back cover. So instead of summarizing it myself, I thought I’d give you the cover blurb. It’s seriously one of the best ones I’ve every read.
“I met Fred first.
Fred: Hot. Enigmatic. Alex’s first friend in her lonely new town. Maybe her first…everything.
I met Adina the following Monday.
Adina: Fred’s twin sister. Cold. Troubled. Trouble.
I kissed him.
She pressed her mouth to my mouth.
People warn Alex to steer clear of the twins, but Alex is drawn to them. She wants to be part of their crazy world … no matter the consequences.”
Doesn’t that make you want to go out and get your hands on this book? In case you need more convincing, I’ll give you some of my thoughts. If you like books about twins, you will probably like this book. I think it is very interesting that there are proportionally more books about twins than actual twins. In fact, my last book review also featured a YA book about twins. I’ve probably read more twin books then most, but a lot less than devoted fans of this type of book. Perhaps this book falls into some familiar tropes of the jealous twin, but it still felt very fresh and readable to me.
What helped this book transcend the title of just a twin book? In my opinion, it was the mixture of young adult romance and psychological thriller. Alex’s relationship with the twins wasn’t the only driving force. She also had a strange power struggle with her childhood best friend Evie, that made me wonder at times if Alex was a reliable narrator.
There were a few problems within the book. Alex’s family story and the descriptions of her feeling awkward in a new school felt somewhat cliched and phoned in. However, the strange and emotionally confusing relationships with Fred, Adina, and Evie made up for these walks down the familiar.
I feel like most of the time, I end up reviewing big or popular books – and that’s fine. But this relatively unknown book is one that I definitely suggest reading. Its a very quick read at under 200 pages with some very sparse prose. There is something about the writing that felt very unique and readable. It’s not a new favorite, but it was thought-provoking and enjoyable, which I think are the marks of a good book.
Alison Doherty 
That cover copy is intriguing. I’d probably have picked this one up to. I’ll have to add it to my list. Anytime YA can go beyond the basic and create complex relationships its worth it.
It’s definitely not a huge time investment to read it. I finished it in probably under two hours total. Definitely under three hours.
Sophomore novels can be a headache. Expectations are high and when you deliver something a bit different, it can be a shock.
I wonder if the cover blurb is really the best it could be. The blurb makes it seem as though this is a book about a bisexual teen involved with an incestuous set of twins.
Not really sure this is where the author actually goes with her story, but when the marketing dept pushes the envelope that hard to capture reader attention, the author has to deliver a first rate tale.
It just doesn’t sound like she did.
Hmmm … even though the book wasn’t perfect I really enjoyed reading it and thought the writing was very fresh. I felt like over all she delivered a really interesting story (that went beyond the assumptions one might make from the blurb).