The Quick Cut: Twin sisters get tested for Huntington's disease when they turn 18 after spending their lives watching mom fall apart due to it. All hell breaks loose when one sister tests positive and the other tests negative.
A Real Review:
Discovering you have a debilitating disorder is a devastating moment for any person who has been through the unfortunate process, but what about those who find put they are going to develop one in the future? Would it change how you live? Could you do everything you wanted before it kicked in? That is the premise of this story with the Jewish twins Adina and Tovah.
After watching their mom slowly fade away from Huntington's disease, fraternal twins Adina and Tovah agree to get genetically tested as soon as they turn 18 to find put if they have the same genetic markers that will cause them to develop the condition too. With a 50/50 shot, it turns out that musical protege Adina tests positive while the brainy medical school focused Tovah tests negative. It doesn't take long for both sister's future plans to go completely off the rails and each to fall apart in their own way. Can their sisterly relationship survive and what will they do next?
I've had this book on my shelf to do a long time and now having read it, I wish I read it sooner! The story between the sisters and the scare of the Huntington's is so visceral, it puts you right in the story. The reaction that each of the sister's has to their own test result is very relatable and when mixed with their life situations... Multiply that. Tovah gets the best result possible but her life doesn't go the way she wanted it to (and the blindside devastates her). Adina gets the worst result and in turn goes so far off the deep end she creates her own worst situation.
What takes this story up another level is the fact that the sister's aren't perfect. So often in books we see siblings (especially twins) portrayed as sharing all their secrets with each other and understanding of one another's idiosyncrasies. My experience in life has never been that idyllic and from what my close friends have talked about, they would agree. It's so refreshing to get a true portrayal that doesn't feel like a fake happy version of reality.
With a refreshing and realistic take on being given a devastating genetic test result, this book rises above the rest as a winner with heart and a true concept of what it is like to be in those shoes.
My rating: 5 out of 5