Holly's Book Corner

The Ice Twins

by S.K.Tremayne

Rating: 4/5

Pages: 373

Publisher:  Harper Collins

Publication Date: 2015

ISBN: 9780007563036

 

 

Summary (via Goodreads)
 

 A year after one of their identical twin daughters, Lydia, dies in an accident, Angus and Sarah Moorcraft move to the tiny Scottish island Angus inherited from his grandmother, hoping to put together the pieces of their shattered lives.

But when their surviving daughter, Kirstie, claims they have mistaken her identity—that she, in fact, is Lydia—their world comes crashing down once again.

As winter encroaches, Angus is forced to travel away from the island for work, Sarah is feeling isolated, and Kirstie (or is it Lydia?) is growing more disturbed. When a violent storm leaves Sarah and her daughter stranded, Sarah finds herself tortured by the past—what really happened on that fateful day one of her daughters died?
 

Review (Warning Spoilers!)

I would like to thank Harper Collins Publishers for a review copy of The Ice Twins.

Imagine that you have two identical children. Not only are they identical twins but they have the exact same hair cut, the same outfit, the same eyes, moles and blemishes on their skin. Do you think you would be able to tell the difference between them?

For Sarah, who has lost one of her perfectly identical daughters, this becomes a matter of urgency when one night her remaining daughter tells her that she got it wrong about who died.

When I first read the blurb on this book I was hooked on the idea of a parent not knowing which child she had buried and which was the one who now remained in front of her and wanted to read it immediately. 

The way that S. K. Tremayne has started the book makes the reader feel that they have entered half way through a story. Lydia has already been dead for over a year and her remaining family are trying to move on with their lives without her. The family is broken, struggling to cope and carry on, especially Lydia's twin Kirstie who has no friends and feels lost without her other half.

The Ice Twins is chilling and suspenseful. I found myself questioning the death of Lydia, trying to work out if I believed Kirstie's claims to be her. The hostile relationship between Sarah and Angus at some points confused me, I wanted to know what had caused the love-hate pull that now existed in the void caused by their daughter's death.

One thing I also liked about the book was that there were pictures included within it at certain stages. For me these gave me a sense of excitement and the feeling like I was reading a criminal file and these were the stages which led to that crime. However I would like to point out this is only my take on it and I have no proof that the images are intended to be interpreted this way.

I would recommend this book to any lover of modern fiction or crime fiction (aged 14+). It was an enjoyable read that had a surprising conclusion.