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Untwine
Sixteen-year-old Giselle Boyer and her identical twin, Isabelle, are as close as sisters can be. They are each other’s strongest source of support even as their family life seems to be unraveling and their parents are considering divorce. Then the Boyers have a tragic encounter that will shatter everyone’s world forever.
Giselle wakes up in a hospital room, injured and unable to speak or move. She doesn’t know what’s happened to her sister, to her family, to herself. Trapped in the prison of her own body, Giselle must revisit her past in order to understand how the people closest to her—her friends, her parents, and above all, Isabelle—have shaped and defined her. Will she allow her love for her family and friends to buoy her and lead her on the path to recovery? Or will she remain lost in a painful spiral of longing and regret?
Untwine is a spellbinding tale, lyrical and filled with love, mystery, humor, and heartbreak. Award-winning author Edwidge Danticat brings her extraordinary talent to this graceful and unflinching examination of the bonds of friendship, romance, and family; the horrors of loss; and the strength we must discover in ourselves when all seems hopeless.
Giselle wakes up in a hospital room, injured and unable to speak or move. She doesn’t know what’s happened to her sister, to her family, to herself. Trapped in the prison of her own body, Giselle must revisit her past in order to understand how the people closest to her—her friends, her parents, and above all, Isabelle—have shaped and defined her. Will she allow her love for her family and friends to buoy her and lead her on the path to recovery? Or will she remain lost in a painful spiral of longing and regret?
Untwine is a spellbinding tale, lyrical and filled with love, mystery, humor, and heartbreak. Award-winning author Edwidge Danticat brings her extraordinary talent to this graceful and unflinching examination of the bonds of friendship, romance, and family; the horrors of loss; and the strength we must discover in ourselves when all seems hopeless.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 2015
About the author
Edwidge Danticat
123 books2,622 followersEdwidge Danticat was born in Haiti and moved to the United States when she was twelve. She is the author of several books, including Breath, Eyes, Memory, an Oprah Book Club selection; Krik? Krak!, a National Book Award finalist; and The Farming of Bones, an American Book Award winner. She is also the editor of The Butterfly's Way: Voices from the Haitian Dyaspora in the United States and The Beacon Best of 2000: Great Writing by Men and Women of All Colors and Cultures.
Danticat earned a degree in French Literature from Barnard College, where she won the 1995 Woman of Achievement Award, and later an MFA from Brown University. She lives in Miami with her husband and daughters.
Danticat earned a degree in French Literature from Barnard College, where she won the 1995 Woman of Achievement Award, and later an MFA from Brown University. She lives in Miami with her husband and daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 573 reviews
February 10, 2022
Preamble be damned, Untwine begins in the present and with purpose. Mum and Dad aren’t getting along. Identical teen-aged twin girls are tight, but right now, each is feeling a bit out of sorts. Everyone in the family car, each in a funk. And they are running late. Suddenly--another vehicle slams into them. The tightly knit family is shattered; metaphorically and then, quite literally.
Realistic fiction with a fresh focus features a situation that anyone can relate to. Rather than opening with an obligatory, typical-teen-turning-point type of event, it’s a regular day and a random accident. With all the ripple effects. Giselle relays events to the reader, moving both backward and forward, but in a fluid kind of way—painting the picture piece by piece.
Ms. Danticat’s story struck me as unique in a couple of ways. First, I felt a solid sense of loss for someone I’ve never known. Not sadness, sympathy or empathy; but an actual aching emptiness, and all for a character the author doesn’t even introduce. Second, subtle nuances--almost behind-the-scenes actions, that demonstrate strength and support of extended family I found to be both impressive and inspiring.
Mum and Dad, each with a sibling, immigrated from Haiti to the U.S. and they made their home in Miami. The accident brings the twins’ maternal aunt, as well as their father’s brother, to the hospital and straight to Giselle’s bedside. When Giselle is released from the hospital, she has rigid, ridiculous rules to follow, but they are for real. If she wants her brain to heal, that means no screens whatsoever, no reading, and no writing. Everyone else has their own injuries, so grand-parents come from Haiti to help out.
A sad story, with subtle silver linings, is simply the best.
This review was written for Buried Under Books by jv poore.
Realistic fiction with a fresh focus features a situation that anyone can relate to. Rather than opening with an obligatory, typical-teen-turning-point type of event, it’s a regular day and a random accident. With all the ripple effects. Giselle relays events to the reader, moving both backward and forward, but in a fluid kind of way—painting the picture piece by piece.
Ms. Danticat’s story struck me as unique in a couple of ways. First, I felt a solid sense of loss for someone I’ve never known. Not sadness, sympathy or empathy; but an actual aching emptiness, and all for a character the author doesn’t even introduce. Second, subtle nuances--almost behind-the-scenes actions, that demonstrate strength and support of extended family I found to be both impressive and inspiring.
Mum and Dad, each with a sibling, immigrated from Haiti to the U.S. and they made their home in Miami. The accident brings the twins’ maternal aunt, as well as their father’s brother, to the hospital and straight to Giselle’s bedside. When Giselle is released from the hospital, she has rigid, ridiculous rules to follow, but they are for real. If she wants her brain to heal, that means no screens whatsoever, no reading, and no writing. Everyone else has their own injuries, so grand-parents come from Haiti to help out.
A sad story, with subtle silver linings, is simply the best.
This review was written for Buried Under Books by jv poore.
November 2, 2015
Whatever is after this world, I pray that there's room for the four of us to always sit together."
This was a heart touching, but incredibly boring read for me. The first couple of chapters and especially the first sentence reminded me of If I Stay by Gayle Forman (which I loved), but unfortunately this novel doesn't bring anything new or exciting to the scene of YA contemporary, realistic fiction.
The writing does have an easy, structured flow to it, but the pacing is so dreadfully slow and the narrator's monotone voice dulled the emotions that I feel I should have felt for it. In 100 pages, NOTHING happens but Giselle remembering the car wreck and watching as people come and go in and out of her hospital room while she has flashbacks of her past, all of which added little to the plot. Quite frankly, I'm still not entirely sure what the plot is, but I'm thinking this is more of a theme driven book. Also, the dialogues are so few and far between, this actually reads more like a memoir than it does a fiction novel, which would be okay... if this was a memoir.
Sorry to say, but this is another novel that I was excited to pick up only to be disappointed in the end. Keeping in mind I go by the Goodreads Rating system and this was an okay read for me (2 stars), but I think it could have been so much better.
Untwine would probably be well suited for lazy day or rainy day reads, where you don't mind the book being less engaging, with a melancholy vibe and a little on the slow side. :D
September 6, 2015
3.5 Have always loved Danticat's adult novels so when I saw this one targeted form the Ya group I had to grab it. She did a wonderful job.
Two twins, soon to celebrate their seventeenth birthday, Isabelle and Giselle, close as can be though they have differences, in friends, in interests. A car ride to the concert, where Isabelle will play her flute, will change everything forever for, this family.
A novel about grief, recovery and how to move ahead when one is missing. A strong family unit with some wonderful characters. I was glad that Haiti was still a part of, this, novel though it is set in the USA.
Have a hard time judging YA novels, can only say that as an adult I liked this one very much. A bit dramatic at times but since I have never lost a twin I cannot imagine how one would feel. The author though does have experience with twins so I trust that she got it right.
Two twins, soon to celebrate their seventeenth birthday, Isabelle and Giselle, close as can be though they have differences, in friends, in interests. A car ride to the concert, where Isabelle will play her flute, will change everything forever for, this family.
A novel about grief, recovery and how to move ahead when one is missing. A strong family unit with some wonderful characters. I was glad that Haiti was still a part of, this, novel though it is set in the USA.
Have a hard time judging YA novels, can only say that as an adult I liked this one very much. A bit dramatic at times but since I have never lost a twin I cannot imagine how one would feel. The author though does have experience with twins so I trust that she got it right.
August 23, 2018
dnf at page 22
the writing is kinda nice, but i'm kinda just not in the mood to read one of these types of books. there's not any dialogue happening and it's pretty boring.
the writing is kinda nice, but i'm kinda just not in the mood to read one of these types of books. there's not any dialogue happening and it's pretty boring.
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September 29, 2015Danticat is one of the most amazing, critically acclaimed writers working today and this, her third young adult novel, does not disappoint. It is a tremendous story of twin sisters and a tragic accident that leaves one of the sisters, Giselle, trapped in her body with no way to communicate. While unable to talk, Giselle spends her time reflecting on her family and her sister, what those things mean in a higher sense, and whether she wants to return to the world she once knew. This book is incredibly powerful and told in Danticat's magical style. I don't think I even need to warn you to get the tissues ready.
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February 20, 2024
A beautiful mix of heartbreak, humor and a lot of love. A very realistic teenage story and everyone can relate. I am a huge fan of Ms Danticat's, and this novel reads like a thriller and mystery, then becomes a profound meditation on family and grief.
The love between twins Giselle and Isabelle, who are victims of a horrifying car accident in Miami, on their way to Isabelle's flute recital is unforgettable.
I think it's the first time I've seen Ms Danticat write with so much humor and teenage warmth, compared to the spareness and solemnity that most of her readers have been accustomed to from her adult work.
The love between twins Giselle and Isabelle, who are victims of a horrifying car accident in Miami, on their way to Isabelle's flute recital is unforgettable.
I think it's the first time I've seen Ms Danticat write with so much humor and teenage warmth, compared to the spareness and solemnity that most of her readers have been accustomed to from her adult work.
October 15, 2015
I actually coughed up the cash to buy this book in hardcover, because it just looked so beautiful. The light blue background, the tree branches, the hearts, the poetic title...it spoke to me.
Of course, the morning I put the book into my work bag also happened to be the same morning I failed to tightly seal my coffee thermos, which was—you guessed it—also in my bag.
You win some, you lose some.
Fortunately, by lunchtime the book had mostly dried, so no reading time was lost in the tragedy. And not even java-tinted pages could detract from how incredibly beautiful this book is, in design but more importantly in content and voice.
Isabelle and Giselle are twins, teenage girls in the back seat of their parents' car on their way to a school concert. Their car is broadsided, and Giselle wakes up in the hospital with only murky memories of the crash and what happened after. She isn't able to move or speak, so she's left to puzzle everything out alone in her head: what happened to the rest of her family? Why are the police saying the wreck might not have been an accident? And why do the doctors keep calling her Isabelle?
I don't really go in for super-sad, sappy fare. If Untwine had just been a book about a girl who suffers a tragedy, I would have abandoned it quickly with no remorse. No cover is beautiful enough to keep me invested in a sobfest. But the mystery element of the book is surprisingly well-developed and compelling. I wanted to know what really happened as badly as Giselle did, and the answers, when they came, were poignant and heartbreaking and still somehow satisfying.
I've been curious about Haitian-American Danticat's writing probably ever since Breath, Eyes, Memory was on Oprah's list years ago, but never made the time to check her out. I think Untwine was the perfect introduction. There are moments of real beauty in her prose. If she can write this lovely a book for a young adult audience, I can't imagine not liking her adult fiction offerings.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
Of course, the morning I put the book into my work bag also happened to be the same morning I failed to tightly seal my coffee thermos, which was—you guessed it—also in my bag.
You win some, you lose some.
Fortunately, by lunchtime the book had mostly dried, so no reading time was lost in the tragedy. And not even java-tinted pages could detract from how incredibly beautiful this book is, in design but more importantly in content and voice.
Isabelle and Giselle are twins, teenage girls in the back seat of their parents' car on their way to a school concert. Their car is broadsided, and Giselle wakes up in the hospital with only murky memories of the crash and what happened after. She isn't able to move or speak, so she's left to puzzle everything out alone in her head: what happened to the rest of her family? Why are the police saying the wreck might not have been an accident? And why do the doctors keep calling her Isabelle?
I don't really go in for super-sad, sappy fare. If Untwine had just been a book about a girl who suffers a tragedy, I would have abandoned it quickly with no remorse. No cover is beautiful enough to keep me invested in a sobfest. But the mystery element of the book is surprisingly well-developed and compelling. I wanted to know what really happened as badly as Giselle did, and the answers, when they came, were poignant and heartbreaking and still somehow satisfying.
I've been curious about Haitian-American Danticat's writing probably ever since Breath, Eyes, Memory was on Oprah's list years ago, but never made the time to check her out. I think Untwine was the perfect introduction. There are moments of real beauty in her prose. If she can write this lovely a book for a young adult audience, I can't imagine not liking her adult fiction offerings.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
September 26, 2015
Profoundly stunning were the words that came to mind when I finished the last sentence in this poignant and tender story dealing with sisterhood, family, love, loss and grief. Readers quickly learn that sixteen-year-old Haitian-American identical twins, Giselle and Isabelle were born holding hands and now as a car crashes into their SUV on their way to Isabelle’s concert their last interaction with each other will be holding hands making the title so appropriate as the reader journey’s with Giselle as she wonders how she will move forward without her twin. Danticat’s prose is exceptionally perceptive as she realistically conveys Giselle’s inner and spoken feelings. The mythology regarding twins and spirits had magical yet riveting touches. There is not one wasted word in this exquisitely plotted beautifully written tale but then this was what Danticat’s fans have come to expect when reading her work. And I would be neglectful if I did not mention the well-developed rich characterizations that set the tone. I recommend this book for mature teens and adults looking for a storyline that is generous in spirit yet unsparing in its honesty.
July 26, 2016
also posted on my blog sarahsbookaddiction.wordpress.com
NOTE: I do mention If I Stay quite a bit in this review and it does contain spoilers, so if you haven’t read If I Stay, I wouldn’t suggest you to go any further.
When I picked up this book, I was deprived of contemporary. I hadn’t read one in a while, so I was beyond excited to read this. The title and synopsis sounded so intriguing and totally heart wrenching I couldn’t wait to dive in.
First off I just wanted to say comparing books is terrible. It’s almost like a crime to me. Authors put so much effort into what they do and hours are spent writing, editing, etc. so it pains me to compare Untwine to If I Stay but the resemblance between both novels was crazy. Honestly, you just have to read the first sentence to think, “Am I reading If I Stay?”
Um do you see that resemblance? It literally sums up the beginning of If I Stay, when Mia’s family is in the car crash while listening to beautiful classical music. Some other resemblances between the two books were the characters’ love for music, and the struggle they’re going through to stay alive. Ring a bell to anybody?
I was done with this story after reading just two sentences. I felt terrible and Untwine received some pretty high reviews, so I decided to give it a go. However, I only made it halfway through when I decided I couldn’t take it anymore and I put the book down.
It wasn’t just how similar Untwine was to If I Stay, but there was also the monotone voice of Giselle. That was not capturing my attention, along with the depressing cloud falling on top of you while you read this story. The happiness was missing, which really dragged me along. You know how people describe being depressed as having to drag themselves around and it’s hard getting through the day? That was me while reading this book. I wasn’t feeling any of the love, mystery, humor, or heartbreak as mentioned in the synopsis. Isn’t the synopsis supposed to be based on the novel itself and not Untwine being based on another novel?
Untwine was not a novel I enjoyed at all. The story just didn’t speak to me like it did to others, but if the synopsis sounded like something you guys might read, don’t let my review hold you back from a story that you may possibly love.
1/5 stars
NOTE: I do mention If I Stay quite a bit in this review and it does contain spoilers, so if you haven’t read If I Stay, I wouldn’t suggest you to go any further.
When I picked up this book, I was deprived of contemporary. I hadn’t read one in a while, so I was beyond excited to read this. The title and synopsis sounded so intriguing and totally heart wrenching I couldn’t wait to dive in.
First off I just wanted to say comparing books is terrible. It’s almost like a crime to me. Authors put so much effort into what they do and hours are spent writing, editing, etc. so it pains me to compare Untwine to If I Stay but the resemblance between both novels was crazy. Honestly, you just have to read the first sentence to think, “Am I reading If I Stay?”
I remember what was playing when the car slammed into us. It was Igor Stravinsky’s The Firebird.
Um do you see that resemblance? It literally sums up the beginning of If I Stay, when Mia’s family is in the car crash while listening to beautiful classical music. Some other resemblances between the two books were the characters’ love for music, and the struggle they’re going through to stay alive. Ring a bell to anybody?
I was done with this story after reading just two sentences. I felt terrible and Untwine received some pretty high reviews, so I decided to give it a go. However, I only made it halfway through when I decided I couldn’t take it anymore and I put the book down.
It wasn’t just how similar Untwine was to If I Stay, but there was also the monotone voice of Giselle. That was not capturing my attention, along with the depressing cloud falling on top of you while you read this story. The happiness was missing, which really dragged me along. You know how people describe being depressed as having to drag themselves around and it’s hard getting through the day? That was me while reading this book. I wasn’t feeling any of the love, mystery, humor, or heartbreak as mentioned in the synopsis. Isn’t the synopsis supposed to be based on the novel itself and not Untwine being based on another novel?
Untwine was not a novel I enjoyed at all. The story just didn’t speak to me like it did to others, but if the synopsis sounded like something you guys might read, don’t let my review hold you back from a story that you may possibly love.
1/5 stars
October 2, 2016
There were parts of this book (the middle) that were 3 stars for me, and parts (towards the end) that were 5. This is Danticat's first young adult novel. It is the story of identical twin sisters, Giselle and Isabel, aged 16, living in Miami, whose parents are Haitian immigrants. It is impossible to describe many details without spoilers, except that the book opens with a tragic event.
Identical twins often have rituals, and sometimes eccentric behaviors. Giselle and Isabel have a love of "glories", a type of environmental optical phenomenon that looks like a halo. Their grandfather is an architect in Haiti and he built his house in a spot on a mountain where glories are often spotted.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glory_(...
The twins' custom is for each of them to say one half of good bye as the glory fades. One twin says "good" and the other says "bye". Neither wanted to say a full goodbye to a glory.
The story is about couples, twins, pairs (e.g. grandparents) and pairings of various kinds. Each of the girls, after all they are 16, have boys who they are beginning to discover evoke special feelings. The sisters, however, don't talk about their affections for each of their "boys" with one another. There is also the theme of unpairing -their parents are separating. And even identical twins have to "untwine" to pursue individual dreams and individual loves. There is a word for an untwined person - "dosa" used in the story. Giselle gravitates towards art, and Isabel is a musician. Isabel likes to say "stun me", rather than surprise me, a poignant way of expressing that thought.
Danticat always explores her themes with deep emotion, never superficially. This is a story for teens aged 13-18 that is at times raw, and profoundly sad. It is a story of survival, and continuance.
Identical twins often have rituals, and sometimes eccentric behaviors. Giselle and Isabel have a love of "glories", a type of environmental optical phenomenon that looks like a halo. Their grandfather is an architect in Haiti and he built his house in a spot on a mountain where glories are often spotted.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glory_(...
The twins' custom is for each of them to say one half of good bye as the glory fades. One twin says "good" and the other says "bye". Neither wanted to say a full goodbye to a glory.
The story is about couples, twins, pairs (e.g. grandparents) and pairings of various kinds. Each of the girls, after all they are 16, have boys who they are beginning to discover evoke special feelings. The sisters, however, don't talk about their affections for each of their "boys" with one another. There is also the theme of unpairing -their parents are separating. And even identical twins have to "untwine" to pursue individual dreams and individual loves. There is a word for an untwined person - "dosa" used in the story. Giselle gravitates towards art, and Isabel is a musician. Isabel likes to say "stun me", rather than surprise me, a poignant way of expressing that thought.
Danticat always explores her themes with deep emotion, never superficially. This is a story for teens aged 13-18 that is at times raw, and profoundly sad. It is a story of survival, and continuance.
July 11, 2022
Danticat wrote this 7 years ago and it just came on my radar last week. It is probably the best she has written (my opinion). It was spell-binding. Fraternal twins in a family in Miami, parents are thinking about a divorce -they are rushing to a concert where one twin will play her flute with the school orchestra. Blam! A car hits them head on. One twin (not the musical one) becomes aware she is in great pain, cannot think, speak. She finally realizes she is in a hospital and all the nurses and doctors keep calling her by her sister's name. Doctors and nurses shine a bright light in her eyes; it is painful, but she cannot move away. Many machines keep her alive; where are her parents? her sister? Finally, her aunt comes in and whispers to her. Even the aunt thinks she is the sister. This young woman goes through agony for days, not being able to tell people who she is. She wants her twin. They have been best friends, so close for almost 17 years.
This is a touching book, dealing with loss, friendship, betrayal, pain in a lot of ways. There is a lot of forgiveness. The police want to talk to her but she cannot talk or understand them. Police think this is not an accident but was deliberate. Why was the driver trying to hurt them?
Of course, eventually her parents show up with her aunt and uncle and grandparents. This is one of the sweetest books I have ever read. There is so much her to cry about, loss, things to be thankful for. Emotions go many ways. Our twin has many brain problems - cannot read or watch tv, friends tire her out. Many doctor's appointments. Danticat is a wonderful wordsmith and the story flows. Beautiful, many tears. A book for everyone and makes us count our blessings for the big things as well as the little things.
This is a touching book, dealing with loss, friendship, betrayal, pain in a lot of ways. There is a lot of forgiveness. The police want to talk to her but she cannot talk or understand them. Police think this is not an accident but was deliberate. Why was the driver trying to hurt them?
Of course, eventually her parents show up with her aunt and uncle and grandparents. This is one of the sweetest books I have ever read. There is so much her to cry about, loss, things to be thankful for. Emotions go many ways. Our twin has many brain problems - cannot read or watch tv, friends tire her out. Many doctor's appointments. Danticat is a wonderful wordsmith and the story flows. Beautiful, many tears. A book for everyone and makes us count our blessings for the big things as well as the little things.
December 29, 2017
Beautifully heart-wrenching story of a teen who loses her twin sister in a car accident and her family's attempts to survive in the aftermath of such a tragedy.
May 13, 2017
Untwine is a quiet novel—perhaps too quiet for many readers of YA novels—but Danticat is a still a master. Danticat is a master of the impressionistic novel, and some of her novels (several of them written as intertwined short stories) stand as all time favourites. Untwine comes up too short of that caliber novel, perhaps because she seems forced, written a YA novel, to develop a plot-driven story around a tale that is much more reflective, about the journey of dealing with grief.
What Danticat does so well here is capture the human experience. There are so many beautiful sentences about difficult human feelings in this book, and it all adds up to something very special. There are a lot of books about how we deal with the loss of a loved one, and this one feels like one of the truest expressions of that grief. For someone dealing with the loss of a family member, I think this book would be a source of great comfort, with none of the gimmicks authors sometimes use to keep a reader turning the pages.
Many reviewers have compared this to Gayle Forman's If I Stay, but Untwine is much better and the relationships much more believable. Yet it falls short of another book I read this year about grief, the stirring Goodbye Days, by Jeff Zentner. Yet Untwine quietly joins that one and many other novels about dealing with death and offers something new in that the death is not just any family member, but the protagonist's twin sister. I'm grateful for anything Danticat writes, and this novel is a nice addition to her oeuvre.
What Danticat does so well here is capture the human experience. There are so many beautiful sentences about difficult human feelings in this book, and it all adds up to something very special. There are a lot of books about how we deal with the loss of a loved one, and this one feels like one of the truest expressions of that grief. For someone dealing with the loss of a family member, I think this book would be a source of great comfort, with none of the gimmicks authors sometimes use to keep a reader turning the pages.
Many reviewers have compared this to Gayle Forman's If I Stay, but Untwine is much better and the relationships much more believable. Yet it falls short of another book I read this year about grief, the stirring Goodbye Days, by Jeff Zentner. Yet Untwine quietly joins that one and many other novels about dealing with death and offers something new in that the death is not just any family member, but the protagonist's twin sister. I'm grateful for anything Danticat writes, and this novel is a nice addition to her oeuvre.
February 20, 2018
While reading this book I was compelled by the family of characters to continue til the conclusion. Parts were very boring and almost devoid of emotion when I expected to be beyond sad as the event unfolds. It almost annoyed me. Then there were other parts that were so beautifully written; a memorable quote with perfect insight. The last part of the book is very moving. I totally agree with other reviewers that parts of the book were 2 stars and others were 5 stars. Those moments kept me reading until the end since it took me longer than normal to finish only because I couldn’t stay hooked in but wanted to see it thru.
Upon finishing I had the ah ha moment of that maybe the story was written this way to echo the stages of grief. The part I and many of the reviewers called “boring” is really the part of the grief process where the person is not processing the loss or when they are in the throws of depression. The story telling is quiet, thoughtful, and expands on not only the culture of the family but the health effects they are dealing with physically and emotionally.
Upon finishing I had the ah ha moment of that maybe the story was written this way to echo the stages of grief. The part I and many of the reviewers called “boring” is really the part of the grief process where the person is not processing the loss or when they are in the throws of depression. The story telling is quiet, thoughtful, and expands on not only the culture of the family but the health effects they are dealing with physically and emotionally.
December 4, 2020
Edwidge Danticat is such an exceptional writer. This is a YA book but it was still so well written that it kept an old man like me entertained. This is a story told by a young girl named Giselle who was in a horrible car accident that killed her twin sister, injured her parents and severely injured her with head trauma that left her in a coma for several days. The story tells of her stay in the hospital and slow recovery and the struggle to come to terms with the death of her sister. Another excellent book by Danticat.
January 4, 2016
Sixteen-year-old Giselle Boyer and her twin sister Isabelle are close despite the fact that each sister has her own talents, tastes, and interests. When a car crash results in Isabelle's death while they are en route to a school concert, Giselle awakens in a hospital bed and finds herself unable to speak or move. As her family rallies around her, at first thinking that it is Isabelle who has survived, Giselle wonders if it is worthwhile to try to go on. After all, she has lost the one person who matters the most to her. As she reflects on the things she loves most about her family and friends, she draws strength from those memories and is able to move away her dark thoughts. While she is understandably filled with regret and loss, Giselle also knows that there are many more bright moments ahead for her. The author describes the strong bonds between two sisters and their supportive, loving but often confusing parents and extended family while also reminding readers that there is always hope for second chances, even for Giselle's Aunt Leslie. Several of the secondary characters are particularly well drawn and make readers want to learn more about them. The story will bring to mind Gayle Forman's If I Stay in some respects, but this one had some annoying loose ends and bizarre occurrences surrounding the car wreck that detracted from my enjoyment. It's fine to introduce into the story a confused teen desperate to escape her own circumstances, but there needed to be more information provided about her. Otherwise, readers such as me are left going, "Huh? What just happened?" There is simply too much vagueness about that part of the story and how the car crash occurred.
March 22, 2016
I really, really wanted to like this book. Even though the premise started off like an If I Stay knock off, I liked the way the author talked about the culture and diversity that the family comes from. Outside of that, this was just a really boring read. It's written in a kind of memoir style, which is fine for a memoir, but I really wanted to see more conversation instead of constant internal monologues and thoughts. I tried to get through this book, but just ended up skimming through it till the end. I think the cover and description of the story pull you in, but the storytelling itself doesn't live up to the hype.
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March 24, 2016
Untwine was an okay read. The beginning was *super* similar to If I Stay which I enjoyed but I was sort of hesitant to see what would come of everything. The book was very predictable and somewhat boring but the writing and pacing was really quick so it sort of made up for it. I didn't feel any true connections to any of the characters so that was one of my major disappointments. The ending was nice but I guess I was just wanting more? I don't know. I just felt that it was a very predictable book that was looking to bring out more emotions than it did for me. I can't put my finger on my exact issues I had which is always annoying. However, it was an interesting and very quick paced book about twins (a topic I love reading about) that ended up being a bit too predictable and cliche for me at times. I'm not so sure I would recommend this.
July 7, 2017
Not a book I would have necessarily reached for, but I'm so glad I did. It's YA, and it's a family drama of a teenage girl whose identical twin sister dies in a car crash. It was a very moving portrayal of grief, and a warm story, and one of the best YA books I've ever read set in 1st person present tense, a choice I usually hate, despite its prevalence in YA. Here it and its flashbacks are smooth and clear without clumsy, "I am narrating my thoughts of inexplicable yet necessary exposition." Here it was just tender and lovely. I look forward to reading more Edwidge Danticat.
October 31, 2023
Overall a good book. I thought it wasn't going to have a good ending because I was 30 pages from the end I felt like the story just kept on going. But it ended up wrapping up nicely. I also like that the plot wasn't super predictable.
March 14, 2019
8/10. There's nothing better than starting a book you've heard nothing about, and loving it. This book was really beautiful - no, it wasn't an entirely exciting storyline, and it didn't have stand-out writing, but it was just a lovely, and heartbreaking story that was easy to read
February 19, 2019
I chose this book without having heard of it before, but I had confidence I would enjoy it because I’m a big fan of the saucer. I listen to it as an audiobook, and I would highly recommend that because the narrator captured all of the voices wonderfully, but most of all infused the mix of French, Creole and English seamlessly.
This is one of those books that I would recommend to anyone, whether you’ve read this author before or not. It takes on a very emotional subject, but there is such a great balance between the ordinary and extraordinary that this story ride is a pleasure. I’ve recommend it to my daughters (15 and 17) because the main character is of their age, but the themes of grief and navigating relationships are pretty universal.
This is one of those books that I would recommend to anyone, whether you’ve read this author before or not. It takes on a very emotional subject, but there is such a great balance between the ordinary and extraordinary that this story ride is a pleasure. I’ve recommend it to my daughters (15 and 17) because the main character is of their age, but the themes of grief and navigating relationships are pretty universal.
November 10, 2020
Book 48 of 2020: Untwine by Edwidge Danticat
🚨LIVE Discussion in the This Browne Girl Reads Facebook group 11/10/20 at 9PM EST. Join us!!🚨
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"The doctor told our parents that he would need to untwine our hands to separate us."
This book is categorized as a YA novel...directed at readers 12 and older. Appropriate for 12 and older, yes. A YA novel...I beg to differ. At almost 47 years old I found this a moving and thought provoking novel for any age, but way too gripping and thought provoking to classify it as a YA novel. Labels...I tell ya.
Giselle and Isabelle Boyer are 16 year old twins on their way to Isabelle's high school orchestra concert with their parents when a minivan slams into them. Isabelle is thinking about her performance, Giselle is thinking about the fact that this may be the last time the four of them are together because her parents are heading toward a divorce. In a split second, everything changes and Danticat takes us through the journey of the mind when the body is incapacitated. What one thinks about when traumatized...alive but unconscious. How nuclear relationships are evaluated when their existence is threatened. How one processes life and death, grief, heartbreak, and regret when grappling with the impossible. This was such a poignant novel, and in true Danticat fashion...beautiful even in its despair. This is my 10th Danticat book this year, as part of The Year of Danticat monthly discussion that I moderate in the This Browne Girl Reads reading community on Facebook. Everything I have read by her has educated or moved me, in most cases I've received both gifts simultaneously. However, when Danticat simply tells a story, one that does not compete with a historical or educational narrative, it's just magical. She has a true gift for beautifully macabre storytelling and Untwine is a prime example. I look forward to reading this again.
🚨LIVE Discussion in the This Browne Girl Reads Facebook group 11/10/20 at 9PM EST. Join us!!🚨
.
.
"The doctor told our parents that he would need to untwine our hands to separate us."
This book is categorized as a YA novel...directed at readers 12 and older. Appropriate for 12 and older, yes. A YA novel...I beg to differ. At almost 47 years old I found this a moving and thought provoking novel for any age, but way too gripping and thought provoking to classify it as a YA novel. Labels...I tell ya.
Giselle and Isabelle Boyer are 16 year old twins on their way to Isabelle's high school orchestra concert with their parents when a minivan slams into them. Isabelle is thinking about her performance, Giselle is thinking about the fact that this may be the last time the four of them are together because her parents are heading toward a divorce. In a split second, everything changes and Danticat takes us through the journey of the mind when the body is incapacitated. What one thinks about when traumatized...alive but unconscious. How nuclear relationships are evaluated when their existence is threatened. How one processes life and death, grief, heartbreak, and regret when grappling with the impossible. This was such a poignant novel, and in true Danticat fashion...beautiful even in its despair. This is my 10th Danticat book this year, as part of The Year of Danticat monthly discussion that I moderate in the This Browne Girl Reads reading community on Facebook. Everything I have read by her has educated or moved me, in most cases I've received both gifts simultaneously. However, when Danticat simply tells a story, one that does not compete with a historical or educational narrative, it's just magical. She has a true gift for beautifully macabre storytelling and Untwine is a prime example. I look forward to reading this again.
October 14, 2016
In Untwine, Edwidge Danticat tells a story about 2 18 year old twin sisters who are going through a hard time in their life. Their names are Isabelle and Gizelle. Their parents are divorcing and they are imagining what their life would be like not together as a family. One day their whole family is going to Gizelle’s dance recital and on the way there, they get into a car accident. Read the book to find out if the sisters will be untwined forever.
In Untwine, I think the author did a good job explaining every detail that was going on in the story step by step. He made it easy to understand what was going on rather than skipping from detail to detail quickly and not thoroughly. The author did a good job by describing what the characters are like, their physical features and their personalities. At the same time, the author could have done some things differently. He could have maybe brought up what life was like before the divorce of their parents or just their family’s past in general. I think the message that the reader should take away from reading this is to always think ahead, how Isabelle was thinking ahead before the crash, what her life would be like and how it would be changed because you never know, the next second your life could end.
Overall, I would rate this book a 8/10 because at times it was boring but at most times it was very interesting. I would recommend this book to people who like a lot action and thrill and suspense because that's what all this book was about. It made me want to keep reading until I couldn't read anymore.
August 6, 2019
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“People say that things like this happen in slow motion, as though you suddenly become an astronaut in the antigravity chamber of your own life. This wasn't true for me. Things were speeding up instead, and I did my best to slow them down in my mind.”
As a note, a finished copy of this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.
In a tune similar to that of If I Stay, readers can expect to have their hearts break in half and a box of tissues is the ultimate required companion when diving into Untwine. Edwidge Danticat releases the thoroughly touching (fictional) story of twin sister’s Isabelle and Giselle Boyer and the accident that separates them between life and death. Untwine reflects on their lives spent as sisters and the very accident that kills one.
Danticat proves once more how solid her prose is; her writing chops bring on their best emotions for readers as they get to know Giselle and her thoughts and those moments, and years, leading up to the accident that will change her family’s life forever and beyond. More importantly, Untwine reflects on that past and approaches grief in a way that is honest and hopeful and full of a lot of emotional turmoil.
Continued: BOOKEDJ
As a note, a finished copy of this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.
In a tune similar to that of If I Stay, readers can expect to have their hearts break in half and a box of tissues is the ultimate required companion when diving into Untwine. Edwidge Danticat releases the thoroughly touching (fictional) story of twin sister’s Isabelle and Giselle Boyer and the accident that separates them between life and death. Untwine reflects on their lives spent as sisters and the very accident that kills one.
Danticat proves once more how solid her prose is; her writing chops bring on their best emotions for readers as they get to know Giselle and her thoughts and those moments, and years, leading up to the accident that will change her family’s life forever and beyond. More importantly, Untwine reflects on that past and approaches grief in a way that is honest and hopeful and full of a lot of emotional turmoil.
Continued: BOOKEDJ
January 20, 2018
This is a story about the truest love and about the deepest loss. It is the story of the pain you feel when you lose the person you love the very most in this world, your other half, your better half, the person who completes all your sentences and fits your clothes and gets you at your most basic. When you lose that person, first you have to figure out if you want to live anymore. Recovery is rough going in a hospital bed from which you float in and out of consciousness while the remaining people you know -in addition to some you don’t- try to coax you back into being once again. Next, you have to make sense of the world around you. This is the story of Giselle and Isabelle, twins, who are separated by a tragic and unnecessary car accident. Between the feelings of guilt for her part in the day’s trajectory and her own tenuous recovery from the wreck (not to mention her parents’ now differently abled bodies), Giselle is left to quite literally pick up the pieces of her life. Who was driving the car that smashed into them? Why did she do it? Will Giselle ever be able to find a reason to live again? There is nothing hurried about this book. Still, for a book about an untimely death, it ultimately has a lot of life in it. It is both a celebration of the love between sisters and the work of managing devastating, never-ending, heartbreaking, palpable, gut-wrenching, hard core grief. What I mean to say, is: this book is beautiful and it might make you cry.
September 29, 2015
You know how you see the synopsis for a book and instantly know you have to read it? Even if it is sure to break your heart?
Double yes.
Add this one to your list of heartbreakers, because it is spectacular.
Untwine got to me. It poured right into my soul as I devoured this book into my heart.
I knew what I was getting into. Anyone will the minute they read the back cover of Untwine. It’s sure to go only one way, and yet you’re still not ready for it once it finally happens.
I loved this book.
I loved every single character and the real feeling I got from them.
I loved the Haitian culture. The language. The grandparents.
I loved the art and the music and the simple innocence of it all.
I loved the moments that made me cry (almost all of them) and the ones that made my heart full of joy.
I loved the strong family aspect.
The beautiful, lyrical writing Mrs. Danticat provides is a gift to this world. God, I never wanted to stop reading this book even though it was such an emotional roller coaster.
Phenomenal from start to finish. Untwine is the moving, tragic novel of the year that you will not want to miss. And the one you won’t ever forget.
YABC review!
Double yes.
Add this one to your list of heartbreakers, because it is spectacular.
Untwine got to me. It poured right into my soul as I devoured this book into my heart.
I knew what I was getting into. Anyone will the minute they read the back cover of Untwine. It’s sure to go only one way, and yet you’re still not ready for it once it finally happens.
I loved this book.
I loved every single character and the real feeling I got from them.
I loved the Haitian culture. The language. The grandparents.
I loved the art and the music and the simple innocence of it all.
I loved the moments that made me cry (almost all of them) and the ones that made my heart full of joy.
I loved the strong family aspect.
The beautiful, lyrical writing Mrs. Danticat provides is a gift to this world. God, I never wanted to stop reading this book even though it was such an emotional roller coaster.
Phenomenal from start to finish. Untwine is the moving, tragic novel of the year that you will not want to miss. And the one you won’t ever forget.
YABC review!
July 2, 2015
Book #86 Read in 2015
Untwine by Edwidge Danticat (YA)
In graduate school, I read a book by this author and loved it. Several years ago, I read another YA book by her and loved that too. Therefore, this one was a no-brainer to request for review. It did not disappoint. Isabella and Giselle are identical twins. On their way to a school concert, the unthinkable happens and the twins, along with their parents, are in a horrific car crash. One twin lives; one twin dies. How does the family cope with this? How does the surviving twin move on with her life?
This book is well written and shows insight to the complication of family and how tragedy can bond people together. While a quick read, this book packs an emotional punch on many levels. The family is one that readers will care about and want to see them heal. I think high school girls and adults would enjoy this book.
I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
Untwine by Edwidge Danticat (YA)
In graduate school, I read a book by this author and loved it. Several years ago, I read another YA book by her and loved that too. Therefore, this one was a no-brainer to request for review. It did not disappoint. Isabella and Giselle are identical twins. On their way to a school concert, the unthinkable happens and the twins, along with their parents, are in a horrific car crash. One twin lives; one twin dies. How does the family cope with this? How does the surviving twin move on with her life?
This book is well written and shows insight to the complication of family and how tragedy can bond people together. While a quick read, this book packs an emotional punch on many levels. The family is one that readers will care about and want to see them heal. I think high school girls and adults would enjoy this book.
I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
January 6, 2019
Untwine by Edwidge Danticat is a story about two sisters, twins. It's a very sad book, and full of mystery about a mysterious event that changed one sister's life, and ended another's forever. The best character is Giselle, one of the twins. She is devastated about the tragic event that took place, but she is not afraid to face what's real, even if it means that part of her is and always will be missing. This story is very realistic and could definitely happen to anyone, but it's not something that someone would ever want to happen to them.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery, romance, and excitement. The story always leaves you on a cliffhanger, wondering many questions that you are dying to know. I absolutely loved this story and I really wish that there was another book. Untwine is a story about the bond between two inseparable sisters, and I suggest that you read this book as soon as you can.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery, romance, and excitement. The story always leaves you on a cliffhanger, wondering many questions that you are dying to know. I absolutely loved this story and I really wish that there was another book. Untwine is a story about the bond between two inseparable sisters, and I suggest that you read this book as soon as you can.
October 26, 2017
I enjoyed this book for the themes. I wish I got to know the family a bit better, they seem brilliant and lit! I'd love a prequel from the perspective of the parents.
I would recommend this for persons who like YAs that deals with death.
I would recommend this for persons who like YAs that deals with death.
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