This is a decent YA psychological thriller.
Twin sisters have been separated for the past 6 years. Reunited by the death of their mother, the sisters don't possess the bond typical of twins. This is a classic 'bad seed' scenario. Ivy is the good twin and Iris is the bad twin who is hellbent on taking Ivy's place. Who will win in the end?
This was a fun read and I enjoyed the ending, but I didn't find Iris to be that sinister of a character. I guess I was expecting someone more nefarious and, though her actions throughout the novel were dark, I didn't find her to be particularly frightening even if she was calculating.

This is a simple book. It’s more of a mystery then a thriller. None the less, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed The Cellar, more.

Twisty with an end I definitely did not expect! I felt so sorry for Ivy and how manipulative her twin Iris was. This book definitely shows you that sometimes you should be wary of those closest to you. When twins Ivy and Iris mother dies, Iris moves back in with Ivy and their dad. Ivy is looking forward to being close to her twin again, until she isn’t. Iris doesn’t just want everything Ivy has, she wants to be Ivy.

In the novel The Twin, two separated twins, Ivy and Iris, are brought together by the unexpected death of their mother. But soon Ivy begins to release her twin Iris isn't as innocent as she seems.

I love Natasha Preston. The Cellar is still one of my favorite books. The premise for this book is extremely interesting and it is very believable that the narrator is a 16-year old girl. I thoroughly enjoy dark and creepy books, and the mystery is just an added bonus.

Unfortunately, I found this book extremely predictable. I knew by chapter ten what the outcome of this novel would be. I continued reading, hoping I was wrong. But alas, I was not. I found myself trudging through to the end of this book. The plot does not pick up until the last 9 or so chapters of the book.

I really wanted to enjoy this book but it was about as entertaining as detention.

The blurb for The Twin sounded utterly fascinating as I’m always on board when it comes to creepy, evil twins. Plus I know this author for the bestselling series The Cellar (admittedly I haven’t read said series but I figure if you reach the NYT bestselling list then you can’t possibly be a bad writer). So what could possibly go wrong? Apparently, a lot.

I’m not here to bash a book or an author, but this book truly moves at a snail’s pace. Sure, there’s some gaslighting by Iris (the supposedly evil twin) but it doesn’t really escalate till you’re 75% in the book. I was tempted many times to simply give up on this book, but I only prevailed cause reviewers who made it through claimed it was worth the wait.

Sure, Iris acts strange and like Ivy, we’re left questioning her strange bi-polar personality, but other than that, we can’t see her as being purely evil. And for being a YA, it is very tame compared to other edgier books I’ve read in the genre. I’m also baffled by all the reviews that claimed this was a fast-paced thriller. Using short sentences and barely any description doesn’t easily equate to fast-paced. And there’s some suspense but then again since not much happens that I found to be too alarming, it doesn’t really elevate the stakes at hand.

Is Iris really trying to take Ivy’s place? And if so, why? That’s the central question and it would be an interesting one if it had merely moved at a faster pace or had some truly terrible things happen to Ivy. Now I know that this author used to post their writing on Wattpad (I’m not judging since I do enjoy A.V. Geiger’s books a lot and she used to be on there as well) but I can’t help but feel as though Preston’s writing is too simplistic and that her thrillers aren’t even on par with middle-grade thriller books (I mean a lot more happens in a Goosebumps book than what occurred throughout this one).

The dialogue was a bit stilted in this book, especially anytime Iris spoke. I get that she’s weird but the way she speaks doesn’t even sound like a normal teen or one that is popular anyway.

I really wanted to love this book or at least enjoy the ride, but instead, I was bored witless and wish I could’ve been Ivy binge-watching Riverdale instead.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's for this copy of The Twins. The opinions are my own.

When their parents divorced the twins Ivy and Iris were split up, Ivy went to live with her father, Iris with her mother, but when the woman dies in an accident they are reunited and Iris has to live with Ivy and their father.
Ivy and Iris couldn't be more different. Ivy is logical, Iris is more emotional, Ivy is a swimmer, Iris a cheerleader, Ivy prefers small group of friends, Iris seeks the popularity.
Ivy is trying to deal with her mother's death, focusing on her healing, her swimming, friends and boyfriend and trying to be close to Iris, since they lived separately for so long. She's ready to do anything to help her sister feeling at home. But soon she starts to realize Iris isn't not what she seems. She acts weird, butting in bewteen Ivy and her best friends, using her clothes, slowly taking over her life. Soon everyone are besotted by her and Ivy becomes suspicious. Why is Iris taking out on her? What is she doing? Realizing her sister is bent to take over her life and friends, Ivy begins to wonder, too, about their mother's death and her safety. Is she paranoid and overthinking? Or is there something really wrong with Iris? Is she in danger?

The twin is a chilling psychological thriller that left me breathless and pushed me to read faster because I needed to know how would it end, what would happened next. It's the first book I've read by Natasha Preston, but I like her writing style. Told in first person, by Ivy's POV it's easy to get involved in the story, worrying with her, thinking about her sister and her life and twists, following Ivy in her investigations.
Ivy's situation made me so angry and I really hated Iris and her manipulative side, even though she's a great character, a psychopath. I was a bit disappointed reading how none, even Ivy's father and closest friends couldn't believe her. How far a jealous person could go. The ending frustrated me a lot, because, even though it's an open one and usually I liked them, this one left me so angry and sad. Iris is cunning, smart and cruel, but I like her character a lot, even though she's the "villain". Overlooking my feelings about the ending, the story is a gripping one, full of surprises, mysteries and a beautiful psychological thriller. A really scary one.

A perfect thriller for the YA audience!!!!

Spoilers!

She is the perfect twisted sister, I hope there is another book to follow up like she has done before.....Because I really want to see Iris get what she deserves. I thought Ivy was smarter than that!!! Someone else should have been able to put the pieces together.

I am a huge fan of Natasha's previous books so I was excited to receive an ARC from Netgalley for this one. Billed as a psychological thriller about two twins, that was all I needed to know, I dove right in. The book was creepy and kept me on my toes. This is one you want to check out for sure!

Ivy and Iris were sent to live with each parent when they divorced. When the twins mother dies in an accident Iris comes to live with Ivy and her dad. It seems that Iris is trying to take Ivy's place and the way that Ivy's life is in shambles she is pretty sure that she is correct, or is she?

Who really is the evil twin and what happened to their mother? The drama and creepiness that ensues will keep you turning the pages to find out.

In Natasha Preston’s newest release, twins Emmy and Iris, separates by divorce, are bright back together by the death of their mother. Emmy begins to suspect that Iris isn’t as innocent as everyone else believes.

This is like the Good Son meets Lifetime movies, and was just as predictable. It’s okay, but just warning three stars from me.

**Many thanks to NetGalley and the published for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.**

Good twin and evil twin, dark one wants to take place of the white one. This kind of mind bending, nail biting, nightmare summoning, evil soul conjuring stories are my all-time favorites and they never make me
disappointed as like this book which gave me enough entertainment and irritating satisfaction.
You know classic “Single White Female” theme. They’re not twins but evil roommate Jennifer Jason Leigh became jealous of Bridget Fonda and she was so adamant to live her life by taking her place with planning deadly scheme. She starts to dress like her, having a haircut like her, stealing the boyfriend of her by acting like her. This sick, mindf**king story reminded me of the deadly dance of this book’s twins: let’s take a look at our lovely twins Iris and Ivy. Don’t worry, their story is not less agitated than the classic replacing the lucky twin by threatening her life story.

Iris lives with his mother. Ivy lives with his father. Both twins are separated when they were only 10 and they have no special bond. The story started like “Parent Trap” movie, right? And you think that those sisters try to match make their parents to be a happy and big family again. NO! NO! NO! At the end of Parent Trap Dennis Quaid married with his childish wife who is younger than his son. (Sorry that was real life! It wasn’t written on the script. And Lindsay Lohan ate her imaginary twin to become a mean girl, end of the real story!) This time mother goes for a jog and falls down from a bridge! So mother is out of picture and Iris comes to live with her father and twin sister. But guess what, she whispers mean things to her sister when she is out of earshot of their father.

Iris starts to go to same school with her sister and compete with her at the swimming team. And poor Ivy feels threatened after finding not so cute Mickey Mouse kind of dead rat at her locker, having troubles with her besties and boyfriend. Her life starts getting out of control. And as you may imagine, their mother’s dying is not an accident. The evil twin might have killed her. So what’s gonna happen? Which one will defeat the other? Which one is going to be survivor? Is Ivy paranoid and did she imagine the entire fall-out of hers? Do you want to find out? Come on, grab the book, flip the pages and take a long sip from your refreshment. You’re gonna need all liquid courage to relax your nervous mind!

OVERALL: The story was not something so unique or original but it was still mysterious, well-written, heart throbbing. Pace was a little slow but it still gives the eerie and ominous feelings you need to get from terrifying thrillers. 3.75 rounded to 4 stars. It’s quite interesting and captivating YA thriller. I recommend it to the genre’s die-hard fans! I had mostly great time during my reading.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press and of course brilliant author Natasha Preston for providing me this nail biter, exciting book’s ARC COPY in exchange for my honest review.

A dark and twisted thriller that certainly lives up to the hype. I enjoyed this story immensely and even though it was a bit predictable at times, I still kept turning the pages needing to know what happens. Ivy and Iris both suffered a tragedy but things aren’t always what they seem. One psychological thriller that should be on your list to read.

I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion and review. This was quite the story. It’s scary to see how easy it could be to manipulate someone and change their whole life. I really like Ivy’s character. She is true to herself throughout the entire story, even when things make a turn for the worst. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes physiological thrillers

I wanted to love this story but was more annoyed than anything. And I was left feeling even more annoyed at the end. The whole time I was reading, I was just waiting for everyone to find out the truth about Iris. That never happened. I'm not a huge fan of open-ended endings normally but I can deal with them, usually. Not this one. Not having any resolution just made me mad. Overall, it was just annoying and childish. I dealt with the childish behavior because I was waiting for the end. I was very disappointed. Good plot and decent writing but just not very good.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

Jessica Wakefield Unbound- if Todd and Enid went along with her bullshit

I’ve read (and enjoyed) all of Natasha Preston’s previous stories. The Twin was a story of Ivy and Iris, twins who lived with different parents until their mother tragically died. Ivy has spent the last few years living with her dad, while Iris lived with their mother. After the death, Iris moves in with Ivy and their dad. Slowly Iris starts to take over Ivy’s life. Her friends, her hobby, everything. Ivy becomes extremely paranoid about it and Iris is crazy, but no one else sees just how crazy Iris is.

The Twin was a pretty good book. I wouldn’t say I couldn’t put it down, or had to know what was happening. I expected a little more of a thriller aspect and was a little disappointed not to receive it. The end of it also disappointed me. I personally don’t feel this is her best work. I enjoyed the book enough, but it just wasn’t my favorite of hers.

This was a great story that follows 2 twin sisters that have been separated since their parents divorced, one twin living with each parent. After their mom dies suddenly, Iris comes to live with Ivy and their dad. The story follows the twins and the challenges of settling into life after the huge changes of losing a parent and living together again.

This story was so well-written that I couldn’t put it down! I loved the back and forth between the twins and the way everything played out. I really started getting emotional and feeing for poor Ivy because of everything she was going through. That’s why I absolutely HATED the ending.

**Spoiler Alert**
I honestly thought Meera was there to help at the end. I just knew that she had left a tape recorder laying in the room somewhere to trick Iris and was going to come back and expose her and get Ivy back home. That would have been the perfect ending to me. As it was, I felt like the story was left too open. Like, what happens next? I get that Ivy is stuck and Iris will make her look like the murderer if she tries anything else, but that’s it? That’s all we get?? I just hate seeing the bad guys win...

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Wow, this book was a wild ride. I couldn't put it down. It was frustrating. I felt helpless reading it. And the end did nothing to ease my pain. If you're into mystery thrillers, give this book a read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ivy isn't going crazy. She just can't convince anyone of that. Ever since her mother died, things have been odd. Ivy's twin sister, Iris, comes to live with them when mysterious and sinister events start to unfold. Ivy realizes that Iris is slowly succeeded and turning everyone against Ivy. Now she must work alone to figure out the truth behind her mother's death.

This was the first book of Preston's that I read. Overall, it was really good. I found the first half to be a bit slow and a lot of building. Passages felt redundant as I waited for more to happen. The second half really picked up and kept me interested the whole time. I was a bit disappointed by the ambiguous ending, but I am hoping that leaves room for a sequel. This was the first YA thriller I've read, and it was pretty good!

The Twin by Natasha Preston. I had high hopes for this one after reading The Cellar.

Thank you to @netgalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Guys, I really wanted to like this one, cause I loved the last one I read. This one didn’t do it for me.
Maybe cause I’m old now and can’t relate to all teen angst and drama? I’m not sure. It just seemed overly paranoid and ridiculous and making mountains out of molehills on Ivy’s part. I felt like she just freaked out about little things and didn’t even really try to confront the situation or deal with problems. That weren’t even actual “problems”.
I had to really push myself to keep reading. I wanted to bail several times. And usually, if a book doesn’t pick up by 25% I will. This didn’t get better til closer to 60, and even then it wasn’t amazing. By like 75-80 I was just waiting for it to be done.
The book did get better the last little bit and have a bit more excitement, which is why I gave it one more star than I would have.
It may just be me though, read it and see what you think!
This one will be available in March of 2020.