Cath and Rob are twins who were sent to live with their grandmother while their mother was ill. When their dad returns for them, their mother is dead, and dad is with another woman. Their father is not at all affectionate or caring, and the stepmother only has love for their son together. When Rob dies at 48 of cancer, Oliver returns for the funeral, but Cath wants nothing to do with him. As she grieves Rob, she does so in an inappropriate way. Trying to catch a glimpse of her nieces after Rob's wife Joanne asks for time. As things get worse, Al, Cath's partner leaves telling her she needs help. When Joanne eventually comes to talk, Cath learns the difficulties Rob had. Oliver asks that she speak to her dying dad over Zoom and she finally does. It was a tough read but full of emotion. I received an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my honest review.

The Twin is an emotionally powerful and deeply perceptive novel about grief, identity, and the intense, complicated bond between twins. Amanda Brookfield explores how a lifetime of love, protection, and silent resentment between Cath and her twin brother Rob shapes their lives—and how Rob’s death leaves Cath unmoored.

Told with raw honesty, the story unpacks the aftermath of loss as Cath spirals through grief, clashing with her stepbrother Oliver and jeopardizing her relationship with the kind-hearted Alastair. Brookfield paints a vivid picture of a fractured family history, showing how pain lingers through generations.
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It is a poignant and challenging read, The Twin is a beautifully written exploration of sibling love, buried trauma, and the hard-won path to healing.

I really enjoyed this story and the different paths it went down as you got further into the book. This kept me hooked in and invested in the story from start to finish.

The Twin is a compulsive read with complex characters. I wanted to like the story but it was difficult to get through. Thanks NetGalley for an arc.

“The Twin” is by Amanda Brookfield. This is a family drama and it deals with a lot - family drama (but what family isn’t full of drama?), death of a twin/sibling and dealing with the emotional aftermath (and family), estrangement, and learning to go from a child’s perspective of a relationship into an adult one. There’s a lot of introspection in this book - from Oliver’s rather cool and calm to Catherine’s emotional rollercoaster. It also reinforces how different perspective in relationships can, sometimes, both be accurate.

I just finished a good book. The Twin by Amanda Brookfield is available soon and is one you should put on your list.

The bond between twins is famously strong, and Cath and Rob were no exceptions, bonded together even more tightly by the loss of their mother at an early age.

After their father remarries and produces a baby with his new wife in short order, the twins feel shut out of what should be their own family unit, deepening the already close ties between the pair.

But when Cath loses Rob at the age of only 48, she is cast adrift from her emotional moorings. Even more so, when their father's third child, whom he had with their stepmother, shows up Rob's funeral and shares a very different take on their childhood with Cath.

As the film Rashomon ably demonstrated, there can be not just two, but many points of view on any given situation. And Cath and her half brother Oliver must now decide how much veracity resides in each...

This is an emotional and thought provoking story which will appeal to readers who enjoy stories about family dynamics and domestic drama. It gets 3.5 stars.

oh i dont know whether my heart was made for things like this. it was such a heartbreaking and heart wrenching book. but it was so smart in doing so. there so much to say about this book that if i tried to do it justice id either be writing pages, wouldn't do it justice or id give every single spoiler to the plot!
i adored this look into what its like to be a twin. in this book we have two children who are very much loved. and as Cath and Rob grow up they are they're for each other. but things break when their beloved mother dies and their dead remarries and clearly isnt happy to be a parent to the twins. and this worsening feeling is exacerbated by the birth of the "New" son Oliver. Cath becomes increasingly protective of her brother Rob.
but this might quickly pass over in the future to being possessive of him and over him.
then the worst happens for Cath and her hurt is only made worse when who should turn up at the funeral but her estranged brother Oliver.
Cath continues to spiral in her grief. it effects every colour and concept of her life, even her own relationship.
Amanda goes on to construct a deeply moving and vivid depiction of what loss, grief and over due feelings from both present and past looks like. she also tells beautifully how we can experience the same time or place and each of us will feel or see it differently. the cast over their childhood for all the children involved offered up a huge perspective shift of this.
it doesnt shy away from the hard stuff, this feels real. but it does so with such well done writing that even though you can almost feel the pain and other feelings in this book you still want and feel compelled to read on. this is a fantastic story and it isnt without its glimmers of hope or at least understanding for a future going forward.

The Twin is a compulsive read with complex characters and an emotionally absorbing storyline.

Twins Catherine and Rob, lost their mother to cancer when they were six years old. Their father eventually married their mother's American friend Diane, who gave birth to their half brother Oliver. Diane is a vicious, spiteful woman, who delights in making the twins' lives a a misery, especially Caterine's. Oliver, in turn, bears the brunt of the twins difficult and sometimes wild behaviour. In their late teens, their father, Diane, and Oliver move to the States, leaving them to their own devices.

The story begins with Rob's funeral. He too has succombed to cancer, leaving behind a wife and two young daughters. Catherine does not cope well with her loss, as it brings into focus past experiences that pull her into a vicious circle of bad memories and regrets. The fact Oliver has flown over from the States to attended the funeral, appears to make things worse. She also has a difficult relationship with sister in law Joanne, who she feels acted as a barrier to her relationship with Rob. The story is told from both Catherine and Oliver's viewpoints and shows how easy grief and loss is able to pull an indiviual into a downward spiral, threatening what previously were solid relationships. Conversely, it also shows how sometimes there is light at the end of the tunnel and an opportunity to begin again.

Highly recommended.

I would like to thank Boldwood, the author and Netgaley for an ARC of The Twin in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't expect this book to bring out so many feelings in me but I love a good ugly cry. As a stepmother myself, I tend to dislike stories with an "evil" stepmother as I hate the sterotype. Other than that aspect, this was really well written, especially with dual timelines.

This book was very sad and depressing not what I thought I was getting myself into. It was too slow paced for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

The Twin is not my normal type of book I choose but I enjoyed it - it has flashbacks to childhood and present day and explores the complicated way families can be.

Emotional and heart wrenching The Twin from Amanda Brookfield captures the deep love that binds twins along with the passive aggressive nature that often is part of being a twin.
The twins are adored by their beautiful mother from the very day of their birth: they are charmed and charming, Cath being the slightly older, Rob the gentler of the two. Since the first day of school Catherine has always protected Rob from the school bullies.
A fractured childhood with the death of their beloved mother, a remarriage of their father to a woman they knew well but who had no love for them and the birth of their stepbrother Oliver only made this protective instinct of Cath’s stronger. She is openly defiant; Rob follows in his sisters’ footsteps.
As the years pass this protective instinct rises each time life sends them a challenge until it becomes commonplace to Cath and a bit of an issue for Rob, especially once he marries.
We meet Cath going to Robs funeral, devastated, bitter, hurting, angry, and inconsolable. So begins a reckoning long overdue as her stepbrother Oliver has come to the funeral, invited but unwanted, at least by Cath.
Weeks later Cath finds she is no closer to accepting Rob’s death, allowing her grief to colour very aspect of her life, to the point where she is destroying her own relationship with Alastair, a man who loves her unconditionally but finds the burden of her grief overwhelming.
Deeply perceptive to the inner workings of family Amanda Brookfield has captured with grace the destruction than can be caused when death occurs and the ability to rebuild if only it is allowed, as Cath faces the loss of her relationship, the death of her father and the retelling by Oliver of his life as a young boy.
While The Twin is a challenging read, it draws to a careful conclusion with Cath eventually understanding that there comes a time in life when you must confront your reality and accept that all is not as it appears to be.

The Twin presents a profound examination of familial relationships, grief, and the intricate connections that unite individuals. The narrative revolves around Catherine, who is profoundly impacted by the abrupt passing of her twin brother, Rob. This bereavement leaves her feeling adrift, as Rob was her unwavering anchor throughout their lives. Their shared upbringing, initially a source of strength, transforms into a backdrop for the emotional upheaval that ensues, particularly as they confront their estranged half-brother, Oliver, during Rob’s funeral.

Brookfield adeptly illustrates the trauma that has influenced Cath’s existence, originating from a tumultuous childhood marked by their mother’s death and the emotional distance of their stepmother. The reemergence of Oliver, after years of separation, brings to light repressed memories, compelling both siblings to navigate their intertwined past. This unforeseen reunion culminates in a poignant confrontation regarding their divergent recollections of shared experiences and the sorrow they both harbor.

The novel's dual perspectives provide an in-depth exploration of the emotional terrain of grief and memory. Brookfield elucidates how two individuals can endure identical circumstances yet arrive at entirely distinct truths. This investigation into subjective memory adds layers of complexity to their interactions as they grapple with unresolved issues from their formative years.

Although the narrative unfolds at a deliberate pace, it is imbued with emotional depth and psychological authenticity. The contrasts between Cath’s emotional volatility and Oliver’s composed demeanor enrich the narrative, adding dimension. While some character decisions may be challenging to empathize with, Brookfield ensures their inner lives are vividly rendered, inviting you to comprehend their motivations, even amidst disagreement.
In summary, The Twin is a captivating, character-driven narrative that delves into the complexities of family dynamics and the arduous, often painful path toward healing. It serves as an insightful read for those who appreciate intricately layered family dramas, making it an excellent selection for book clubs and personal contemplation.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my review.

Enjoyable read. Not my typical choice but I am glad I chose to read it. Delved into the relationship of twins, the trauma experienced in childhood and how it lingers.

I received a free copy of, The Twin, by Amanda Brookfield, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Twins Rob and Cath did not have a great childhood, losing their mother early in life, and getting a wicked step mother, did not help. Having a loving grandmother did help. This book was depressing, so sad.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. I wish there was a warning at the beginning of "must have tissues ready" because I really felt for the characters. So much of it resonated inside me and it truly touched my heart. An incredibly written story.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Twin is a beautiful book. Difficult to read in some places as it gets right to the heart of family relationships. Not just the lovely, friendly, supportive ones but the nasty, vindictive, sad ones that cut to the quick. All families have to come to terms with and adapt to in laws and family squabbles and estrangement unless they are very lucky and Amanda Brookfield demonstrates this beautifully. The way she writes about coping and adapting to the death of a loved one really touched me. Especially when seeing that person in different relationships. Wonderfully well done. Recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

The Twin is a family drama told from two different points of view. It touches on love, loss, and misunderstandings that that wreak havoc in the lives of others.

I enjoyed The Twin. The story moved along at a comfortable pace and the characters were well developed, complicated and mostly likable.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amanda Brookfield and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I found this book hard going. I really enjoyed the premise of looking back at family situations through two very different perspectives.
It was mired in grief and tyranny.
Resentment and bad behaviour seemed to be the default settings.
Obviously I am not the target audience.