Ratings4
Average rating3.6
Two identical twin sisters and former child actors have grown apart—until one disappears, in this “cleverly crafted and psychologically nuanced” (Time) suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Things. “An addictive thriller that will keep readers burning through pages . . . sneakily hypnotic.”—Los Angeles Times “You be me, and I’ll be you,” I whispered. As children, Sam and Elli were two halves of a perfect whole: gorgeous identical twins whose parents sometimes couldn’t even tell them apart. They fell asleep to the sound of each other’s breath at night, holding hands in the dark. And once Hollywood discovered them, they became B-list child TV stars, often inhabiting the same role. But as adults, their lives have splintered. After leaving acting, Elli reinvented herself as the perfect homemaker: married to a real estate lawyer, living in a house just blocks from the beach. Meanwhile, Sam has never recovered from her failed Hollywood career, or from her addiction to the pills and booze that have propped her up for the last fifteen years. Sam hasn't spoken to her sister since her destructive behavior finally drove a wedge between them. So when her father calls out of the blue, Sam is shocked to learn that Elli’s life has been in turmoil: her husband moved out, and Elli just adopted a two-year-old girl. Now she’s stopped answering her phone and checked in to a mysterious spa in Ojai. Is her sister just decompressing, or is she in trouble? Could she have possibly joined a cult? As Sam works to connect the dots left by Elli’s baffling disappearance, she realizes that the bond between her and her sister is more complicated than she ever knew. I’ll Be You shows Janelle Brown at the top of her game: a story packed with surprising revelations and sharp insights about the choices that define our families and our lives—and could just as easily destroy them.
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Excellent book. The plot resolves around two twin sisters. Sam and Eleanor are former child TV stars who have drifted apart as adults and chosen very different lifestyles. Eleanor has married and wants nothing more than a large family. Sam, the more outgoing of the two, misses her acting career and has spiraled into alcoholism and drug abuse. After several attempts on Eleanor's part to rehabilitate Sam, she finally cuts ties with her after a major betrayal. But now Elli is missing and has left behind her adopted 2-year-old girl in her grandmother's care and Sam, one year of sobriety under her belt, gets a frantic call not only to help with child care but eventually to track down Elinor who has seemingly disappeared, perhaps into a cult-like female support group called GenFem, whose most committed members shave their head, wear sack-cloth dresses, and are in residence in some kind of isolated compound in the desert. .
I felt both sisters (who are each given a POV at various parts in the story) were well-drawn and distinct. Each had their own challenges and the plot had some interesting twists I didn't see coming. but at no time was I pulled out of the story, but instead was immersed in the narrative. This is a well-written, thoughtful examination of the strong bonds between twins who look alike but are quite different in their approach to life, their desires, their attitude toward having children, and their life goals. I also thought the gradual build-up of the female empowerment group was well done. I was touched by the final outcome of the story which seemed very true and honest.