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The Twin's Daughter

by Lauren Baratz-Logsted (Goodreads Author)

3.63 of 5 stars 3.63 · rating details · 851 ratings · 238 reviews

Lucy Sexton is stunned when a disheveled woman appears at the door one day…a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lucy's own beautiful mother. It turns out the two women are identical twins, separated at birth, and raised in dramatically different circumstances. Lucy's mother quickly resolves to give her less fortunate sister the kind of life she has never known. And...more

Paperback, 400 pages

Published August 31st 2010 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens (first published August 1st 2010)

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A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

New YA historical fiction in 2010-2011

24th out of 97 books — 396 voters

In the Pink

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Oct 08, 2012 Willow rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: gothic, mystery, victorian, young-adult, favorites

First thing I want to say, I think The Twin’s Daughter has an awesome cover. It shows two twins with a dagger between them? Only I didn’t notice the dagger at first. In fact, I was about halfway through when it popped up, and I thought it was so cool. The cover fits the book perfectly.

And the book is great! It’s sort of an old school, gothic mystery. Written in first person, the style reminded me of Victoria Holt, yet the pace was faster.

The story is told by Lucy who is an only child from a wea...more First thing I want to say, I think The Twin’s Daughter has an awesome cover. It shows two twins with a dagger between them? Only I didn’t notice the dagger at first. In fact, I was about halfway through when it popped up, and I thought it was so cool. The cover fits the book perfectly.

And the book is great! It’s sort of an old school, gothic mystery. Written in first person, the style reminded me of Victoria Holt, yet the pace was faster.

The story is told by Lucy who is an only child from a wealthy Victorian family. Lucy is only thirteen in the beginning, but she gets older. Lauren Baratz-Logsted does a great job of showing her mature too.

One night Lucy’s mysterious aunt shows up, starving and in threadbare clothes, and the family decides to take her in. That’s when things start to go bad.

The mystery for Lucy is that after awhile, Aunt Helen (who is her mother’s twin) becomes so much like her mother, Lucy has problems telling them apart. Shouldn’t a daughter be able to recognize her own mother, Lucy asks herself? This is the main theme. I wasn’t always sure either, but I had my ideas.

Things I really liked about this book were the old gothic feel, and the sense of dread that was threaded throughout the story. I just knew something bad was going to happen.

Lauren Baratz-Logsted also creates a great sense of place. She describes the big house and the nearby park so well that they became real to me. I could imagine this place, and I knew exactly how it was laid out in my mind. And she doesn’t describe these places to death either in long detail. I didn’t even think about it. The place just existed. That doesn’t happen very often.

Did I figure out the mystery? Well kind of. I kept running scenarios in my mind, but I was never completely sure until the end.

I thought the romance story was lovely, and I’m happy Baratz-Logsted added it. The story itself is pretty dark, and the romance was a nice way to lighten things up, and it helped explain why Lucy didn’t fall into despair.

All in all, this was a great read. It’s definitely not your typical YA book. I think if you love old gothic mysteries, you’ll love this book.

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Nov 08, 2010 Kaethe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mystery, gothic, creepy, feminism, friendship, humor, kids, orphans, romance, sisters, strong-smart-female-protagonist, suspense, age-ya

I love Baratz-Logsted as a friend I've never actually met, and have done for years since exchanging support for women writers on the old Readerville site. Some of the greatest moments of my life have been spent reading her manuscripts for Sisters Eight Bk 1: Annie's Adventures out loud to my daughters. So I don't pretend to be any kind of neutral about her. She's a skilled storyteller proving to be proficient in every genre. In this book she revives suspense. And I loved reading it just as much...more

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May 17, 2012 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: european-historical

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 18, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Twin's Daughter was a great book, but it is also written in the perspective of a girl from the 1800's so the context is very different than that of a book now. I personally really like it though. There was so many different unexpected twists, predictable was the last word I would use to describe it. The book is about a young girl name Lucy who lives with her mother, Aliese and father, Fredrick when one day a poverty-stricken woman appears at the doorstep who happens to be her mother's long l...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Penny Yoke rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is really full of drama, twists after twists, and I think it would have been perfect for a movie, but not so good as a novel. Due to the many twists, sometimes the readers just get so confused (like the main character Lucy, since the story is told from her point of view), and for me, I don't like getting confused. I like to think that I'm smart and I know what is going on in the story, but in this novel, I just can't figure out. This is partly because the whole story is told in Lucy's...more This book is really full of drama, twists after twists, and I think it would have been perfect for a movie, but not so good as a novel. Due to the many twists, sometimes the readers just get so confused (like the main character Lucy, since the story is told from her point of view), and for me, I don't like getting confused. I like to think that I'm smart and I know what is going on in the story, but in this novel, I just can't figure out. This is partly because the whole story is told in Lucy's point of view, and whatever she thinks, we assume that it's correct, so when Lucy's thoughts are wrong, we get extremely confused.
If this story is retold in a movie, I can imagine the movie being filmed in different perspectives - Aliese, Helen, Lucy, Lucy's father. This would definitely enlighten us more clearly on what is happening.
The plot of the story is pretty interesting, and keeps me in suspense. At the start, I thought this was some 19th to 20th century England life based book, but little did I know that it started to turn out to be a mystery novel. In fact, the end of the story reminds me of Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie, which really sent shivers down my spine. Then again, I'm not strong-hearted.
It's really confusing between Helen and Aliese, the twin sisters, and the confusion is increased because even Lucy can't differentiate between which is her mother. At first, I thought that Helen was the evil one, but then Lucy started to like her, and then it appeared to Helen tried to pretend to be Aliese, and you get the drift. It was really confusing.
For people who like to solve mysteries, this book will be a great challenge to you. Good luck in trying to solve it!
There is also a large aspect of Lucy growing up from a thirteen year old girl to becoming an adult, some romance with Kit, her neighbour which I thought was quite sweet, and err some uncomfortable parts about puberty.
Overall, this book is definitely interesting and not a bad read, though its the confusion that bugs me like crazy.(less)

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Sep 23, 2012 Neha is currently reading it

The Twin’s Daughter was written by Lauren Baratz. The book is a historical thriller. This novel starts off with how a young girl named Lucy is shocked when she sees a woman identical to her mother on her doorstep. The explanation was that she was her mother’s long lost twin. They were separated at birth. You can sense that the two twins have been raised extremely differently, because of their different dress sense and presence. Lucy's mother’s long lost twin, Helen, suddenly becomes part of the...more

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May 06, 2012 pdbkwm rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: purdy-covers, twins

Back in August of last year (2010) when I heard about The Twin’s Daughter, I instantly loved the premise, the cover, and the promise of twists and turns. However, it wasn’t until 2011 when I had the chance to finally read this novel.

Let me just start by saying that this exceed my expectations. The book starts with Lucy, the narrator of this novel, opening the door and finding her mom’s twin sister on the doorstep, the sister she never knew her mom had. Aunt Helen is quickly accepted inside the f...more Back in August of last year (2010) when I heard about The Twin’s Daughter, I instantly loved the premise, the cover, and the promise of twists and turns. However, it wasn’t until 2011 when I had the chance to finally read this novel.

Let me just start by saying that this exceed my expectations. The book starts with Lucy, the narrator of this novel, opening the door and finding her mom’s twin sister on the doorstep, the sister she never knew her mom had. Aunt Helen is quickly accepted inside the family, but there is something off about her. Unlike her sister, Aliese - who was raised in a wealthy household, Helen grew up in a rough orphanage and was constantly told that she was the unwanted child.

Even though we don’t see much of Helen’s past, you do feel some sadness over what happened to her. But I couldn’t help wonder if she also had some resentment towards her sister. Enough resentment to go single white female on her.

A lot more happens in the book, but I don’t want to ruin the fun of anyone planning to read this. Just know that there are some twists and turns mixed with a dash of betrayal, and a sprinkle of romance for garnish.

As I was reading this I had different feelings. There was excitement as the climax approached and I was trying to guess what happened. I also felt sad after hearing about the twins and their lives. I did have moments of happiness, as I read about Lucy and Kit. Their romance is both cute and endearing, a stark contrast to the rest of the book.

The Twin’s Daughter has to be one of my favourite reads of this year (2011). When I was reading this I, and I imagine many others, probably thought this would be predictable, but boy was I wrong. There were times when Lucy would be oblivious to things that were happening around her house and this usually frustrates me, especially, when it is something that is incredibly obvious, but in this case it didn’t. Whether it was due her innocence, grief, or whatever, it made sense for Lucy to not really understand what was happening. I found myself making excuses for her, especially by the end when we were both wrong on so many levels.

I can’t say enough about this book. If you haven’t read this yet, do so immediately!
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Feb 22, 2012 Arthur Pengerbil rated it 5 of 5 stars

Reading Level: Grades 7+

When the doorbell rings one day at the Sexton household, thirteen year old Lucy answers it herself, grumbling that her household servants never do much around the house. Standing on the doorstep is her mother, dirty, disheveled, and looking wholly not herself. But the woman is not her mother.

It seems that Lucy’s mother has a twin sister who, after being separated from both her parents and her sibling at birth, was sent to an orphanage and then a workhouse. Her whole life,...more Reading Level: Grades 7+

When the doorbell rings one day at the Sexton household, thirteen year old Lucy answers it herself, grumbling that her household servants never do much around the house. Standing on the doorstep is her mother, dirty, disheveled, and looking wholly not herself. But the woman is not her mother.

It seems that Lucy’s mother has a twin sister who, after being separated from both her parents and her sibling at birth, was sent to an orphanage and then a workhouse. Her whole life, Helen Smythe never knew she was meant to be a society woman, living in rich luxury and with an identical twin sister.

Aunt Helen is quickly adopted into the Sexton household, and lessons begin to change her into the woman she was meant to be. Despite her lack of any formal education, Helen learns very quickly and soon is deemed ready to be presented to Society by Lucy’s parents.

After Aunt Helen’s arrival into Society, life begins to change very much for young Lucy. With her aunt an official member of the household, Lucy is no longer allowed to think of her as a younger sister who needs to be shown the simplest things, or a schoolmate. Still, their relationship is much more open than Lucy’s with her mother, and Lucy is pleased for her aunt’s presence in the Sexton household.

A rousing New Year’s Eve party brings Lucy further into adulthood as she receives her first kiss from the boy next door, Kit, and on New Year’s Day the budding couple goes for a cold stroll in the park. When Lucy arrives home, her house is uncharacteristically silent and she immediately knows something is wrong. Making her way from room to room calling for her parents and aunt, Lucy becomes more and more worried about the silence in the house. When she opens the door to the back parlor, all she sees at first is red.

Mother and Aunt Helen sit in straight-backed chairs, tightly bound to each other. One of their throats is cut.

Lucy’s mother raises her head and looks, terrified and confused, into her daughter’s eyes, and nothing is ever the same again.

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Nov 14, 2011 Pamela Kramer rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted is an historical fiction mystery for young adult readers. It really has all the necessary ingredients for an enjoyable read -- especially the finely spun web of mystery.

The story is told in first person narrative from the viewpoint of Lucy. She is born into a wealthy family. Her father is a writer who has no need to work -- his family has more money than they will ever be able to spend -- so he spends his days in his study writing books that may never...more

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Nov 09, 2011 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars

What would you do if you found out that you had a twin sister that you had never known?? Lucy opens the door one day and the life that she knows changes forever as she meets her mother's twin sister for the first time. At first her mother and her new found aunt are completely opposite in every way, but as time goes on Lucy begins to realize that it is getting harder and harder to tell them apart. And then the unthinkable happens...

This book had such a unique premise that instantly intrigued me....more

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Sep 17, 2011 Traci rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lucy Sexton leads a very traditional upper class life in this novel set in Victorian England. Her mother and father are truly in love, and Lucy is doted upon by both of them most of her waking hours. She is truly happy, although a bit bored, with her very charmed life. However, one regular morning brings with it a surprise that no one could have guessed. When Lucy opens the door that fateful morning, she at first is surprised to see her mother there, in shabby clothing and disheveled hair. Yet,...more Lucy Sexton leads a very traditional upper class life in this novel set in Victorian England. Her mother and father are truly in love, and Lucy is doted upon by both of them most of her waking hours. She is truly happy, although a bit bored, with her very charmed life. However, one regular morning brings with it a surprise that no one could have guessed. When Lucy opens the door that fateful morning, she at first is surprised to see her mother there, in shabby clothing and disheveled hair. Yet, the woman says her name is Helen Smythe, the long lost twin of Lucy’s mother, Aliese.

In this new book by Lauren Baratz-Logsted, readers come to know Lucy and her family as they welcome Helen into their home and into their hearts. Lucy’s mother, Aliese, throws herself into the project that is her twin sister, remaking her into as fine a lady as can be. At times, people often mistake Helen for Aliese, but no harm could come of that or could it?

As Helen is integrated more and more into the Sexton’s lives, Lucy comes to love her Aunt Helen, even though she is troubled at Helen’s relishing of the attention she receives as Aliese and from men around town. It seems as though marrying Helen off is the most troubling aspect of their lives together until one afternoon when Lucy returns home. There are two women in the parlor – her mother and her aunt – and one of them is alive, the other, dead. The question is…who died and who survived?

Lucy is relatively sure it is her precious mother who has survived, but as Lucy grows older, she starts to question if it is Helen who has survived and taken over her mother’s life. This woman acts so strange and hateful, not at all like her warm and loving mother. Could it be that Lucy was mistaken all along? Could Helen really be taking over her mother’s life?

This incredible story will grab readers from the very beginning; what starts out as an entertaining historical fiction story quickly turns into a fast-paced murder mystery filled with intrigue. Readers will also enjoy the love story that develops between Lucy and Kit, the boy next door; it provides a nice respite to the overwhelming story at hand.

This book is perfect for teens and adults who love historical fiction or fast-paced mysteries with a plucky teenager trying to fit all the pieces together. Readers won’t want to put the book down until the unbelievable end!
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Aug 16, 2011 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-releases

This book creeped me out. I seriously stayed up until about 5am so I could finish it and find out what the HECK was going on. (What the heck in a good way. I could not figure it out.)

This was an old-fashioned Gothic horror novel that probably would’ve been published as an adult novel if YA wasn’t having such a renaissance because it read very much like the old-fashioned Victoria Holt/Daphne DuMaurier/even Ann Radcliffe (if we’re going to get old school) type of story. There were Gothic plot twis...more This book creeped me out. I seriously stayed up until about 5am so I could finish it and find out what the HECK was going on. (What the heck in a good way. I could not figure it out.)

This was an old-fashioned Gothic horror novel that probably would’ve been published as an adult novel if YA wasn’t having such a renaissance because it read very much like the old-fashioned Victoria Holt/Daphne DuMaurier/even Ann Radcliffe (if we’re going to get old school) type of story. There were Gothic plot twists galore from identical twins parted at birth to hidden passageways to threatening stepfathers to a protagonist who rarely leaves her home.

Speaking of, I actually really loved the old-fashionedness of that last. Lucy, our book-reading heroine, stays home like a proper upper class lady of the early 20th century unless she’s paying calls with her mother or walking in the park with a chaperone. It’s not a lifestyle I would ever enjoy, but it’s completely appropriate for the time period and very rare to see used in a modern book. I like it when heroines aren’t always snarky and spunky. Lucy was thoughtful and over-analyzed things and people way, way too much. But she remained a good judge of character - and she knows it. Which makes the denouement that much more confusing and traumatising for her. Oh, and she liked to read. A lot. I’d like to draw a parallel between Lucy Sexton and Northanger Abbey’s Catherine Morland just because it amuses me, but beyond the obvious heroines in a ‘Gothic’ novel sense, the only comparison is in my imagination...and the fact both like to read. A lot. And that neither, if seen in their infancy, would have supposed them to be born a heroine.

Though we see them only from Lucy’s perspective, the supporting cast was well-developed also. The identical twins, Aliese and Helen, remained a bit mysterious as they really needed to in order for the plot to work, but watching as Lucy begins to not be able to tell the difference between her mother and her Aunt Helen was chilling. Lucy’s father and Kit, the handsome boy next door, were more fully drawn as Lucy knows them better, and both were characters I enjoyed very, very much. (I want a Kit. Can I have one now please?)

This is the first book I’ve read by the author, and I’ll be happy to see if the library has any other copies of her work. The Twin’s Daughter wasn’t the best book I’ve read this month or this year, but it was a creepy and fun ride...just don’t expect to go to bed once you get into it.(less)

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Feb 08, 2011 Kendra rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to admit that I really loved this book! It's not a great work of literature, and it isn't entirely original, but still, I could not stop reading it! It has elements of everything I love in a book: mystery, suspense, a bit of history, and a little romance. The main character, Lucy, is the only child of a wealthy family living a boring life in London during the early 1900s. Two events make life more exciting for Lucy: first, a woman identical to her mother shows up on their doorstep one day...more

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Jan 29, 2011 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Alright, now, I’ll start by saying that I totally admit that I was worried after I started this book. Because thus far I’ve liked all of this author’s work but with this book it took me a full two-weeks to get through the first 100ish pages. For a reader like me (slow, slow, slow) that’s bad news! If a book doesn’t grab me right off and keep me moving along pretty quickly it’s fair to say the probability of me liking it is pretty low. Thankfully, a trusted blogger friend reviewed the book that s...more Alright, now, I’ll start by saying that I totally admit that I was worried after I started this book. Because thus far I’ve liked all of this author’s work but with this book it took me a full two-weeks to get through the first 100ish pages. For a reader like me (slow, slow, slow) that’s bad news! If a book doesn’t grab me right off and keep me moving along pretty quickly it’s fair to say the probability of me liking it is pretty low. Thankfully, a trusted blogger friend reviewed the book that same week and though I didn’t read her whole review for fear of being spoiled I did see her say it was a favorite of the year. That gave me the impetus to push through and boy am I glad I did.

Victorian era gothic-vibed murder mystery? Sign me up please!

Once I got to Part 2 of this book the background was done being set and the action began. What action it was too! Baratz-Logsted had built an intricate and compelling mystery through the pages of The Twins Daughter. Given the fact that the murdered party is one of the two twins you can imagine how many twists and turns there are leading the reader in both directions. I was pleased that in one chapter I thought Lucy had lost her Aunt Helen and then a chapter later I though that maybe it was her mother instead. It was literally the very bitter end when all of the answers were revealed and boy I just adored how the finer details told throughout the story ended up fusing back together to give the answer of not only who the murdered party was but also who did it.

Have I mentioned that the characters weren’t half bad either?

Lucy was the perfect combination of endearing, trusting, intelligent and inquisitive to be able to be both mislead by the perpetrator yet still spearhead the investigation into what truly happened that murderous night. As a character, she exemplifies what it means to be a powerful young woman who has the ability to show a level of grace under pressure. Having found herself smack dab in the center of the most extreme of circumstances she could have collapsed into herself or allowed a man to take charge but instead she continued to follow her instincts until she found satisfaction.

Baratz-Logsted also did a fantastic job taking what was a very dark story and infusing bits of light. The addition of Kit as the boy next door/partner in crime was a stroke of genius. The push and pull of their friendship turned romance gave Lucy both an excellent source of distraction but also much needed support. As her confidant Kit was able to be the sounding-board for ideas as well as the inspiration for resolution. The romance itself was well written, it was chaste enough for the time period but contained enough passion to express their feelings for each other.

Skillfully plotted and wonderfully written The twin’s Daughter is an excellent read that spans across age and gender boundaries. It’s filled with the perfect amount of intrigue and action to enthrall mystery fans while still latching on to the romance crowd as well.

So, what else can I tell you about this book? Not a whole lot, I don’t want to ruin the fun of the mysterious experience. All I can do is encourage you to enjoy it for yourself.(less)

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Dec 12, 2010 NovelReaction rated it 3 of 5 stars

Lucy Sexton is completely surprised when her mother’s long lost twin sister shows up on their front porch. Somehow Lucy’s mother didn’t even know anything about her sister, Helen. In The Twin’s Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted, Helen comes with a very detailed and sad story about twins, separated at birth. She is talking about herself and Lucy’s mother. Lucy’s family takes Helen in and begin to educate her. They introduced Helen into society only when she has been trained to speak, act, and wri...more

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Oct 13, 2010 The Bookologist rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs-i-own, for-review

The Twin's Daughter is a mysterious and suspenseful read that focuses on the Victorian era. Baratz-Logsted intertwines a story full of mystery, romance, and lies with a bit of history thrown it.

The plot was a roller-coaster ride-- The lies, jealousy, and betrayals slowly start coming in and in. And plus, there were so many twists! The premise was very refreshing and clever. The whole time I was reading this, i constantly was asking myself who was lying, who wasn't, and who knew what!

All the char...more

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Oct 09, 2010 Bethany rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, historical

I hate doing plot descriptions. Let's see, what do you need to know. Historical novel, circa World War I (I got that from the SLJ-review--the time period is never specified in the book), London. Lucy lives with her wealthy parents, and her life is quite unremarkable until the day that her mother's heretofore unheard of identical twin sister, shabby and clearly impoverished, shows up on the doorstep. Aunt Helen, as Lucy comes to know her, moves into their home, and Lucy's parents insist on improv...more

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Aug 26, 2010 Margo Tanenbaum rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, london, 19th-century

The Twin's Daughter is a delicious gothic tale of murder, mystery, love, and more in Victorian London. Lucy Sexton's comfortable, upper-class life is turned upside down when the doorbell rings, and the woman at the door has the identical face as her mother. It turns out they are twins separated at birth, and brought up in dramatically different circumstances--one, as a privileged, beloved adopted daughter of well-to-do-parents, and the other, in a London workhouse. Lucy's mother takes in Aunt He...more The Twin's Daughter is a delicious gothic tale of murder, mystery, love, and more in Victorian London. Lucy Sexton's comfortable, upper-class life is turned upside down when the doorbell rings, and the woman at the door has the identical face as her mother. It turns out they are twins separated at birth, and brought up in dramatically different circumstances--one, as a privileged, beloved adopted daughter of well-to-do-parents, and the other, in a London workhouse. Lucy's mother takes in Aunt Helen, the sister she never knew existed, and she and her husband are determined to transform her into an educated, society lady.

But what seems to be an innocuous Pygmalion-type story--there is even a ball where Helen could have danced all night--is transformed into a dark mystery when murder occurs at the Sexton house. When a horrified Lucy discovers the two sisters tied up and bloodied in the back parlor, one is dead, and the other still alive.

"But which one is it?" My mind suddenly, silently screamed. "WHICH ONE?"

And therein lies the mystery, my friends. Is it her mother who has survived this awful scene, or her aunt? Who is behind the grisly murder? and what is the motive?

Without spoiling the story, let me just say that the plot includes many twists and turns that will surprise the reader and make the novel difficult to put down, as well as a shocking ending. The book also features a romantic sub-plot involving our heroine Lucy and her neighbor, Kit. It turns out their houses are connected by a mysterious underground passage (never fully explained), where they meet for stolen kisses, at least until Kit leaves for the army. When Kit returns, will they be able to have a happy life together and will the mystery be solved?

This is the first novel I have read by Lauren Baratz-Logsted, whose other works include "chick-lit" for adults, books for children, including The Sisters Eight series, and other teen books, with both contemporary and historical settings. I would definitely read other books by this author now that I have been introduced to her very entertaining style.(less)

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Dec 19, 2011 Meg rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: women

Wow, I cannot believe I read that in two days! I thought for sure it would carry me to the end of the school week. It's pretty thick, and it has good-sized pages. I did not feel the all-consuming need to never put it down as I have with other books, yet I consumed it nonetheless. I have to say that the complexity of this book was coupled with the interesting view of the narrator/main character masterfully, making it quite enjoyable and keeping the mind off of the hefty amount of book remaining....more

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Apr 13, 2012 Arushi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, young-adult

Upon reading this book, brix were shat. Brix are still being shat but I'll try to gather my thoughts and review this sucker up. Key word being try.

Anyway, a piece of advice: if you're going into this book, keep your expectations low because it is awkward and slow at parts. The first fifty pages will probably make your eyes bleed but still keep you interested enough to not put the book down. Weird, I know.

This book is long. By long I mean 400 pages worth of tiny printing. That being said, The Twi...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Nattie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is one of the best books I've read in the past 12 months. I will say that I do not believe that this should be classified as juvenile fiction. The story is told by a girl who starts out at 13 and ages to at least 20 I would say at the very end. Lots of adult fiction is written from the POV of a minor, and is not considered juvenile. The story is quite adult, also quite disturbing and at times violent.

I thought I knew what was going on and then I was sure I didn't, and then I was positive I...more

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Oct 27, 2010 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

THE TWIN'S DAUGHTER, by Lauren Baratz-Logsted, absolutely blew me away. At the beginning of the book, I was not sure if I would be too invested in this young girl and her hoity-toity lifestyle, but when Aunt Helen appeared, I was captivated.

I do not think I have ever read a book that tossed me for a loop so many times than this one. I fell in step along with Lucy not being able to trust anyone who she thought was close to her. As a fourteen year old, she was fascinated with her long-lost aunt w...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Ariel Uppstrom rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a very interesting and suspenseful book. The book begins with Lucy, the narrator, opening the door to a woman who looks exactly like her mother except for her bedraggled and clearly impoverished state. It is soon discovered that this woman is Lucy's mother's long lost twin sister. The two women were separated at birth. Aliese, Lucy's mother, was raised in a wealthy family while Aunt Helen was given to an orphanage. The family determines to welcome Aunt Helen into their lives and teach h...more

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Sep 24, 2010 Eleni ( La Femme Readers ) rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Twin's Daughter was a classic, murderous tale that left me feeling flabbergasted. The dark undertone was enticing and mysterious. Lauren contributed a sophisticated, Victorian style that sucked me in. Lucy, an intuitive little girl grabbed my attention from the beginning. Her bright energy and observant personality was infectious. The maturity she presented at thirteen was well-developed and admirable. The story opened up with Aunt Helen arriving unexpectedly at the Sexton's residence. Alies...more

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Aug 08, 2010 Eva Leger rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: b-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is such a different book than I'd normally pick up and I can't even say what drew me to it. I should have reviewed it as soon as I finished but with being so busy the past three or four days I haven't been able to update and review like I usually do.
When I first started The Twin's Daughter I was impressed with the storyline but the actual voice sounded strained at best. I went back and forth between thinking it sounded strained to think it sounded fake. Kind of like if someone asked me to...more This is such a different book than I'd normally pick up and I can't even say what drew me to it. I should have reviewed it as soon as I finished but with being so busy the past three or four days I haven't been able to update and review like I usually do.
When I first started The Twin's Daughter I was impressed with the storyline but the actual voice sounded strained at best. I went back and forth between thinking it sounded strained to think it sounded fake. Kind of like if someone asked me to speak like a woman in 1920's England for example. I could try. But I would not succeed. As time went on I either changed my mind or got used to it and I'm still not sure which is was exactly.
I'm going back and forth on so many different things. Part of me feels there were parts that didn't stay true to the time period in which the story takes place, even though we don't know what period it was.
The ending..... surprised me. I think. I went back and forth with that too. :) A big part of me thinks it's totally unrealistic to believe the main character didn't know if this woman was her Mother or not. Maybe some instances I can buy that, from afar or from the back if the women were truly identical. But so up close and over time? That was hard for me to swallow to say the least. I ended up buying it by the end though. I'm not sure if that's a testemant to Lauren Baratz-Logsted's or because I so badly wanted to believe it so the story wouldn't have a crack in it for me.
I have to say this also, I don't exactly consider this 'historical-fiction' and think by sticking it in such a genre that it'll lose readers. Readers so judge a book by genre. I'm also not very sure I'd agree that this is 'young adult' - does a main character under the age of 18 make a book YA? Not to me. I didn't really see anything YA here. I don't meant to say it's only for adults, I don't remember anything I wouldn't want a teen reading, but it's not YA. IMO.
I'll definitely read another book by the author - I think she's one that will only get better with time!
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May 23, 2011 Joe rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, borrowed-library, ya-book-club

The Twin's Daughter is marketed as a mystery, but the only real mystery is why it was published in the first place.

Things are slow to start as we are introduced to Lucy, her upper-class lifestyle, and her parents. All of this is rattled to the core when - SURPRISE - a long-lost aunt appears! And, she's Lucy's mother's twin! SHENANIGANS!!

Baratz-Logsted lumps on one Victorian shocker after another as Helen (the Long Lost Aunt Twin) learns how to talk, dress, walk, and act like a proper lady. It'...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Sharon rated it 2 of 5 stars

No Spoilers!!

The Twin's Daughter is a descent read for a Young Adult book. The plot is pretty good (long lost twin sister shows up one day, is taken in and nurtured, only to possibly be killed later on in the home where she sought comfort) and fairly entertaining. I would highly recommend to my teenage nieces and nephews, but not so much for those who routinely read adult language/situation style books.

A lot of the *twists* that occur in the book seem somewhat predictable if you read regularly a...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 28, 2010 Gwen the Librarian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teenbooks, mystery

When was the last time you read a possibly evil-twin-swapping-places novel? Quite a while, right? So here's the one for you, if that's something you enjoy. This mystery is all about teen-aged Lucy, who lives a proper Victorian life until her aunt, her mother's heretofore unknown twin, arrives on their doorstep. While Lucy's family knows every luxury, her aunt was raised in an orphanage and worked heavy jobs until she decided to come looking for her sister. The wealthy family embraces this long-l...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Caesaria Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, mystery

This book is something that I enjoyed reading. I read it in one sitting, but that isn't really saying anything, because I do that with most books. But I have to say, the first half of it was hard to get through. It was nothing (the first half) like the synopsis had described, at all.

However as the story progressed, it started to live up to my expectations of that book, giving the fact I had prejudged it based on the synopsis and the cover.

The twists and turns of the novel are really weird, to sa...more

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Oct 03, 2010 Allison (The Allure of Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own_arc, 2010, historical-fiction-ya

You guys, when the summary says that this book will keep you guessing to the very end - it ain't kidding. This plot will have you so twisted up into knots that you will be devouring it to get to the end. It is really rare to find a mystery where you aren't mostly certain what the outcome will be, and The Twin's Daughter is the answer to that problem.

When I was a kid, I read Victoria Holt novels obsessively. I loved them. They are gothic mystery/romance novels written back in the 1950s-60s...my m...more

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About Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Lauren grew up in Monroe, CT, where her father owned a drugstore at which her mother was the pharmacist. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut at Storrs, where she majored in psychology. She also has what she calls her “half-Masters” in English from Western Connecticut State University (five courses down, another five to go…someday!).

Throughout college, she worked semester breaks as a...more

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“But I seem to recall that you can rub the outside of an apple until it shines without ever eradicating the worm within.” — 5 people liked it

“He almost died," I pointed out. "Not that I have any other experience of it, but I would guess that when people almost die, their worth automatically goes up, at least to some small degree.” — 4 people liked it

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