Sister, Sister

by Andrew Neiderman

Terror Times Two: Like laboratory animals, they have been studied and probed since the day they were born.

The scientists refer to them as "Duplicitas Anerior" The general public calls them "Siamese Twins." The cruel tabloids label them "Freaks of Nature." But to Neil Richards, their new teacher, Alpha and Beta are very special children...

Alpha is the dreamer; Beta is the doer. Alpha masters the thoughts; Beta controls the legs. When Alpha pulls the strings, Beta is her puppet. And when Alpha and Beta put their minds together, no man or woman alive is safe.

Genres: Horror, Childrens, Thriller

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Andrew Neiderman is the author of over 44 thrillers, including six of which have been translated onto film, including the big hit, 'The Devil's Advocate', a story in which he also wrote a libretto for the music-stage adaptation. One of his novels, Tender Loving Care, has been adapted into a CD-Rom interactive movie.

Andrew Neiderman became the ghostwriter for V.C. Andrews following her death in 1986. He was the screenwriter for Rain, a film based on a series of books under Andrews name. Between the novels written under her name and his own, he has published over 100 novels.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neil quit his job as a teacher at a school for disabled children to teach the Siamese twins Alpha and Beta (interesting names) at a special facility. Then he discovers the telepathic abilities of one of the siblings. What is the role of Dr Henderson and the man who employed him? Together with Tania, a psychologist he falls in love with, they try to save the twins from the experiments they are planned for. Will they succeed? Well done 90s thriller based on experiments on humans, government involvement and a shot of supernatural element. It was an okay read told by a professional author. I've read too many similar stories to be completely impressed with.

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

First published in 1992, Neiderman comes a little late to the spooky ESP trope established in the 70s, but does give the tale some interesting twists and turns. Our main protagonist, Neil, is a special ed instructor in upstate NY and one day he receives a job offer that seems ideal. A private research institution affiliated with a local hospital have some preteen 'Siamese twins' under study and hire Neil to be their tutor. Almost immediately, we know something is up with the twins, Alpha and Beta, who share a lower body but each having a separate torso and so forth. One or both of them has the ability to get into your head and influence what you see and think, and even perhaps create electricity.

Neil quickly befriends Tania, the psychologist who has been working with the twins for the last year, and they both conclude something is fishy about the whole deal. What is the purpose of all the experiments being done to the twins by the shady doctor who works in the basement? What can the twins really do? Neiderman builds up the tension with workmanlike prose and relies upon well worn horror tropes, but making Siamese twins the focus is kinda neat, even if their respective personalities are about as cliche as they come. A quick read for sure, but nothing terribly special. 3 stars!

[Dez Nemec · Rating 4 out of 5]

This. Was. Awesome! Everything I expected and more! Don't come looking for great literature, but it's a solid story about Siamese twins, one of whom has a special talent. Yes the terminology is dated in this new PC world, and yes, Chang and Eng were conjoined in a different way mentioned in this book. But overall, the story was interesting and engaging. But I may have a fascination with medical anomalies...

[Chima D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommend this novel

I didn't see the end coming. Another great read by Neiderman. He's quickly become one of my favorite authors in the last few months. Quick, captivating, suspenseful and a smidge supernatural.

[Nadine Riches]

Okay, so I am still reading this book, but it is bothering me so I need to write it out.

The premise of this story is that there is a secret facility doing research on a pair of conjoined twins. This might be more believable, and the response of the so-called professionals such as the psychologist and educator might ring more true if the Book was set perhaps 50 years ago. The fact that it is set around now, as proven by mention of laptops and iPads, makes the attitudes of the professionals, who are continually shocked and revolted by the conjoined twins, quite disturbing. One would hope that a psychologist and a special education teacher would be able to except and work with difference a lot easier than the two in this book apparently can. Also, in this day and age, I would think that a psychologist and a special education teacher would be far from willing to accept children being studied and confined as is happening in this story.

The author does not seem to have done much research about conjoined twins in the modern world either. While they are rare, and I'm sure, as any people with disabilities do, they encounter their fair share of discrimination, there are at least four sets that I can think of who are living successfully in the world, rather than being tucked away and studied in an institute.

I also find that the idea of the telepathy and telekinetic powers they have would ring more true for me if they were actually joined at the head as the Hogan twins in Canada. It is actually theorised that the Hogan twins can hear each other's thoughts and see through each other's eyes. I think a similar joining would have made this story more believable also.

I also find it hard to believe that even a first year psychology student wouldn't be able to figure out why the twins are using the power they have to hurt people. Surely it would be obvious that if you are held in captivity and subjected to scientific testing all your life, you would have some resentment toward the human race. The two main characters in this book seem to me to be just too stupid.

I think I am really only reading it because I want to see what happens to the twins in the end, but I don't think it will become a less comfortable or more believable read for me as I go along.

[Julie Furlong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know what it is about Neiderman, but I keep gravitating towards his books! Yes, there were some spelling errors, and the wrong format of the word "whom" on more than several occasions. Yes, the verbiage that was used for Siamese twins was horrific and very politically incorrect- "bizarre" was used, "freak" also. So I am sorry if you yourself are a Siamese twin and are reading this review. Or maybe I should say yourselves.

But the 90's pulpy horror is so much freaking fun!! There are outrageous science experiments, cheesy relationships, and dumbass characters that should not be going into that room! But maybe you should, because that would make it more interesting.

So yes, give me more Neiderman, Grant, Rick Hautala, & TM Wright in my life. They make me feel nostalgic and giddy

[Judy McCall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting story.

I have always enjoyed reading books by Andrew Neiderman. He gets right to the meat of the story without the hundreds of pages of fluff. 😁this book caught my eye because my husband was born a conjoined twin. They would have been attached at the back of their necks. This story makes you stop and think about all of the secrets out there that we will never know existed.

[Cassandra Sinclair · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly never had any intention of reading any of Neiderman's work under his own name until I started seeing excerpts from his recent biography of VC Andrews, and my curiosity was piqued. It's hilarious that this one has a blurb supposedly from Andrews herself on the cover, despite the fact that she actually died several years before this was published.

I will give Neiderman this much - it's readable. I got through it in a day, even with many interruptions. I even kind of enjoyed it. I definitely wanted to find out what was going to happen.

That said, it's not exactly groundbreaking. This is a book you would buy in the airport to read on the plane. The plot is preposterous and the ending is not really entirely satisfying. Also, the love story is both rushed and, frankly, unnecessary. Some elements of the story reminded me a bit of Anne Rice's Mayfair witches books, and I wonder if those books were in any way an influence, whether consciously or unconsciously. Rice was a far better writer, though.

For what it is, though, this book was a decent enough way to spend an afternoon.

[Cassandra Glissadevil · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8 stars!
Alpha and Beta identical twins. What can go wrong?
Welcome addition to any kid horror collection.

[Latonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy to read thriller. It held my attention throughout, and I loved how the author ended the book. Not what I was expecting, but a good ending all the same.

[Tasha]

I read this as a kid. I bought it for 25 or 50 cents from a little used bookstore by the movie theater that I don't think lasted a year.

[JessicaAFM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another thriller, horror. Its a pretty short novel and easy to read. I enjoyed it but I would have loved to seen Alpha and Beta fleshed out a bit more, seen more from their perspective. The general gist is that a special education teacher and a psychologist find themselves in over their heads when they are hired at a research facility to assess and help siamese twins, Alpha & Beta. Even though they share one body, they have different abilities and personalities, as well as extrasensory abilities. Alpha is more hardened and even callous at times where Beta is naive and sweet.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was very unusual in its ability to grab you and keep you interested. I loved the twins and at the same time felt sorry for them. I would recommend this book. I will be reading more from this author.

[April]

Dude, I read this shit when I was really young. I took it off my moms bookshelf. It's really creeped me out.

[Sondra Marroquin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this author

Great read. I like the way everything's worded. Great details. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes a twisted story.