Well, even Michael McDowell is allowed to turn out a clunker considering how many great books he's written. The opening is gripping, and up to his usual standard. Once we get into the life of the first twin, it goes horribly wrong. So much religious twaddle (she pines to devote her life to God as a nun) that I skimmed a great deal of it. There is one shocking incident to jar you awake, but then it's back to boredom. Then it switches to the other twin, and her life, too, is boring, although totally different, as we follow her through adolescence and cruising bars with her best friend. She also experiences a jarring event, but it's not that believable and I was skimming a lot of her story too, so, eh. The twins meet at the end with disastrous consequences but by then I just wanted to be done with them. Not one of his, well, gems.

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