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Current music:	L&O: CI theme song
Entry tags:	books, reviews

Love Will Tear Us Apart by Tara McCarthy
A journalist gets more than she expected when she meets pop music superstars Flora and Fauna Sparks - twins who are literally joined at the hip. When Sloane Madden is invited to write the biography of the Sparks Sisters, she accepts, in spite of the fact that she thinks little of the music they create. Sloane moves into The Joint - the house that the 17 year old Siamese twins share with their father - and discovers that many secrets lie in those four walls.

Though the book jacket summary may make this story sound like a comedy or a soap opera, rest assured that it is neither. The story evolves and deepens as it goes on, all leading up to an unforgettable ending.

Though Flora and Fauna have distinct personalities, they are never portrayed as Good Twin and Bad Twin. Each has her flaws; each has her secrets. Meanwhile, Sloan's inner monologues are both sincere and cynical. The remarks she makes (or keeps to herself) regarding growing up, hanging on, and letting go allow readers to really get into the mind of the narrator.

Author Tara McCarthy is unafraid to take risks with this story and its characters. Love Will Tear Us Apart is well worth the read.

Related Posts:
My March 2006 interview with Tara
My August 2006 interview with Tara
My review of Tara's novel The Pursuit of Happiness
My review of Tara's novel What Happens Here