Identical by Ellen Hopkins Summary

Identical is a novel by Ellen Hopkins about two identical twin sisters, Raeanne and Kaeleigh, who both share an event that shattered their childhood: a car crash that was caused by their drunk father.  We don't know why this event was so scarring to the little girls, but we hear about it throughout the story.  

Raeanne and Kaeleigh's father is a respected judge, but a drunk behind closed doors.  Every day after work he gets drunk and high on Oxycontin.  In the past, he has sexually abused Kaeleigh, and still does throughout the story.  While Kaeleigh tries to avoid her father's affection, Raeanne craves it.  She is jealous of Kaeleigh, who is her father's favorite.  He keeps a very close eye on her and makes sure she is never too fat or out of his sight for too long.  

The twins' mother is absent from the house most of the time, since she is running for Congress for the majority of the story, then gets elected near the end.  She is very distant to her family members ever since the accident.  She fights with her husband whenever they are together, but doesn't divorce him to keep her reputation intact.

Kaeleigh is bulimic (to keep her father happy), and both twins cut themselves frequently.  These disorders most likely come from post traumatic stress disorder from the accident.  Both girls are also addicted to drugs and alcohol.

One day, when Kaeleigh finds herself more stressed out than usual, she takes a few more Oxycontin than she should to get high.  She describes her sensations as slipping lower and lower, and her father finds her blue faced and close to death.  She wakes up in a hospital recovering from the suicide attempt.  Her father is furious with her, and tells her that it will never happen again.  When Kaeleigh finally confronts him about the abuse, all he could say was that nobody would believe her, but Kaeleigh's grandmother appears, saying "I would."  

Ray is put in jail, and everything seems like it is all right.  But it is then revealed that there is no Raeanne -- she died in the car crash.  Kaeleigh has dissociative identity disorder and has had Raeanne as her alter ever since the crash.  The book ends with haunting final words from Raeanne saying that she will always be with Kaeleigh, whether she likes it or not.