Untwine 12+

About this book

A haunting and mesmerizing story by literary luminary Edwidge Danticat — now in paperback!

Giselle Boyer and her identical twin, Isabelle, are as close as sisters can be, even as their family seems to be unraveling. Then the Boyers have a tragic encounter that will shatter everyone’s world forever. Giselle wakes up in the hospital, injured and unable to speak or move. Trapped in the prison of her own body, Giselle must revisit her past in order to understand how the people closest to her — her friends, her parents, and above all, Isabelle, her twin — have shaped and defined her. Will she allow her love for her family and friends to lead her to recovery? Or will she remain lost in a spiral of longing and regret? Untwine is a spellbinding tale, lyrical and filled with love, mystery, humor, and heartbreak. Award-winning author Edwidge Danticat brings her extraordinary talent to this graceful and unflinching examination of the bonds of friendship, romance, family, the horrors of loss, and the strength we must discover in ourselves when all seems hopeless.

Reviews

Praise for Untwine:

NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Literary Work
2015 VOYA Magazine Perfect Ten
CCBC Choices List selection
Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year, 2016
New York Public Library Best Books for Teens selection

"I fell in love with Untwine. It's a book I want to give my daughter, my sister, my best friend. Danticat is a master." -- Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award-winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming
"A genuinely moving exploration of the pain of separation." -- The New York Times Book Review

* "Danticat... shines in this young adult novel... A bit mystery, a bit romance... a touch of humor, well-crafted characters and strong writing make this a book to recommend[.]" -- School Library Journal, starred review

"[T]his tale of grief and resilience should appeal to people who love Danticat's fiction for adults, too[.] Danticat takes several staples of young imaginations (and some old ones, too) -- and spins something beautiful yet down to earth out of each one. While Danticat fully grounds Giselle in her identity as a Haitian-American teen in Miami, this gentle young artist could speak to any teen anywhere coping with a major loss." -- The Philadelphia Inquirer
*"[A]t once heartbreaking and uplifting." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

"An honest, endearing exploration of family, grief, and perseverance." -- Kirkus Reviews