Maureen and Francine Carter are twins and inseparable until the start of sixth grade. Maureen doesn’t understand why Francine doesn’t want things to be as they always have been. Francine’s acting different now. She wants to be called Fran, starts joining other groups, she cares about being stylish, and wants to run for class president?! Tired of not being the ‘smart twin’ and with a twinge of anger at Fran, Maureen decides to run for class president too. Can they be competitive and still be loving sisters? It’s going to be a bumpy election with lessons to be learned on both sides.
Varian Johnson, the author, is a twin too! He states that while this story is not a memoir, the emotions expressed are all true. The full-color illustrations depict middle school and family dynamics in a realistic way and the flow is easy to read. Emotions are shown in great detail and highlight the many moods that can occur in just one conversation. Twins is an excellent and engaging graphic novel to experience middle school in its awkwardness and the changes that come with growing up and finding your own identity.