A Junior Library Guild Pick!
Opposite Identicals is a non-stop adrenaline rush from start to finish. Deborah Kerbel has written two unforgettable characters who take turns telling the story. Kids of all ages will race through this book, desperate to find out what will happen to the twins when catastrophe strikes in a near future world, changed forever by climate crisis. Don't miss this one!" - Carol Matas, author of A Struggle for Hope and Past Crimes
Opposite Identicals is an upper middle grade novel set in the very near future - a time when climate change has irreversibly altered our planet and lifestyles. Nova and Joule are fourteen-year old twins whose scientist parents have recently uprooted the family from their urban home and moved to the country on a year-long research assignment, studying the effects of GMO 'SuperCrop' farming on the environment in the final regulatory phase before global expansion.
Surrounded by nature and quiet, open spaces, shy, bookish Nova is in heaven. But Joule - whose life's ambition is to be famous and reach a million Hollagram followers - is desperate to escape. One day, Joule gets her wish, although not in a way anyone ever expected. In an instant, she's gone - swallowed up by a mysterious sinkhole under her bedroom floor. Suddenly twinless, Nova is forced to step in and lead the search for her missing sister. But can she face her fears and figure out what caused the sinkhole in time to save Joule?
Told from alternating points of view, it's a fantastical adventure about overcoming obstacles, self-discovery, and environmental awareness.
"With suspense, adventure, and plenty of creepy crawlies, Opposite Identicals will have fans of Stranger Things looking at the ground below and wondering, 'what if?' Nail biting suspense, sisterly love, and subterranean adventures make for an exciting middle grade sci fi read!" - Colleen Nelson, author of The Undercover Book List
"Opposite Identicals is a fast paced, heart pumping thrill ride into the near ecological future or . . . nightmare. Two twins, day and night, totally different until it counts. Buckle in!" - Teresa Toten, author of Eights Days and The Unlikely Hero of Room 13b
"A fast-paced story that grabbed me and kept me reading till the end." - Mahtab Narsimhan

DEBORAH KERBEL a écrit des livres pour les jeunes adultes, les préadolescents et les lecteurs débutants. Ses romans ont été présélectionnés pour les Prix littéraires du Gouverneur général, le prix du livre de l’année pour les jeunes adultes de l’Association canadienne des bibliothèques et le Manitoba Young Reader’s Choice Award. Elle vit à Toronto avec son mari, ses deux adolescents et Freddie, leur chien adopté.

DEBORAH KERBEL was born in London, England, and now lives in Thornhill, Ontario with her husband, son and daughter, and a rescue dog named Freddie. Deborah has written a number of picture books, and is the author of four young adult and two middle-grade novels, including My Deal with the Universe. Her books have been shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award, the Canadian Library Association’s YA Book Award, and many readers’ choice awards. Visit her online at www.deborahkerbel.com.

Deborah Kerbel's profile page

" Opposite Identicals centres female protagonists and will appeal to readers interested in family relationships, dystopian futures, and adventures that come without a side of romance. Joule and Nova are believable tweens, both in their voices and in their relationship dynamics, and provide engaging narration of their adventure . . . While the representation of neurodiversity isn't explicit, Nova's use of earmuffs as a way of navigating the world provides positive representation for anyone who finds their world over-stimulating at times and may need external help, like a pair of earmuffs or earplugs, to successfully navigate the world." - Highly Recommended, CM Magazine