Division

Divison by Karen A. Wyle (Self-Published, 2014, 350pp.)
In the distant future, Johnny and Gordon Blake, conjoined twins, are living a quiet existence with their friends and family. Gordon is perfectly happy with their lives. Johnny is not. When a revolutionary new cloning procedure is invented, allowing persons to safely have their brains transplanted into new bodies, Johnny is eager to get a body of his own so he can live his own independent life. He resorts to legal measures to have himself emancipated from the body he shares with his twin, and threatens to destroy his family’s happiness and security.

While a bit unusual, it’s definitely a great story. I have no idea if the science fiction elements here are valid, but that’s not the novel’s real focus. While the twins’ physical condition may not be something that everyone can relate to (after all, the condition is rare), the story’s implications are definitely universal. Division highlights the struggle between the comforting and confining nature of familial closeness, and the natural adolescent urge for personal space and independence. A YA/adult crossover novel recommended for Ages 16-Up.