#OrendaMonth Top 10 Twins in Fiction, Guest Post by Lucy V. Hay @OrendaBooks @LucyVHayAuthor

Remember how I said this Orenda project was my first big thing on the blog? Well, today, another big thing is happening! A Top 10! I am over the moon to be hosting a guest post, and guess what? It’s on one of my favorite subjects and by the author of one of my most anticipated reads of the year!!!

Without further ado, I present you the Top 10 Twins in Fiction according to Lucy V. Hay!

I’m delighted to partake in Orenda Books Month on ChocolatenWaffles! My book, The Other Twin, is being published by Orenda in July 2017 and I CAN’T WAIT to share it with you!! (SPOILER – twins figure highly in the plot of my book … though you probably guessed that!).

I’ve been obsessed with twins and multiple births my whole life – I’m even married to a triplet!! – so I thought I’d take a look at my top 10 twins in books and movies. Check these out for size:

1) Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. GG is a marmite book and predictably I loved this story of sociopathic marital vengeance! But one thing many people forget is there is a pair of twins in this story – Nick and his sister, Go (short for ‘Margot’). I loved the relationship between them, especially as Go always tried to appeal to Nick’s logical side … and we all know how THAT turned out! Read my full review, HERE.

2) The Grady Twins in The Shining. I don’t remember if they were in the book or not, but conversely they only get a small part in the movie, but it’s one of the most memorable moments in the entire film! As young Danny rides his tricycle down the labyrinthine hallways of The Overlook Hotel, he stumbles upon a pair of (dead) twins. It gets even creepier when they say: “Come play with us, Danny”! Eeeek!

3) The Fire Sermon by Francesca Haig. Set in a dystopian and primitive future, after a nuclear holocaust, everyone is born with a twin: the healthy one, perfect in every way – the ‘Alpha’. The second is the ‘Omega’ – born with a deformity, big or small. This new society is an uneasy apartheid, because if one of the twins dies, so does the other. This was a fascinating idea and I could definitely see it as a movie – Dreamworks have bought the rights! Read my full review, HERE.

4) Jessica and Elizabeth, the Sweet Valley High series by Francine Pascal. If you were a teenager in the 90s like I was, you’re bound to have read at least one of these books! The stories are centered around Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, two identical blonde Californian twins, who argue, occasionally swap, and compete for boys. Of course, they’re complete opposites: Elizabeth is responsible and hard-working (and frankly, a goody two shoes!), whereas Jessica is hot-headed, popular, sexy and well, a bit devilish. Girls just wanna have fun, don’tcha know!

5) The Silent Twin by Caroline Mitchell. When her twin sister Abigail goes missing, Olivia becomes mute … and only Detective Jennifer Knight can find her! I loved the spooky, rural backdrop of this story – it reminded me of growing up on Exmoor when I was a kid. Read my full review, HERE and you can read an interview with the author, Caroline Mitchell, HERE.

6) Tweedle-Dum And Tweedle-Dee, the Alice in Wonderland books by Lewis Carroll. Perhaps two of the most iconic characters from the Wonderland storyworld, I think Disney’s depiction of them are the best. I loved their song as a child and the way they’d ‘beep’ when they hit or jumped on each other! Other incarnations – such as the Matt Lucas creepy eggs in the most recent movie version has me screaming for the hills! Yikes!

7) Luke and Leia, the Star Wars Trilogy. Probably the most famous pair of twins in the universe! I know male/female pairs can’t be identical, but even as a kid I always thought it was weird Luke and Leia don’t look *remotely* alike. But then if that’s the weirdest thing I noticed about Star Wars, I suppose the filmmakers have done a good job!

8) Sam and Eric,  Lord of the Flies by William Golding. The original Jedward, so few boys on the island can tell these lads apart they get referred to as ‘Samneric’. They’re not main characters as such, but bystanders whose inaction makes them complicit in the terrible crimes that go on … A stand-in for the reader, in effect.

9) The Weasley Twins, the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. Probably the most beloved twins in all of recent literary history, these guys are  confident, funny and stars of the school – showing, once and for all, gingers DO have more fun!!

10) The Ice Twins by SK Tremayne. Since I love twins so much and this story is set partly in Devon, this was a total no-brainer of a read for me! When one of their twin daughters, Lydia, dies in an accident, Angus and Sarah are faced with a haunting scenario … their remaining daughter, Kirstie, insists they have mistaken her identity — she is in fact Lydia! I LOVED this concept and the storytelling here is really visual. Read my full review, HERE.

Which of these are YOUR favourites? Have I missed any others out? Let us know in the comments.

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Twins have always fascinated me so when I first read Lucy’s guest post, I was really excited about it! I can’t explain where it comes from but the fact there is so much we don’t know about twins makes for a wonderful an rich story material. I can’t get enough of those books!

I’m also so pleased that we agree on the Weasley brothers and The Ice Twins, as the latter is one of my favorite books of 2016! I must be the last person on Earth who hasn’t read Gone Girl, but what can I say, I love being late to the party! And The Silent Twin is on my TBR, which means I’m sure to have another fantastic time with twins!

I would like to thank Lucy for being such a wonderful first guest and for her brilliant piece!

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Mark your calendars, Lucy’s story The Other Twin will be published by Orenda Books on July 1st 2017!!

When India falls to her death from a bridge over a railway, her sister Poppy returns home to Brighton for the first time in years. Unconvinced by official explanations, Poppy begins her own investigation into India’s death. But the deeper she digs, the closer she comes to uncovering deeply buried secrets. Could Matthew Temple, the boyfriend she abandoned, be involved? And what of his powerful and wealthy parents, and his twin sister, Ana? Enter the mysterious and ethereal Jenny: the girl Poppy discovers after hacking into India’s laptop. What is exactly is she hiding, and what did India find out about her? Taking the reader on a breathless ride through the winding lanes of Brighton, into its vibrant party scene and inside the homes of its well-heeled families, The Other Twin is startling and up-to-the-minute thriller about the social-media world, where resentments and accusations are played out online, where identities are made and remade, and where there is no such thing as truth …

Lucy V. Hay is a novelist, script editor and blogger who helps writers via her Bang2write consultancy. She is the associate producer of Brit Thrillers Deviation (2012) and Assassin(2015), both starring Danny Dyer. Lucy is also head reader for the London Screenwriters’ Festival and has written two non-fiction books, Writing & Selling Thriller Screenplays, plus its follow-up Drama ScreenplaysShe lives in Devon with her husband, three children, six cats and five African Land Snails.
Find Lucy on Twitter @LucyVHayAuthor

I just can’t wait for this book!!

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