2 out of 4 stars
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The world is a crazy place and the small Italian town, Caserta, gets a little bit crazier with the birth of Maria’s twins. In order to figure out the origin of these babies, what they become, and how they affect the whole family, the reader needs to pick up a copy of The Odd Twins by Randy Caparco. This book is a bit hard to classify, but can likely be thrown into the crime-fiction genre with a bit of paranormal sprinkled into the mix. The book’s point of view bounces from one character to another as well as being pulled into a flashback every now and then.
The story opens in a rural town in Italy during World War 2. Maria Gaetano is giving birth to, what she later finds out to be, twins. After their birth, strange things begin happening. Not only do the two babies not look alike, but they also seem to have odd abilities and mannerisms. Beyond the twins, but entirely related to the story, The Odd Twins has a love triangle, mafia-run boxing matches, (potential) murder, and criminal investigations.
What I liked the best about this book is how the author was able to mix a variety of genres. There is definitely a crime-fiction feel to it as the investigators look into the death of a member of the Gaetano family, but this isn’t the only genre present. There is a bit of a paranormal side occurring with the children, a family-drama feeling between most characters, and all this is wrapped up in a historical-fiction blanket. There was plenty of action to keep the reader interested, and it definitely had a unique plot-line.
Unfortunately, however, several things caused this book to fall short in my eyes. First, the writing seemed a bit choppy and unnatural. This may have been a style choice by the author, but it had the sensation one would usually see from being poorly translated. This was particularly apparent when using the term “five-shot” where I assume the author means “high-five.” Next, I really disliked the author’s overuse of exclamation points. In my opinion, exclamation points should be used to provide an effect on the reader, and the excessive use of them in this book was actually distracting to me. Finally, and what I disliked the most about this book, was the awkward and unnatural writing of sex/romance scenes. Not only were they poorly written, but there were even a couple of instances of being anatomically inaccurate.
Although the plot had potential and I was interested to see where the book took me, The Odd Twins fell short in a few too many places. For that reason, I give this volume 2 out of 4 stars. I awarded it two stars since, if the author makes an effort to fix the unnatural language and flow of the book, I can see its potential. I would recommend this title to those who like a fun crime-fiction novel if you aren’t bothered by a book that needs a bit of polish. If you need literary prowess and poetry in your library, this book is likely not for you. Additionally, due to some of the violence and adult themes, this book is not ideal for younger audiences.
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THE ODD TWINS (Edited Version)
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