3.5 rounded up.

Setting the Scene: 📍Set in an ambiguous, possibly rural, town that could be almost anywhere.
POV: We dive into the lives of twins, plus peak into their mother’s past, through a type of therapy journal of the missing twin and the narrative chapters.

Mood Reading Match-Up:
-Lots of amateur sleuthing and mystery
-Mini family saga drama and secrets
-Missing or murdered psychological suspense
-Light themes around family, sisterhood, fate, memory, loyalty, and growing up

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🐺 Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags 🐕

🗣️ Tale-Telling: The story is told in third-person and moved between timelines fairly seamlessly. The dialogue sometimes felt too formal or scripted so it lacked the natural flair conversations have, but it didn’t derail the overall story for me. It was a bit like watching actors trying to stick exactly to the line in the script but mostly delivering compelling performances.

👥 Characters: The main characters both undergo a transformation of sorts, at least to the reader, not so much in actions as in how we come to understand them. Kind of like the character development already happened, so it is based on our getting to know them and see the truth of their motivations and personalities. It could have made it feel contrived or convenient but I think it made the characters feel more layered and authentic.

🗺️ Ambiance: Minimal, yet still effective. The lack of specific setting and atmospheric details worked out because the author left room for imagination (so no smashing it later with detailed descriptions). The story could unfold in almost any town with some imaginative flexibilities and a touch of suspended disbelief.

🔥 Fuel: The plot is what is driving the story. We are in a labyrinth of clues, red herrings, and unexpected revelations. Sometimes we get it from our main character’s sleuthing, other times we know more than her because we are privy to her twin’s letters and her mother’s perspective from the past.

🎬 Scenes: The pace felt brisk because we get an almost constant flow of clues and developments. If you like piecing together a puzzle I think this will appeal and keep you guessing. The scenes sometimes felt staged, like watching a rehearsal instead of the final show. The narrative tries to acknowledge its own contrivances, especially near the ending, but it didn’t always land smoothly.

🤓 Random Thoughts: This felt like reading a screenplay sometimes. Go in suspending disbelief because I found myself questioning the plausibility of certain events. The detective’s interaction with and the police department’s instant trust of May might be especially frustrating to read or knock you out of the story if you are familiar with legal proceedings, forensics, and investigations in general. The lack of setting saved it for me here because I moved the story over to an imaginary town and country where things are just…legally different.

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Content Heads-Up: Violence. Confinement. Rape, sexual assault (insinuated, recalled). Loss of a sibling.
Rep: Ambiguous and light-skinned characters. Cis-gender. Heterosexual relationships with support/recognition of non-heterosexual relationships.

👀 Format: Digital review copy from Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley.

“Reviews are my musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶 refined by my AI bookworm bestie ✨”

4.75 ⭐️
This is my very first NetGalley read 🤭
I honestly was really surprised by how good this book was! I couldn’t put it down and the multiple plot twists at the end definitely shock me, I wasn’t expect all of that!
I love fast paced books specially if chapters are short and I also really enjoy multiple POVs and timelines and this book has it all. Loved it!

What a twisty thriller! This story is about a twin, May, whose other half, June, disappeared a year ago. On the anniversary of June's disappearance, May finds evidence their mother also disappeared when she was younger. Shy May sets out to find out the truth about her mother and find her sister who, despite the odds, she believes it alive. what follows is a story of twists and turns. I love how the relationships in this story evolve, how May navigates the world, and the surprise ending!

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy.

Absolutely loved this book! It was difficult to put down. It is very fast paced and had the best twists. I truly believe this will be the next best thriller!

Original Twin by Paula Gleeson is an intriguing thriller about fraternal twins May and June. Though twins, the sisters could not be more different. When June goes missing for over a year, May begins to investigate the clues that June left behind. Among the clues is an old newspaper clipping that June had hidden that reported their own mother missing on the same day as June but years earlier.

Then May is stunned to learn that their father is not the man who raised them, and the twins may have been conceived during their mother’s abduction. Is the date a coincidence or are June’s and their mother’s disappearances related? Did June uncover information about their mother’s abduction that made her a target? Can May find answers before she winds up a target herself? And worse, could their biological father be their mother’s abductor and now her sister’s?

The story is suspenseful as May is tangled up in investigating both disappearances, trying to discover the paternity of her and her sister, and figure out who she can trust. The writing is quick paced and keeps the reader asking questions. There were a few threads I would have liked tied up, and part of the conclusion I had guessed at but otherwise enjoyed this read.
3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, publisher Thomas and Mercer, and author Paula Gleeson for an ARC of this book.

A haunting exploration of sisterly bonds, "Original twin" delves into the enigmatic connection between May and her missing twin sister, June. As individuals, they stand in stark contrast—May is introverted, while June exudes charisma and allure. However, the narrative takes a compelling turn as June disappears, leaving May to grapple with unanswered questions and a sense of longing.

Set against a backdrop of family history and a mysterious past, the novel unfurls a tale where the siblings' intertwined destinies become increasingly convoluted and intriguing. With the revelation of a shared date connected to their mother's own vanishing act, the narrative intriguingly interweaves past and present, hinting at a profound family secret waiting to be unearthed.

The author adeptly navigates a labyrinth of secrets and hidden clues, compelling May to step into her mother's footsteps while retracing June's path. As she unravels the mysteries left behind by her sister, May unearths more questions than answers, culminating in a deeply thought-provoking exploration of the ultimate truth awaiting her at the end of this enigmatic trail.

In "Original Twin," the author crafts a mesmerizing tapestry of suspense and family intrigue, drawing readers into an intricate web of secrets and revelations. This tale of unbreakable sisterhood, riddled with enigmatic connections and enthralling mysteries, is an immersive and compelling read that seamlessly intertwines the past and the present, ultimately leading May on a poignant journey of self-discovery and the unyielding quest to find her missing twin.

An incredible and thrilling mystery debut! I don't want to give away more than the jacket copy for fear of plot spoilers, but this book has all my favorite elements of a mystery you can't put down: perfect pacing, characters you care about even if you're not sure you trust them, genuine twists and turns you never see coming, and an ending that is both satisfying and leaves you going WHAT?!?!? Check content warning especially for some things that happen off page. Highly recommend! Thank you for the chance to read early.

Woah…read this book in 5 hours!! It snatches you in at the start! I will definitely try the rest of this author’s books. Huge thanks to NetGalley!

I was so excited to read Original Twin, especially after seeing all of the glowing reviews on Goodreads. And while the writing was strong, it didn't pull me in the way I want when I read a mystery. I'm sure a lot of other readers will really enjoy it, but it wasn't the right fit for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I’m going to keep this review on the sort of short side, although let’s begin with the positives. When requesting this book, the title and cover drew me. The blurb/summary sealed it for me, and I was instantly gripped into wanting to read this book. It seemed like a book I would love. Upon reading the first few chapters I could see where the author wanted to go with this book, there was a distinct approach to portraying emotions here, the feelings of the characters are blatantly told and structured in a way that made it seem like these emotions were rushing in their heads in real-time. I also appreciated seeing the thought processes and emotional responses of each character and their perception of the happenings in their surroundings.

Admittedly, it took me way too long to get through the first quarter of the book. I really did try to read the entire book, but I just couldn’t. The writing was good, but I just didn’t feel like it ‘gripped’ me, as in there was nothing that jumped out at me that screamed for me to keep reading but I did in hopes I would fall in love with this book somewhere down the line. Another issue for me, which I am unsure if it was just the Kindle version I got, but the formatting was off. Each sentence started with a new paragraph so there weren’t any proper ‘paragraphing’ so it frustrated me. I could go on and on about the formatting of the chapters, but I don’t want to bore you all with the details here.

I just felt like this book didn’t grip me enough and that may be because the pacing was just so very slow and there was no real ‘twist’ in my opinion to keep me hooked, especially in the first few chapters.

I’d rate this book a three out of five stars. I’m sorry, I tried and couldn’t finish reading this one. I really did try and force myself to read as far as I did. A good story but nothing amazing or fantastic in my opinion.

Original Twin is a fast paced, twisty read with a unique concept: one twin goes missing on the exact same date that their own mother also went missing 19 years prior. As the remaining twin goes on the hunt for her missing sister, she uncovers long held family secrets. Told from three different POVs: both twins and their mom (in the past), with multiple timelines, the book had a lot of potential, and was a quick and fun read right up until the strange ending. Some of the dialogue between the sisters was grating to read, and the late twists seemed too far- fetched, leaving us with more questions than answers.


Thank you to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer, and the author for providing us with a digital reviewer copy of this book in exchange for our honest thoughts. Publication Date: May 28, 2024.

AAH! This book! I didn't see any of the plot twists coming, which is one of the MANY strengths of this book. The author did a brilliant job of foreshadowing, and I loved all the different POVs. It tied up so beautifully in the end. What a page turner!! Thank you Netgally for the digital arc.

Paula Gleason did such a fantastic job on this thrilling novel and kept me at the edge of my seat. Highly recommend!

This book was so good. I don’t know what the fascination with twins is but man I’ve read a few twin books. This was cool because of the mother angle I did get super frustrated when the rest of the family wouldn’t really just tell her the “family secret” but overall I loved this book

This story is filled with fun twists and turns. Gleeson is a master of misdirection, and often when I had things figured out, I was wrong. This is a great read for anyone who loves mystery and twin stories!

3 stars- I am going to start by saying, I am definitely in the minority with my review, but I have to say, what the (bleep) did I just read???? I am all for a good plot twist, but it has to have some serious lead up for me to buy it. This just felt like shock and awe for the sake of replicating a Gone Girl moment. The premise was promising, twin sisters…one goes missing on the exact day her mom disappeared years before. Mom came back, but the sister didn’t. Mom has since passed away, so the twin is left to follow the scavenger hunt of clues her sister left her before she disappeared. This one was just not for me, too many coincidences, ending tied up too neatly, and not enough plot development to support the ending. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. This worked for a lot of readers, just not for me. All opinions are my own

A fast-paced and engaging thriller debut! Definitely kept me on my toes and I absolutely did not see that ending coming!

Name : Original Twin
Author : Paula Gleeson
Genre : Psychological thriller
Copy Courtesy : Netgalley

[03/01/24 2.12AM ] Well, fvckity fvck!! * in aunty Sue voice *

My first Netgalley read 🤓! Wow I CANNOT believe that I just read the debut work of a new author! The author's writing was so fluid and captivating that I stayed up till 2 AM on a weekday night and I have office tomorrow. I am writing down the review now when it's all fresh in my head because YESS I have lots of thoughts on this! (I will definitely regret my late night reading during my meeting tomorrow 😖)

The plot! Omg! Soo sooo interesting! I am always in love with psychological thrillers and now add in twins, I'm ✨ obsessed ✨. I think this is probably the most twisted twin thriller I have ever read. The multiple POV increased the suspense tenfold!

To my credit, I was correct about my hunch being the twist. But what I didn't know was that there were multiple twists at the end that kept me ramrod straight and chased away all the sleepiness from me this late at night. The main twist led me to learn a new scientific term which when I Googled, turned out to be true. But this twist felt subpar to me compared to what certain 2 people did. Umm no, make it 3 people. Believe me, at one point, I suspected every character in the story to be the main culprit 😂. And you guys can't blame me, some of the characters seemed realllllly crazy. Or maybe they were 😉?

I feel REALLLY bad for a certain character in the book (can't even name them without spoiling everything UGH) for receiving so much hate throughout the story that it's almost comical. They turned out to be right. But the bomb they have right under their nose OMG! I hope they realise it soon or ☠️.

Guys, I am so happy that my first 2024 read turned out to be so awesome! I swear there are so many talented authors whose works are wayyy underestimated, compared to the okayish so called famous authors.

If you love Paula Hawkins and Gillian Flynn, read this book.💯

“This was the start of a treasure hunt. A treasure hunt that would lead her to June.”

I’ve always been fascinated by twins so I was immediately drawn to this story due to the title and haunting cover.

Original Twin is told from three perspectives, May, June and their mother Diana. I particularly enjoyed June’s wry sense of humor. Along with the multiple POVs, there are multiple timelines and the chapters alternate in a non linear format; a favorite of mine.

Where Paula Gleeson excels is painting a complete picture of how each character sees themselves, verses how others see them. It was fascinating to have the differing viewpoints which also lead to unreliable narrators. Where is June? What happened to Diana? Are the two disappearances connected? Which perception is reality?

This is a fun and fast twisty little read full of family secrets that will keep you guessing to the end! I did suspect the final reveal but WOW is it a doozy, quite satisfying and made the whole story come full circle.

Favorite quote: “Your eyes give away all your secrets—never forget that.”

Thank you Paula Gleeson, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Whew! I love a good mystery thriller with twins. You think that all the ideas have been done and then you find a new one like this. My jaw dropped and I couldn’t put this book down. If you need a book to root for this year, this is the one.