Twin Cities

Published July 12th 2022 by Random House Graphic (first published 2022), Paperback 256 pages

Being twins means having a best friend forever . . . But when one twin goes to school in Mexico and the other goes to school across the border in Calexico, can that bond withstand the distance? A contemporary middle grade graphic novel about discovering who you are.

Luis Fernando and Luisa Teresa are twins, and they finally have the chance to stand on their own. Fernando is staying local in Mexicali, Mexico, and Teresa is planning to cross the border every day so she can go to a private school in Calexico, California.

Suddenly on his own, Fernando realizes that without his twin around. Desperate to not be alone in middle school, he finds himself making friends with the first kid who’s willing to give him a chance . . . only this new friend says and does a lot of things that Fernando isn’t too sure about.

Teresa is ready to thrive and stand on her own two feet, but she soon finds herself failing under the pressure of crossing the US/Mexico border every day. She no longer has to worry about being compared to her brother -- but now she doesn’t have his support when she could really use it.

At home, both twins have a chance to reconnect. But instead, they find themselves pushing each other away. After all, being on their own is what they always wanted . . . right?

This is a truly contemporary story about siblings, middle school, and peer pressure. Twin Cities explores the importance of family, and also the struggles that come with trying to live up to standards that are impossible to meet.

User Reviews

Carmen

Rating: really liked it

This is actually a great book about boy-girl twins, age 12, living in Mexicali. They are best friends. But now they are starting 7th grade and Teresa will be going to Catholic school in Calexico across the border. Fernando will be staying in Mexico.

Fernando is upset that his sister is moving away from him, both emotionally and by going to another school.

While Teresa is studious, hard-working, and getting more religious - the friend Fernando makes at school is a bit shady and rough. (view spoiler) Alex hates America and gringos with a vitriolic passion, and his hateful rhetoric stains Fernando and his relationship. Alex, although not a likeable character, is also fleshed out as we get hints that he has 'another family' north of the border and perhaps some half-white siblings.

Pimienta does a great job of showing the twins' lives side by side. Most pages feature one twin's life on the left side and the other's on the right. Although the twins are very close, love each other deeply, and both are expected to work for their parents (as in chores) - you can see Fernando has an easier time of it being a boy. He plays a lot of videogames, rarely studies, and has his own room. Meanwhile, Teresa has been sleeping on a futon on the floor for two years waiting for her own room that her parents promised her. She studies non-stop and is still expected to do many chores (to be fair, Fernando is expected to do a lot of housework as well).

HIGHLIGHTS:
Great artwork. Kind of a unique style, but it grows on you.

Great sibling relationship (although choppy for the main portion of the book), the twins truly are very close and love each other very much. Siblings are blood and have your back, is the message. Even though you may fight or disagree about stuff.

Great portrait of a Mexican family, a snapshot of Mexican culture.

Realistic showing of how a bully or a predator can befriend people only to exploit them or hurt them viciously.

Realistic portrayal of how being a good kid is a burden but leads to good outcomes, whereas being a 'bad kid' leads to trouble and getting into situations you oftentimes can't get out of.

TL;DR - Great book, I'd recommend it to anyone. Illustration of a Mexican family. Illustration of sibling-love and close sibling bonds. Book for anyone interested in twins. Deals with some serious topics, but not a heavy book nor a boring one.

RELATED READING: Twins by Varian Johnson.

NAMES IN THIS BOOK
(view spoiler)

Stephanie Tournas

Rating: really liked it
This attractive middle grade graphic novel is another title for kids interested in realistic stories about siblings, especially twins. Teresa and Fernando are twins entering middle school. Always close, their life paths diverge when Teresa decides to go to an American school across the border in Calexico, while Fer opts to stay in Mexicali. Teresa, a serious student, loves her school in the U.S. and makes new friends, while Fer has trouble making friends at his new middle school. He ends up getting close to the only person who talks to him, a kid who is dealing weed, a kid that the reader can see is bad news. The twins start arguing and both are unhappy about how their relationship has suffered.

This story is clearly a labor of love for Pimienta, who has imbued each character with lots of personality, as well as creating detailed, affectionate views of the cities below and above the border with their fine-lined graphic art. I like that the story has the twin (pun intended!) stories of the twins’ relationship and their parallel lives at two different middle schools, which ends up being a case study in transborder theory. I like learning about the pressures faces by families living in this area, and how it effects kids. I was pleased that Teresa and Fernando finally find a way to come to terms with their different choices in the end, giving the story a satisfying conclusion.

There is not much action to much of the book, and I got a bit bored halfway through, and I think kids will be too. I also thought that the depiction of Alex, Fer’s dealer friend, was such a stereotype that I couldn’t take him seriously.

Amy Pickett

Rating: really liked it
Sibling dynamics are at the heart of Jose Pimienta’s cleverly titled middle grade graphic novel, Twin Cities. Fraternal “Lu-Lu” twins Louisa Teresa and Luis Fernando Sosa opt to attend different middle schools, on different sides of the U.S. / Mexico border that divides Mexicali and Calexico. Teresa gets up extra early and spends long hours on homework in order to succeed at her Catholic school in Calexico, while Fernando prefers the familiarity of his local school in Mexicali. The siblings grow apart as Teresa establishes her own identity with a new set of school friends. Fernando, meanwhile, is befriended by another boy who may lead him down a dangerous path of dealing illegal drugs. Bickering between siblings gets serious when Teresa discovers her brother’s secret. Twin Cities is full of vibrant colors, authentic details, and relatable sibling tension!

Sesana

Rating: really liked it
Twins Teresa and Fer live in Mexicali and are going to different schools for the first time in their lives, and have very different experiences. Teresa crosses the border every day to go to a school in Calexico, while Fer stays in Mexicali to go to a local school. Teresa struggles with the higher rigor and expectations at her school, while Fer struggles with feeling alone and relying on a bad news friend. This kind of feels like two stories pasted together, which can make the whole thing feel kind of long if you're not equally invested in both twins.

Morgan

Rating: really liked it
In Twin Cities, fraternal twins Teresa and Fernando experience growing pains as they start different middles schools. Teresa opts for middle school across the border in Calexico, while Fernando stays in Mexicali for school. Teresa struggles with the early mornings and learning fully in English. Fernando struggles to make new friends. And of course, Teresa and Fernando struggle with getting a long as their lives change. This graphic novel is most suitable for teen audiences (8th - 12th grade).

Kayla

Rating: really liked it
I quite enjoyed this graphic novel. On the surface it is not necessary exciting but it is a deep exploration of siblings growing up, growing apart, and exploring individuality and identity. I really felt the authors notes in the end added to the depth of the story and gave me more perspective to think about. Well done and will certainly be recommending.

Michelle Halber

Rating: really liked it
4.5 stars

A really engaging and interesting graphic novel. The illustrations are clear and strong, recreating emotions from the story.

Definitely a book for the older elementary crowd, this book addresses the beginnings of teenage issues such as drug use (weed), and thinking about college. Border patrols and the argument of whether Mexico or the US is better are also discussed.

B.C. Spines

Rating: really liked it
I loved the way the creator of this comic conveyed each twin's experience, by drawing full page spreads where each side paralleled the layout of the other, showing how their days were similar yet different. I was sad to read how the twins grew apart from each other but it came together nicely at the end. The illustrations are quite detailed.

Sherry

Rating: really liked it
Loved this middle grades graphic novel that sensitively addresses a range of issues facing middle school twins who split up for middle schools on different sides of the Mexicali/Calexico border. Don't miss the author's note.

Marnie

Rating: really liked it
I enjoyed the art and the mix of cultures in this book. Be advised though that this is not really a middle grade book but more of a YA - there is smoking and selling of weed as well as some pejorative language.

Rebecca

Rating: really liked it
Thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel of twins near the Mexico/Cali border who go to middle schools on different sides. Only sorry about the “weed” story line that will keep it out of my 4th grade classroom.

Ashley

Rating: really liked it
I didn't overly love this one. The artwork was nice, the story was a little dull. It had potential to be interesting, but I felt like it dragged. Lots of great panels with showing off scenery, which is where this book's strengths lie.

Detail