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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Musical Mayhem (Totally Twins, #1) in Books

Dec 14, 2018

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Musical Mayhem is the first book in the Totally Twins series aimed at ten-year-old girls. Subtitled The Fabulous Diary of Persephone Pinchgut, the series is about the life of identical sisters from one twin’s point of view. Portia and Persephone may look the same, share friends and borrow each other’s clothes, but inside they are polar opposites. Starting a diary is the only way Persephone can have something that is entirely her own, where she can write about how she really feels.

The main storyline revolves around the upcoming end of term musical at the twins’ school. Persephone only joined the drama class at Portia’s insistence, whereas in reality she is a shy girl with absolutely no singing ability. Persephone writes about her dread of the auditions and the hurtful teasing from her perfect sister.

Many young girls (and boys), like the author herself, wish at some point to have a twin. Portia and Persephone may have a special connection that other siblings do not, but as this diary reveals, having a twin is not all sunshine and rainbows. Persephone also writes about her parents’ divorce, her alternate therapy obsessed Mum and her hopes and dreams for the future. There are many things for young girls to relate to.

Illustrator Serena Geddes completes the book with her simple drawings. Musical Mayhem is not a children’s’ picture book; it is a step between child and teenager novels. For an adult reader the storyline is uninspiring, however a child of ten would enjoy the characters, humour and the issues expressed.

Totally Twins: Musical Mayhem is a great start to a unique series of short books for girls. It is something that junior school children will love to collect to build up their own personal library. The book jackets are attractive and will look great when all together as a set. If you are looking for a present for a young girl, I recommend considering this book.