School Library Journal (Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

Gr 3-7 Twins Jake and Lily share an extrasensory connection they call "goombla." When they are apart, they sense if one is in danger; they can't play hide-and-seek because they know where the other is hiding. The most bizarre aspect of their relationship is that since they were six, they have shared the same dream and sleepwalked to the same train station in the middle of the night on their birthday. When they awake, they are holding hands on the train platform. (They had been born minutes apart while riding on a train cross-country.) As their 11th birthday approaches, Jake begins distancing himself from his sister as he meets a group of guys with whom he prefers to hang out. Lily doesn't understand why he no longer wants to be with just her, and she is devastated. She seeks comfort from her grandfather, Poppy, a memorable character in his own right, and he offers his company and wise advice. Spinelli turns the plot smoothly in a new direction as readers meet Jake's friends, one of whom is a neighborhood bully. Bump delights in searching for "goobers," or people he thinks are "different." When they target Ernie, a boy whose indefatigable attitude takes their mean-spirited actions with a smile, things go too far and Jake must decide who he really is and what he stands for. The characters and situations mesh together perfectly, and in the end Jake and Lily both realize that they can live separate lives and still be connected. D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH

Kirkus Reviews

As if growing up isn't hard enough, twins also have to face growing apart. Ever since they can remember, twins Jake and Lily Wambold, born on the California Zephyr train, have sleepwalked on the eve of their birthday and awoken at their local train station, where they distinctly smell pickles. They have never been able to explain this or how they can occasionally read each other's minds or finish each other's sentences. The twins name their secret gift "goombla." It's now the summer before middle school. The brother and sister alternate telling each chapter as spunky, tomboy Lily worries that they'll lose their goombla and sensible Jake looks forward to living separately for a change. Each sibling's chatty narration reveals a range of emotions. Lily, feeling lost for the first time in her life, leans on her hippie grandfather, whose wife and soul mate passed away and who knows what it's like to lose half of oneself. Just when she's given up on finding herself through ridiculous hobbies, friendship comes to her. Meanwhile, Jake immediately relishes his time with his new Death Rays posse as they scout out social outcast "goobers" to pick on. When he realizes that goobers can be brave and even friends, he reconsiders his allegiance. Perhaps Jake and Lily aren't so different after all. Double the feelings, double the fun. (Fiction. 8-12)

ALA Booklist (Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2012)

Twins Jake and Lily have been particularly close since their sixth birthday, when they realized that their special bond included some presumably magical features, such as the ability (at times) to communicate without words. Now that they're 11, though, they seem to be losing that ability and their special relationship. When Jake starts hanging out with a small group of boys led by a bully, Lily feels betrayed and bereft. With the help of their grandfather, she struggles to regain her equilibrium. Meanwhile, Jake slowly realizes that he wants to shift his path a bit. Written as a dual first-person narrative with chapters alternating between the main characters, this chapter book shows both points of view with equal clarity. Each character is portrayed with emotional subtlety and conviction, while their juxtaposed viewpoints bring the energy of opposing forces to the story. While recreating the angst of growing up and growing apart, Spinelli holds out the possibility of a happy ending.

Horn Book (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

Twins Jake and Lily have always shared a birthday, a room, and a special connection. The summer before sixth grade, their parents decide they should have separate rooms, and Jake starts hanging around with Bump Stubbins, whom Lily loathes. The story is a conversation between the twins, with alternating viewpoints; the structure provides insight into the characters both as individuals and siblings.