Coming Of Age
This novel is essentially a coming of age story with both Cath and Wren discovering who they are independently of each other. Cath is frightened of their separation, but it turns out to be the making of her as she is forced to face situations that make her uncomfortable, and accept overtures of friendship from fellow students that she generally would not seek out. Wren, who was excited at the possibility of escaping the confines of being a twin and doing everything together, throws herself into partying and drinking and lacks a sense of direction. Both discover new sides of themselves but their levels of achievement in their new lives is the polar opposite of what everyone expected.
Teen Alcohol Addiction
Wren would be the twin perceived to have the most potential of the twins but is derailed by her enthusiasm for drinking. She starts drinking to fit in, reminding her father that "everybody drinks". She becomes more addicted over time and combined with the impulse control issue that all of the family have, her alcohol addiction is an issue before anyone really notices. Her problem is a theme throughout the novel and is the trigger for the arguments that she and Cath are beginning to have.
Mental Illness
The twins' father is mentally unstable and this fact influences the majority of the events that happen in the novel. Initially, struggling with her own emotional issues and social phobias, Cath is reluctant to attend college away from home because she is worried that her father will not cope on his own; later, when she is proved right, Levi shows his kind and caring nature by driving her to the hospital and offering her a ride home. Levi also shows that he is intending their relationship to be long-term by driving Cath home and meeting her father. The family all have varying degrees of emotional and mental illness and it governs their actions even when they do not intend it to.
