three black swans

by Caroline B. Cooney

I loved Code Orange.  This book, in my opinion, didn't meet that standard.  I will admit that I generally prefer action to exploration of feelings.  The introduction was everything I hoped for, but the following events didn't keep the reader in suspense.  Also, I thought the fact that one twin is usually smaller than the other is common knowledge, even for sixteen-year-olds.  The exploration of feelings about adoption had its place, but became redundant at times.  

A concise version of the book:

• Missy suspects her cousin Claire is actually her identical twin.
• Missy convinces Claire to appear on her school TV as part of a "hoax" introducing her twin.
• The video goes viral, and Genevieve discovers that she also looks like the girls.
• The triplets' birth mother is Genevieve's mother, Allegra.  She and Genevieve's father, Ned, gave Genevieve little attention since they didn't really want to have children.  Instead, Genevieve received love from her beloved grandmother "GeeGee," whom she was named after.
• The triplets meet one another and will doubtless see each other in the future.  Genevieve decides to stay with her parents, despite their many imperfections.

     An interesting aspect of the book is Allegra's observation that no one would have judged her for having an abortion, yet everyone will judge her for giving up two children for adoption.  The book describes how she didn't even look at the third baby who was born and never visited Missy in the NICU, even though she was near death.  Combined with the description of Allegra and Ned's materialistic lifestyle and unloving parenting, the couple is painted as generally unlikable.  How would most media portray a woman with "unwanted" children?