The Trouble with Twins

The Trouble with Twins
Age Range
8+
Release Date
August 09, 2016
ISBN
9781101932735
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Imagine two twin sisters, Arabella and Henrietta—nearly identical yet with nothing in common. They’re the best of friends . . . until one day they aren’t. Plain and quiet Henrietta has a secret plan to settle the score, and she does something outrageous and she can’t take it back.

When the deed is discovered, Henrietta is quickly banished—sent to live with her eccentric great-aunt Priscilla on Chillington Lane, where black cats roam the dark rooms and tonight’s menu is fish-head stew! Suddenly life with pretty, popular Arabella doesn’t seem so awful.

And, though she’s been grievously wronged, Arabella longs for her sister, too. So she hatches a plan of her own and embarks on an unexpected journey to reunite with her other half.

The Trouble with Twins is an adventure and a comedy—a tale of the power of unlikely friendships, the bond between sisters . . . and the way a bit of mischief sometimes sets everything right.

Imagine two twin sisters, Arabella and Henrietta—nearly identical yet with nothing in common. They’re the best of friends . . . until one day they aren’t. Plain and quiet Henrietta has a secret plan to settle the score, and she does something outrageous and she can’t take it back.

When the deed is discovered, Henrietta is quickly banished—sent to live with her eccentric great-aunt Priscilla on Chillington Lane, where black cats roam the dark rooms and tonight’s menu is fish-head stew! Suddenly life with pretty, popular Arabella doesn’t seem so awful.

And, though she’s been grievously wronged, Arabella longs for her sister, too. So she hatches a plan of her own and embarks on an unexpected journey to reunite with her other half.

The Trouble with Twins is an adventure and a comedy—a tale of the power of unlikely friendships, the bond between sisters . . . and the way a bit of mischief sometimes sets everything right.

Editor reviews

2 reviews
Double the Road Trip
(Updated: June 29, 2026)
Overall rating
 
3.5
Plot
 
3.0
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
4.0
A young girl's mother tells her the story of twins: Arabella Osgood, who was very pretty, and Henrietta, who was less attractive and also boring. Jealous of her sister because of the preferential treatment she recieves from their parents, Henrietta cuts Arabella's hair when she is sleeping and is send away to Great-Aunt Priscilla's as punishment. And punishment it is, since Priscilla feeds her fish head soup and there is nothing more exciting to do than to name the cats. Arabella misses her sister and has bad dreams about her, so sets off to find her. The Osgoods panic and call the police and the school, and a comedy of errors ensues. This includes the Osgoods traveling to Priscilla's and demanding that she sell a ring to offer reward money for Arabella, who is quietly making her way across the countryside. In the end, Henrietta manages to burn down Priscilla's old house, and we learn the connection between the narrator and the twins.
Good Points
This definitely does have a Lemony Snicket/Wolves of Willoughby Chase vibe, and will be enjoyed by readers who are fond of their characters being thrust into unpleasant situations where they are abused and no one calls Children's Services. Twins are always fascinating to middle grade readers as well, and the connection between Henrietta and Arabella despite the adults in their lives is interesting.

This has a classic vibe to it, and is set in a vague time in the past-- the 1970s, perhaps? The illustrations definitely reinforce that feeling.

This is a great book for anyone who's ever wanted to run away from home, and will be popular with readers of Woods' The Incorrible Children of Ashton Place or Stewart's The Mysterious Benedict Society.
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