GEMINI, by Sonya Mukherjee

The story: Attached at the hip, Clara and Hilary are conjoined twins whose parents chose to opt out of surgery to separate them when they were little. Now seniors in high school, it's starting to become a little plainer how difficult things will be for the girls as they move on to college: they're both interested in different things; Clara is happy in their small town while Hilary wants to move out and try anything and everything. Eventually, the girls have to face the decision that wasn't made all those years ago: should they have a dangerous surgical procedure that will separate (and possibly kill) them, or will they have to accept that marriage and family are probably not in the cards?

(Pre-pub review, available July 26, 2016) June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence G; Sexual content PG-13; Nudity PG; Substance abuse PG-13; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content PG; adult themes (life-and-death choices) PG-13; overall rating PG-13. (Despite the PG-13 overall rating, this story isn't for younger readers--best for advanced readers, 8th grade and up.)

Liz's comments: The author does a nuanced job of showing the challenges, small and large, experienced by people with this very rare condition. Although readers might not agree with the final conclusion reached by the sisters, it feels right considering their character development. A fascinating look at a medical problem most people have only heard of in conjunction with freak-shows and traveling circuses.