Twin Tides by Hien Nguyen
on December 9, 2025
Genres: Horror, Mystery
Format: Young Adult
Goodreads

Vietnamese-American 18-year-old identical twins Caliste and Aria are completely unaware of each other’s existence. Unfortunately, they are brought together under tragic circumstances–identifying the body of their mother, who disappeared 14 years ago. Caliste and Aria get swept up in a tangled web of family secrets, betrayal, and generational trauma as they seek to solve the mystery of their mother’s death.

The story starts out strong with a promising premise and interesting main characters, including a river ghost bent on seeking vengeance against nefarious men. However, the dimension of said ghoul ends up falling flat, which pulls away a piece of the story’s tension. The dynamic between Caliste and Aria is sweet, although a little unrealistic–they trust and rely on each other quite quickly. There are also some unfinished and rushed plot points that I wish had been fully realized. However, the glimpse into Vietnamese culture and the immigration experience, in particular stemming from the Vietnam War, is appreciated and well done. The character development of Caliste and Aria overall is solid, and there are some genuinely chilling moments, which may be enough for mystery/horror fans to see past the book’s flaws. 

Grades 8 & up

Kerrie Lattari, York Middle School, York