First of all, Julie Cohen is a treasure. Let’s all acknowledge that. I know her books sometimes get billed as commercial women’s fiction (an increasingly broad categorisation that means very little once you dig under the implied slur) but really I think they fit somewhere else. Not sure where since they contain the good bits of many genres, including literary. Louis and Louise is her most accomplished novel to date. A what if story told in two different and interlocking perspectives, following the same character if they had been male and female. How their story unfolds is fascinating – that ‘e’ and what it represents means an entire world of difference in how they are treated although they are the same person in all other respects. Some chapters apply to both of them and are just labelled ‘Lou’. This is really clever and thought provoking. Highly recommend.

I’m a huge fan of Julie Cohen both as a writer and person and one of her earlier books Dear Thing is still one of my favourite books, so when I saw that she’d written a new book that seemed to blow away all the bloggers I was eager to read it and I also choose it as the first book for my real-life book club which is meeting in March.

Reading the blurb, Louis & Louise appealed to me because it sounded intriguing, thought-provoking and original. A type of literary “sliding-doors”. One story told through two voices and Julie Cohen manages to weave a fascinating tale giving both Louis and Louise a credible voice.

Growing up in a small town called Casablanca both Louis & Louise have the same friends, the same goals and aspirations and dreams. However their world is shattered on Graduation Night when something catastrophic causes Louis & Louise to leave town and stay away for 13 years, until both are forced to return home and face issues they’ve tried to hide for over a decade.

This novel explores the differences in sexes, how our parents treat us differently, how society views us and reacts to situations based on gender. Without doubt this book will makes you think twice and whilst the world is certainly not perfect yet, there is hope that our future generations see beyond our gender and treat people for who they are rather than what’s between their legs.

A cleverly crafted story about a baby born in 1978 and how when you enter and leave the world your gender isn't important but how your defined by everything in the middle.

Throughout this book you follow Louis / Louise from birth through childhood into adulthood. There are many similarities growing up the same friends and family but different decisions and paths forged by a chain reaction of events as they near adulthood.

When they are both called on to return to their hometown when their Mother becomes poorly, they both have the opportunity to reflect on events that happened prior to them leaving and the impact this has had.

A book that I struggled to put down as after reading Louis' perspective , I wanted to keeping turning the pages to read Louise's, as you were never quite sure where the story was going to take you.

It was a unique way to write the story, that I really enjoyed, it's like reading a mirror image with some events being set in stone and others varying between Louis and Louise. A very memorable story that really makes you think of how times have changed for men and women and how society continues to evolve.

My first book by Julie Cohen and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Beautifully written with strong characters. A ‘Sliding Doors’ scenario but better. The events that happen to Louis & Louise when they are younger and how these affect the lives kept me riveted to the book. Read in two sittings.

Louis and Louise, Cohen’s protagonists, are the same child, born to the same parents, in the same place, at the same time. But they are born as two different sexes. Cohen then jumps forward 32 years to show us how their lives have turned out. Lou(ise) is a teacher and single mother to her daughter, Dana, living and working in Brooklyn. Lou(is) is a writer who’s in the process of splitting up with his wife. In both timelines, Lou is summoned home to Casablanca, Maine, because their mother is dying of cancer. This means a confrontation with Allie, Lou’s former best friend, and the uncovering of secrets kept for over a decade.

What I was expecting from Louis & Louise was a critique of gender from the protagonist’s perspective, a ‘look what you could’ve won’ style narrative. But Cohen’s version is more sophisticated than that; she uses the twins, Allie and Benny, Lou’s childhood best friends to explore the restrictions binary gender places on both women and men. There are points where this isn’t a comfortable read [cn for domestic violence, rape and suicide] but Cohen shows that there might be another way. There are a number of points in the book where Louis and Louise’s stories meet. These sections are written as though the character is non-binary, using singular they for their pronoun, and show that some of this person’s experience was identical, regardless of gender. Both versions also end with hope. Louis & Louise is a sophisticated look at gender and love and is well worth your time.

I was hooked by the idea of this book and I do think the storyline and message was good however unfortunately this book did not pull it off and didn't achieve its aim.

Louis & Loiuse is stunning. It's one of the most innovative, thought-provoking books I have ever read.

It takes us on a journey through the life of Lou Alder. One side of the story if they had been born female, Loiuse, and one side as if they had been born male, Louis. They both grew up in the same mill town, knew the same people, went to the same school but their lives turned out so differently.

It really makes you think about gender. The equality (or lack of), how we are perceived and treated by others, how we react to out circumstances.

If you read one book this year, make it this one. You might learn something, you might not. But you won't regret reading it.

Very interesting premise - the difference your gender bestows on you. A quirk of birth, a chromosome, a ‘e’ on the end of your name Louis and Louise, one person two stories resulting in a very clever unique read

I really liked the ideas behind this book, particularly the two characters of Louise and Louis which worked very well. I empathised with both and their stories intertwined seamlessly. A solid four stars

I love a book with an unusual narrative, and this did not disappoint. I was afraid it would become a feminist rant but this was not the case at all. The plot was engaging and the subtle differences between Louis/Louise's stories was fascinating.

Wow! What a good book. I had heard good things about it but I wasn't expecting something so clever and unique.
I was absorbed in the storylines of both Louis and Louise as their stories collide and differ because of the difference of two chromosomes. I was disappointed when it ended.

4.5 - review has spoilers!

Really enjoyed this book. Very good on gender and sexuality. Especially the gender parts, seeing how children are raised differently because of their gender. I loved the twists it took and how it was written and how the stories unfolded.

A little bit predictable in places and the ending was very much 'and they all lived happily ever after'. I could have done with Louise's story extending a bit as it was left a bit unknown.

But it was a very enjoyable read and in places I couldn't put it down, having seen how one side of the story took place, I wanted to know what happened in the other side of the story.

I found myself totally absorbed in this brilliant novel.

We see the male and female sides of Lou. If she had been born a girl or a boy - Louis and Louise to parents Peggy and Irving. It's a really enthralling story which makes you think. Was life easier for Louis than for Louise?

The story is told with chapters from both Louise and Louis and Lou (both of them). They share the same friends, go to the same school, share the dream of being a published author and leaving dead-end Casablanca for good.

We follow them through their childhood into adulthood. Something profoundly disturbing happened to them both on graduation night which changes the course of their lives forever.

I loved Allie twin of Benny who was best friends with them both and Dana, Louise's headstrong daughter. Lou heads back home when Peggy takes ill, going back to the hometown was something they didn't expect to do..

A brilliant story which I adored.

There were a lot of things I loved about this book, but the overall premise is probably the one to focus on. The books follows a dual narrative, telling the protagonist’s life story - in one life he is Louis, in the other she is Louise. In both stories, Lou grows up with the same parents, same family history, same home and same friends. But by the time they reach adulthood, their lives are dramatically different. What I really loved was that the differences between their lives stemmed not from their personality - whether male or female, Lou is Lou. The differences come about due to the ways in which people treat them differently, and as such this book presents a powerful challenge.

A solid read with an interesting concept as it’s premise. A story that follows the life of a baby - only split into two narratives; one where that baby has been born male and one where it was female. The book follows their lives into adulthood, reflecting on relationships, friendships and delicate family bonds. Having to return to their childhood home you see how, although the male and female do share many personal attributes; their lives have been diverse and they’ve experienced many things in a way the other gender has not.

I enjoyed the read but struggled with it more than I usually would. I didn’t really connect with the characters. I was left a little frustrated at times and confused myself which ‘Lou’ I was reading about. It moves between current and past tense; the flashbacks explain current attitudes and situations.

Definitely worth a read. Clever and enjoyable.

I really enjoyed this book by Julie Cohen. Louis and Louise was a unique idea that led the reader to thinking about how our gender impacts our lives. Based in a small town, Peggy and Irvine celebrate the birth of their first child. The author takes us on the life of that child, through both sexes.

An intriguing novel and quite unputdownable. Totally recommend.

Unlike other narratives I'd read before, this novel takes you through a significant event for a family through the eyes of the same narrator twice - once as a male and once as a female. It's thoughtful and leaves the reader with plenty to think about after it's final pages.

I didn’t know if I’d get confused with the way this is written but the two stories are very clear and well written so it wasn’t a problem at all. A really interesting way to write the story.

I'm afraid I didn't get on with this book too well though the idea is brilliant. The basic story is based around two characters one male, the other female and how their lives would be different according to their gender.

For me that's where the excitement ended, for a book with so much promise I found that there wasn't a strong enough storyline, it was more about their day to day lives and their connections with the people around them.

Another aspect that I found frustrating but must have worked for many readers was the switching between tenses. I'm not keen on the use of the current tense in a book though I can understand how it might work in a thriller to help keep the reader present and with the character. In this case, I felt at times as though I was reading a non-fiction biography and it seemed somewhat clinical.

I guess I would recommend it to readers who are interested in gender differences and how they affect people and also if you want to read a book about the relationships between people. If it were a programme it would be a soap opera.

Louis and Louise is an original and thought provoking read that explores the subject of gender. The author does this skillfully through the lives of her two main characters who live the same life apart from one difference – their gender. Without ever pushing the reader towards one particular point of view, the author explores the different attitudes and opportunities given to the characters depending on their gender. I’d love to think that in this day and age things like this don’t happen but unfortunately you do still read about cases. It was very interesting to explore all the different attitudes people have and how they can affect the decisions people make.

The story is told from both Louis and Louise’s point of view with clear headings at the start of each chapter to show whose story we are following. Some chapters are simply headed ‘Lou’ and this shows that the same events have happened to both of the characters. This sounds confusing but it’s isn’t and helps provide a really fascinating read. Both characters are very well drawn and I found myself feeling sympathy with both of them.

The story really takes off when a traumatic event happens to both characters but the outcome or consequences of it are different depending on their gender. This made for very emotional and compelling reading as the reader discovers how big an impact this will have on the characters lives.

Overall I found this a compelling, easy read that manages to handle some serious subjects in a sensitive manner. It has definitely had an impact on my attitudes and has made me wonder if I treat my daughter differently to my son’s, something that I will work on in the future.

I’ve read quite a few of this author’s books and she always manages to write compelling, emotional reads. I will definitely be looking forward to reading more from her in the future.

Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Orion for my copy of this book.