Split in Two, but Still Whole

By Tessa

I recently finished reading The Diminished by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson. It is set in a world where every person except royalty is born in two parts: twins. If a person loses their twin, they are destined to become one of the diminished and self-destruct. The book is written from the first person perspectives of Bo and Vi, two very different people whose lives are seemingly unconnected. Beau is royalty, and Vi is diminished, having lost her twin as a baby. The book moved slowly, and the climax and most interesting parts didn’t happen until the last 50 pages, which was disappointing because just as I was most invested into the story it ended. However, the book is still worth reading because of the unique concept and the way you can watch the characters grow. (From here on, there are vague spoilers about general things that happen in the last half of the book.)

In my opinion, the character who changed the most from beginning to end of the story was Vi. While her accent, background, and values stay the same, Vi’s sense of self worth is increased immensely from the beginning to end of the novel. Imagine that for your entire life, you were told that half of you was missing and that eventually you would lose control of yourself, plunging into violence without a solution. Like Vi, you would probably feel guilty for existing, and afraid to take chances or make connections when you knew what would inevitably happen to you. Luckily, Vi meets the right people and is put into new situations throughout her journey that help her to trust herself and be willing to let herself live. 

The weight that Vi carries on her shoulders is showcased when the plot is told from Bo's point of view. Not only are their social classes on opposite ends of the spectrum, but their personalities contrast too. They think about different things and talk in different tones because of their backgrounds. For instance,  Bo thinks often about food, clothes, homework, and other royals’ lives. He speaks eloquently too, using more syllables. Vi on the other hand is constantly on edge, thinking about how to escape, and what would happen if she were to turn violent at that very moment. An example of Bo’s inner thoughts:  “Ten minutes later, I was respectfully garbed in a pair of gray trousers, a pale orange sweater knitted from soft Denorian wool and a long charcoal jacket” (Patterson, 29).  And an example of Vi’s inner dialect: “It was simple good sense to know a couple of ways out of any room, especially a room meant to keep a person locked away” (Patterson, 135). This isn’t to say that Bo’s life has been or will be easy, but because of his childhood, he’s grown up focused on things other than his safety and survival. Having both characters’ perspectives highlights the struggles that Vi has experienced. 

Overall, I think Vi is one of the most complex characters in the book, simply because she can wake up every morning and do her best even when society wishes she didn’t exist. However, she is complemented by multiple other strong characters. Without interacting with all of the other characters, her transformation from a hard worker heading to her doom to a fiery teenager wanting to make changes could not have happened. (This is a big spoiler) For instance, one of the characters in the book is named Aphra. She is outcast by society to an even greater extent than Vi, but still manages to be an important part of the rebellion as well as a kind role model. When Vi meets people who have faced and overcome struggles similar to her own, she realizes that she can do the same thing. 

This book contains so many different interesting themes (the power held over the diminished by the government or the lack of justice for temple workers and slaves, for example) as well as dynamics between different characters. I would highly recommend it as a suspenseful, involving read.

Works Cited 

Patterson, Kaitlyn Sage. The Diminished. Harlequin Teen. 2018.