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Overview
Doppelgangers are monsters, hardwired for murder.
They are not supposed to have doubts, but this one does. He wishes he could be different. More human, maybe. But even that can't stop him from killing people so he can take their places and live their lives. He has to do it; it's who he is.
But when the doppelganger murders a small-town teenager, assumes his shape, and takes over his life, he's shocked by the world he steps into. Engulfed in a whirlwind of peer pressure, messy family dynamics, and a provocative relationship with a beautiful girl, he quickly learns that there's more than one way to be human, and many ways to be a monster.
Told in the tortured voice of a most extraordinary teen, this contemporary gothic romance brews a captivating combination of violence, desire, and atonement. Here is the story of a monster yearning for a human life.
Synopsis
Doppelgangers are monsters, hardwired for murder.
They are not supposed to have doubts, but this one does. He wishes he could be different. More human, maybe. But even that can't stop him from killing people so he can take their places and live their lives. He has to do it; it's who he is.
But when the doppelganger murders a small-town teenager, assumes his shape, and takes over his life, he's shocked by the world he steps into. Engulfed in a whirlwind of peer pressure, messy family dynamics, and a provocative relationship with a beautiful girl, he quickly learns that there's more than one way to be human, and many ways to be a monster.
Told in the tortured voice of a most extraordinary teen, this contemporary gothic romance brews a captivating combination of violence, desire, and atonement. Here is the story of a monster yearning for a human life.
Judy Silverman - Children's Literature
A doppelganger is a double; in legend it is often a harbinger of death. In this book, doppelgangers are actually a race of beings that exist by killing humans and taking over their lives. In general, they do not question the need for killing. But the hero of this story is different. "Weak" and "sensitive" his mother called him—how will he make it on his own? His mother has kicked him out of the cabin they have called home. He is wandering, from the woods to the railroad yard, where he boards a train. Does he miss his mother? He hardly knows. She was a different person each time he saw her—a different face, a different personality, sometimes gentle, sometimes mean, never loving. He will kill of course, it is in his makeup. The first time, he kills a dying man so that it does not seem to matter as much. For his second kill, he kills a teenage boy, Chris, and has to take over his life. Physically, the nameless doppelganger is an exact double, so it should not be that difficult. Chris is a football star with a beautiful girlfriend. He does well enough in school, although not so well that the doppelganger will be noticed. From the very beginning, things start to go wrong: Football is a much more physically violent sport than he expected. The coach is furious when his star linebacker does not follow his plan. Chris is benched for the next game, making his father furious. There may have been a scout out there; now, how can he expect to get a scholarship? His parents cannot afford to send him to college on their own. His father's fury turns to physical violence, not only against Chris, but against his mother and his younger sister, Echo. Shift the scene to his first encounter withAmber, the girlfriend—at least Chris thought she was his girlfriend. Amber is not so sure. She loves him, but she has begun to be afraid of him. He has not abused her—yet. Shift the scene again, to the schoolroom. The English class is reading Macbeth, and while the original Chris may not have thought about it very deeply, this Chris sees parallels in his own life. Now he feels torn; he knows that he will have to kill again soon, but he is actually beginning to love these people. What is he to do? The introduction of a female doppelganger is a little contrived, as is the final confrontation with his father and their possible reconciliation. Despite these problems, in general, this is thought-provoking read. Recommended. 2006, Eos/HarperCollins, and Ages 12 up.
Editorials
Children's Literature
A doppelganger is a double; in legend it is often a harbinger of death. In this book, doppelgangers are actually a race of beings that exist by killing humans and taking over their lives. In general, they do not question the need for killing. But the hero of this story is different. "Weak" and "sensitive" his mother called him—how will he make it on his own? His mother has kicked him out of the cabin they have called home. He is wandering, from the woods to the railroad yard, where he boards a train. Does he miss his mother? He hardly knows. She was a different person each time he saw her—a different face, a different personality, sometimes gentle, sometimes mean, never loving. He will kill of course, it is in his makeup. The first time, he kills a dying man so that it does not seem to matter as much. For his second kill, he kills a teenage boy, Chris, and has to take over his life. Physically, the nameless doppelganger is an exact double, so it should not be that difficult. Chris is a football star with a beautiful girlfriend. He does well enough in school, although not so well that the doppelganger will be noticed. From the very beginning, things start to go wrong: Football is a much more physically violent sport than he expected. The coach is furious when his star linebacker does not follow his plan. Chris is benched for the next game, making his father furious. There may have been a scout out there; now, how can he expect to get a scholarship? His parents cannot afford to send him to college on their own. His father's fury turns to physical violence, not only against Chris, but against his mother and his younger sister, Echo. Shift the scene to his first encounter withAmber, the girlfriend—at least Chris thought she was his girlfriend. Amber is not so sure. She loves him, but she has begun to be afraid of him. He has not abused her—yet. Shift the scene again, to the schoolroom. The English class is reading Macbeth, and while the original Chris may not have thought about it very deeply, this Chris sees parallels in his own life. Now he feels torn; he knows that he will have to kill again soon, but he is actually beginning to love these people. What is he to do? The introduction of a female doppelganger is a little contrived, as is the final confrontation with his father and their possible reconciliation. Despite these problems, in general, this is thought-provoking read. Recommended. 2006, Eos/HarperCollins, and Ages 12 up.—Judy Silverman
VOYA
After sixteen years of being abused and neglected by his mother-who made him strangle a puppy-a young man leaves his isolated home in the woods to make his way in the world. Unlike other young men, however, he is a shape-shifting doppelganger, destined to stalk and kill humans, taking over his victim's lives until holding the form becomes too painful. As hard as he tries to resist his natural urges, he ends up killing a drunk, belligerent high school football player, Chris Parker. He falls in love with the rhythms and people of Chris's life, including his girlfriend, Amber, as he tries to fix the things that Chris never got the chance to fix. As his new life and his old life collide, "Chris" must decide if he can give up everyone he has come to love in order to protect them. This brooding story of literally stepping into someone else's shoes combines romance, horror, and angst to create a distinctive story of redemption. The abusive relationships in Chris's family are portrayed with realism and sensitivity. Although the novel has moments that require a certain suspension of disbelief and the final conflict seems rushed, the novel is an enjoyable read that should greatly appeal to fans of the supernatural and is recommended for public and school libraries. VOYA CODES: 4Q 3P J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Will appeal with pushing; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2006, HarperCollins, 272p., and PLB Ages 12 to 18.—Angela Semifero