Stranger with My Face

Stranger with My Face
Author Lois Duncan
Cover artist Roy Volkmann
Country United States
Language English
Genre Horror
Publisher Random House
Publication date
 1981
Pages 252

Stranger with My Face is a young-adult horror novel by Lois Duncan, first published in 1981.[1] It was adapted into a television film starring Alexz Johnson and Catherine Hicks.[2] The book is about a girl named Laurie Stratton whose boyfriend and family members start seeing her in places where she knows she wasn't.

As the story progresses Laurie is contacted by the stranger and finds out "Lia" is her identical twin sister; their mother gave them up at birth and later reclaimed the unadopted Lia. Lia, tells Laurie that she can appear to her by using astral projection, and teaches her how to astrally project so they can meet. Laurie, who doesn't look anything like her family, asks her mother if she is adopted or has a twin; eventually her mother admits not only that they couldn't afford to adopt both babies, but that the other baby gave off "bad vibes," so though both the Strattons and the adoption agents didn't agree with separating twins, the Strattons took baby Laurie with them and left the other baby behind. They later learned that the biological mother had reclaimed the other twin.

Laurie becomes able to astrally project. Meanwhile, people close to her start to have accidents. When Laurie, via the astral projection, finds out that Lia is in a mental hospital after having killed her last foster parents' daughter, she knows Lia is responsible for her friends' accidents. She then finds herself unable to return to her body; hovering over it she sees it rise and walk, and realizes that Lia's soul is inside it. She must then figure out how to get Lia out of her body so she can return to it.

It was re-issued in an updated form in 2011.[3]

Awards

Critical response

Kirkus called it "professionally orchestrated suspense for the willingly susceptible".[5] Common Sense Media gave it 3/5 for quality.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Lizzie Skurnik, "Stranger With My Face: Stop Projecting", Jezebel, http://jezebel.com/5024396/stranger-with-my-face-stop-projecting
  2. ↑ Lifetime, Movie, Stranger With My Face, http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/stranger-with-my-face
  3. ↑ Sally Lodge, "Lois Duncan Thrillers Get an Update". Publishers Weekly, Sep 23, 2010. http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/44553-lois-duncan-thrillers-get-an-update.html
  4. ↑ "Stranger with My Face". Random House. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
  5. ↑ "Stranger With My Face", Kirkus Reviews, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/lois-duncan-6/stranger-with-my-face/
  6. ↑ "Stranger With My Face", Common Sense Media, http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/stranger-my-face


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