A young, empathic doppelganger hates his destiny: he must kill humans and steal their identities in order to survive. When he murders and duplicates an abusive and abused high school football star, the doppelganger has a shot at redemption. Packed with heavy-handed but effective metaphors for violence, the well-paced tale offers no easy answers about the nature of evil.

What teenage boy doesn't feel uncomfortable in his own skin? Who hasn't wished he could wake up as the high-school football hero, dating the prom queen? Our hero (who goes nameless throughout the majority of the story) suffers from this insecurity more than most: He's a doppelganger, born to kill humans and then take on his victim's persona for a period of time before moving on to the next life. Pushed out of his isolated childhood refuge by an uncaring, but true to nature, mother, he takes his first plunge into the world of humans, not wanting to live the life he's been prepared for, but pushed into it by young bullies. All of a sudden, he is the football hero (if only he could figure out how to play the game) and falling in love with the most beautiful girl at Bakerville High. Things should have been great, but it doesn't take long for him to realize that walking in someone else's skin doesn't mean an easy life, because everyone, even football heroes, has problems. An interesting read that deals with growing pains, peer pressure and making decisions that might be unpopular, but are undoubtedly right. (Fantasy. 12-14)

The nameless narrator of Stahler's (Truesight) horror story/morality fable opens by announcing his most recent murder-and then things start to get really dark. He is a doppelganger, a shape-shifting breed: """"We prey on your race-stalking you, watching your moves, the places you go, learning the patterns of your life. Then, when we think we've got it down, we find a nice quiet little corner to strangle you in and take over."""" Cursed with a conscience (he actually stops to question whether or not it is moral to kill), he is abandoned by his mother at age 16. Soon thereafter, he kills a teen named Chris Parker and inhabits his body; the narrative then becomes an intruder's-eye view of suburban life, with its veneer of happiness and the sadness hiding beneath. Chris's father is an abusive alcoholic. In a particularly powerful scene, Chris protects his younger sister from their father's rage, and nearly kills him in the process; a side plot involving the narrator's first girlfriend is less effective. The moral of the story is old and oft-used, telegraphed from page one (""""We have met the monster and he is us""""). And while the ending is predictable, it is satisfying in its own way and will likely start many worthwhile conversations on morality and """"nature vs. nurture."""" Ages 12-up.

Gr 9-Up-What makes someone a monster-actions or instincts? In this story, a doppelganger is a shape-shifter that kills its victims, claims their identity, and takes over their lives from a month up to a year. When high school jock Chris Parker attacks a helpless old man by the tracks, he makes a fatal error. The doppelganger that takes his place is a different person. As this Chris Parker learns about the family he is living with, he begins to ask some probing questions-does being a monster mean hitting your family, ignoring abuse, or accepting it? If such behavior is instinctual, does that make it acceptable? As the teen embraces his current form and falls for the deceased Chris's girlfriend, he chooses to do something about the monsters around him. Can love make a difference in life-even if you are a monster? Does everyone deserve a second chance? This is a compelling horror story about making choices and the difference that certain decisions can make in life.-June H. Keuhn, Corning East High School, NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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.-Angela Semifero. 3Q 3P M J In this second book of the Missing Link Trilogy, Christie has become accustomed to the genetically modified animals and people of Fourth World. Daily farm work is difficult, but the farm produces most of its own food and limits contact with the dangerous outside world where there is growing civil unrest. Adventure awaits Christie as he agrees to travel through the Himalayas in search of the Yeti. Not long into the initial voyage, his genetically engineered, part dolphin, half brother Danny is whisked overboard by Merpeople who think that he is one of them, and Christie fears the worst. Danny cannot understand the words of the Merpeople, but he has never felt more at home. Essentially this