Book Review: Stranger with My Face by Lois Duncan

One of my all-time favorite books is The Third Eye by Lois Duncan. I’ve read this book at least half a dozen times since I first read it in high school. Funnily enough, I haven’t read any of Duncan’s better known books, like Stranger with My Face, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Killing Mr. Griffin.

I finally got a hold of a copy of Stranger with My Face, and it was so exciting that I finished reading it in one day. At first glance, the plot sounds like a cliché; Laurie Stratton is a sixteen-year-old girl with an evil twin who wants to take over her life.

Stranger with My Face

It's an overdone plot, but consider the fact that this evil twin can astral travel and is strong enough in astral form that she can cause harm to others, and factor in that it was written in 1981, and you can’t help feeling really impressed with Duncan’s vision. As far as I know, no one else has ever told this story with a paranormal twist, and again, remember that it was written thirty years ago.

I’ve loved her writing ever since I read The Third Eye, and now I can add Stranger with My Face to my ever growing list of favorite books.

This new edition of Stranger with My Face also features a Q&A with the author that, to be quite honest, was my favorite part of the book. I never knew before that she had a teenage daughter who was murdered in 1989, and that psychic detectives played a big role in discovering information about her murder.

It must have been devastating to Duncan and her family, but it sheds a new light on her books and their subject matter. She has also written a book about her daughter’s murder, Who Killed My Daughter?, which I am definitely going to read.

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Article Author: Betty Wong

An avid reader with strong ideas and opinions, Betty Wong enjoys sharing her thoughts with anyone who cares to ponder with her about what the world is about. She is passionate about art, music, and literature and spends most of her time immersed in one or the other. …

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Article comments

  • 1 - jeri

    Dec 01, 2011 at 11:23 am

    i love stager with my face!
    i have seen it on the t.v and have been wanting to get it d.v.d but just can not find it!
    but i have been watching it on the computer!
    i love the but when she see's her sister in the mirrow!
    this is mt faverout film ever i love it so much it is just fab!

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