What would you do if people were accusing you of being in one place when you know you were somewhere else? A young woman’s boyfriend insists he sees her on the beach when she was sick in bed. Her father sees her go into her room when she’s at school. This is the basis of Stranger With My Face, by Lois Duncan.

Although most of it is predictable enough, it’s got enough character strengths to stay interesting. By the end of the first chapter I knew what was happening and I’m sure most readers were able to figure it out too. Duncan puts too much emphasis on how different Laurie looks than her younger siblings and then she throws in a new friend who ‘just happens’ to have moved from a Navajo reservation. Might as well spell it out.

The little twists in the story and how the protagonist and antagonist deal with each other kept me reading it even after I figured out what was going on. The actual details weren’t quite as predictable. The ending, however, left something to be desired. I hate completely open endings unless there will be a sequel. Considering that this book was written over a decade ago, a sequel probably isn’t going to happen.

Overall, this is a good book. It’s fun to read and not to difficult. If you want something tough to figure out and so suspenseful you can’t put it down, this probably isn’t the right book. It’s got a nice mellow pace and good characters. Have fun.

Recommended: Yes