I call this section Déjà vu Novels because these are novels I have read or have heard of that are very similar in structure, plot, and/or theme to some of Lois Duncan's well-known, classic novels. I'm not accusing any of the authors below for plagiarism. I'm just stating observations. If you have one that you want up here, you can email me here.
CHAIN LETTER
Chain Letter by Christopher Pike was originally published in 1986, and one of Pike's earliest novels. You can still find this book in bookstores--if you look really, really hard enough. I've read all of Pike's teen novels, except this one, so I'm not really sure of the novel in detail. But from what others said and reviewed, Chain Letter's set up is similar to I Know What You Did Last Summer.
A group of friends keep a secret of an hit and run accident. They bury the mysterious victim in the desert; they swear to never tell a soul. Shortly afterwards, they get threatening letters, telling the group of teens to follow certain "instructions". If they don't do as the letter says, they will end up dead.
Sound a little familiar?
From what I've seen, this is more of a horror/thriller novel by Pike, and knowing Pike, there would be deaths and some brutality. Compared to Pike's novel, Duncan's I Know What You Did Last Summer would be considered tame reading.
WHAT THE CARDS SAID
What The Cards Said is part of the series Circle of Three by Isobel Bird, published in 2001. It's about three girls' journey into the Wicca. In this episode, Annie volunteers to be "Miss Fortune", a tarot card reader for a carnival. She doesn't really want do it, but her friends convince her anyway. In the first chapter, Annie reads tarot cards to paying customers. But the show goes from entertainment to strange when some of Annie's readings become oddly accurate.
When Annie becomes center of attention, she does the tarot reading on the side, flattered by all the attention. But when her readings consequently cause some serious misfortunes, fingers point to Annie.
Sounds a little familiar?
The basic set up for this books reminds one of Gallows Hill, and Annie's predicament in some ways echo Sarah's. The direction and theme of the novel is pretty different from Duncan's Gallows Hill, though. Oddly, both books deal with witches.
1-800-WHERE-R-U
1-800-Where-R-U was originally published under the name Jenny Carroll aka Meg Cabot, a popular teen novelist and author of several best-sellers such as The Mediator series and The Princess Dairies series.
Jess is just an average teenager living in remote Indiana. One fateful day, she is struck by lightning. By some miracle, she is not hurt, but something about her is still not right. There is something very different about Jess after being struck by that bolt of lightning. She soon realizes that she has developed a very strange power: the ability to find missing children.
Sounds a little familiar?
The series' set up is about Jess's adventures with her newfound gift. In the first novel, she connects with 1-800-Where-R-U hotline for missing children and reports her findings. Of course, the government is very interested in her, and they want to use her powers for "government purposes" (aka not good). More humorous and trite than Duncan's The Third Eye, the series for many teenagers is entertaining.
It's interesting to note that a TV series on the Lifetime Television network is based (very loosely) on this series. Ironically, the show's tone and premise is more in the tradition of The Third Eye than 1-800-Where-R-U series.
CATALUNA CHRONICLES: BOOK 1
The Cataluna Chronicle trilogy was published in 1995-1996 by R. L. Stine. This book hold particular interest because there is one part in the story that almost pays tribute to Lois Duncan's Summer of Fear. Book 1 has several parts to it, jumping from the past to the present. In the past, William Parker searches for Catherine of the Moon, a witch who brings death and destruction to those around her. Parker vows to avenge his father and brother's death. In one instance, William starts to live with the Henry and Evie Mason and Jessica Adams. Now, the girl of interest here is Jessica. In the novel Jessica doesn't say much and is pretty mysterious. She is also Evie's cousin. Henry's brother, Jacob, lived in Philadelphia, but he and his wife died suddenly. Jessica had no other family, so Henry invited Jessica to live with them. However, Henry expected Jessica to be a child, not full-grown girl, even though she was suppose to be seventeen. In fact, Evie and Henry NEVER met her until AFTER her parents died. Of course, William quickly suspects that Jessica is Catherine. There is a twist--but I will let readers read that for themselves!
Last Modified: Tuesday, 10/14/08
