Fast moving psychological thriller.

Suitably creepy

I feel like there was something I missed.. who was the girl who ran away with him when he was a toddler? Was Helen drugged out and didn't know what happened to Damiel as a baby?

3.5/5
I had no idea what to expect when I picked this book up other than my trust in the publisher (I've read many great Hyperion books) and the fact that it was YA. The cover is pretty creepy so I thought it was maybe a horror novel. Poking around on goodreads suggested it was more suspense, which allowed me to adjust my expectations and reassured me that I probably wouldn't be too scared.

I am a little leery of going too in-depth on the plot because I think it is probably better to read this with little preparation. There are some twists and I think it would lessen your enjoyment if you knew too much. However as you can see from the title, there is something about doubles, in this case a double of a person. Young Chap is mistaken for runaway Cassiel and assumes the boy's identity including a troubled home life and the real-life guy's mysterious disappearance.

And as promised, I'm not going to spoil anything other than to say that I was drawn in to the edge of my seat looking for explosive revelations and thrilling sequences. I was also tenderly touched by some scenes in the ending when we have learned all of the secrets and filled with hope about what could come (I'm pretty optimistic :)

But while this book was enjoyable, it didn't knock my socks off. I had a growing sense of dread of what was to come but I wasn't too worried. Mostly because I wasn't too invested in the characters. As Chap is assuming an identity, he doesn't seem to have one of his own and that made it hard for this reader to identify with him.

Overall: An okay outing but not a must-read.

This was a great read. The narrator's voice was well written, and the characters were well drawn. I did figure out pretty early on what was going on with the mystery part, but I still enjoyed reading to the end. I think this book really raises the question of what constitutes a family. Did Grandfather and Chap constitute a family? Is blood more important than bond? I feel the story was trying to say that no matter what your family looks like, it is the feeling of belonging that is most important. We all want to find our niche in this world where we will be accepted and loved. That should be our family. Alas, as this book also points out, there are plenty of families who fail their children. Children are the most precious resource and should be protected sometimes from their family. But in a perfect world it would be the family as a bastion against all the hurts and dings from the world. This book reinforces the need for family and a sense of belonging. That is the best gift to give our children.

This review was originally posted on Fluttering Butterflies

I really love Jenny Valentine and read two of her previous books within the space of a few weeks last year as I couldn't get enough of her. So I was very much looking forward to her latest offering, The Double Life of Cassiel Roadnight. But I was also a little afraid that high expectations would spoil my reading experience and I've been waiting for the perfect timing to get to this book. (What better opportunity than my themed month celebrating British authors?)

And while the book probably isn't quite what I expected, I still enjoyed it very much. It's a story about loneliness and families and of solving these two huge mysteries (what happened to the original Cassiel Roadnight and what happened to Chap before the story began) and the combination of all of those facts really kept my interest and made me want to read quicker in order to uncover all of this book's secrets.

At the start of the novel, we have this lonely boy, who refers to himself as 'Chap', who's been living rough on the streets for years, with nobody but himself to look after him. When he's mistakenly identified as missing boy Cassiel Roadnight, he decides to just go along with it and try on Cassiel's life for a bit of a change. And at first, all seems lovely - Chap now has all of these things he's never had before. A room of his own, a family who cares about him, a life and a history. But he also knows that they aren't really his, that he's just borrowing them for a time. Poor Chap rarely gets a chance to really enjoy all these luxuries without the constant threat and worry of being found out as a fraud. Secrets are uncovered and there's this constant threat of danger - a sinister edge to what may have happened to Cassiel and also the ever-present threat of exposure which really ramps up the excitement.

We're gradually told Chap's story and it hasn't been an easy childhood for him. He really has these high hopes of what life could be like if only he'd had what the original Cassiel didn't appreciate. A home and a family. There's such a sadness about this book but I really enjoyed being taken on this journey.

somehow i had no idea what was going on and also guessed the ending at the same time - either way pretty good, not a new favourite

The main parts of the plot was pretty expected but I liked it. It made me feel all of chaps anxiousness and paranoia. Real heart pounding emotion.