by Jenna (link)
Genre gothic, horror
Pairings none
Length 23 chapters and epilogue
Status Completed
I read Jenna’s notes before beginning to read this story, and I was really impressed with all the little details she mentions — especially her reference to Edgar Allan Poe. While I like a good romcom every now and then, I have a very healthy appreciation for a darker, more literary sort of fic, and I hope that Duplicate fits that bill.
I can immediately appreciate the influence of Poe. Jenna’s description of Isaac, Taylor and Zac’s new home really reminds me of The Fall of the House of Usher. Being such a Poe fan, this parallel tells me that I should expect bad things to come from this house. Even if you aren’t into Poe, though, her vivid description will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
With no romance in this story, the family relationships are even more important, and I think Jenna nailed them. Isaac and Taylor have a wonderful sort of brotherly banter, but underneath it, you can see how much they care about each other. While Diana’s relationship with her sons seems normal and healthy to begin with, there’s clearly a few skeletons in her closet, or attic, as it were.
The whole gothic plotline is kind of hard to believe, but somehow it works. I like the way Jenna blends in some (admittedly over the top) elements of typical teenage life; it makes the story feel like something that could have come from an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark or somesuch. Duplicate is a little on the short side, and even though it doesn’t feel rushed, I wouldn’t have minded more of the “horror” elements before the mystery begins to be revealed. But other than a few grammatical errors and the occasional short, choppy sentence, I can find little here to complain about.
Review by Bethany (website)