Anneliese

= Counterfeit Son = = = = Elaine Marie Alphin =



//Counterfeit Son// by Elaine Marie Alphin was published in 2000 and won the Edgar Allen Poe Award. It is set in late 1990's Freeport, Maine, and centers around the story of a serial killer's son impersonating a former victim.

 Author[[image:english10honorsf11/11.jpg width="265" height="162" align="left"]]
Elaine Marie Alphin was born on October 30, 1955 in San Francisco, California. She has published more than thirty books, consisting of children and young adult fiction, and biographical non-fiction. Her non-fiction books are co-written with her husband, Arthur Alphin. Elaine's usual book topics deal with supernatural or psychological thrillers. Her major works include //Ghost Cadet//(1994), //Counterfeit Son//(2000), //JELP//(2008), and //An Unspeakable Crime//(2010). She has won multiple awards for her writing including the 1995 Virginia State Reading Association Award for //Ghost Cadet// and a 2001 Edgar Allen Poe Award for //Counterfeit Son.// She is known for writing about controversial themes. 

 Characters and Conflict
Cameron Miller/Neil Lacey- Cameron is the son of a pedophile/serial killer who takes on the identity of one of the boys his father murdered to avoid foster care. Hank "Pop" Miller-A pedophile and serial killer that is caught and gunned down by police at the story's beginning. Bill "Cougar" Scott- Hank's former partner in crime. He tries to threaten Cameron/Neil. Diana Lacey- Neil's sister. Stevie Lacey-Neil's brother Mr. and Mrs. Lacey-Neil's parents Detective Simmons- A detective in the Miller case who is skeptical of Neil's identity. Investigator Colbert- An investigator in the Miller case who defends Neil. 
 * Conflict**- Cameron Miller is the son of of a pedophile and serial killer. After his father is shot, he takes on the identity of one of the murdered boys, Neil Lacey. He goes home with Neil's family and takes on a new life. However, things start to unravel when an old friend of his father's shows up.

 Theme
No matter where you are or what kind of trouble you are in, there will always be a home to go back to. 

 Destiny Review
Cameron Miller has been raised by a serial killer, watching and hearing young boys get abused and murdered in his own home. Finally, after his horrible father is shot by police, he finds a way to escape. He takes on the identity of one of the murdered boys and goes to live with his new family, adopting the behaviors of his alias by studying news articles. His plan starts to unravel, however, when his new identity's sister figures out his intentions. Even worse, there's a detective on his tail and his father's former partner is out of prison. The story builds suspense quickly, exploring the disturbed beliefs that are Cameron's reality. The novel, while a quick read, will entice the reader with its electrifying and emotional plot twists until its end. //Counterfeit Son// by Elaine Marie Alphin is the perfect mystery for teens who want to experience the crime novel genre from a totally different perspective. -Anneliese Warnke. 

 Analysis of Style
In //Counterfeit Son,// Elaine Marie Alphin uses her own styles of pace, point of view, and character development. The novel is told with a fast-paced plot in third person limited point of view. The main character is well developed and the reader can really get a good look inside his mind. The minor characters are also rounded, but it is harder to determine their specific personalities.
 * Pace**- The plot is fast-paced, and "Alphin races through the conflicts a little too quickly" (//Publishers Weekly//). However, the active plot adds a suspenseful air to the novel, packing a lot of action into a such a thin book.
 * Point of View**- The novel is told in third person limited point of view for the character of Cameron Miller/ Neil Lacey. This decision proved to work well with the subject of the novel. The reader is able to connect with Cameron on a deeper level. They are able to understand the horrors of what he went through without having to experience it first hand, like it would be if the novel was told in first person. This makes it less scary for younger readers. "He lay on his side and felt the man pressing close to his back, strangely comforting but also threatening." (Alphin 12) is a good example of how the third person limited point of view lets the reader inside Cameron's head without knowing the terrible details.
 * Character Development**- The character of Cameron is well developed in the story. The reader knows a lot about him, and "Alphin has done a credible job of evoking a confused, abused boy's psychological state and his longing to find a real family." (Morning, //Booklist//) As previously stated, the reader can get inside Cameron's head more than the other character's. This is not to say the other characters are not as round, because in actuality, Alphin's "treatment of each character's psychological wounds is also impressive" (//Publishers Weekly//) While Cameron is the one mostly affected by his plan, the reader can also see how the other characters, especially his alias's sister, are affected by the change. "Her eyes were narrowed, and as she stared at at him she chewed on her bottom lip." (Alphin 39) describes how Cameron's new sister first reacted when she met him.