Product Description

Cameron Miller is the son of a murderer. All he has ever known is the stench of the locked cellar, where he can hear the blows and cries and his father's torrent of terror and abuse. Then a miracle happens: his father is killed in a police shootout. In the aftermath, Cameron grabs his one chance for a normal life: he takes on the identity of Neil Lacey, a boy who Mr. Miller had abducted six years ago. As Neil, he has a life with loving parents, a brother and sister, and the comforts only money can buy. But someone knows what Cameron's doing-someone with the power to turn his life back into a nightmare.

"An engrossing, suspenseful novel that is sure to keep the reader glued to the page." (Kirkus Reviews)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #427611 in Books
• Published on: 2002-07-01
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .50" h x 4.20" w x 6.82" l, .25 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

From Publishers Weekly
After suffering at his father s hands, as well as being locked in the cellar while his father beat to death more than 20 boys over the years, Cameron sees a chance at normal life by passing himself off as one of his fathers murder victims. PW wrote, Readers will be enthralled by the suspenseful plot. Ages 12-up. (July)
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 8-10-A gripping but not altogether convincing psychological thriller. Cameron Miller's father was a serial killer who preyed on young boys; when he dies in a police shoot-out, Cameron takes on the identity of Neil Lacey, one of his father's victims who was abducted and supposedly murdered six years earlier. The Lacey family accepts "Neil" into their home with few questions, but he lives in fear that old dental records and a suspicious police officer will expose his lies. Finally, when someone from Cameron's past threatens his new family, the 14-year-old must decide whether to tell his "parents" the truth. The engaging premise will keep readers on the edge of their seats, though some of the plot points strain credibility. For example, the story depends on the fact that the parents refuse a DNA test to prove the boy's identity. The novel deals with the years of sexual and physical abuse that Cameron endured at the hands of his father, but only on a surface level and never in graphic detail. Many of the interactions between Cameron and his new family are quite moving, especially in the scenes where he expects punishment and finds kindness and love instead. Counterfeit Son ends with a clever twist that should surprise readers and leave them well satisfied with this solidly written, fast-paced read.
Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 8-12. Cameron Miller has spent his life with his monstrous father, who kidnaps and then abuses and murders young boys. When his father is killed in a shoot-out with the police, Cameron decides to take the identity of one of the victims and be part of a nonabusive family. As Neil Lacey, he is "reunited" with an upper-middle class family. The mother and father fall for his ruse, but the family's daughter and a police officer are soon on to him. The reappearance of his father's scummy cohort, who attempts to kidnap the youngest son in the Lacey family, forces Cameron to reveal his scam, which turns out not to be quite the trick Cameron thought. The plot is both grim and over-the-top, which will turn off many teens. But those who stick with it will find that Alphin has done a creditable job of evoking a confused, abused boy's psychological state and his longing to find a real family. Todd Morning
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