Replica: Your Greatest Fear Lives

by David Warren

Gary Harmon, Jr. is a bright high-school senior and is known to his friends as "Geeky Gary," the class nerd. Accustomed to being the butt of jokes and pranks, he finds solitary comfort in his hobby of watching old horror movies and building models of their characters which decorate his room. Jake Miller is the new kid at Kingston High School; he befriends Gary and in time, he becomes more than just a friend-he becomes Gary's fierce protector. Unfortunately for these two friends, they both long for the attention of the lovely red-headed Elizabeth Wilcox, the most beautiful girl at Kingston High. She has no interest in either of them-she is, after all, dating Eric Mead, the star quarterback of the Kingston Knights football team. Gary's high school years are difficult at best, and made even more difficult without a father. Gary, Sr. is incarcerated in a mental institution for having killed Gary's mother when he was just an infant. Gary longs for guidance and direction and for a way to deal with the teen angst he often feels without a father in his life. Then, on one fateful day, Gary Jr. makes an incredible discovery when he finds an original, first-issue Alpha model TX-90 Polorama instant camera that had once belonged to his father-so many years ago. The camera is common looking, like so many others found in thrift shops and in garage sales. It has the smell of time, the patina of wear and use, and that feel of something very old. But this camera is more special than even Gary knows. The camera gradually becomes an obsession with Gary when he learns that this is no ordinary piece of photography equipment. This camera has unique powers that Gary can't seem to resist as they are revealed to him... ...even when they become very dark and very sinister. The Halloween dance becomes the setting where Gary extracts revenge against those who have long tormented him, as well as Elizabeth Wilcox's new boyfriend-the traitor, Jake Miller. With his newfound tool, Gary Harmon, Jr. sees his future through a very different lens as he is faced with having to decide if he should follow in his father's footsteps, forever under the dark influence and the mysterious powers of the camera.

210 pages, Paperback

First published August 4, 2012

About the author

Author of the highly acclaimed YA Horror novels JEST and REPLICA. Look for FROSTBITE in the summer of 2014!

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. It was like Carrie meets Christine in this sophomore novel by new author David Warren. I enjoyed his previous novel, Jest - It Waits No Longer, but I have to admit I liked this one more. The characters were easy to sympathize with and you felt bad for the main character and can understand why he felt the way he did.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Official in depth review: http://www.shiversofhorror.com/blog/2...

This personally wasn't really my cup of tea. But I did enjoy the idea of the book. It seemed pretty unique to me.