What do you think?
Rate this book
Double
The sparkling diamond of a city that once drew everyone to its heart is crumbling.
The City, built upon a pool of abundant energy, is no longer defined as one. The glitzy InnerCity long ago turned it back on the decaying OuterCity whose residents, excluded from the wealth that courses just beneath the surface, now scavenge from the InnerCity’s discarded excess.
Frank Miller, chosen to participate in an audacious experiment, is given the opportunity to join the ranks of the InnerCity. He only needs to be the latest content, the latest fad, for its persistently bored denizens. Split between the two cities, Frank must confront himself, what it means to be an individual, and how to distinguish himself in the every-hungry InnerCity before he is discarded as well.
Double is the second book from talented young author Carmen J. Spoonemore. Double was written when she was fifteen years old and follows her critically acclaimed and highly rated first book, For the Collective, which she wrote when she was just thirteen years old.
Regret is something that comes with time when a person gains a new perspective and can see their mistake. Regret is born of clarity. As Frank Miller sits in the smoky silence of his dingy room, there is no clarity, only tears pooling in his eyes, further distorting the world around him into an incomprehensible blur. The only clarity is they will come for him.
As the screaming mob grows closer Frank covers his ears, quieting the shouting voices until they are only a soft, distant buzzing. They will be here soon. Muffled, pounding sounds reverberate from someplace behind him but Frank is frozen watching the dusty colorful bottles that line the small window, transfixed by the patterns cast into the room. The roar grows louder and more insistent as more tears fall and soak into his dirty trousers. They can’t do anything, he tries to reassure himself, they can’t prove that it was him. They can’t. He’ll tell them that it was the other.
His door bursts open and people cram into the small room. They all watch Frank, unsure if he is the condemned. They stand together, watching him in silence as the horde outside grows louder. But he refuses to look up, choosing instead to watch the glass bottles that are now falling from their precarious ledge and shattering into hundreds of thin shards. Somehow it's more beautiful in destruction.
Frank looks up just in time to see a brick hurling at his face.
The City, built upon a pool of abundant energy, is no longer defined as one. The glitzy InnerCity long ago turned it back on the decaying OuterCity whose residents, excluded from the wealth that courses just beneath the surface, now scavenge from the InnerCity’s discarded excess.
Frank Miller, chosen to participate in an audacious experiment, is given the opportunity to join the ranks of the InnerCity. He only needs to be the latest content, the latest fad, for its persistently bored denizens. Split between the two cities, Frank must confront himself, what it means to be an individual, and how to distinguish himself in the every-hungry InnerCity before he is discarded as well.
Double is the second book from talented young author Carmen J. Spoonemore. Double was written when she was fifteen years old and follows her critically acclaimed and highly rated first book, For the Collective, which she wrote when she was just thirteen years old.
Regret is something that comes with time when a person gains a new perspective and can see their mistake. Regret is born of clarity. As Frank Miller sits in the smoky silence of his dingy room, there is no clarity, only tears pooling in his eyes, further distorting the world around him into an incomprehensible blur. The only clarity is they will come for him.
As the screaming mob grows closer Frank covers his ears, quieting the shouting voices until they are only a soft, distant buzzing. They will be here soon. Muffled, pounding sounds reverberate from someplace behind him but Frank is frozen watching the dusty colorful bottles that line the small window, transfixed by the patterns cast into the room. The roar grows louder and more insistent as more tears fall and soak into his dirty trousers. They can’t do anything, he tries to reassure himself, they can’t prove that it was him. They can’t. He’ll tell them that it was the other.
His door bursts open and people cram into the small room. They all watch Frank, unsure if he is the condemned. They stand together, watching him in silence as the horde outside grows louder. But he refuses to look up, choosing instead to watch the glass bottles that are now falling from their precarious ledge and shattering into hundreds of thin shards. Somehow it's more beautiful in destruction.
Frank looks up just in time to see a brick hurling at his face.
163 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 23, 2023
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 4, 2023
Loved this book! It evoked feelings of being a true observer of scenes similar to when you read Hemingway and can feel the salt, sand, grit and despair all wrapped together. Spoonemore brings a futuristic Arthur Miller style of writing to the table that I haven’t seen before; it’s not just a story of a dystopian time and place, nor a hero to rise above- it hits home with the utter soul crushing day-in-day-out grind people have to suffer through because they were born in one time or place instead of another. And like reality sometimes there are no happy endings to tie things up, but there are noble ways to end bad situations.
I think people will take many things from this story in a personal way: the roots of ethics, nature v nurture, society and what it can bear- it’s even deeper when you’re done because you will recall where we started and what we came to by the end of the story. I’m amazed at the talent!
I think people will take many things from this story in a personal way: the roots of ethics, nature v nurture, society and what it can bear- it’s even deeper when you’re done because you will recall where we started and what we came to by the end of the story. I’m amazed at the talent!
August 12, 2023
Frank isn't sure what to expect when he's called into the inner city for a test, but he comes out with a double. Even stranger, his house has been doubled, and his life has been doubled. But despite researcher's best efforts, everything isn't exactly the same, and soon the two Franks start to deviate.
This fascinating story takes a hint from twin studies to explore why we make the choices we do and what happens when you change someone's environment and friend group. I read an early edition of this book, and I'm excited to see that it's gotten quite good.
This fascinating story takes a hint from twin studies to explore why we make the choices we do and what happens when you change someone's environment and friend group. I read an early edition of this book, and I'm excited to see that it's gotten quite good.
January 15, 2026
I’m not sure what I just read and I’m not sure if that’s a compliment. I will say the author has improved between books. Though the foundation of this one starts as feeling similar to the prior stand alone.
The classic dystopian them - InnerCity vs. us - OuterCity. The rich and the poor. The ones who have everything and the ones who provide it.
Frank has always considered himself misplaced. He belongs in the elite not on its edges. He volunteers for an experiment to join the InnerCity and ends up as its latest form of entertainment. This wasn’t what he had in mind and Frank quickly loses his desire to play the game and tries to quit. But whose pawn is he really?
—-
The style of the author and writing quality has improved. The story complexity has improved. The twist isn’t easily spotted. The character’s end is dark which I appreciated.
My main critique is that the constant layering could have been showcased as an escalation point versus a period (the show continues). It didn’t need to be punctuated as often and would have been more effective if used sparingly.
I walked away scratching my head since the puzzle pieces don’t all fit together nicely. A good polish pass could up this rating to a four for me.
The classic dystopian them - InnerCity vs. us - OuterCity. The rich and the poor. The ones who have everything and the ones who provide it.
Frank has always considered himself misplaced. He belongs in the elite not on its edges. He volunteers for an experiment to join the InnerCity and ends up as its latest form of entertainment. This wasn’t what he had in mind and Frank quickly loses his desire to play the game and tries to quit. But whose pawn is he really?
—-
The style of the author and writing quality has improved. The story complexity has improved. The twist isn’t easily spotted. The character’s end is dark which I appreciated.
My main critique is that the constant layering could have been showcased as an escalation point versus a period (the show continues). It didn’t need to be punctuated as often and would have been more effective if used sparingly.
I walked away scratching my head since the puzzle pieces don’t all fit together nicely. A good polish pass could up this rating to a four for me.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews