Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Themes
Synopsis
"Mary and Eddie are meant for each other-- but love is no guarantee, not in these suburbs. Like all children, they exist in an eternal present; time is imminent, and the adults of the street live in their assorted houses like numbers on a clock. Meanwhile ominous rumors circulate, and the increasing agitation of the neighbors points to a future in which all will be lost. Soon, a sorcerer's car will speed down Mary's street, and as past and future fold into each other, the resonant parenthesis of her girlhood will close forever. Beyond is adulthood, a world of robots and sorcerers, slaves and masters, bodies without souls. Once you enter the duplex-- that magical hinge between past and future, human and robot, space and time-- there's no telling where you might come out" -- from publisher's web site.
Is Duplex appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
This experimental literary fantasy explores the transition from childhood to adulthood through surreal imagery including robots, sorcerers, and 'bodies without souls.' The abstract, non-linear narrative and existential themes make it challenging for younger readers despite mild content.
What to know going in
This book has mild violence, mild sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include body horror and dehumanization.
Who'll love this
Older teens interested in surreal, dreamlike stories about growing up will find this thought-provoking, though the abstract style requires patience.