The Boy Who Couldn't Die - Hardcover

Sleator, William

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0810948249 ISBN 13: 9780810948242

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, 2004

Synopsis

Ken, the only child of rich, indulgent parents, finds a woman who makes him invulnerable to pain and death, but the curse makes him kill while he is dreaming.

About this title

Review:

Young teens will rejoice at this just-for-fun creepy adventure by William Sleator, one more in a long line of such stories going back to his classic sci-fi novels, House of Stairs, and Interstellar Pig. Here he shifts from science fiction to horror, with a plot based on Hollywood-style voodoo lore. When seventeen-year-old Ken's best friend Roger dies in a plane crash, Ken suddenly realizes that he too could die at any moment. Terrified, he seeks out a plump, middle-aged psychic named Cherie Buttercup, who grants him invulnerability from death in exchange for his soul. Eager to test his new powers, Ken talks his family into a vacation in the Caribbean, where he can swim with sharks. There he is entranced with Sabine, a young scuba instructor, and shares his story with her. When Ken begins to have vivid dreams of secret murders, he and Sabine realize that Cherie Buttercup is using his soul as a zombie to do her will. But the dreams also give clues as to where his soul is hidden--so the pair set out to retrieve it. Breathless action is leavened with the unconscious humor of typical Sleator touches in which preposterous fantasy collides with the details of reality, only adding to the fun. (ages 10 to 14) --Patty Campbell

About the Author:

For more than thirty years, William Sleator has thrilled readers with his inventive books that blend real science with stories that explore our darkest fears and wishes. His House of Stairs was a groundbreaking book for young adults, named one of the best novels of the 20th century by the Young Adult Library Services Association. Critics call his writing "clever and engrossing...and just plain fun" (Booklist) and "gleefully icky" (Publishers Weekly). He divides his time between homes in Boston and rural Thailand.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0810948249
• ISBN 13: 9780810948242
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 174