Amazon.com 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
Book Description The "brisk, addictive" thriller, now in paperback!
Sleator, a recognized master of sci-fi and horror and a favorite of reluctant readers, is a paperback powerhouse, with more than 600,000 copies of his novels sold in softcover. Here he gives fans a spin on the classic zombie story, following sixteen-year-old Ken as he bargains with a psychic to gain immortality, only to awaken one night with blood-spattered clothes and the realization that he's sold more than his soul. AUTHOR BIO: For more than thirty years, William Sleator has thrilled readers with his inventive books. His House of Stairs was named one of the best novels of the twentieth century by the Young Adult Library Services Association. He divides his time between homes in Boston and rural Thailand.
- This book rocks (5)
One huge event could change your life or someone else's life in a mere second. Ken, after discovering his best friends Roger's death, feels he could die almost any day, so he wants to become invulnerable. He searches all of Manhattan for someone who could help him, and finds a woman named Cherri Buttercup who offers an extremely low price. To make Ken invulnerable she nearly kills him with blowfish venom, and takes out his soul and hides it. Without his soul he can't get hurt or die. To take advantage of this Ken goes to the Caribbean to try to get bitten by a shark. Once there he meets a local (Sabine) who knows what Cherri really did to him. Ken is harmless during the day, but during the night he may kill whether he wants to or not. She has made him into a mindless zombie when he sleeps. The two go on a desperate and suspenseful attempt to retrieve his soul. In this attempt Ken develops a deep relationship with Sabine. They find out that retreiveing the soul is more complicated than they thought, and they're running out of time, so they'd better act fast.
This book would fit people looking for a thrill and some suspense. William Sleator's every word kept me turning the pages Sleator has been exploring our deepest fears and racing our hearts for more than 30 years by writing over 25 books for young adults. The book captivated me because I could understand what Ken felt when he didn't have his soul. He felt heartless without emotions, and may never be joyful again. The mystery of the story kept me guessing over and over, until the end with a ground breaking-finish. This novel portrays the depths of a somber soul, and if you want to rise from the dismal, you better hold on to what you can. - Pretty good (3)
It's a pretty good book, but unfortunatly although the plot is extremely original, it lacks some of the excitement that some of Sleator's other books have. If you haven't read Interstellar Pig, Singularity, The Green Futures of Tycho, The Boy Who Reversed Himself, or any other 'classic Sleator,' I suggest you check them out first. I enjoyed this book, even though it has a few inconsistencies.
There's a few weird scenes, such as one where the main character tries to cut off his own nipple (reminisent of the self-mutilation scene in 'The Night The Heads Came'.) - the boy who couldn't die (5)
I really enjoyed this book. I read it in only two days. This book is a really good mystery/horror/romance kind of book. I started reading it to my mom and she didn't want me to atop reading it to her. - Much like the occult, this book sucks you right in. (4)
As a fan of the horror genre myself I decided to get this little wonder. Ken is a teenager who goes to a voodoo priestess who claims that she could make him invulnerable to death. After his friend dies from a horrible plane crash Ken's phobia of death has made him go to this priestess and for $50 , Madam Cherri Buttercup, The voodoo priestess would make him death free. But with everything, there is always a catch to it. Ken, yes, he is death free but not what he expected. Now more then ever he is more concerned about the people around him (for when they die, he won't). His friends abandoned him because they had no idea what was going on, he has terrible nightmares, and the success of going out with Kate, his "high-school crush" was not much of a success at all.
Ken goes to St.Caolo with his parents for a vacation; he meets up with a girl named Sabine, and soon he reveals his secret and falls in love with her. The mystery unfolds as Sabine and him try to interpretate his reoccurring nightmares. In his dreams he kills people and does horrible things. What they find out is Cherri Buttercup is controlling Ken's Soul! From that point Ken and Sabine's journey begins in retrieving his soul back, and defeat the evil power of Cherri.
.As an observer of the horror genre the author must nail you right at the beginning, this book does that with no flaw. What I also liked is that William Sleator explained many things in good detail, his writing is fast paced. Before I knew it I was in the middle of the book, when I thought I was still in the begging! Although this novel grabs you in the begging the middle is much slower pace, so you have to keep on reading because you'll lose focus or interest in it quickly. Not only is this book entertaining, but also it is educational in a way. I never thought I learned much about scuba diving, and voodoo until I read this. William must of have that type of experience beforehand.
There are many themes to this book. The main ones I like to point out is life and death. Much like Ken we all have that fear of death. With death on our minds, question like this rise up every once in a while; How am I going to die, is it going to be painful? Where will I go? In many ways people think about death so much that they don't aprecaite the more important thing, life. During the end of this book I think Ken has a more respect of life and death. I think all people should have that. If we did, would we be more caring? Or cautious about things? Who knows? All that I know is that this book gives you that question. But if you are interested PICK UP THIS BOOK! To learn more about William, you can go to this website:
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/authors/William_Sleator.htm - Why die? (3)
What happens if you can't die? That's the question Ken asks himself when his best friend is killed in a plane crash.
After the loss of his friend, Ken decides he doesn't ever want to die. And after searching for weeks, he finally finds a "witch" named Cheri Buttercup who is willing to, well, kill him so he can become immortal: "You have to die in your life, sugar. It's a one way deal, so I have to kill you so you can live."
That's the final warning she gives him before she kills him. Soon after, Ken can survive anything: a deadly beating by bullies, a piping hot pan that he can't even feel, even a shark attack in the Caribbean. But then, in the night, he begins to have visions of killing family, friends, and complete strangers alike, and of being buried alive. Soon he will discover a terrifying secret about himself and the woman who did this to him. Then Ken asks himself, "Will I be able to save everyone from myself?"
William Sleator is a creative author who has been supplying us with fantastic books like The Boy Who Couldn't Die for more than thirty years. In my opinion, this is a book that will thrill, scare, and shock any reader, from page one to the end.