Backtracked [Hardcover]

Pedro de Alcantara (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 10, 2009

Tommy Latrella is haunted by the ghost of his “perfect” older brother, who died on 9/11. Unable to live up to Jimmy’s memory, Tommy spends countless hours riding the subway and “tagging” the stations with graffiti. But when Tommy plays a dangerous prank in the Times Square station, the subway turns on him, and Tommy is hurtled back in time.

As Tommy travels, he experiences the hardships faced by the New Yorkers that preceded him, and gains perspective on his own comfortable life. But will he ever be able to get back to 2006? Tommy is desperate to mend his ways and get back home, but the trains may have other plans for him. . . .

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Fifteen-year-old Tommy Latrella is about to board his beloved New York City subway system as he runs away from home to escape the shadow of his older brother, a fireman who perished in the attacks of 9/11. But when a prank goes horribly wrong, the subway jettisons him back to 1918, where Italian immigrants take him in and fix him up with a backbreaking job building subway tunnels. Tommy faces success and tragedy, and then is thrown by a subway crash into 1932, where Depression-era struggles compel him to work for the Mafia as a money collector. It takes a third round of time travel, this one to the middle of World War II, for Tommy to realize that he won’t get to return home until he starts making up for his past mistakes. It’s a dizzying premise that sometimes strains credibility, but de Alcantara’s obvious love for New York is infectious, especially for history buffs, and his ability to fashion gritty realism within a fantastical plot sets this thriller apart. Grades 8-11. --Daniel Kraus

About the Author

Pedro de Alcantara is a Brazilian musician who lives in Paris and travels the world teaching the Alexander Technique, a method that improves habits of movement and thought in everyday activities. His first novel for young readers, Befiddled, is available from Yearling.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition (March 10, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385734190
• ISBN-13: 978-0385734196
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,924,491 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Pedro de Alcantara's books include the children's novels "Befiddled" and "Backtracked" (both published by Delacorte Press) and works of non-fiction for adults, including "Indirect Procedures: A Musician's Guide to the Alexander Technique" (published by the Oxford University Press and translated into French, German, and Japanese), "Integrated Practice: Coordination, Rhythm & Sound" (also published by the OUP), and "The Alexander Technique: A Skill for Life" (published by Crowood). Pedro is currently finishing a new novel for young readers. Pedro travels the world giving seminars and master classes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It tracked me back, May 29, 2009

By 

The Mench "The Mench" (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Backtracked (Hardcover)

BacktrackedI just finished Backtracked. It's a whale of a tale. While reading it, I sometimes missed Becky Cohen (the main character in another work by Pedro de Alcantara), because I related more to her than I did to Latrella, despite his being Italian (like me), and having traveled to 1918, the year of my Father's birth, and through historical pockets that my ancestral family would have recognized. Backtracked is a bit dark but utterly captivating. I especially enjoyed the way the history came to life, and the way de Alcantara made the reader feel present. Some of the subway history made me remember my early travels on some of those subways that no longer exist or no longer exist in the same way. All in all, the book is amazingly imaginative and beautifully written. It ends brilliantly. This is a book aimed at young adults that this very old adult enjoyed enormously.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Imaginative, engaging and not just for teens., May 26, 2009

By 

Donna S. Reid (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Backtracked (Hardcover)

This book is supposed to be for the teen set, but I am way beyond that and thoroughly enjoyed it. Not only is the story engaging and entertaining but the details in the historical time periods are perfect. This book screams major motion picture!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Backflips for Backtracked, June 22, 2009

By 

Alexis Niki "Screenwriter and Author of "... (Paris, France & New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Backtracked (Hardcover)

It's hard to resist the charms and momentum of Backtracked, a story that hurtles along like a speeding train. Tommy Latrella's travels through various eras of New York City using the subway system as a time-travel portal bring the history of New York alive in an exciting and imaginative way. Backtracked is guaranteed fun for the whole family. Can't wait to see this story on the big screen!