Fingers [Mass Market Paperback]

William Sleator (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 27, 2006

Eighteen-year-old Sam has always been jealous of his younger brother, Humphrey, the famous "wonder child" pianist. But now that Humphrey is fifteen, the one-time child prodigy isn't able to get any more bookings. Sam's mother refuses to accept that Humphrey's career is over and devises a scheme to recapture his fame: Sam will compose "new works" by a long dead gypsy composer, and they will tell the world that the composer is dictating the music to Humphrey from the grave. The scheme is a wild success--until some ghostly occurrences convince Sam that the spirit of the dead composer has actually taken over Humphrey's fingers. Have Sam and his family unleashed a force from beyond the grave?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A throat-clutching novel."--Publishers Weekly on Fingers

"Well-paced supernatural tale with a sense of humor."--Los Angeles Herald-Examiner on Fingers

"Highly suspenseful, with effective touches of humor."--School Library Journal on Fingers

"Cleverly offbeat--weird coincidences, foreshadowings, and all--and its suspense so well managed."--Booklist on Fingers

About the Author

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.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 197 pages
• Publisher: Tor Teen (June 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765353490
• ISBN-13: 978-0765353498
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,788,462 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fingers is one of Sleator's best., January 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Fingers (Mass Market Paperback)

I was saddened to see that "Fingers" is out of print. I have enjoyed Sleator's books as a young adult and still enjoy them over a decade later. Usually, Sleator's works are populated with interesting, well-delfined characters who make a somewhat unoriginal plot seem fresh. "Fingers" is the exception to that: the plot is constantly interesting, never bordering on cliche; the characters are fully-fleshed and utterly believable; and the pacing is tight, making a non-stop thrill ride of a supernatural mystery.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A really eerie book, May 22, 2006

By 

Gary H. Cassel "Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews" (Baltimore, MD, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fingers (Mass Market Paperback)

Humphrey hadn't been doing to well in his last concerts. Now that he is a big man, and not a little boy, people don't want to see him play anymore. When he was younger, he played great for his age, and people thought he was so cute. Now, his music isn't played like a real musician, and he is no longer cute. Bridget, Humphrey's stepmom and Sam's mom, comes up with a great idea to make it seem like Humphrey created music from the ghost of a famous dead composer. The plan works out great, and Humphrey is once again famous. Until, all of a sudden, it seems like Humphrey is actually composing the music from the dead musician. Will all the strange events like an old man knowing he exact notes that was changed by Humphreys dad, Luke, be coincidence? Or is it something out of the supernatural?


This was a really eerie book. It made you think and wonder what could have caused the coincidences in the story. The author kept me wanting to know what happens, and he kept me bound to the book. I always wondered what would eventually happen at the end. The ending was very good, and made me say "o my gosh" over and over to my self. The author wrote the bok with just the right amount of details, so I wasn't bored at all while reading.


Reviewed by a student reviewer for Flamingnet Book Reviews
www.flamingnet.com
Preteen, teen, and young adult book reviews and recommendations

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great teenage book for boys and girls, October 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Fingers (Paperback)

Also saddened to see the book is out of print. I truly enjoyed the situations and creativity the book displayed. In fact, it sparked my imagination musically.