Slake's Limbo: 121 Days [Paperback]

Felice Holman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 31, 1986 | Age Level: 9 and up

Desperate, driven, harassed to the breaking point, Slake decides to go underground -- into the sheltering depths of the New York City Subway where he ends up staying for one hundred and twenty-one days. This is the story about survival, and about a 13-year-old misfit's attempts to find footing in a hostile and threatening world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"--utterly convincing in its detail and moving in its concern and admiration for the stubborn, human will to survive."  -New York Times Book Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Desperate, driven, harassed to the breaking point, Slake decides to go underground?into the sheltering depths of the New York City Subway where he ends up staying for one hundred and twenty-one days. This is the story about survival, and about a 13-year-old misfit's attempts to find footing in a hostile and threatening world. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 126 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (May 31, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689710666
• ISBN-13: 978-0689710667
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #389,810 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Issues > Runaways

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Aremis and the Bird, December 20, 1999

By 

Peter Haviland (Western Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Slake's Limbo (Weekly Reader Books) (Hardcover)

I use this book with my eighth grade students, some of whom will be doing their own review. There is a little of Aremis Slake in most young teenagers- feelings of uncertainty, mistrust, fear. This novel provides an interesting look at what its like to try to survive in an urban setting, a situation totally unfamiliar to most of my students. They did, however, seem to enjoy his trials and tribulations of spending 121 days in the subway. Many students asked about, and I think would enjoy, a sequel.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dr. I's Project, April 24, 2002

By 

D.T. (Marquette, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Slake's Limbo: 121 Days (Paperback)

I read the book Slake's Limbo as an assignment for my Children's Literature class at Northern Michigan University, which is located in Marquette, Michigan. At first, I was not sure what to think of the book. I read the opening description at the front of the text, and I thought that it was going to be some type of fantasy book about a boy that lives in his own little world and goes into a cave or a hole in the ground. Little did I know, this was a book about a young man that had some severe "real life" problems. This boy was horribly abused by some of his peers. He was teased and harassed so much that he had to run away from the boys to the underground subway systems of New York City. Here, Aremis Slake lived for 121 days. He overcame his troubles, though, and found a way to survive for all this time by finding a way to make money and get food. He got his money from selling papers, and took the extra papers to his "home" and used them for his bed. This is truly an inspirational book about a young man that battles fear, hunger, and the dangers of the New York subways to survive. This book is, indeed, a book of survival and is inspirational to those of us that want to give up every now and then. This book also gives adults a realization that we need to listen to children about their problems, and do what we can to help kids that may be experiencing difficulties like this. Many people can learn a great deal from a book like this.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gripping story of urban survival, December 23, 2001

By 

Michael J. Mazza - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Slake's Limbo: 121 Days (Paperback)

"Slake's Limbo," by Felice Holman, was one of the "young adult" books that made the biggest impression on me when I fell into that age group. Re-reading it recently, I realized that the book has lost none of its impact. Holman tells the story of Aremis Slake, an undersized, persecuted 13-year old New York City boy. Overwhelmed by the stress of his life, Slake flees to the underground world of the subway system -- "a city under the city" where he finds a "home" and a new life. But a 13-year old can't live underground indefinitely; Slake is headed for a moment of truth.

This is a haunting, powerful story. Slake is a remarkable character. In many ways he's like a mythic hero; he literally journeys into the "underworld" and re-creates himself. Holman fills the book with fascinating details about the boy's survival strategies.

"Slake's Limbo" is rich in symbolic details, but the story can also be enjoyed at face value. This book is, in my opinion, one of the very best of young adult novels.