Customer Reviews

Slipping

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My young nephew had just finished reading this book. I asked him, "Did you like it?" He said, "It's good." Which for him is a rave review. I picked it up and, as they say, I couldn't put it down. There are so many funny observations about people and family life, it had me chuckling, page after page. The young narrator writes, "I guess I take after my mom... she never does the dishes until it comes time to actually use the plates... One of my mom's jokes is to call our stack of take-out menus her cookbook." By the time the supernatural stuff started, I was hooked. (And, thank god, the ghostly time-travel stuff is anchored so deeply in the real world, I stuck with it and began to really enjoy it, even though I usually flinch from fantasy.) This is such a well-written and delightful story. I look forward to the author's next book.

Michael is an average, ordinary boy. But, when his grandfather that he barely even knew dies, something happens to him.

Somehow, Michael is seeing his grandpa. All of a sudden he'll get really cold and he'll open his eyes and he won't be where he was a minute ago. He'll be in a dark place with his grandfather standing in front of him. His grandpa tells him that he can pull Michael in and show him all of his memories. Because of this, Michael is finding out things he never knew before. Like how he and his grandfather always fought and never got along. And that that's why his father is the way he is today.

Of course, Michael is freaked out about all of this and has no idea if what's happening is real or just an elaborate dream. A boy at school, Ewan, who is obsessed with the dead because his father is deceased, tells Michael that what's happening to him is called "Slipping" and that it's very rare. Michael's art teacher even gives him the number of a very famous psychic and tells him to go see her, because even she doesn't believe what Michael is telling her.

He ends up going to see the psychic with his ex-best friend, Gus, his older sister, Julia, Ewan, and Trip (Gus's new best friend). The psychic tells him that what's happening to him is much more serious and dangerous than Slipping and that he should try to stop it immediately before something happens to him. But can Michael really control what's happening or will he end up dead just like his grandfather?

This was a pretty short but very intense story. From the very first page I was hooked. What was happening to Michael was totally freaky but cool at the same time. Being able to see his grandfather's memories and everything was so awesome. The whole book was very touching, along with all of the crazy, intense moments.

The ending was pretty good. I feel like it could have been a bit longer and the author could have gone in to detail a little bit more. But all in all, SLIPPING was a very good book. I hope Cathleen Davitt Bell writes another great one soon.

Reviewed by: Breanna F.

This is a fabulous book that is so well written. I got instantly captivated by the story line and finished the book in 2 days. It is a great read not only for adolescents but parents should check it out as well. It will provide fascinating discussion between you and your child. As a former fourth, fifth, and sixth grade teacher who knows kids literature I highly recommend it.

I loved every page of this book. I carried it around with me like a
transitional object for several days, getting in a page here and there while the kids were dumping all the soil out of the flowerpots or sticking forks in their eyes. The author handles the premise brilliantly, making it seem fresh and interesting (and plausible, too), and consoling without ever being cheap. And she has created a remarkably convincing (as well as lovable) 12-year-old boy as her narrator. This is one of those amazing works of "children's" literature that people of all ages can learn from and love.

SLIPPING is a book you just have to read. We're part of a mother-son book club and were lucky enough to read this book when it was in manuscript form. We liked it enough to re-read it again when it went to hardcover (June 08). Cathleen Davitt Bell did a great job creating an interesting book. It is a new twist on fantasy. We wanted to keep reading it to find out how the main character handles school, friends, and family issues. We weren't able to put the book down until we figured out the "slipping" aspect. Great ending. We're still thinking/talking about this book and sharing it with friends. A must read. We hope there will be a sequel. -- Mom (42) / son (15 and a huge fantasy fan)

I was planning to read a few pages to see if I thought my nephew would like it, and I became so absorbed that I temporarily lost interest in the book I was reading -- Pulitzer Prize-winning Oscar Wao (which I also highly recommend)!! Slipping is everything a novel should be -- an engaging, fast-paced story with believable, interesting characters (no cliches here, the details make these people feel absolutely real) and a sense of humor. I'm giving a copy to my son's school librarian to make sure she gets it on all her middle grade reading lists this year. I can't believe this is a first novel, I can't wait to read the second from this talented writer!

I started reading Slipping with the celebrity-consciousness of knowing I knew the author, but the story was so compelling I forgot her, myself, the subway commute, everything but that old absorbing joy, most bright during grade school I guess, of wanting to devour a book and nothing else.

I raced through it happily, cheering at the masterful plot twists and the incredible attention to the feelings boys go through. A really fantastic read, I'm so impressed! I can't wait to share this book, and uh...when's the next one due?

This book is the story of 13 year old Michael who is a very introverted and unpopular boy. This book takes place during a very diffucult part of his life when he is unsuccessfully trying to make his basketball team, has a workaloholic father who he is always struggling to impress, a sister who is to focused on ballet to even notice him, and a best friend who seems to have moved on from video games and on to more popular friends and activities. This book practically jumps right in with no introduction and instead of this being captivating it is confusing and poorly written. Through out the book Michael visits his recently dead grandpa during periods of time where he "slips" into the world of the dead, hence the title. The book on the whole feels rushed and under thought. I felt as though there was no real point and that the book was a waste of time.

Grade: C