From Publishers Weekly
As in his recent Rewind, Sleator's mildly comic time-travel adventure is the story of a boy who prevents his own death by healing family relationships. Computer geek Chris is in perpetual conflict with Lulu, his stereotyped 13-year-old blonde cheerleader sister. She spreads rumors about him at school to increase her popularity, causing Chris to lose his few friends. Then a shape-changing entity called the boltzmon appears, a genielike "remnant of a giant black hole." It tells the 11-year-old that the imaginary country he has been creating on his computer actually exists on a parallel earth 40 years in the future. Chris will die very soon in an accident caused by Lulu's conniving behavior unless he goes to this alternate universe and visits some magical Time Temples. Sequences in the primitive and dangerous country contain several exciting escapades (a cannibal kidnapping, a rickety bridge across a chasm), but readers who are sticklers for coherence and logic in their fantasy worlds will be frustrated by the boltzmon's erratic powers and unexplained motivation. "Here to help you?" it cries when Chris asks it for directions to the temples. "Why should I help you? I'm just here to have fun!" This jolly yet moralizing tangle of a tale is best reserved for hard-core Sleator fans. Ages 10-14. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Grade 5-8-A "boltzmon" is a theoretical subatomic particle that holds all the information in the galaxy. Here, one of them plays a bizarre role in the sibling rivalry between Chris, 11, and his older sister, Lulu. The boltzmon appears to Chris in the form of a floating eyeball and lets the boy know of its virtually limitless powers. It transports him into an alternate universe where he must complete a dangerous quest in order to prevent his own imminent death back home. Chris also meets an unpleasant adult version of his sister, whose presence is crucial to his journey. By quest's end, the boy has shown toughness and courage that he previously lacked, and he and Lulu resolve their differences. The therapeutic reconciliation of the siblings makes for a rather anticlimactic conclusion, given the bizarre adventures that lead up to it. The boltzmon premise is intriguing, but not totally satisfying. The particle insists that it has no reason to help Chris and acts only on whim, but ends up manipulating events to test and challenge the protagonist just enough to allow him to succeed. Its very human vanity and impatience seem out of place coming from such an unfathomable bit of matter, but these qualities do add humor to the story, especially when the particle appears in human guise. Though not perfect, Sleator's novel has enough imaginative plotting to keep readers turning the pages.
Steven Engelfried, Deschutes County Library, Bend, OR Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
