The Boy Who Couldn't Die by William Sleator

4/5 stars


Booktalk: William Sleator has a knack for writing creepy, science fiction stories that draw you in, then leave you with more questions than you had at the beginning of the book. The Boy Who Couldn't Die follows this pattern, with an extra dose of creepiness. Ken's best friend dies in a plane crash, and in the middle of his deep depression, Ken decides that he must never die. He finds a woman who promises him that she can protect him from pain and death forever for only fifty dollars. He takes her up on her offer and finds that he can't be injured or killed, but he starts having nightmares which appear to be coming true. Ken decides that he doesn't want to be immortal any more, but it is not as simple as just reversing the process, and now his friends and family are involved. Is it true that you don't always want what you wish for, after you've gotten it? Creepiness factor and dark subject matter would lead me to recommend this book to older readers (6th grade on up), but there are other William Sleator books which are appropriate for the 4th-5th grade set.