Slipping. by Cathleen Davitt Bell

Bell, Cathleen Davitt. Slipping.
Bloomsbury see St. Martins, 2008, 215p, $16.99, 978-1-59990-2586

A first novel by Cathleen Davitt Bell, Slipping is an unbelievable masterpiece. It is about relationships and how we allow them to go away. The relationships are between friends, between brother and sister, and between father and son. There is humor, adventure and emotion from cover to cover. Contemporary teen language combines with a protagonist who is real to make a controversial topic like life after death believable. Redemption is possible as we explore a topic that has been studied since the beginning of man.
Slipping blasts the lid off the can of worms that contains the notion of life after death. As Michael slips into and out of the cold river between life and death, pulled there by his recently deceased grandfather, he could die or survive. His love for his grandfather has to be strong enough to help his grandfather come to terms with his own shallow, lonely life and death. Along the way, underachiever Michael pulls others aboard his journey as he navigates the river of the dead. First, he meets Ewan, the pathetic outcast and loner at a small private school in New York City. Ewan’s area of expertise is anything related to ghosts, and he helps Michael understand what is happening to him. Gus is Michael’s soon to be ex-friend. Michael has been feeling Gus pull away for a while, yet is helpless to save the friendship until they are thrown together in a basketball game with the school jock, Tripp. Grandpa steps into Michael to show Michael that he has all of the talent and drive to play ball, and Michael is the hero of the game. After helping his grandfather share his regrets about his loveless last years, Michael almost perishes with his grandfather into a world of permanent death. In a dramatic, perilous ending, Michael is able to save himself with the help of his sister and a few of his friends, and most importantly, his own father.
The subject matter is for a mature teenager or adult who is willing to consider that life is not as we see it. The writing style is fast-paced and engaging. All teenagers, male or female will feel empathy with Michael, a character who is so pathetically compelling that as he weaves his tale, weaves the reader into his web. All teenagers have had an art teacher like Ms. Rosoff, an overachieving sister like Julia, a best friend who has pulled away at times, and a school jock who is characteristically like Tripp. Bell leaves the reader questioning his or her relationships with family and friends as well as acceptance of people for who they are. Just like Michael has his grandfather in his head at unexpected moments, the reader will recall parts of this book for a long time after closing the cover.
This book is best for a mature student in upper middle school or high school. The fantasy/dramatic component of the book makes it too difficult for an immature reader. MS