By William Sleator Rewind

by William Sleator

Not long after learning that he was adopted, eleven-year-old Peter is hit by a car and then given several chances to alter events that could lead to his death.

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Mystery, Middle Grade, Fantasy, Teen

Unknown Binding

First published July 1, 1999

About the author

William Warner Sleator III was born in Havre de Grace, Maryland on February 13, 1945, and moved to St. Louis, MO when he was three. He graduated from University City High School in 1963, from Harvard in 1967 with BAs in music and English.

For more than thirty years, William Sleator thrilled readers with his inventive books. His House of Stairs was named one of the best novels of the twentieth century by the Young Adult Library Services Association.

William Sleator died in early August 2011 at his home in Thailand.

Reviews

[Marissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do. Not. Let. Your. Children. Read. This. I'm not one for censorship, but if this book could be unwritten, I would consider that a public good. This is JF fiction, not Hegel, and the messages this book is presenting to actual children are legitimately harmful to their sense of self. And I cannot for a second imagine an actual eleven year old picking up on how deeply fucked up these messages are, only that they might identify with the protagonist's thought process - and in turn, possibly cause themselves harm by acting accordingly.

So, look. I usually love William Sleator, but when I read this last night, I was horrified, and not in the good way.

Rewind is the story of Peter, an 11 year old boy who is killed by a car crash, and is given the opportunity to return to a point in his life to try and alter his life such that he doesn't get hit. It also turns out that he is adopted, and that his adoptive parents are now expecting a bio-baby. Peter spends most of this book trying to convince his parents, and himself, that he is worthy of being loved.

First and foremost: holy victim blaming, Batman. Every facet of this book is geared to establish that Peter is wrong, Peter's actions and feelings caused his demise, Peter is to blame for all the bad things in his life. Peter is ELEVEN GODDAMN YEARS OLD, and is killed, in turn, by a speeding car, by a DIFFERENT speeding car, and then by a car that loses control, hops the curb, and RUNS HIM OVER ON A SIDEWALK. Neither Peter's emotions nor actions caused these things. Idiot drivers did. It's incredibly troubling to me that this Juvenile Fiction has such a clear message of victim blaming as a central plotpoint.

Victim blaming the second: Peter's parents are one dimensional, emotionally stunted, horrible excuses for parents and for people. They are utterly incapable of seeing the good in ANYTHING Peter does, and give him completely conflicting, mixed messages of what is expected of him, leading to Peter basically having an 11 year old's crisis of "how do I please these people, and in pleasing them, get them to show me that they love me?" His parents are either liars or simply acting - and raising him - in bad faith. They provide him with cryptic, flawed information and expectations, and when he, an eleven year old, acts towards those goals, he is punished. His father, at one point in the story, uncharacteristically helps Peter, and when the mother complains, his father then BLAMES PETER FOR UPSETTING HIS MOTHER. Even though it was the father that prompted and executed the upsetting actions. WHAT THE SHIT, PETER'S DAD. NO WONDER YOUR KID DOUBTS YOUR DEVOTION TO HIM. Protip: don't toss your kids under the bus for your own actions. Not in real life, not as a trust exercise, not as a metaphor. Don't do it.

There's a teeny, tiny kernel of a good message in here - they idea that you should learn your audience, and try to craft messages that will resonate with them. But it's so far buried in the protagonist being surrounded by emotionally abusive, stunted cardboard cutouts of characters that I cannot recommend that ANYONE read this, or, god forbid, let their kids read this.

[Bobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very creative book that shows readers that permanent solutions are much more difficult, yet rewarding than quick fixes. Sleator has done a good job of discussing these difficult issues in a manner that is accessible and relatable.

[Mothlight · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book back when I was 9 or 10 years old. I'm giving it such a high rating because I'm 25 as of writing this, and it stuck with me for that long! I really felt for our main and am still kind of outraged over his awful parents. In fact, that's the one thing I didn't really like about it: his parents faced no consequences for their treatment of this poor kid.

It's a very short book, but a lingering one. That says a lot, I think.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another interesting and fun YA tale from William Sleator. 11-year-old Peter is killed by a car when he runs out into the street without looking. After he dies, he learns he has a chance to go back in time and try to change the events that led up to his death. Through trial and error, he begins to learn that just trying to change the people and circumstances around him will not forestall death if he does not also change himself.

Told from the viewpoint of a smart-but-naive pre-teen, this book really speaks with Peter's voice. Although sometimes the characters' behaviors seemed a little unbelievable, overall I was caught up in the story. Good exploration of the implications of ones' own behaviors and how they affect not only how others see you, but how you see the world. I think I would have really enjoyed this back when I was around 10-13 years old.

[Melissa]

Decent read. I liked the idea of this kid being given the chance to prevent his own death. I also like how he was able to see the ways that a change in his own attitude and behavior could influence others. His ability to read the future seemed a bit of an odd distraction from Peter's main problems. It seems a bit unbelievable that everyone would just forget about his prophetic abilities after the issue of his death is resolved.

[Anish Ganeshram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rewind by William Sleator is a very good book for anyone who is looking for a great fantasy/mystery book with a lot of twists. Rewind is about a boy who gets hit by a car after finding out that his parents don't love him and after his death he finds out that he can rewind things and get a second chance. This book has a greater meaning to it that you will understand after you finish the book. This is a very good book that is set in the modern world.

[Some Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by and large one of my favorite childhood books. Peter was so absurdly relatable that, as an adult, I couldn't bear to sell it or donate it to a used bookstore. I don't usually keep things lying around like that due to sentimentality, but this book did it.

[Michael F · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was a cool and confusing book

[Nisha Coney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Love pretty much all books by William Sleator, and this one looked very interesting, so I had to try it! This book is pretty short. It only took 1 hour to read. It starts out good in the beginning, but it gets a little boring//dull when you get farther into it. But overall I liked it. I would recomend it if you're looking for a good, quick, read.

[Kate Hastings · Rating 4 out of 5]

A teenage boy can re-do past events by manipulating dimensional time.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up out of the makeshift "library" at the residential treatment center for boys where I was working. Interesting premise.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

William Sleator is an excellent author, and this is yet another one of his excellent books.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never know what is going to happen in William Sleator's books. I enjoyed seeing where he took the characters. Don't want to say anything or it would give the book away :)

[Kiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT BOOK!!!!!!!

[Sandra Stedge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good Groundhog Day type story.

[Brett Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rewind is a very interesting book that has a very creative plot to it. He pretty much writes a book about a plot that we have all wondered about, which is what do we do when we die? We always ask the question of what would happen after we die, such as where would we go? Would we get a second chance at life? This book is based off that question, which is getting another chance at life after you die. The main character, Peter, is hit by a car and he dies by the impact. His ghost rises over his body and sees everyone around him. The next thing he sees is his own funeral with all his family and friends surrounding him. He then wakes up to a white light and he hears a voice. The voice tells Peter that he has three chances to redo his life, to avoid the scene where he gets hit by a car. So basically Peter has to change all the events in his life that lead up to him getting mad and running away from his house and out into the street and getting hit by a car. So Peter decides to use this to his advantage, such as predicting the future. He goes to school and tells his school bully that his team will win the game the next day, even specifically telling the exact score. The next day the bully approaches him and asks how Peter knew that, and that is when Peter got into trouble. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in this kind of fiction.

[Heather Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Peter awakes from an accident he comes to with no memory at all - full amnesia. Upon going back to school he senses that people avoid eye contact with him and flinch when near him. He comes to the realization that he was a horrific bully in life. Fortunately he has the opportunity to .....Rewind.... the past and start again. Great idea for a plot where we are rooting for the (former) bully to win. Awesome!

[Wyatt Gover · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it was a good book 4/5 on the book scale because there is room to improve but it has a good amount

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eleven year old is the most logical person in his life. No wonder he got hit by a car twice.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boy learns more about himself and others when given a chance to live his last days over again.

[Stuart Levy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Groundhog Day-like sci-fi is very compelling and interesting to consider.

[Yelizar · Rating 3 out of 5]

sabotage the gas tank

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rewind By William Sleator, is a mystery book with a lot of do-overs. Peter, Meyer, and Eloise are the main characters in this book. The story takes place in a rural suburb of an unknown city. Peter finds out his parents don’t like his puppet show he has been working on for 8 weeks. Peter also finds out he was adopted and his parents are going to have one of their own children. Peter get angry and run outside into the middle of the street and something goes completely wrong.

My opinion on the setting of this book is ok but not the best. The author of the book could've made the setting more eventful. For example the setting could’ve been a busy highway in chicago where traffic never stops or slows down. Comparing this book to the movie a miracle from heaven, they are very similar. One similarity I noticed was the chances gaven. In Rewind Peter get three chances to prove himself and why he should be able to stay alive, instead of die from getting hit by a car. In the movie A Miracle from Heaven, the girl that fell in the tree was given the chance to be healed from her sickness instead of being paralyzed from her fall.

My overall impression of the book was good. The book was interesting but at the same time it was suspenseful. I was not super excited to read from where ever I had left off before but I managed to get through it. If you're an avid reader you would probably finish the book easily but if you don't like to read that much it might take a little bit. I would recommend this book to kid ages ranging from 11 to 17.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is like a ground hog day story. Peter ran upset from his house and was hit by a car and killed. He is given a second chance to change his destiny. This is supposed to be a children's book. Peter is adopted, and his parents are expecting a biological child, causing Peter to feel insecure. On top of it, his parents seem very disappointed in him. This story was just ok. It's not a great story for kids. The message was a little disturbing.

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only is Rewind short, it's also meant for preteens and younger adults. With that in mind, I won't judge this book by the same high standards of writing that I judge other YA novels by. That being said, I still enjoyed this book even though I'm not in the target age group.

Peter is a normal boy who doesn't like math or sports, but loves drawing. One day he is hit by a car and dies. There is hope for him yet, because a mysterious voice gives Peter the option of going back in time to any date he wishes to prevent his death. Peter only has twelve hours to figure out what to do to prevent his death and if he can't, he dies forever.

Plot

Though the plot is very simple, I liked it. I've read many stories where the protagonist gets a chance to go back in time to change their fate. Rewind is one of the only stories with that plot that does it so well. I think that it's simplicity is what makes the plot so good. It's not bogged down with unnecessary details or twists that end up being confusion in the end. It's just about an impulsive boy who wants so desperately to live. I've only read two of William Sleator's books, but simple yet amazing plots seem to be his forte.

This book also explores more mature themes like mortality, self-confidence and maturation. Throughout the course of the book Peter has to make himself mature because he realizes that his behavior and the way he acts is troublesome and he should be behaving much better. It also explores family relationships, especially those between parents and child.

Writing

The writing is very good to be in first person point of view. When there is a novel with first person POV, it shouldn't read like it's in third person POV. This is a problem a lot of authors have. They throw in a few things the character feels but everything else reads like its in third person POV (like in The Lightning Thief for example). Sleator does a very good job of making this first person POV actually feel like you're in Peter's head. His emotions are very defined, as are his motives and reasons for doing things. His voice inside his head is also unique, which makes this first person writing stand out above all others.

Characters

Peter is the main character, and even though he is years younger than me, I loved him as a character and felt myself relating to him. His feelings and pain were very organic and made him feel more realistic as a character. Thought there is nothing particularly special about Peter as a protagonist, I wouldn't mind reading about other characters like him.

As for Frank and Gert, Peter's parents, I felt they were written realistically as well. They didn't hate Peter by any means, they just didn't know how to really deal with this eccentricities. There are a lot of parents that deal with that, especially if their interests are so different from their child's. Though I found myself disliking Peter's parents the majority of the book, I can't deny that they were a somewhat accurate representation of certain types of parents.

Things I Didn't Like

Honestly, there's nothing much in this book I didn't like. It was a very short, very nice read. The lack of diversity was irksome, but in terms of the actual content of the book, I have no such complaints.

Diversity

Unfortunately, there isn't any diversity in this book at all. There aren't any noted POC, LGBTQIAP+ people, or disabled people. That's my biggest complaint about this book. I do note that this was published in 1999, so I can't really hold it to today's standards, but thats why Rewind didn't get a full five stars from me.

Overall

Overall, Rewind is a very good book. I love pretty much anything William Sleator does, and Rewind is no exception. If you are much older, you may find yourself not liking the book as much. But I'd say anybody under forty can like this short, little novel if they aren't hung up on the targeted age group of the novel. The book is great and worth a read.

[Deborah Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute little book about a boy learning to control his emotions and consider other people. I liked that he learned how to still do what he enjoys, while considering other people, and thinking about how to do a better job.

#abookaboutafamily, #popsugarchallenge2019

[Katara Belmer]

Have you ever said to yourself how much you wanted something but it would take life itself for you to get that special something well that's what this boook is really all about. Now when I say wanted something I don't mean wanted something for this amount of time and then you got over it and didn't want it no more like that what I mean when you really REALLY wanted it like you can dream yourself like picture youself in that something or with that special something or you even be holding that something and you just can get over it I mean you just you've begged and pleased and begged and pleased thousands of time to your parents but it was just not happenin' captain so you take matters into your own hands and you basically don't care what you got to do to get that special something even if its worth lying to your parents or even losing some friends or family or might even get into some illegal issues or in this way getting in trouble with the law so that's what the main character in this story does I just wanted to try to see if you the reader could try to put yourself in this position that the main character is in. Like Peter wanted his life back so bad and so the angel from heaven told Peter he was to have three wishes to go back to Earth and try it out again but he cannot make the same mistakes that makes him die three times because if that does happen not saying that it is or that it isn't but if it does he just dies and goes back to heaven. **Spoiler Alert**
Peter takes all his wishes and with all the three wishes he dies in all of them so the angel tells him that he has used up all his wishes and that he cannot go back down to Earth or even get anymore wishes
If I could rate this book I would give it a ten basically because it has a lot of great details and its very interesting. If I could tell someone to read this book I would tell anyone who likes good books. I hope you could come and check out this book as soon as possible.

[kaitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rewind by William Sleator is a book about a kid, Peter, who dies in a car crash, hit after running out from an argument with his mother and his father, after fighting, the tension breaking after he found out he was adopted. Some great figure gives him a second chance to possibly change his past-- and live again. But he can't simply try to be better, he has to go deeper.

In this book, Peter says something about to write something good, you have to combine reality with fantasy. Fantasy so it gives you knowledge and entertainment (rusty on details sorry) and reality so you can relate to it. I feel as if Sleator used this book as an example itself. This whole thing just can't happen, at least we're pretty sure it can't. You don't get second chances at life! Make a mistake, BOOM. It's the past. You can't do anything to change it. But he combines reality into it. Death, adoption, unexpected friendships, feelings you just can't control, and high expectations. Y'know. Parents.

The whole plot was quite interesting, but the writing was kind of disappointing and boring. I found myself skimming the climax/ending, and I had to go back and read it over. I basically skimmed the whole book. But I did find myself sitting on the end at one point wondering how it would and how his parents would react.

I gotta admit, I didn't expect too much out of this book, and it reached my expectations, maybe even surprising me. I was ready for an OK book after The Boy Who Couldn't Die, but it did surprise me! I have higher expectations for The House of Stairs.

[D.M. Dutcher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Peter has to go back to an earlier point in his life to prevent dying from a car accident in the future. But changing the past is harder than he realizes, even when he's gifted with the ability to predict events. Can he avoid a second and final death?

Good book except for the message, which really felt like "you need to make your jerky parents love you to survive." Peter's parents are uniformly horrible to him at the start of the book, and there's never any burden on them to change, or any realization of their part in his death. It's worse when you realize the only way he can survive is by abusing his ability to know future events and "win" people over. Not the best of messages, and you feel for Peter, especially when he tries to be something he isn't in order to escape oncoming death.

Sleator is odd that way. He has some surprisingly dark messages in his science fiction books for kids. This one was a little too dark for my taste.

[Kiri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept. What if you died but were given the ability to go back in time and change your view of things - and maybe instead survive? It's kind of the inverse of "It's a Wonderful Life" - instead of the main character gaining new insight into how others see him and his actions, in this book Peter must gain new insight about his internal thoughts and actions. And then change them.

The story was very engaging, but the arc and outcome was rather disappointing. Peter's evolution wasn't convincing. The depiction of his adoptive parents was even worse - shallow and appalling. It made me wince to think that readers might think that is what adoption is like!

For a better William Sleator read, try Singularity or House of Stairs.