The King of Slippery Falls

by Sid Hite, Patrick Lawlor (Translation)

"What story will you tell with your life?"
In this jewel of a novel, Sid Hite addresses this question and delivers his most commanding and resplendent performance yet.

Lewis Hinton is in pursuit of two things--an elusive giant trout & his true identity. His adoptive parents, Martha & Avery Hinton, know they must let him search for clues about his past. His eccentric neighbor, Mrs Baderhoovernisterah, advises him to heed the plot twisters in life. His best friend, Amanda Dot, just wants him to fall in love w/ her. And the townspeople of Slippery Falls are determined to discover if the letter from Lewis's birth mother confirms the rumor--Is he descended from French royalty? Could this simple boy from Idaho really be a king?

Genres: Young Adult, Teen, Audiobook

224 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2004

About the author

“For me, writing books for a living is a grand privilege. I often feel as if I've won some sort of prize.”

Sid grew up in a family of seven in the small town of Bowling Green, Virginia. Sid says that when he was young he “had more energy than brains.” And further states that he “[wishes] it was still that way.”

Sid discovered his passion for novels in his teenage years and decided right then and there to become a fiction writer. He says that he is grateful now that he didn't know how much work was involved in being a writer then.

After high school he traveled for several years through more than twenty countries. Upon returning to the U.S., he worked at several jobs, including farming, bartending, and construction, before his first novel was published. He feels that writing for a living is a privilege.

Sid was named a Publisher's Weekly “Flying Start” for his first novel, Dither Farm. He currently lives in upstate New York.

Sid is a decent amateur juggler.

Reviews

[Marley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t like this book. I would check the spoiler box but anything I could tell you about the book is already said in the 19 word summary on the front inside flap. This book was very predictable and uneventful. And I’m still confused on the main plot point of the trout; how he was finally discovered then lost in a matter of half a page, after that they never mentioned it again.

[Jennifer Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, set in Idaho, was *almost* perfect. I loved the main character, felt for his struggles, adored the peripheral characters, and loved the mystery of it, hoped Louis/Lewis would find what he was looking for. There was even magic. The language made me long to write something so excellent. What a vocabulary this author has--and dares to use!

Then, the clunker hit.

Because I listened to this book on CD with my five children (all under 12), I loved that there was not a single bad word, nor any off color humor, etc. This was why when a peripheral character is "outed" as gay in the final few pages, I was quite annoyed. For me, it was like eating a lovely brownie and then having the cook say, "And I only added one teaspoon of doggie doo!" Ugh.

Big disappointment in an otherwise fantastic story.

Sorry I can't give it better recommendation. :(

[Carissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

this one has such a fun cover that i’ve been meaning to read it for forever. it was kind of meh. about a kid who finds out when he’s 15 that he was adopted and then wants to know more about his origins. he also has a mission to catch a giant fish that he spied in a pool behind a waterfall one day. the author has this habit of using much fancier vocabulary than is really necessary that i find irritating. i suppose it might be “good” for kids to be exposed to rare words, but … here’s an example: “it took some derring-do and fussing, yet they soon reached the penultimate boulder and hoisted the apple picker broadside onto the pinnacle.” good lord! big ol’ meh.

[Maddy · Rating 1 out of 5]

SPOILERS AT THE END IF YOU EVEN CARE
First of all: The word choice. Sid Hite writes like he's trying to get his money's worth out of a word-a-day calendar. Gelid? Ineluctable?! What the hell kind of words are these? Besides using words no one has ever heard out loud in their life, he also just uses words no modern person would use naturally. People aren't "mum" anymore. They're silent, or quiet. People don't "hem" anymore, they just say "Hmm." He also once used "brethren" as a singular noun. "Brother." The word you're looking for is "brother."
Second: Every character is completely flat, and every character talks like no one I've ever heard talk before. Whether it's to their son, their parents, or their crush, the tone is always formal. Real 21st century teenagers use contractions! And they definitely don't say they "must" do this, they "must" do that. And Lewis talks to his mother like they're coworkers! "Morning, Mom. How are you today?" "Fairly well. And you?" "I'm not feeling one hundred percent." The biggest problem is the narrator: The narrative is in close 1st person. We are in Lewis's mind. And yet, the narration always calls his parents by their first name. Lewis always calls them Mom and Dad, and never expresses that he might call them anything else. Unless the narrator is a character unto himself (like Nick in the Great Gatsby or Lemony Snicket in A Series of Unfortunate Events) or is omniscient (which this narrator isn't), he shouldn't be speaking much differently from the main character.
Third: Sid Hite's two favorite things--Hemming and the cerebellum. Everyone is always "hemming." Lewis hems, his mom hems, his friends hem, Mrs. Baderhoovenlisterah hems, including TWO blood-curdling instances of "'Hmm,' she hemmed." Then there's the cerebellum, an area at the back of the brain responsible for muscle coordination. Sid Hite seems to think it's either the frontal lobe or the hippocampus or just synonymous with "brain." A few times, not just once, a few times (!) Lewis has some kind of visceral feeling that travels up his spine to his cerebellum and triggers some type of reflection or a-ha moment. The only thing the cerebellum might trigger is me catching Sid Hite squarely in the face with his own book. Not only is Sid Hite pretentious, he's also just wrong.
Fourth: Everyone is stupid. Only stupid parents don't tell their kid they're adopted. Lewis (Sid Hite?) doesn't seem to know that Louis (as in King Louis) is not pronounced the same way as Lewis. Mrs. Baderhoovenlisterah (ugh) invites him over for lunch, and then when Lewis shows up, he says she seems like she's been expecting him (duh, she invited you). An older man mentions WWII and says "Oh, you're probably too young to know about that war. It was when we were protecting the world from Germany." And Lewis says "Oh, yeah, I've heard of that war." HOW STUPID IS THIS TOWN? YOU WOULD HAVE TO LIVE UNDER A ROCK WITHIN AN UNCONTACTED AMAZON TRIBE TO NOT KNOW ABOUT WORLD WAR TWO.
And the most infuriatingly stupid thing of all: The town doctor. Lewis has lost a lot of blood, he says. Go ask his mom what blood type he is, he says. Lewis is AB-. The doctor says O- might work, but AB- would be better. Too bad AB- is rare. I could order some from Idaho Falls but that would take a long time. How about you girls go knock on some doors while this kid is actively dying to try to find some AB- blood?
*sigh* Okay. First, O- might work? O- is the universal donor! You have a boy bleeding out right in front of you, use the O- blood! Second of all, if you really couldn't find a donor and the closest hospital is Idaho Falls, FOR HELL'S SAKE CALL IDAHO FALLS AND LIFE FLIGHT HIM DOWN THERE YOU ABSOLUTE SADIST. WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL IS THIS DOCTOR DOING PRACTICING? GIVE HIM THE TRANSFUSION YOU PSYCHOPATH!

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for Goodreads 2018 Summer Reading Challenge, Expert Level.
Hook ‘Em: Read a book that features fishing or fishermen

Who would have thought that I would actually ENJOY a book about a boy who spends half his on-page time fishing or talking about fish? Guess that's the point of challenges like this, right?

The fact is, this was a great book! Good, solid characters, a pleasing, engaging plot, and just enough mystery to keep those pages turning. The way life is described is beautiful, and if I could live next to Maple Baderhoovenlisterah, I think I would be there every day. She's a gem!

This is also a candid and considerate discussion of adoption and family and friendship and love...the good stuff, not the mushy kind. I wasn't super thrilled about the ending, though. I could have used more of a conclusion. Or a sequel. Still, it was a good book about taking life as it's handed to you and making something beautiful with your own story.

Oh, yeah. And there's fishing. That giant trout...

Content Advisory: one character turns out to be possibly gay

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

This a was cute YA book. I read this largely because it was set in Idaho. This would be a great read for young readers especially with themes of identity, community, family, and friendship. Protagonist, Lewis is such a likable young man with his humorous outlook on school, life, and his family.

[Tawny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author: Sid Hite
Title: The King of Slippery Falls
Genre: magical realism/search for self novel
Publication Info: Scholastic Press, New York, 2004
Recommended Age: 11 and up
Plot Summary: Lewis Hinton attends high school in the small town of Slippery Falls, Idaho. When he turned 15, his parents revealed to him that he was adopted. One night as his father was walking down Hidden Lane, a woman with a thick accent approached him holding a basket with a baby inside. She told him to take it and disappeared before he could answer. The Hintons raised Lewis as their own, but after finding out he was adopted, he went through an identity crisis. A letter his biological mother left him was signed J.A. Poisson. From this name he was able to deduce that he was French. Maple Baderhoovenlisterah, one of Lewis’ friends, pointed out to him that the J.A. could stand for Jeanne Antoinette, who was also known as Madame de Pompadour in the 1700s. If this were true, Lewis descended from royalty. He struggled with this possibility, especially when the whole town began to tease him about it. Lewis found peace in climbing the rocks by the waterfall and fishing. One day he attempted to climb behind the waterfall to find the huge fish he had observed back there and took a nasty spill. He was found floating down the river and needed a lot of medical attention. When he finally became conscious, Lewis announced to his parents and friends that he had decided to travel to France to find out about his family roots.
Personal Notes: This book definitely has potential for reading as a class. Not only does it cover the issue of finding oneself and how to go about it, but it contains the message that “people tell stories with their lives.” It talks about how life is a story, and we can determine certain aspects of our own story. Maple Baderhoovenlisterah said there are three changes which can take place in life: a gradual change, an out-of-the-blue plot-twister change, and an inspired change. I am sure a teacher could do a lot with this topic, focusing on character, plot, setting, and other elements of a story.
Evaluation: I really liked this book. It was easy to read and good, clean fun. On the back cover it says, “What story will you tell with your life?” I think it is important for students to know that they have a certain amount of control over what happens in their lives. It is also important for them to know that we cannot deny or lie about who we are and what we represent. Life is very difficult and lonely for those who have not realized where they fit in. Lewis realizes that the waterfall is not saying, “Who are you?” but “You are you.”
Other Comments: What makes the story magical realism is the fish. The oversized trout allows Lewis to pick him up and get him out of the small pond in which he was trapped. In turn, the fish steers Lewis to shore after he has been knocked out. It is just a small part of the story, but it is significant. The incident with the fish goes back to Poisson meaning “fish” in French. It was this whole encounter with the fish that led to Lewis’ decision to go to France. Originally, he was too afraid to find out who and where he really came from.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and will read more from Sid Hite. It is about teenagers (15 and 16 year olds) and is neither bleak nor depressing. The protagonist has periods of self doubt, self discovery, anxiety and confusion as we all do, but these are depicted positively; the message being that we all tell our own story with our lives, and we need to participate in order to build that story.

The parent/child relationships and adult/child relationships brim with good health but are not sentimental, which I find very refreshing. The cast of characters is delightful, with some of the lesser characters being quite enchanting... particularly the oldest members of the community.

The design of the book is clean, refreshing and also a little enigmatic, so it suits the content. I like the bright colours of the cover, and the generous white space of the internal design. It makes the experience of reading the book feel physically light-hearted.

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I’ve just read this a second time, 6 years later. I'm upgrading my rating and putting it on my best books shelf. It really is a completely charming book. And the writing is so tight, it has a brevity borne of perfection. I particularly love the way Sid Hite has not felt the need to thoroughly explain and deconstruct everything. And I love the vernacular of the region, namely formal modes of address used in a casual context.

Also, I REALLY love a big fish story.

[Tamsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story for young readers. I Love how the towns people treat Lewis when they think he is from French royalty.
Lewis Hinton is in pursuit of two things--an elusive giant trout & his true identity. .His eccentric neighbor, Mrs Baderhoovernisterah, advises him to heed the plot twisters in life. His best friend, Amanda Dot, just wants him to fall in love w/ her. And the townspeople of Slippery Falls are determined to discover if the letter from Lewis's birth mother confirms the rumor--Is he descended from French royalty?

[Cara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lewis finds out on his 15th birthday that he was adopted and has been struggling with his identity for a year. Then, on his 16th birthday, his mom gives him a letter from his birth mother. He finds out a little more about himself. He dealt with the news of his adoption by fishing for a huge trout that he is sure he spotted. This year he has devised a new plan for the fish, and it ends up involving the whole town.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. There were some pretty funny parts, but there was a lot crammed in to the story. Overall, it was an okay read.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing was really wrong with the story, it was just OK. Lewis, a boy from a small Idaho town, 'finds himself' in somewhat predictable and unrealistic ways. The characters were hard to relate to, sounding mostly too old to be the 15-16 year old kids that they were.

Summary: While on a single-minded quest to catch an elusive giant trout, sixteen-year-old Lewis Hinton's life in a small Idaho town is turned upside-down when he learns that he is adopted and might be a descendant of French royalty.

Audio was fine--again, probably the only reason I kept with the book.

[Christina Getrost · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about a 16 year old boy who learns he's adopted, and how that affects his life. He's been perfectly content in his small Idaho town, hanging out with best friend Amanda and working on his quest to catch the elusive giant trout he glimpsed in the river. But now, as word gets out that he might possibly be descended from King Louis IV--and folks around town tease him about it--Lewis is getting restless. But first he's gotta land that big fish--or will it land him?

[Zhenhao Ren]

I think this book is awesome and have very interesting details like the time where Lewis figured that he might be from a royal family. When Lewis finally found out about parts of his identity I felt happy for him because he has been searching for it for 15 years.Lewis is adopted by the Hintons when a women carrying a basket appeared.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

While on a single-minded quest to catch an elusive giant trout, sixteen-year-old Lewis Hinton's life in a small Idaho town is turned upside-down when he learns that he is adopted and might be a descendent of French royalty.

[Susan Forsgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

While on a single-minded quest to catch an elusive giant trout, sixteen-year-old Lewis Hinton's life in a small Idaho town is turned upside-down when he learns that he is adopted and might be a descendant of French royalty.

[Chery Verano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really amazing and had that element needed in a young-adult fiction novel... I also love how history, fantasy and romance are all combined in the story.. :D

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and short tale about what it means to know yourself through the eyes of a 15/16 year old boy who recently finds out he is adopted. It was a quick listen over a weekend.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story with a nice boy as main character, lots of interesting sub-characters, has a good message. Listened to the audiobook.

[Katrina Bergherm · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not worth reading. Bah.

[Mr. Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining story. Fell short at the end.

[Gustavo]

I think it's a great book especially when Amanda gets jealous of Lewis friend without knowing their feelings for each other.