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Boltzmon!
When the boltzman comes to deliver his wish for power, young Chris gets much more than he expected and soon his life is turned inside out in this suspenseful science fiction thriller for young readers.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
1 person is currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
William Sleator
49 books324 followersWilliam 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 13, 2019
Sleator is a talent. I was a bit worried that this was going to be horror with a monster, from the cover, but this time Sleator didn't take that route. The horror is the suggestion that you can go your whole life regretting what a horrible child you were.
My only mild concern is that the focus is entirely on the healing of family relationships. I don't want to spoil it for you, but know that there's a discussion point about the value of the life of a stranger... but you will have to discuss it with your child yourself, because the author doesn't.
I'm so glad that I ran across these at our little old library; I'd assumed his books were hard to find everywhere, not just in NV. They may be starting to get old, but I certainly don't think that they're dated enough to weed. Especially not this one; it's absolutely still relevant and readable.
My only mild concern is that the focus is entirely on the healing of family relationships. I don't want to spoil it for you, but know that there's a discussion point about the value of the life of a stranger... but you will have to discuss it with your child yourself, because the author doesn't.
I'm so glad that I ran across these at our little old library; I'd assumed his books were hard to find everywhere, not just in NV. They may be starting to get old, but I certainly don't think that they're dated enough to weed. Especially not this one; it's absolutely still relevant and readable.
August 8, 2015
Boltzmon! is a very strange story, fast-paced in the YA fashion without pausing to give much thought to its science, but with an ending that turns out to be surprisingly poignant. While the title sounds like the name of a Pokemon that shoots out lightning bolts, this is actually a much more mature story than the title gives it credit for. Along with its science-y themes, the book touches upon family, bullying, and self-reflection as well, and these play out in surprisingly sophisticated fashion. While the title may be silly, this is one book you shouldn't judge by its cover. It's quite good.
The story is told from the perspective of an eleven-year old boy named Chris, and at the heart of his life's problems is his older sister Lulu, who is bent on making him miserable. Not only does she bully him at home, but now that they both go to the same middle school, she spreads rumors about him and causes other kids at the school to bully him as well. Chris doesn't know what he did to deserve this treatment. He spends his free time at home mapping an imaginary world called Arteria. In this world the pirates like to target and kill blonde-haired girls. Chris relishes in imagining his own sister being tormented in Arteria.
It turns out that Arteria is a real place, as a chance meeting with a being called boltzmon reveals. Boltzmon, as it explains itself, is a piece of a black hole that has the knowledge of everything it has absorbed. It can also bend space and time, which means that it comes from the future, where it has already absorbed Earth and even the planet of Arteria. It knows that Chris will be dead very soon if he does not visit the Time Temples in Arteria. Oh, and boltzmon's very unstable. When Chris or somebody says something that perturbs it, the boltzmon transports itself and Chris through space and time - to 40 years in the future on the planet of Arteria.
Thus the story jumps back and forth, mostly, between Earth and Arteria. Though the boltzmon is unstable, it seems to have a purpose, one that's not so clear early on. Chris takes the form of an Arterian in Arteria, and the boltzmon takes the form of whatever or whomever it pleases. For example, in the first trip, the boltzmon is a cranky old woman who absolutely needs to sit down, but a middle-aged wealthy blonde woman refuses to move her bag in order to make room for the old woman. This perturbs the boltzmon to no end, and the boltzmon seems intent on annoying the blonde by any means possible. This blonde becomes an important part of the Arteria plot, and Chris begins to assume that she is actually his sister, Lulu, forty years in the future.
The story hinges upon the mood of the boltzmon, but though the boltzmon is very unstable, its motives are much clearer and more coherent than they originally seem. The book, therefore, is not just a random series of adventures, but a fluid whole. We travel through time a little bit, as Chris witnesses the means of his death and realizes the way to correct it. In the end, while it would be simple for the book to create an easy villain, it's much smarter than that. While bullying is at the heart of the villainy in the novel, Chris also needs to learn to stand up for himself. The human element is much more effective than the scientific, as Sleator explains the science behind his boltzmon with as few details as possible in order to still give a good idea of what it is. In forcing his characters to reflect about themselves, on how they grew to be who they are, he also provides a lesson in the power of self-reflection. While the adventure leading to the end is comical and fun, the ending is very poignant and certainly worth the craziness.
The story is told from the perspective of an eleven-year old boy named Chris, and at the heart of his life's problems is his older sister Lulu, who is bent on making him miserable. Not only does she bully him at home, but now that they both go to the same middle school, she spreads rumors about him and causes other kids at the school to bully him as well. Chris doesn't know what he did to deserve this treatment. He spends his free time at home mapping an imaginary world called Arteria. In this world the pirates like to target and kill blonde-haired girls. Chris relishes in imagining his own sister being tormented in Arteria.
It turns out that Arteria is a real place, as a chance meeting with a being called boltzmon reveals. Boltzmon, as it explains itself, is a piece of a black hole that has the knowledge of everything it has absorbed. It can also bend space and time, which means that it comes from the future, where it has already absorbed Earth and even the planet of Arteria. It knows that Chris will be dead very soon if he does not visit the Time Temples in Arteria. Oh, and boltzmon's very unstable. When Chris or somebody says something that perturbs it, the boltzmon transports itself and Chris through space and time - to 40 years in the future on the planet of Arteria.
Thus the story jumps back and forth, mostly, between Earth and Arteria. Though the boltzmon is unstable, it seems to have a purpose, one that's not so clear early on. Chris takes the form of an Arterian in Arteria, and the boltzmon takes the form of whatever or whomever it pleases. For example, in the first trip, the boltzmon is a cranky old woman who absolutely needs to sit down, but a middle-aged wealthy blonde woman refuses to move her bag in order to make room for the old woman. This perturbs the boltzmon to no end, and the boltzmon seems intent on annoying the blonde by any means possible. This blonde becomes an important part of the Arteria plot, and Chris begins to assume that she is actually his sister, Lulu, forty years in the future.
The story hinges upon the mood of the boltzmon, but though the boltzmon is very unstable, its motives are much clearer and more coherent than they originally seem. The book, therefore, is not just a random series of adventures, but a fluid whole. We travel through time a little bit, as Chris witnesses the means of his death and realizes the way to correct it. In the end, while it would be simple for the book to create an easy villain, it's much smarter than that. While bullying is at the heart of the villainy in the novel, Chris also needs to learn to stand up for himself. The human element is much more effective than the scientific, as Sleator explains the science behind his boltzmon with as few details as possible in order to still give a good idea of what it is. In forcing his characters to reflect about themselves, on how they grew to be who they are, he also provides a lesson in the power of self-reflection. While the adventure leading to the end is comical and fun, the ending is very poignant and certainly worth the craziness.
August 24, 2014
This was a favorite of mine as a child, and holds a special place in my heart. I was not expecting very much since I have not picked this up since I was maybe 11, but reading it again has been an absolute pleasure. It brought back old memories of little me in the car clinging to each word while I wait for my mother as she makes her "quick" visits to her friends' homes, and memories of discovering new words. It was from this book I learned the meaning of words like perturbed, indifferent, and many other vocabulary words I use regularly to this day.
Reminiscing and nostalgia aside, Boltzmon is a very simple story that verbally illustrates conflicts in sibling and parent relationships in a way that leaves you wanting more at the end of every chapter; like a very good TV series. It made me to want to learn vocabulary, improved my relationship with my little brother, and made reading one of my favorite activities at the age where CatDog and Hey Arnold was everything.
I recommend this book for everyone of all ages. Adults, if you want simple and fun, something you can relax your mind with, this is it. I look forward to the day when I can give my nieces, nephews, and my future children a copy of this book. I've gained a lot from Boltzmon, and it's still as entertaining for me today, as it was when i randomly picked it up from my local library all those years ago.
Reminiscing and nostalgia aside, Boltzmon is a very simple story that verbally illustrates conflicts in sibling and parent relationships in a way that leaves you wanting more at the end of every chapter; like a very good TV series. It made me to want to learn vocabulary, improved my relationship with my little brother, and made reading one of my favorite activities at the age where CatDog and Hey Arnold was everything.
I recommend this book for everyone of all ages. Adults, if you want simple and fun, something you can relax your mind with, this is it. I look forward to the day when I can give my nieces, nephews, and my future children a copy of this book. I've gained a lot from Boltzmon, and it's still as entertaining for me today, as it was when i randomly picked it up from my local library all those years ago.
October 17, 2014
The book BOLTZMON! is about a 11 year old boy named Chris, with a mean, spoiled older sister that always picks on him. One night, Chris's sister had a giant slumber party and Chris discovered a grey ash that turned out to be a reminisce of a black hole. The ash told him that he had a couple days until he died but if he wanted to live, he had to go to the Time temples.
July 2, 2012
It was a fun book for me when I was a kid. I loved the concept of it and haven't found anything in the genre I have liked since this one. :3
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews