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Dr. Chill
Fifteen-year-old Allie joins a group of young people living in a group house run by the jolly Dr. Chill, who is experimenting with ways to help them develop their varied psychic powers.
Paperback
First published September 1, 1987
7 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Hoobler
108 books22 followersThomas Hoobler has written nearly 100 books with his wife Dorothy, and some more by himself. The Hooblers are the co-authors of the Samurai Detective Series, which tells the adventures of a boy in 18th century Japan who helps his samurai father solve mysteries. The third book in the series, IN DARKNESS, DEATH, won an Edgar as the Best YA mystery of 2004. The Washington Post also chose the book as one of the Best Children's books of that year. Tom won $500,000 on the quiz show WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE, making it easier for the Hooblers to follow their career. They have written history for children, young adults, and adults.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 9, 2008
I'm writing this up because I recently read another book with very similar themes, written about 20 years later.
The basic story line is pretty simple: Allie is in care and is sent to a new care home, where she learns she and the other kids all have some kind of power. Classic storyline follows, where the kids -Allie (TK), Rose (precognition), Timmy (telepathic child) and Jay (techempath)- run away to avoid the dubious schemes of the quasi-governmental agency. Classic, right? Also along is Lew, another teenager who works with them at the home, but isn't part of it.
It's a simple story in that sense, but it's not simplistic. Whether Dr Chill himself is bad is actually pretty ambiguous. The home is a good place for the kids, better for most of them than where they were. Allie's parents (or at least, her mother), put her in an institution/care when she was little, Timmy has spent most of life as an (apparantly) severely autistic child, Rose's father used her gifts for gambling. Lew is not forced to join the centre or abducted by the government, even though I'd think any decent scary quasi-governmental agency would give their eyeteeth for someone who is able to charm people into going along with what he wants, who is psychically likeable.
Even Timmy's refusal to deal with his parent to the point where as far as they know, he's pretty much catatonic isn't entirely justified-- they're not bad people, but he's a small kid. Because he's a kid, he's not able to deal with emotions rationally, especially when they come from other people -he can read, but not necessarily understand, and then it becomes a feedback loop.
It's like quite a lot of YA books in that sense. The story is familiar (runaways!), but how it's treated makes it genuinely worth reading.
The basic story line is pretty simple: Allie is in care and is sent to a new care home, where she learns she and the other kids all have some kind of power. Classic storyline follows, where the kids -Allie (TK), Rose (precognition), Timmy (telepathic child) and Jay (techempath)- run away to avoid the dubious schemes of the quasi-governmental agency. Classic, right? Also along is Lew, another teenager who works with them at the home, but isn't part of it.
It's a simple story in that sense, but it's not simplistic. Whether Dr Chill himself is bad is actually pretty ambiguous. The home is a good place for the kids, better for most of them than where they were. Allie's parents (or at least, her mother), put her in an institution/care when she was little, Timmy has spent most of life as an (apparantly) severely autistic child, Rose's father used her gifts for gambling. Lew is not forced to join the centre or abducted by the government, even though I'd think any decent scary quasi-governmental agency would give their eyeteeth for someone who is able to charm people into going along with what he wants, who is psychically likeable.
Even Timmy's refusal to deal with his parent to the point where as far as they know, he's pretty much catatonic isn't entirely justified-- they're not bad people, but he's a small kid. Because he's a kid, he's not able to deal with emotions rationally, especially when they come from other people -he can read, but not necessarily understand, and then it becomes a feedback loop.
It's like quite a lot of YA books in that sense. The story is familiar (runaways!), but how it's treated makes it genuinely worth reading.
December 10, 2023
This was a really fun read with a suitably likeable protag in Allie. Great concept that's since been exploited to death, but here it felt new and properly shady. I would have enjoyed more worldbuilding, but with a novel of this size it just wasn't feasible. As for the secondary characters, I really, really wanted to learn more about each of them. Rose and Timmy, in particular, were begging for a deeper exploration and I felt that Rose held greater potential for a lead than Allie. Considering when it was written though, I could just imagine publishers of the day dismissing the idea as ridiculous and unnecessary ('People don't want complicated leads! They like the familiar.'). :-/
Speaking of '80s issues, it was somewhat uncomfortable having Dr Chill and Elizabeth relegated to their physical appearances; the former was constantly eating and noted more than once as overweight and Elizabeth was meek and 'plain'. I very much understand the angle here with Elizabeth, but it's sad that she wasn't developed more fully because I liked her character. And I don't mind at all that Dr Chill was shown as enjoying eating, because to many that's a familiar and endearing type of person. But it would've been nice to have something deeper to balance it out and avoid stereotyping.
Regarding Timmy, it was amazing that a non-neurotypical child featured as a primary character and I loved that. I can't speak to the authenticity of the representation, but I'm sure there are many who could and might have worthy feedback.
All in all, a good adventure book about kids. They are exceptional kids, but they're still presented in a way that we don't see anymore and that I miss in contemporary literature. :)
Speaking of '80s issues, it was somewhat uncomfortable having Dr Chill and Elizabeth relegated to their physical appearances; the former was constantly eating and noted more than once as overweight and Elizabeth was meek and 'plain'. I very much understand the angle here with Elizabeth, but it's sad that she wasn't developed more fully because I liked her character. And I don't mind at all that Dr Chill was shown as enjoying eating, because to many that's a familiar and endearing type of person. But it would've been nice to have something deeper to balance it out and avoid stereotyping.
Regarding Timmy, it was amazing that a non-neurotypical child featured as a primary character and I loved that. I can't speak to the authenticity of the representation, but I'm sure there are many who could and might have worthy feedback.
All in all, a good adventure book about kids. They are exceptional kids, but they're still presented in a way that we don't see anymore and that I miss in contemporary literature. :)
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews