Fingers

Humphrey hadn't been doing to well in his last concerts. Now that he is a big man, and not a little boy, people don't want to see him play anymore. When he was younger, he played great for his age, and people thought he was so cute. Now, his music isn't played like a real musician, and he is no longer cute. Bridget, Humphrey's stepmom and Sam's mom, comes up with a great idea to make it seem like Humphrey created music from the ghost of a famous dead composer. The plan works out great, and Humphrey is once again famous. Until, all of a sudden, it seems like Humphrey is actually composing the music from the dead musician. Will all the strange events like an old man knowing he exact notes that was changed by Humphreys dad, Luke, be coincidence? Or is it something out of the supernatural? This was a really eerie book. It made you think and wonder what could have caused the coincidences in the story. The author kept me wanting to know what happens, and he kept me bound to the book. I always wondered what would eventually happen at the end. The ending was very good, and made me say "o my gosh" over and over to my self. The author wrote the bok with just the right amount of details, so I wasn't bored at all while reading. Reviewed by a student reviewer for Flamingnet Book Reviews www.flamingnet.com Preteen, teen, and young adult book reviews and recommendations

"Fingers" is not quite like Sleator's other books; the plot hinges on the supernatural rather than on a science fiction mechanism of some sort. The music that the main character, Sam, forges is unaccountably known about by a mysterious old man. Further, this music has the power to make Humphrey play with skill and feeling, two things his piano playing usually lacks to an appalling degree. As always, Sleator is concerned not simply with weird situations but with human beings and their emotions, and running thoughout the book is Sam's resentment towards his brother and simultaneous concern for him; Humphrey is being turned into a rotten human being as a result of being used mercilessly by his parents. The resolution satisfyingly resolves the relationship of the two brothers as well as giving the identity of the mysterious old man and the source of the music and its power.

Also saddened to see the book is out of print. I truly enjoyed the situations and creativity the book displayed. In fact, it sparked my imagination musically.

I was saddened to see that "Fingers" is out of print. I have enjoyed Sleator's books as a young adult and still enjoy them over a decade later. Usually, Sleator's works are populated with interesting, well-delfined characters who make a somewhat unoriginal plot seem fresh. "Fingers" is the exception to that: the plot is constantly interesting, never bordering on cliche; the characters are fully-fleshed and utterly believable; and the pacing is tight, making a non-stop thrill ride of a supernatural mystery.