Marco's Millions (novel)

For the Eugene O'Neill play, see Marco Millions.
Marco's Millions  
Author(s) William Sleator
Language English
Genre(s) Science Fiction
Publisher Dutton Juvenile
Publication date June 4, 2001
Media type Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
Pages 160pp
ISBN 978-0-525-46441-9
OCLC Number 45661814
LC Classification PZ7.S6313 Mar 2001
Followed by The Boxes

Marco's Millions (2001) is a science fiction novel by William Sleator. It is a prequel to the main book, The Boxes.

Plot introduction

It is about a boy named Marco who likes to travel. He often secretly rides buses far from home, though only his telepathic sister finds out. One day, his sister sees strange lights in the basement, and she and Marco investigate. They find a portal into another dimension, and thus the adventure begins. Marco finds strange insect-like creatures there, who are convinced that Marco/Lilly can save their dimension (and as a result save Earth) from their god, which is a naked singularity. But at what cost?

Reception

Roger Sutton in his review for Horn Book Magazine said "while the book has the far-out ideas and expert pace that Sleator's fans admire, there's an added dimension of poignancy in the character of Marco, both in his intense bond with his sister Lilly and in his restlessness: obsessed with travel even as a young child, intently riding buses and trains, he has, by the time he reappears as an adult in The Boxes, become something of an intergalactic Flying Dutchman."[1] Diane Roback in her review for Publishers Weekly said that this novel was "more satisfying than its predecessor, and full of strange and startling details, this curious fantasy will spark readers' imaginations and send them right back to The Boxes for a glimpse of Marco's future."[2] Trevelyn E. Jones in his review for School Library Journal said that "Marco is a substantial protagonist; the other characters, while less well-rounded, are convincing enough to advance the story. The book is a successful prequel to Sleator's The Boxes (Dutton, 1998), but also stands on its own."[3]

References

  1. ^ "Marco's Millions". Horn Book Magazine 77 (3): 337. May/June 2001. ISSN 0018-5078. 
  2. ^ Roback, Diane (May 21, 2001). "MARCO'S MILLIONS (Book Review)". Publishers Weekly 248 (21): 108. ISSN 0000-0019. 
  3. ^ Jones, Trevelyn E. (June 2001). "Marco's Millions (Book Review)". School Library Journal 47 (6): 156. ISSN 0362-8930. 
The Angry Moon (1970)  • Blackbriar (1972)  • Run (1973)  • House of Stairs (1974)  • Among the Dolls (1975)  • Into the Dream (1979)  • Once, Said Darlene (1979)  • The Green Futures of Tycho (1981)  • That's Silly (1981)  • Fingers (1983)  • Interstellar Pig (1984)  • Singularity (1985)  • The Boy Who Reversed Himself (1986)  • The Duplicate (1988)  • Strange Attractors (1989)  • The Spirit House (1991)  • Others See Us (1993)  • Oddballs (1993) (story collection)  • The Elevator (1993) (story collection)  • Dangerous Wishes (1995)  • The Night the Heads Came (1996)  • The Beasties (1997)  • The Boxes (1998)  • Rewind (1999)  • Boltzmon! (1999)  • Marco's Millions (2001)  • Parasite Pig (2002) The Boy Who Couldn't Die (2004)  • The Last Universe (2005)  • Hell Phone (2006)  • Test (2008)  • Monster (2009)  • The Phantom Limb (2011)