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Michael Kimmel and his sister, Julia, live comfortably in New York City, where their parents’ high-paying jobs are priority. Theirs is definitely not a close-knit family, and Michael is disgusted by his father’s lack of emotion upon the death of his grandfather. Although ties with the old man were broken years ago, Michael takes advantage of the situation during a disagreement. “You don’t even care that your own father died!” he shouts in anger. This outburst seems to form a sort of kinship with the deceased, who pulls Michael into an unknown chasm.
Together, Michael and Grandpa ride the eerie river of the dead, stopping only when they tunnel into Grandpa’s memories. But these trips - or “slipping”, as it is called - take their toll on Michael, causing him to pass out and leaving him weak and disoriented. Eventually he elicits help from his sister, his best friend, the school jock and a geek who research the phenomenon and its dangers. They learn Michael must free himself from Grandpa’s unwitting affections before it’s too late. Can Michael bridge the gap between his father and grandfather without losing himself in the afterworld?
Author Cathleen Davitt Bell seems to create a fantasy world as she skillfully describes the otherworld encountered during slipping. Her descriptions of the River of the Dead and tunneling are vivid and easily followed. Slipping is one of those novels that makes you take a second look at the paranormal. If you’ve ever felt like someone was trying to contact you from the grave, you could be right. Be receptive and hear the message, but don’t linger - you might find the signal has died, and you along with it.
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Slipping