Marco's Millions

Younger-skewing YA about Marco and his younger sister Lily who discover something very strange in the basement: a gateway to another world, where time moves more slowly and the alien inhabitants insist they need Lily to save them, but Marco can’t be sure they’re trustworthy. A distinctive Sleator feature is that the right course of action is generally unclear, even at the end. Sleator ends kind of in the middle of the story; there’s a sequel.

I love time travel. And I love William Sleator. And I love Marco. So, naturally, I love this book.

Slow beginning, but once you get into it it's impossible to put down. I had to force myself to slow down near the end so I wouldn't miss anything important.

Twelve-yr-old Marco has been exploring and going places, riding trains and buses since he was five years old. He was always fascinated by "millions", like traveling millions and millions of miles away. His parents never found out but his eleven-yr-old sister Lilly always knew. Lilly does not tell anybody, not even Dr. Goldman who is always testing her. Her parents are worried that she knows a lot of things without anybody telling her. It is Marco's and her secret. Ruth, their younger sister is jealous of her siblings' closeness. She wants Marco gone. One day, Lilly shows him a door in the basement wall that only she could see. It leads Marco to another world where creatures begs them both to help or the universe will be swallowed and show more destroyed, including earth. Marco decides to help the creatures in the alien world get the master box back to their lord "the Unknowable" to appease its anger so it does not destroy. Lilly helps and guides him with her thoughts from earth. He is gone for three days, or so he thinks, his parents believing he is with his friend Nat on a ski trip. Marco did not return after three days and so many days after that. Ruth can see that Lilly is not really upset even though it is clear that Marco is not coming back. Does Lilly know where Marco is? Lilly is not at the basement when Marco comes home. Where is she? I do not like the way the author brings about an anticlimactic finale after the climax of the story. I had hoped for a happier, more satisfying ending! show less

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