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Hell Phone Paperback – September 1, 2007

by William Sleator (Author)

4.5 33 ratings

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A modern murder story with a devilish twist

Master of horror William Sleator has created another creepy, heart-pumping classic in Hell Phone. Nick wants a cell phone so he can talk to his girlfriend, Jen, after school, and the used phone he buys seems like a bargain. That is, until the phone calls begindemanding, disturbed strangers calling night and day. At first Nick wants to get rid of the phone, but the creepy callers and the phones ghoulish games pull him into a web of crime, pushing him to steal, con. . . and kill.

Fans of Sleators The Boy Who Couldnt Die will enjoy this equally diabolical thriller.

Praise for Hell Phone

An entertaining and unquestionably dark diversion . . . Publishers Weekly

Sleator, the author of Interstellar Pig, The Boy Who Couldnt Die, and many other SF thrillers for YAs, excels at this genre, and horror fans will enjoy every nasty detail. Kliatt

A suspense-filled plot and touches of macabre humor will appeal to both horror fans and reluctant readers. Kirkus

The rapid pace and vivid, unsettling conception of the Inferno will grab horror readers. School Library Journal

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

William Sleator is considered a master of science fiction and thrillers for middle-grade readers and young adults. Publishers Weekly says his work is the best that science fiction can offer. He divides his time between homes in Boston and rural Thailand.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Amulet Books; Reprint edition (September 1, 2007)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0810993600
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0810993600
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 years and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 1 x 7 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,664,879 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,816 in Teen & Young Adult Fantasy & Supernatural Mysteries & Thrillers
- #2,928 in Teen & Young Adult Thrillers & Suspense (Books)
- #3,659 in Teen & Young Adult Sword & Sorcery Fantasy

Customer Reviews:
4.5 33 ratings

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4.5 out of 5

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Kate Williams

Stephen King's children's version of Cell. Loved it as a kid!

Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2019

Verified Purchase

Oh my God. I read this book in middle school and forgot about it. Now that I'm an adult and found it again, I read it in like one day. Its sooo good. Very creepy, a little cussing, but a mature young adult could easily read it. It was like Stephen king's Cell, but for kids.

One person found this helpful

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Reader

Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2018

Verified Purchase

A friend recommended this to me and i cant wait to read it. It arrived early and came with the stamp card from the library which is awesome!

Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2019

Favorite book

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2008

Start with some classic Rod Serling-Twilight Zone; add in some of Dante's Divine Comedy with extra "Inferno" sprinkled on top. Mix in cell phones, video games, part time jobs, and a high school romance and you have a book that grabs the most reluctant, uninterested, I-don't-read-books guy (or girl) and keeps them turning the pages.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
[1855 H. G. Bohn Hand-Book of Proverbs 514]

Nick is an "A" student works a part-time job at a hospital. His income helps his mother who is working two jobs to support them. He does not have a car but gets around on an old bike.
For the first time in his life, Nick has a girlfriend and he is crazy about her. He is respectful to her parents and mindful of her commitment to the high school soccer team. He just wants to be able to talk to her on the phone in the evening.

A flier advertising the "cheapest phones in town" lures him to a store in a seedy neighborhood to look for a cell phone The fact that the caller ID does not work, does not dissuade him from buying the phone that is offered to him. The whiff of sulfur about the cell phone store foreshadows the events to come.

He begins to receive terrifying calls the moment he turns the phone on. A sobbing young woman and dire warnings from the former owner of the phone frighten him. When an anonymous, sinister voice threatens him, Nick's life begins to spin out of control.

The reader can sense the downward spiral Nick is on and calls to him at every turn to stop and reverse his course. The cell phone takes on a life of its own and plays on his insecurities.

The book has great appeal to middle school boys. Seventh and eighth grade guys are looking towards high school when they will be have a part time job, working for good grades to earn college scholarships, and dating for the first time. Books are a safe way for kids to "try on" a future.

In every way, Hell Phone is a cautionary tale. The ease in which Nick slips away from his former life is frightening as each decision seems to be made almost innocently or as an attempt to protect his girlfriend and mother.

Sleator allows for redemption but harsh lessons are learned and no one escapes scot-free. The situations are grim and the book is creepy but there is no vulgar language or "Sam Peckinpaugh" style violence. The filth and ordure of Hell is vividly described and provides a hefty, "eee[...]" factor.

What a great teen book club read this would be!
There is much to ponder and discuss here about right and wrong, religious implications, free will and the nature of evil.

The book design is by the imaginative Chad Beckerman. (who also designs The Last Apprentice series) This cover grabs the reader by the shoulders and dares them to move on to another book. The opening pages shows a cell phone signal strength icon with the final and tallest bar in flames. Flames edge the pages exactly where a reader holds the book to read.

No wonder the book hardly ever makes it back to the shelf before it is checked-out again.

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MJ Rookie

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2016

One of my favorite books by Mr. Sleator, brought back so many memories.

Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2014

I loved the book, and the book cover, and everything. It was exactly what I expected. The way the book came in was so great, I was really excited when the package came in. It totally met my expectations.

Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2009

Have you ever been in a situation that's in such secrecy, you can't even tell your friends and, you have to turn down the cops. Well have you? Nick has nick had bought a phone so that he could talk to his Jen his girl friend and apparently it turns out to be a portal from the surface of the earth to the bottom of hell. I decided to read this book because it was so descriptive and the way that the story was written in was so, interesting. This book caught my attention because I couldn't put it down.

I rated this book five stars for the following reasons. First of all I was so into the book it really makes you feel like your cornered and that your nick. This book is very dramatic because it had a lot of mixes' in emotions. I would recommend this book to real passionate readers who love books that have a say in it or a so what. This book also teaches you a life lesson and its think before you act. Another lesson that it teaches is think f the consciences. I really enjoyed this book. READ IT!

-mm

2 people found this helpful

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