THE LIVE FOREVER MACHINE Kenneth Oppel. Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press, 1990. 223pp., paper, $4.95. ISBN 1-55074-010-5. CIP. Grades 5-8 / Ages 10-13 Reviewed by Pearl Herscovitch. Volume 19 Number 1 1991 January Fourteen-year-old Eric is a bitter teenager troubled by his father's inability to come to terms with Eric's mother's suicide thirteen years earlier. Eric spends his time at the museum across from his house or with sports-minded computer buff Chris. On one of his frequent trips to the museum, Eric overhears two strange individuals (Alexander and Coil) arguing and later finds an ancient locket left behind by Alexander. Eric is soon drawn into a confrontation between Coil and Alexander, adversaries who discovered the key to immortality in 300 A.D. Eric must join forces with Alexander to help preserve the past that Coil is bent on destroying. Eric's appreciation for history combines with Chris's computer skills as they outwit the technological wizard, Coil. The story itself shows potential but suffers from overwriting, weak characterization, and an unconvincing resolution. Pearl Herscovitch, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB.