Genre: Science Fiction/Mystery/Adventure
# of Pages: 310
RAC: Yes
Michael enjoys playing video games, but he lives in a world where the best games are part of the VirtNet. In the VirtNet you can actually immerse yourself completely into the game and leave your body behind in your house. There are many types of games you can play, adventures you can try, and friends to meet in the virtual world. People like it because they can do things they wouldn’t normally do in real life and if they “die” they simply wake up safely in their own home. Recently, there have been reports about a gamer who has managed to hurt people both in the game AND in real life. Michael and his friends are enlisted to track this gamer down because they are very successful hackers and can see stuff others can’t. Michael and his friends learn quickly that this is no ordinary gamer and if they are not careful they will not come out of this alive. If they do not help the Virtual Authorities to catch this guy they will have all of their privileges revoked and can never game again. Can they face a life without gaming? Are they willing to risk their lives to keep gaming?
Fans of The Maze Runner series will enjoy this title as well. Like that series, this one has a fair amount of excitement and violence. The book is also set up as a series of tasks the characters must accomplish in order to be free. The tasks are very challenging and often scary, but the characters feel they have no choice but to press on and follow through. The ending is a bit of a surprise, but fans of Dashner would be surprised if there wasn’t a twist at the end. Video gamers, boys, and reluctant readers will enjoy this title.
Young Adult Book Reviews 