Member Reviews
Let's start with I really did enjoy the book as a concept. Without spoiling the book, the basic premise is that a boy is unknowingly thrown into an alternate universe with four other peers (one is the crush, her friend, and two bullies). The boy and both girls are given books that are designed to aid them through their quest. The boy's book provides him "battles" (two options) and he must select one or the other and then concur the battle to progress through the story.
The whole book is set up along with the metaphor of the book. For example, the boy is called "the protagonist" and the evil opponent simply "the antagonist." Along the way, the five kids learn they must depend on each other and the kindness of strangers to complete their quests, defeat the antagonist, and finally go home.
From the beginning of the book, I was ridiculously confused. The Prologue throws you into the world with zero explanation and then uses terms that you really won't understand until much, much later in the book itself. Some may get a big overwhelmed here and decide to throw in the towel. I don't recommend that. Instead, don't read the prologue at all. I re-read the prologue after completing the book and found that I enjoyed it and understood its meaning much more after the fact.
The book has a number of these strange jumps in logic and explanation in the early part of the book. I think the goal was to make the reader as confused as the boy and his friends when they first enter into the alternative reality, but as a reader I thought the book needed a good editing instead.
Overall, I think this is an interesting book and will definitely hold the attention of young adults. I do think there are a few things that are a bit too "on the nose" or cheesy (the character DJ comes to mind).
This was an action packed adventure that kept me on the edge of my seat. Two thumbs up!
What I liked: The premise of this book is so MUCH fun! I love the idea of stepping into a story, and being the protagonist. The plot is fast paced in interesting, the characters are complex, and the relationships are interesting.
What I didn't like: I was disappointed in the cliff hanger ending. I wanted this to be a stand alone book, so I wouldn't be left wondering.
A nice fantasy book with intriguing plot, reliable characters and entertaining adventures. Suits for a slightly younger audience, but still a nice read.