Cure for the Common Universe by Christian McKay Heidicker is a humorous, heartfelt look at addiction, growth, and the quest for connection. When Jaxon is sent to rehab for video game addiction, he has just four days to "level up" and earn his freedom. With quirky characters and laugh-out-loud moments, this book is perfect for fans of coming-of-age stories with a fun, offbeat twist.

Video game addiction is such an interesting topic, and this is a perfect book to look at it through. I would recommend it to anyone 13+.

"The Days of Wine and Roses" and Mario Brothers

Addiction fiction has a long and honorable history, and this struck me as a fine YA addition to the genre.

I was caught by surprise by this book. The opening suggests that our hero, Jaxon, has been railroaded by his spineless Dad and psycho step-Mom into a rehab center for gaming addiction just so they can get rid of him for a while. I thought we'd get a sort of Cool Hand Luke standing up to the Man. Well, it turns out that Jaxon is a gaming addict and is, more importantly, a self-absorbed, privileged, sarcastic dick who needs more than just a gaming intervention.

That sets up an interesting dynamic for most of the book. While Jaxon is the first person narrator, and while we see and hear what's going on as filtered by Jaxon, it eventually becomes clear that everyone around him is a better, more honest, more earnest, and more well-intentioned person than he is. As the book goes on we wonder if he will make any progress at all, and we question whether we even care if he does.

By the end Jaxon has had his eyes opened a bit, and he has learned more about himself, his family, and his cohorts, (MILD SPOILER), but not as much as you might think. Turns out that some time in group rehab might nudge you in the right direction, but it doesn't transform you into a great guy. Lots of people hate "insta-love" in YA books. I certainly get that. Well, our author could easily have gone for "insta-cure" or major-all-caps-epiphany. Refreshingly, and bravely, he doesn't. Rather, this is a book about small insights and baby steps, which actually gives it more weight and authority.

That said this isn't so heavy and earnest that it just crawls along. Jaxon has his moments, and his fellow patients are smart, snarky, and unrestrained when it comes to disliking Jaxon. They all have better backstories than Jaxon and they often take over the book and the reader's interest. That's all fine because this works better as group therapy and as group fiction.

So, surprised as I was about where this went I enjoyed it and admired it. This was a fine and risky, but ultimately rewarding change of YA pace.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)