
The big company wanted volunteers to test their new virtual reality game. But what is the game really about? And will the players be able to escape from its power and the strange hold it has over them?This is a major new novel about fear and courage, about truth and unreality, by one of today's foremost children's authors. Gillian Cross won the Carnegie Medal for Wolf, and the Whitbread Children's Novel Award and the Smarties Award for The Great Elephant Chase.
A group of teenagers volunteers to test a mysterious new virtual reality game, only to find themselves trapped within a digital landscape that threatens their grip on reality. The protagonists must navigate the increasingly blurred lines between the game's simulated environment and their actual lives as the corporation behind the project exerts a sinister influence. Facing logical constraints where the game's rules override physical laws, the characters struggle to maintain their autonomy against an encroaching technological power. The narrative framework utilizes a suspenseful progression to reveal the true, darker purpose of the virtual world.
Discussion often centers on the author's ability to create a sense of unease through the premise of immersive technology. Readers frequently highlight how the book balances the excitement of a new game with the growing dread of losing control to a corporate entity. Critics often point to the effective pacing that keeps the reader engaged as the stakes rise for the young protagonists. The thematic exploration of truth versus unreality remains a focal point for those analyzing the book's impact on the young adult genre. Many readers appreciate the way the story questions the nature of power in a digital age.
Page Count:
175
Publication Date:
1994-11-03
ISBN-10:
0192717235
ISBN-13:
9780192717238
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