You know the story: Too many books, not enough time. A couple of
weeks ago, I wrote about how much I was enjoying the young adult novel
Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway. Here are two more June
HarperTeen books that I'm looking forward to reading. Maybe this week?
Although being immersed in a virtual reality game is not a new concept,
Julia Durango's The Leveller
(ISBN: 9780062314000) promises to be a twisty and exciting take on the
genre. Nixy Bauer calls herself a bounty hunter, but instead of catching
bad the guys, the teen is sent by parents to pull their kids out of
MEEP, a virtual reality world in which players can make themselves over
into whatever they want to be. When the game's developer calls Nixy to
find his son, Wyn, she takes the job. But once inside the game, she
discovers that Wyn is being held captive and is unable to return to the
real world. To complicate matters, Nixy is beginning to have feelings
for Wyn and is having trouble figuring out if they're real or just part
of the VR game. This thriller has a mix of mystery, action, and a
possible romance.
Rebecca Maizel's Between Us and the Moon
(ISBN: 9780062327611) is a contemporary novel that deals with very real
issues. Sarah is a fifteen-year-old math whiz who dreams of being an
astronomer. She's not unhappy, but sometimes she wants to be seen as
pretty and fun loving, instead of sensible and hardworking. When she
meets Andrew, a college boy, during a family vacation on Cape Cod, she
decides to be the girl she's always imagined she could be. Using her
sister as a role model, Sarah undergoes a transformation, including
pretending to be older than she really is. First love is sweet for this
new Sarah, but has she really changed? What is her authentic self? This
story of self-discovery and self-acceptance sounds like it will have a
strong appeal to both teens and adults.
Although being immersed in a virtual reality game is not a new concept, Julia Durango's The Leveller
(ISBN: 9780062314000) promises to be a twisty and exciting take on the
genre. Nixy Bauer calls herself a bounty hunter, but instead of catching
bad the guys, the teen is sent by parents to pull their kids out of
MEEP, a virtual reality world in which players can make themselves over
into whatever they want to be. When the game's developer calls Nixy to
find his son, Wyn, she takes the job. But once inside the game, she
discovers that Wyn is being held captive and is unable to return to the
real world. To complicate matters, Nixy is beginning to have feelings
for Wyn and is having trouble figuring out if they're real or just part
of the VR game. This thriller has a mix of mystery, action, and a
possible romance.
They're very different, but they both look good!
ReplyDeleteinteresting premises both, tho i think the first is more appealing to me, thanks
ReplyDeleteThese both sound good! I am so far behind that I still haven't even turned in my kids/YA summer catalog requests!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your books this week -
Sue
http://bookbybook.blogspot.com/2015/06/its-monday-629-what-are-you-reading.html
Between Us and the Moon sounds like something I would have loved as a teen reader. And The Leveller is right up my alley!
ReplyDelete