Description
Product Description
Young gamers control the action in this interactive new series from the bestselling author of Trapped in a Video Game. With more than 30 endings and an unlockable bonus adventure, The Secret of Phantom Island promises hours of screen-free fun.
Cooper Hawke and the Secret of Phantom Island is the greatest video game nobody has ever played. The treasure-hunting adventure was supposed to set a new standard for gaming. Then, just one month before its release date, it fell off the face of the earth.
Now, for the first time, you get a chance to play the mysterious game - from the inside. As you outsmart enemies, solve puzzles, and explore the island's hidden areas, you'll discover that there's more to this game than the world realized.
Escape from a Video Game is an innovative pick-your-plot story that promises two adventures for the price of one! The main adventure builds critical thinking skills by rewarding young readers for solving puzzles and making sound choices with non-stop action and huge plot twists. Once readers beat the video game within the book, they'll get a chance to hunt for every possible ending. Finding all the book's endings reveals a code that readers can use to unlock a secret story online.
This series is both the perfect starting point for new readers of Dustin Brady and a rewarding return for fans of his Trapped in a Video Game series. New readers will quickly come to appreciate the page-turning action and hilarious writing that made Trapped in a Video Game a bestseller. Returning fans will enjoy exploring the world of the original series through a different perspective and uncovering more secrets about the mysterious video game company Bionosoft.
From School Library Journal
Gr 4-8-The reader is the hero of the greatest video game never launched in this interactive title. Readers step into treasure-hunter Cooper Hawke's shoes to find the secret of Phantom Island. As a plane heads at full speed to crash land, do you choose a grenade launcher or a wingsuit? Plopped down in a world of killer bees and carnivorous plants, readers must solve puzzles, anagrams, and sudoku to move forward on the journey. Collect achievement letters along the way to unlock the secret message at the end of the book. Make the wrong choice, and you're sent back to checkpoints to start over. Face tests of intelligence and logic as you explore volcanoes, ancient temples, and laboratories (think Jurassic Park). Scan explorer William Shandling's diary for clues. Brady's sardonic wink to video game clichés includes second-person narration and obligatory signature weapons. When you die, you always get to start over. High stakes situations-monster chases in tunnels, giant gorillas choking tree houses-can make for random and awkward story lines, but readers will stick with it for the interactive problem-solving and breakneck pacing rather than the plot. Keep a pencil and paper handy to work out clues and keep track of page numbers. Leafing back and forth through the book may prove tricky, and the story could use reiteration of the central premise. VERDICT An engrossing ride for die-hard "Choose Your Own Adventure" fans and video game devotees.-Sarah Webb, City and Country Sch. Lib., NYα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review
"Folks, let me tell you, this book is ridiculously fun. Like, it's WAY better than it has any right to be. I read it aloud to my 9-year-old son at bedtime, letting him make all the choices and solve all the puzzles. Not only was he asking for more each night... but I was all too happy to oblige! The choices, puzzles, items, plot twists, and boss battles you encounter in the book are straight out of a classic platformer, and Brady does an amazing job at making the book feel like a game." (Jamie Greene, The Roarbots)
“An engrossing ride for die-hard ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ fans and video game devotees.” (Sara