I recently finished a book that was enjoyable, but will be particularly interesting for those who enjoy RPGs. Erebos: It's a Game. It Watches You by Ursula Poznanski (translated by Judith Pattinson)is part mystery, part psychological thriller...though that aspect is probably somewhat mild.
The book centers on a mysterious DVD that some students are passing around. The students who don't have the DVD fear that something weird is going on, and many express they don't want anything to do with it, yet when presented with it themselves, find they eventually can't resist it either.
Once involved with the game, they seem to lose all perspective for anything else in their lives: friends, school and family fall by the wayside.
Nick Dunmore is the main character, and once he starts playing the virtual world and reality seem to blur. Eventually he and others, including some romantic possibilities, realize they must do something to stop what is happening in the game, from truly affecting the those in the world.
I am not a gamer, far from it, but I found I was easily hooked. The novel was compelling, the characters believable (many quite likeable), and the plot was entertaining.
I have to admit at times I kind of skimmed through the game scenes, but I imagine those scenes were quite nicely done, and true to form.
While I recommend this book to boys who enjoy various computer games (particularly RPGs) I think most will find the novel a great read.
