9.20.2005

Book Review: Heir Apparent

Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde

SUMMARY: For her 14th birthday, Giannine Bellisario receives a gift certificate for 1/2 hour of total immersion virtual reality gaming. Crossing a picket line formed by CPOC (Citizens to Protect Our Children) to enter, she decides to use her certificate for a game called Heir Apparent. But when the demonstrators damage the center while she is playing, Giannine must win the game in order to escape permanent brain injury. The problem is that her half brothers and the hostile queen have treacherous plans to keep the crown for themselves. And every time she dies, Giannine has to start the game all over again.

OPINION: This book takes place in the not-too-distant future, when virtual reality gaming is more sophisticated than it is now. In fact, it is so realistic that Giannine could die from the effects of damaged equipment, unless she manages to win the game by being crowned king! She eventually starts to learn from her mistakes, after being poisoned, stabbed, and beheaded so many times that she is running out of time to save her real life! This is a good book to pick up for Banned Books Week (September 25 to October 1, 2005), since it deals with a similar situation: CPOC parents protesting video games with signs like "Magic = Satanism" and "Inappropriate for Our Children."

2 comments:

Kara said...

This is a great book! I read it 2 years ago. I've read some other books from the same author. They're very quirky and interesting. ^^

Anonymous said...

I just read the book and really liked it. I think it was very well worded and kept me well awake! I could never stop reading it