I was really excited to read a choose-your-own-adventure type book as I enjoyed them so much as a kid. This, however, was not the enjoyable read I was hoping for.

The choice to write in second person is never, in my experience, a good one. The end result is either preachy or distanced emotionally from the reader and this book is both. The tale presents readers with puzzles to be solved and also asks them to provide dialogue; the interactive nature is reflective of the supposed setting and not a bad technique, but from a narrative standpoint it does nothing helpful. Ultimately, the book is closer to an activity book than a readable one.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for review. ( )

Choose Your Own Adventure takes on a new meaning in this exciting tale of adventure, puzzles and oh-so-many twists and turns.

This is the second book put out by Mr. Brady, which follows this CYOA style. I didn't get to read the first one, and that doesn't really matter (except for the fact that I'd now love to grab it up, too). This book goes right down the traditional CYOA alley but with a few new twists. The reader can interact a little more with the tale and is prompted to work out things with puzzles and such. It adds a new dimension and a lot more fun.

The story telling itself is fine...nothing amazing, but then, that's not the point of something like this. The tale does draw the reader in and allow them to become part of the excitement as well as steer in unknown directions. Luckily, if the reader dies, they aren't prompted to have to return to page one (because who does that in a traditional CYOA anyway?) but simply leads them back one step to try the other route. If it wasn't this way, I could see frustration raking in quick...and that's also not the point of a 'fun' read.

The adventure suggests that the reader remember their steps, and there are little prizes along the way. In other words, this is so much more than a simple CYOA, and that's great. It isn't literature at its prime, but this does encourage kids to read while doing so much more. In other words, I'm a total fan and have no doubt middle graders will enjoy this one from beginning to end. ( )