Zamora's Ultimate Challenge
M.K. Scott
Reviewed by Barb Radmore
Mason and his brother Carter are typical children. They are addicted to
video games even though their parents try to limit their time spent
playing. They think their little sister is just a pain. But when she is
kidnapped into the world of their favorite video game they rush to save
her. With the help of friendly creatures they work through the familiar
levels of the game; it is a question of if they can make it
all the way through to save not only their little sister but also the
fate of the universe. A large goal for two young boys.
The story is filled with themes of familial love and believing
yourself. It is drilled into the reader at most opportunities. The lack
of subtlety might make sense for the target audience of 7-12 year olds
but much of the book will not reach that age. It becomes very preachy
after awhile. Letting the action speak for itself more often would not
have detracted from the message. And there is plenty of action, the
boys get into one tight situation after another. That much will appeal
to the younger readers. The section of riddles seemed a bit absurd-
young boys who knew trivia that would baffle many educated of adults.
The scene with dinosaur poop bombs may be of the sort more attention
grabbing for youth.
The basic concept was done so well by Chris Allsburg in Jumanji; it is
hard to do a follow up. The plot idea is not a new one. There is a rush
to capture the attention of today's youth by tying literature and video
or on line gaming. Scholastic jumped onto the idea with The 39 Clues
which combines books with on line gaming. There are many examples of
attempts to merge both to interest the youth for many reasons. It is
hoped by many that it will increase the reading skills of the children
but there is also the potential for a lot of money to be made for those
who do it successfully.
M.K. Scott is also Michele Scott, the author of the five
books in The Wine Lover's Mystery series.