
Wonderscape
by Jen Bell, illustrated by Paddy Donnelly
Interest age: 11 to 14
Reading age: 10+
Published by Walker Books, 2020
About this book
When Arthur, Ren and Cecily enter an abandoned house to rescue a trapped dog, they unknowingly step through a portal into both the future and a galactic ‘in reality’ adventure game called Wonderscape.
But what now? To get home, they need to find one of the game’s creators, Milo Hertz, who has a special time-key that will open the gateway back to 2021. That means navigating the Wonderscape, solving the game’s puzzles and completing the challenges. But there are bigger problems: firstly, Milo’s been missing for three years. And secondly, they only have 57 hours to find him before a game reset turns them into slime...
Wonderscape is an expertly crafted, breakneck speed adventure with a videogame-like structure: codes to crack, loot to collect and different levels – or ‘realms’ – to explore. Combine this with the mystery of Milo’s disappearance, the time-sensitive nature of the heroes’ quest, and the discovery of some much darker goings-on within the Wonderscape, for a page-turning, fun and highly imaginative read.
As they progress through the game, Arthur, Ren and Cecily must each face their greatest fears but, equally, each discover their unique strengths and build what will surely be a long-lasting friendship.
About the author

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