Who is ready for some tension, chills, and thrills? Today's read is a rewriting of the well-known short story, 'The Most Dangerous Game'. I have this one fresh in my memory thanks to the last years homeschooling my daughter. So, today's read caught my attention right away. Also, I'm a huge fan of this section of books put out by Orca Publishers. They have an entire row of reads aimed at young adult readers, who aren't super solid word fans but still need interesting tales to fit their age group. Plus, it's nice to pick up a quick read and not dive into a huge novel, sometimes.
So, I'm very excited to see what these pages hold.
A DANGEROUS GAME
by Sigmund Brouwer
Orca Book Publishers
YA Thriller
96 pages
COMING AUGUST 18th!!!
This retelling of the classic short story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell brings a modern teen into the clutches of an unhinged billionaire to explore the depths of our own humanity.
Rain is on the most boring vacation in existence: a sailboat trip with his parents. No video games, no friends, just floating and listening to adults talk. That is until he accidentally falls overboard in the middle of the night while everyone is asleep. As the boat sails off, Rain swims for his life and makes it to a nearby island owned by a billionaire who is obsessed with the thrill of the hunt. Unfortunately for Rain, the island’s owner has grown bored of his usual prey. He wants to hunt something smarter, something that can reason...something like Rain. And Rain has no choice but to play along.
This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading-level book for teen readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don't like to read!
MY TIDBITS
The tense atmosphere from Connell's 'The Most Dangerous Game' echoes loud and clear in this teen adventure.
Rain is bored. Stuck on a sailboat with his parents and their friend, there isn't a whole lot for him to do. To detox from a day of adult conversation, he decides to stay on deck while everyone else turns in for the night, but when he accidentally falls overboard, boredom disappears. Luckily, Rain is a good swimmer, and while he can't catch up to the sailboat, a nearby private island saves him from drowning and offers a good chance at a rescue. But the owner of the island isn't what Rain expected, nor is the game the man wants to play. Now, Rain needs to find a way to survive.
This book is designed for teen readers, who struggle with more difficult texts. The sentences are kept short, the vocabulary stays more familiar, and the pacing is kept quick. There's just enough description to lock in the scenes, but the rest is action and character driven. From the moment Rain falls overboard, the danger mounts. The author keeps everything realistic making it easy to root for Rain and follow him as he does his best to outwit a deadly man. Rain isn't a survival expert but builds off of what he's seen in video games, movies, or just caught here and there. This makes him relatable as he does his best to stay out of sight.
This is a quick, easy read, and the short length makes it one even reluctant readers are sure not to grumble too much about. The story is potent and uses action to drive it forward. That means there is less character depth and background, but it works well. The ending does come in pretty quick, but then, this isn't unexpected. Slower and reluctant readers are sure to find this tale grabbing, and more fluent readers will enjoy the quick, easy adventure, too.
And here he is...
Sigmund Brouwer is the award-winning author of over a hundred books for young readers, with over five million books in print. He has won a Christy Book of the Year and an Arthur Ellis Award, and some of his titles were finalists for the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award (twice) and the Red Maple Award. Sigmund has captivated students with his Story Ninja writing program during his school visits, reaching over one million students since 1990. His many books in the Orca Sports, Orca Soundings and Orca Currents lines have changed the lives of countless striving readers. Sigmund lives in Red Deer, Alberta.
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