New World - Softcover

Gillian Cross is one of Britain's most prominent children's authors. She has won both the major awards - the Whitbread Children's Novel Award and the Carnegie Medal - and many others.

Gr. 6-9. Chosen to test a new virtual-reality game and sworn to secrecy about the testing and the product, 14-year-olds Miriam and Stuart find their experiences in cyberspace fascinating yet increasingly disturbing. Who is the figure attacking them within the game? How could the scenes enact their most secret fears? Why should they honor their promise of silence when the game designers haven't played fair? Problems with family and friends provide further conflicts for Miriam, but she gradually finds her way with help from unexpected quarters. Though the virtual-reality theme will make booktalking a breeze, this English novel has more going for it than its up-to-the-moment subject. Readers will enjoy the sympathetic characters, the suspenseful story, and the satisfying conclusion. Carolyn Phelan