The Game by Monica Hughes

Hughes, Monica The Game, 183 p. Simon Pulse, 2010, 1990.  $9.99.  Content: G (some threats of violence).  Original title: Invitation to the Game.  In the future, robots have taken over almost every job so that humans can enjoy their leisure.  Unfortunately, if you are 16 and just released from mandatory schooling, that means that you will probably retire immediately and live on government subsidy for the rest of your life.  While it may sound like heaven, it makes for a dreary and dangerous existence.  Lisse and her friends are trying to keep it together and stay away from the gangs.  And when they are invited to participate in “The Game”, they think they may have found an even bigger motivator.  This computer-generated world responds to their knowledge and their skills and becomes more interesting each time.  But what if The Game were a real place and they had to live without any modern convenience, just with what they can make for themselves?  Could they really survive? I have been a huge fan of this book since it was first published.  With its new cover, it should spark some renewed interest.  It is a gentler dystopian novel than Hunger Games – and much more appropriate for a younger audience.  EL, MS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher.