After a car accident leaves 15-year-old Joan Sandow without the use of her legs, Joan’s world looks pretty bleak. So when she and her Internet buddy, Steve (alias Whizkid), get a chance to test a new virtual reality computer game, Joan is thrilled. What they don’t know is that Jason, the game’s designer, has filled it with situations aimed at triggering their deepest, darkest fears. As they move through the four parts of the game, which involves finding four artifacts and saving the world from an asteroid, Jason’s malevolent plan backfires. Instead of succumbing to their fears, the two teens overcome them in the virtual world and bring their newfound confidence and sense of triumph back to their real lives.

This fascinating tale by master storyteller Monica Hughes is a nicely balanced story within a story. The virtual reality adventure is more compelling reading due to the challenges that Joan and Steve take on (finding their way out of a complex maze, climbing a mountain). Although they know it is “just a game,” they push themselves to the limit physically and mentally. But the story of their real lives is interesting, too. Because we see them between episodes, we can see subtle changes that the game is working on them. Joan becomes more motivated and positive; Steve starts listening to his heart. Both characters are believable as teens struggling with various aspects of growing up.

Although Jason, the only other significant character in the story, remains in the background, his presence is felt throughout the game. He seems underdeveloped – all we know about him is that he rarely bathes, which is what Joan insulted him about before the story begins. That a spontaneous comment about personal hygiene should provoke such a vengeful response, even when the comment comes from the boss’s daughter, is a bit of a stretch. So is Jason’s unexpected remorse at the end of the story: all of a sudden, he realizes his revenge has gone too far and decides to resign from his job. Apart from this minor weakness, this is a gripping story of triumph over the fears that keep people from being free to be themselves.