Alex Winthrop has just been offered his very own Mystic Realm. The weird thing is, Mystic Realms are supposed to be for girls only. But the guys in the suits have given him an ultimatum--now or never. He chooses now. However, he soon discovers--much to his great surprise--that not only can he travel throughout his own Realm, he can cross over into ALL of them. And so, he sets off on a series of adventures that might change his life forever--if they don't end up trying to kill him first. Because when you're dealing with girls who are reckless enough to jump headfirst into the relative unknown, death is a real possibility. Even when those girls are SUPER CUTE.
This first novel by Matt Wade is a coming-of-age, Young Adult Urban Fantasy about an average young man who thrusts himself into extraordinary circumstances. The Realms offer their owners the opportunity to create and do nearly anything they can imagine, but at what cost to themselves? It examines gender perspectives, identity, love, friendship, and the fantasy/reality dichotomy from a quirky, postmodern viewpoint, all while maintaining senses of fun and wonder (even at the darker points). If you're a fan of such titles as Ernest Cline's Ready Player One and Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim series, this book might be right up your alley.
Ever since I can remember, I've loved reading. I participated in advanced reading groups as a child, and often read above my grade level. As a pre-teen, I gravitated toward science fiction and fantasy, and never looked back. My love of the fantastical inspired me to write my own short stories, which were often simple and crude (in terms of quality, not subject matter, though sometimes that, too). I didn't have too many friends when I was younger, so books kept me company. However, my teachers always praised and encouraged my writing, and I was happy they did.
Today, I've found some friends who share my love of reading (and often the same genres and titles). I've also taken my writing much more seriously, In addition to my novels, I've enjoyed writing movie reviews for a Facebook group called Adventures in Videoland, as well as book reviews here on Goodreads. When I'm not reading, writing or watching movies, I enjoy attending Purdue sporting events, going to local cultural and food festivals, and visiting friends and family around the country. I hope that I can one day count some of you among my friends, and hope you enjoy reading my books!
Wow! It's been a while since I read a book like this and it caught me completely by surprise! It was way better than I expected! This hidden treasure snagged me from the very beginning and immersed me into all new worlds of imagination. The writing was exceptionally great as we journey with Alex, the only teen boy to ever get a magic realm. There's no limits to his imagination as he's completely in control of his own realm and can have everything he wants just by thinking about it...except companionship. After discovering that he has the ability to enter other realms, he embarks on a journey through candy coated gluttony, medieval quests, chinese torture chambers, a shopping fetish and island paradises, just to name a few. He finds enemies, friends, love and heartbreak with his encounters of the owners of the realms he passes through. The worldbuilding is just phenomenal with minute details that made me actually see everything vividly happening in my head. Some of the things he comes up with are just so awesome I wish I could join in! I don't want to give away too many spoilers, but I just gotta say, the twist at the end when he discovers the purpose behind the magical realms was completely stunning! This was seriously one of the best books that I've read this year and I can't believe it slipped below the radar! Just think- the Matrix meets Alice In Wonderland and you'll be somewhat close to what this book entails! Absolutely awesome!