SOLVED. Goodreads is Amazing and This Group Helped Me Solve a Ten-Year Mystery [s]

[Emily]

I borrowed this book from the library when I was in seventh or eighth grade, around 2003/2004. It was very new at the time, and the cover was made too look old with art-tears and such (I think the cover itself was predominantly red/reddish-brown). The pages were made to look old, with significant color to them, and they had the boy's drawings and notes on the pages. The book was about a boy (his name was strange and started with an A) who lived with his grandmother in a deep crevice running beneath a mountain or a volcano, on a planet that was desert-y and definitely not Earth-like. I only got a few pages into the book before I had to return it to the library, and someone stole it soon after. It was in the young adult section of the library.

[Tab]

Emily, do you remember anything else about the plot? Any villains, sidekicks, etc?

[Emily]

Nope, sorry - I didn't get very far at all in the book. Trying to find it so I can! I do remember something about the boy running away or someone coming to take him away; that sort of thing.

[Emily]

Oh my goodness, the mystery is killing me! Help me solve my ten-year torment?

[Krazykiwi]

Could this possibly be it: The Book of Atrus

It has a boy named Atrus who at the very beginning lives with his grandmother in a cleft in a desert.

There is a graphic novel version too, and also an omnibus that collects three books in one (I think it's called the Myst Reader). The description here doesn't have much of use to tell you, but some of the reviews give more info, hopefully enough to tell you if it's your book or not.

[Jordan]

I definitely agree that this is The Book of Atrus . Definitely read the whole trilogy! It's quite excellent.

[Emily]

YOU TWO ARE AMAZING!!! Thank you so so so so so so much! I can't believe I hadn't seen your responses until now, but I truly got goosebumps reading them. This is definitely the book, and I've just ordered it online. I can't wait to finally read it! <3

[Michele]

Just FYI, this is a novelization of the wonderfully fun video game Myst. You might want to check out the game, too.