Author: Jason Segel & Kirsten Miller
Publisher: Delacourte Press
Date of publication: October 2018
Simon saved his best friend, Kat, from the clutches of the Company and their high-tech VR gaming experience, Otherworld. But it was at a steep price. Now he, Kat, and their friend Busara are on the run. They know too much. About the Company's dark secrets. About the real-life consequences of playing Otherworld. And about Kat's stepfather's involvement in everything. The group is headed to New Mexico to find Simon's old roommate, who is a tech genius and possibly the only person who can help them reveal the truth about the Company before it's too late and the line between what's real and what's fantasy is erased... forever.
Otherearth is the second book in the Last Reality series. The first book was fairly enjoyable, so I decided to continue with the series. This one picks up pretty much right after the events of Otherworld. It has been a year since I read the first book, so it took me a bit to get reoriented to the world of the series. If you didn't read the first one, you will be lost in this one, so I don't suggest reading them out of order.
Otherearth wasn't as good as the first. It was OK. Again, it's told through Simon's perspective. This time he and Kat are finally a couple and they are on the run from the Company. Now that the know the truth about the dangers of Otherworld, they have to go back into the game to try to stop it once and for all. I think my overall disappointment with this one was that it felt like more of the same thing that I got in the first book. I wanted something different. I almost feel like the events in this book could have been reduced down and added to the first book with thetwist ending of this one. The cliff -hanger ending did leave me open-mouthed and will bring me back to the third book to see what it all means for Simon his friends. I just hope it's different than this one.
Author: Jason Segel & Kirsten Miller
Publisher: Delacourte Press
Date of publication: October 2017
The company says Otherworld is amazing—like nothing you’ve ever seen before. They say it’s addictive—that you’ll want to stay forever. They promise Otherworld will make all your dreams come true.
Simon thought Otherworld was a game. Turns out he knew nothing. Otherworld is the next phase of reality. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted.
And it’s about to change humanity forever.
Welcome to the Otherworld. No one could have seen it coming.
I loved the "Nightmares" middle grade series, so I was eager to see how this writing team would handle a YA fantasy. Virtual reality stories seem to be all the rage lately. I wasn't too impressed with Warcross, so I had high hopes for this one. Otherworld is a game that uses virtual reality and allows the player to do things they wouldn't normally do in the waking world. In a way, it kind of reminded me of World of Warcraft only you become your avatar. Simon's friend, Kat, is in an accident and has "Locked-in" syndrome. The Company (makers of Otherworld) put her into their study where she would be able to enter the White City and live a peaceful life in virtual reality. Simon realizes something is wrong, when Kat wakes up screaming.
I thought the world building was pretty good . I had a fairly clear idea of what Otherworld looked like. Each realm had a different "vice" that players could indulge in. Throughout the book. there was definitely underlying commentary about the dangers of gaming and how can consume a player. The story was a bit slow to start, but once they are all in the game, it goes pretty quickly and I was sucked right in to the adventure. One thing I did like is that Simon occasionally leaves the game to deal with the real world. It gave a nice break form the fantasy.
Aside from that, the overall story was just kind of fairly enjoyable. It is told in Simon's first person point of view. The problem with that was there were a lot of predictable parts that I figured out before he did. Some of them were so obvious that it was a bit annoying waiting for him to catch up. As a character, I was kind of indifferent toward him. His drive to save Kat was a bit obsessive, but he did have some growth toward the end. The story ends kind of in a cliffhanger, so I probably will pick up the next book to see what happens. It is a YA, but I'd keep it to over 16 crowd. I can be a bit graphic at times.
Authors: Jason Segel & Kirsten Miller
Publisher: Delacourte Books for Young Readers
Date of publication: September 2016
Charlie Laird has a very bad feeling.
1. There’s a NEW GIRL at school, and Charlie and his friends have DEFINITELY seen her before.
2. He’s been hearing strange noises after dark, which is NEVER a good sign.
3. The nightmares are back, and they’re WEIRDER THAN EVER.
Not since he faced his fears has Charlie had so many bad dreams. Whenever he falls asleep, he finds himself in a Netherworld field, surrounded by a flock of CREEPY BLACK SHEEP.
They're not counting sheep. They refuse to jump. In fact, they don't do much at all. EVEN EERIER, THOUGH, is that it’s not Charlie’s nightmare. Somehow he’s trapped in someone else’s bad dream. And he’s pretty sure the twins ICK and INK are responsible.
Charlie and his friends thought they’d put the twins out of business, but it seems they didn’t quite finish the job. Now the WOOLLY NIGHTMARES are closing in, and INK has shown up at Cypress Creek Elementary! Charlie’s convinced that INK is up to NO GOOD. And if he’s right, it could be a very long time before anyone’s dreams are sweet again.
You know what they say, all good things must come to an end. The Lost Lullaby is the last book in the "Nightmares!" trilogy. I have loved this series from the first book and this one was no exception. It opens shortly after the second book ends. The lighthouse in Maine has been destroyed and the evil twins have been separated. ICK is in nightmare realm and INK is in the waking world and attending the kids' school. Charlie and his friends must once again band together to stop them from destroying the waking world.
I thought this was a great way to wrap up the series. Everything was tied up very nicely with really no loose ends. While I am sad to see it finished, I am satisfied with where all of the characters were in the end. As in the first two books, there is a nice subtle lesson for the kiddos embedded in the story. Things aren't always what they seem and you must look deeper to find out the true nature of things before making assumptions. Also, sometimes certain things can be used for both good and bad. There is also a lesson about scapegoats that I think some adults would do well to pay attention to as well. The book ends with a "THE END?" So maybe maybe it's not really over?
I highly recommend this series to any middle grade fiction reader. I often suggest it when I hear someone is looking for a good series for a kid. I really hope that this writing team keeps writing. I look forward to seeing what they can come up with next.
