Reviewer: Rowena Paraworld Zero by Matthew Peterson
Publisher: Blue Forge Press
Publication Date: January 1st 2008
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 251
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Simon Kent is just an ordinary 12-year-old trying to cope with the loss of his parents and the bullies at school . . . or so he thinks. After meeting an outspoken girl with strange hair that changes colors with her mood, he is swept into a futuristic world filled with dragonlike creatures, vast technology, and enslaved giants. But Simon also stumbles upon a secret: He can perform magic in this parallel world! While fighting mystical creatures, unraveling an ancient mystery, and even experiencing his first kiss, Simon discovers that he, an outsider from Earth, is the only person who can save the high-tech planet from an impending doom.
I got this book a couple of weeks ago and I started reading it expecting one thing but was completely surprised to get something else. I was expecting Harry Potter and ended up with demonized pigeons and draguno’s and exploding dumpsters and just every sort of thing that I’m not into as an adult. So, I had to change my focus on the whole book and read this book with Brenna (my daughter) in mind.
Is this something that Brenna would like? Is this something that one of my nieces and nephews would like?
And the answer to that is quite simply: Yes.
The world of Simon Kent on Earth is one that we’ve all read about or even lived. He wasn’t the most popular kid in school, he got good grades, he was an orphan, living with a bully of a kid named Dimitri and he lost himself in his video games. One day, all of that changes when he meets Tonya, some chick with hair that changes colors like a mood ring, someone who is from a different, parallel world.
She’s got this world changer remote thing that takes them from one world to another and while they’re causing havoc on Earth (cue in the possessed dumpsters and overly large demonized pigeons terrorizing humans on Earth) so they need to get out before they get caught by the police and end up in jail. So using her remote changer worlds thingy, they get zapped into space and Dimitri (aka Billy Bad Ass on Earth) follows them and steals their remote changer thingy and Simon and Tonya are stuck on some strange paraworld where science is EVERYTHING.
Not long after they get there do I realize that I hate this paraworld. They’re into slavery here on this paraworld and they pretty stupid. They think they’re so superior to everyone and it grates on my hot damn nerves. They’re living with Dr. Troodles and his family and although I like Thorn, he kind of gets on my nerves too.
Simon starts dreaming of a mysterious woman and he begins to realize that something is going on around them and he needs to do something about it.
There’s all sorts of things happening in this book and it’s just one big fat adventure after the other. After I stopped reading for myself and started reading this book for the kids, I started to enjoy it…it’s not something that I, myself would probably pick up and read but this is something that I would definitely pick up for Brenna to read. The characters are lively and the storyline is fast paced and exciting to read.
Its got everything a kid would enjoy reading so you guys should definitely pick this book up, which comes out sometime this month. The kids will enjoy this book and they’ll enjoy tagging along with Simon and his band of merry men to conquer the evils of all the parallel worlds.
Great story for the kids!
Hey, thanks for the nice review. I just happened to find this online.
My publisher changed the cover at the last second. Here’s the official cover (same picture, different background). As a side note, I’m also the artist for the cover and 30 illustrations.
http://paraworlds.com/images/9781590924914.jpg
This sounds like something Little Man and The Girl would really like. They need new books anyway, so thanks! I’ll be picking this up for them.
What age would you suggest this for?
Matthew Peterson,
Thanks for sending us a copy to review, I enjoyed the story and will definitely be buying this series for my daughter. Happy writing in the new year! =)
Holly,
You totally should, the kids would enjoy this I’m sure.
My 10 year old daughter and 13 year old son really enjoyed this book. In fact, my son put down the book he had already started reading and had to finish this book before reading anything else!