Journal Entry 1 by Kyrissaean from Littleton, New Hampshire USA on Tuesday, July 03, 2007

This is a legally downloaded audible.com audiobook, 9 hours and 52 minutes, unabridged on CD's.

Cute story! I like this author. A portion of the plot got pretty repetitive in the middle section (probably it seemed more so to me, because I listened to a lot of it right through), but I like the concept for a kid's book. I thought the narrator sounded a bit gravelly for the job when the book started but she turned out to be just fine.


From School Library Journal
Grade 6-9-All of the elements of a good fantasy are present in this adventure. Giannine Bellisario is about to celebrate her 14th birthday. This year, she actually receives a present from her father on time. It is a gift certificate to any Rasmussem Gaming Center Virtual Reality Arcade. Crossing a picket line formed by CPOC (Citizens to Protect Our Children) to enter, she decides to use her certificate for a total-immersion game called Heir Apparent. The object is to be crowned king. When the demonstrators damage the center, the protagonist is on her own and must complete the game successfully in order to escape permanent brain damage. Ghosts, witches, wizards, and magical tools help her as she races against time and faces many setbacks. Challenges range from barbarian attacks and peasant uprisings to a giant dragon. In addition, the half brothers and the hostile queen have treacherous plans to keep the crown for themselves. This adventure includes a cast of intriguing characters and personalities. The feisty heroine has a funny, sarcastic sense of humor and succeeds because of her ingenuity and determination. This unique combination of futuristic and medieval themes will appeal to fans of fantasy and science fiction.
 

Journal Entry 2 by Kyrissaean from Littleton, New Hampshire USA on Friday, April 11, 2008

This is heading out to KathyB25 from the BookObsessed teen VBB. Happy listening! :) 

Journal Entry 3 by KathyB25 from Arlington, Texas USA on Thursday, April 17, 2008

Received from Kyrissaean today. Thanks! 

Journal Entry 4 by azuki from Miami, Florida USA on Tuesday, June 24, 2008

This has arrived safely, thanks. 

Journal Entry 5 by azuki from Miami, Florida USA on Friday, June 12, 2009

I originally picked up this story because, as a kid, I loved those Choose Your Own Adventure storybook. If one day they can make such a total immersion game I am sure I would line up outside the gaming center, picket line or not. I would suspect, however, that someone can get seriously addicted to such games. Why go back to the real world if the fantasy one is so much fun?

The story does get a bit repetitive half way through, as the protagonist learns her way around. However, as she is supposedly only 14, she is liable to make mistakes that we won't. Overall the story is very interesting and even though you know she will make it, you don't know how.

A note: while the CDs are scratch free a few tracks have a lot of static on it, like I was listening to a rusty cassette tape. It doesn't total to many minutes and nothing much is missed. Just want to make a note. 

Journal Entry 6 by azuki from Miami, Florida USA on Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Sending to mellion108, who picked it in the BookObsessed.com's audio books vbb. 

Journal Entry 7 by mellion108 from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan USA on Saturday, September 05, 2009

Thanks, azuki! The audiobook is here. I'll listen/read and pass along to someone else. 

Journal Entry 8 by mellion108 from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan USA on Sunday, December 20, 2009

Not a bad little story. Giannine is a likeable character, and I enjoyed most of her adventures in this story. According to the author's web site, this book is part of the Rasmussem Enterprises "world" that she has created and is not really a sequel but more of a companion book to User Unfriendly.

Carine Montbertraud does a pretty good job as the narrator, although some of her characters sound a bit alike. Still, all in all this is a good, solid read. I would have loved it when I was a kid.

This is now available for another lucky reader/listener. 

Journal Entry 9 by mellion108 at Bloomfield Hills, Michigan USA on Saturday, February 26, 2011

This book is now traveling with indygo88's Audiobook Box. 

Journal Entry 10 by k00kaburra at San Jose, California USA on Wednesday, March 09, 2011

This one sounds interesting. I might be keeping this one. 

Journal Entry 11 by k00kaburra at San Jose, California USA on Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Started listening today. 

Journal Entry 12 by k00kaburra at San Jose, California USA on Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Finished today.

Set in the same universe, but not a sequel to User Unfriendly

Giannine’s father gives her a gift certificate to Rasmussem Gaming Center for her birthday that entitles her half an hour’s worth of play in a total immersion virtual reality game. Pretty cool, right? Giannine selects a game called Heir Apparent, a medieval fantasy in which her peasant-born character must fight to hold onto the kingdom she inherits from the dead king. It seems like a fairly standard quest, but when protestors from the Citizens to Protect Our Children damage the machine she’s hooked up to during, the game takes a deadly turn. Giannine must play the game through until the end within her allotted time slot or else suffer permanent brain damage. Unfortunately, every time Giannine dies within the game, she’s sent straight back to the beginning. Faced with barbarians, peasant unrest, calculating half-siblings, wizards, and dragons, Giannine really will be fighting for her life in Heir Apparent.

The beginning of the novel is a little repetitive, since Giannine dies fairly quickly and has to re-live the same scenes over and over, but once she got used to the game and began piecing together the story from her previous visits, the plot really picked up. It did make me wonder why the game didn’t have “levels” so she wouldn’t have to go all the way back to the beginning each time she died. The characters adapt to the player’s decisions, though, and each time they were a little different. There wouldn’t really be a way to set up a stopping point – too bad for Giannine.

I really liked the melding of futuristic technology and quasi-medieval fantasy. While Giannine and the reader never forget that she’s just playing a game, the characters of the game also feel real. It made me wonder how kids act when they finish the games. I mean, does Giannine feel sad that she’s leaving the characters behind, like I might feel regret when a favorite tv show ends? Or is it worse, because she interacted with the characters? Do people in this universe go crazy and end up spending their life savings playing the same game over and over because they’re in love with a character? (I mean, people do stuff like that now, and it’s a little creepy.) If that kind of stuff was going on, I can see why organizations like Citizens to Protect Our Children would protest and want to have the games banned. Anyway, adding this layer over the adventure of the game Heir Apparent just made the story so much more interesting.

I also liked the way Giannine’s personality affected her game play. For example, she has a troubled relationship with her father; she lives with her grandmother and rarely sees him. It turns out that a critical magical item is held by game-Giannine’s father, but she never bothers to meet him because she doesn’t think that a father will be a valuable asset. Little things are sprinkled throughout the book, slowly building up a picture of Giannine’s life outside the video game.

WARNING POTENTIAL SPOILER
I did think the ending was a bit of a cop-out. It turns out that the romantic interest Giannine has in the game has a real-life counterpart around her age, who just happens to be the totally hot designer of Heir Apparent. It’s strongly hinted that they’ll have a happily ever after relationship, thanks to the game. That’s….kinda lame, to be honest.
End of Spoiler

I listened to the audio version of this book recently, narrated by Carine Montbertrand (who did a great job, by the way) and it’s a pretty fun story. The technology is vague– yet plausible – enough that it doesn’t sound too dated, even though the book is almost ten years old.
 

Journal Entry 13 by k00kaburra at Bookbox, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA on Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Released 12 mos ago (6/1/2011 UTC) at Bookbox, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Added to BigJohnLefty's Another Audiobookbox ! 

Journal Entry 14 by imawinn2 at Neenah, Wisconsin USA on Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Picking this out of BigJohnLefty's Another Audiobook Bookbox. I'll listen to it on a day when I feel like escaping the trappings of my adult life. Which is often. ;-) Thanks for sharing! 

Journal Entry 15 by imawinn2 at Neenah, Wisconsin USA on Thursday, September 22, 2011

This was my first experience with Vivian Vande Velde's writing. It was a fun and exciting story and I enjoyed the idea of virtual and total immersion type gaming. Not a gamer myself, as I'm a bit of a spazz when it comes to video games, but fun to follow Giannine through this adventure. The story sucked me in and I found I was thinking right along with the main character, trying to figure out what she should do next, who she should give the ring to (my choices were either the dragon or the Queen), who should she should "be one with" ect... I thought, overall, that Vande Velde's story was brilliant and very imaginative. A fantastic piece of sci-fi adventure. 

Journal Entry 16 by imawinn2 at Neenah, Wisconsin USA on Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Putting this into Booklady331's CD Only Audio Bookbox. Happy Travels!