I got this hardcover at a local Savers thrift shop, for another release copy.

This is the first in the "Johnny Maxwell" trilogy, and it was a very interesting read. Funny, yes, but - and this seemed a bit odd to me - grittier and darker than [most of] the Discworld books, although written for (or at least marketed to) young teens. Johnny's a 12-year-old who is going through some Trying Times at home, and whose tendency to daydream is causing him trouble in school. He loves playing video games and loses himself in them whenever possible - but, as the story opens, the game changes; instead of just firing away, the aliens want to surrender to Johnny... Given that computer-game technology moves so fast, this book (from '92) is noticeably dated; still, I found it involving and often disturbing, as Johnny and his friends start to deal with the possibility that all those little pixel-spaceships they've cheerfully blown up might have held living beings - somewhere. And when some real-life incidents mingle with whatever the game-world is - well, it's all a lot more elaborate than I'd suspected, and while there are plenty of entertaining pop-culture references and humor, it can also be quite grim. But then, aren't some of the best kid-books pretty bleak in places?

[There's a TV Tropes page on the Maxwell trilogy, with some entertaining tidbits.]

I left this book in the Little Free Library; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

*** Released for the 2019 Science Fiction release challenge. ***