Christopher Edge never hangs around. His stories take off at speed and this is no exception. I read it in a single sitting. We enter the Escape Room with Eden, although she's not sure that's what she's done, and soon, alongside her, meet Ted. Ted believes Eden is just a character in the story, but it's her cleverness and determination which makes their voyage through the game work. Without her, he wouldn't make it, and slowly, they become a kind of team. Even though he has all the kit and she has none. The risks are huge, the peril, more than mild, and throughout, there's a sense that all's not quite right. It's a rip roaring read. Perfect for movie lovers and gamers, who will get the references and will indeed unlock the world. Year 5 +

It would be easy to believe from my presence on social media that I spend all of my time either reading books, writing and chatting about books, or building models from Lego but in actual fact, I also enjoy puzzles. These days, that very often takes the form of trying to solve the fiendish rounds on Only Connect, playing Wordle and Connections online or attempting the puzzles that appear each week in the Radio Times, rather than anything involving any physical effort, but I can really see the appeal of collaborating with friends on an Escape Room experience. Having read and enjoyed the author’s original title when it first came out, I was as thrilled as its other fans when I learned that there was to be a sequel. Swamped with other titles that I felt duty bound to read first, I have watched blogging friends post their reviews of this new read with a mixture of envy that they have already enjoyed it and anticipation but have now finally caught up and am delighted to be able to share my thoughts. Following the dramatic events of Book 1, things are a little quieter when we pick up again, this time joining our protagonist Eden as she heads to play new game The Escape, after receiving an invitation from someone called Ami through an online gaming forum. Excited to play, Eden makes her way to where she believes the tech firm behind its creation to be located but is distracted when she spots a bird caught up in a net close to her destination. Freeing the creature from the net, Eden watches as the bird joins thousands of others flying above in a murmuration – something that at first glance doesn’t appear to be unusual but which quickly becomes more peculiar when the flock’s appearance shifts into the familiar loading circle associated with technology before shattering, sweeping Eden up and transporting her to a strange landscape. Realising that she has somehow entered the game, Eden almost immediately comes across Ted, who is playing from the comfort of home and refuses to believe that Eden is anything other than a creation of the algorithm controlling its play. As Eden and Ted both try to work their way through the levels to reach the end of the game, both have their own reasons for wanting to succeed but with the boy refusing to accept Eden’s explanations that she is trapped inside the game and not a figment of his imagination, even if they can complete the quests they are sent on, will she be able to find her way safely back to reality? Many readers will immediately take to Eden and will recognise the excitement she feels at being amongst the first to trial the new game. When she finds herself trapped as a result of the birds’ odd behaviour, she tries her very hardest to stay calm and to approach the challenges with which she is presented as methodically and logically as she might a video game played at home. Where playing with others might usually mean collaborating on a common task or battling against one another to find a champion, here it is clear from the start that she is unlikely to get any help from Ted, who refuses to listen to anything she says and is confident in his assertions that he – and only he – has the privilege of an early play. As the book progresses and the pair of them continue to face a series of challenges, readers will be forced to take a long hard look at the way that they cooperate with others – not just online but in real life activities too. As was the case with the first book, this is again much shorter than most middle grades at 224 pages and in the main, the chapters are only a few pages long, making this a great choice for readers in Year 4 upwards who don’t have the stamina for heftier titles. It would also make a great class read for the summer term, when time is often pushed, as it works well as a standalone. I don’t know if there will be a third story for fans, but I really hope so. The book’s ending is a neat and tidy one, but I have no doubt that the author would be able to take the idea and run with it again in another direction.

Christopher Edge has done it again! A follow up to the brilliantly inventive Escape Room, Game Zero sees a new character, Eden, take on a new game, a virtual reality landscape packed with dangerous puzzles as she fights to find her way out. The descriptions are mind-blowing, the puzzles deeply satisfying and the key to the whole mystery, when revealed, has all the trademarks of Christopher Edge's mind-twisting ingenuity. Simply brilliant.

An exhilarating adventure that’s non stop from the start, Eden is a great lead and I loved the mystery, peril, and high stakes involved in trying to escape The Escape. Christopher Edge has written another brilliant, intense and compelling story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Five stars.

An unputdownable middle grade adventure, featuring Erin, who finds herself inside a video game. She meets Ted, who is quick to assert himself as a player, but is Erin also a player, or is she, as Ted accuses, an NPC (Non Playable Character if you’re not in the know)? And what will happen to her if she dies inside the game? I think kids will love this book. It’s fun, thrilling, tense and exciting! This was an excellently paced read and I raced through it. Christopher Edge uses language beautifully to describe the settings and characters. I look forward to more!