The Paradise Trap

Eleven year old Marcus loves video games and hates the beach. So he is not happy when his mum Holly drags him to Diamond Beach, the place she loved as a child. Once there, Holly meets Coco, her friend from her childhood. She is there with her electronics-obsessed husband, Sterling Huckstepp, and their kids, cool teenage Newt, pizza-loving Edison and the family robot, Prot. Opening a door into the basement of Holly's caravan, Edison discovers the most amazing amusement park. Whoever opens a door in the basement finds themselves in their very own dream vacation. But when the dream becomes impossible to escape from, it all begins to feel more like a nightmare: Marcus, Holly, and the Huckstepps find themselves trapped in a matrix of terrifyingly perfect dreamscapes peopled with strange characters that will allow them to do anything they want, except leave...A whirlwind adventure at a breakneck speed.

"When Holly rents a busted trailer from childhood friend Coco for a vacation at Diamond Beach, her 11-year-old son, Marcus — who would rather spend the summer playing video games — is less than thrilled. Adding to his displeasure is the fact that the beach (a prime vacation spot, as his mother recalls it) has gone to seed. But while playing in the trailer with Coco's stepson, Edison, Marcus discovers a hidden stairwell that leads to a number of alternate universes. Chelsea Bruland's narration is clean and engaging, if a little uninspired. She does little to differentiate the book's characters, e.g., her rendering of Marcus is very similar to her narration of descriptive and expository passages. However, Bruland does deepen her voice for some of the male characters — and her rendition of the story will likely please fans of the book. Ages 8 — 12. An Egmont USA hardcover. (Apr.)" Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Catherine Jinks is the Australian author of more than thirty books for all ages. She has garnered many awards, including the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award(three times), the Victorian Premier’s Award, the Aurealis Award for Science Fiction, the Australian Ibby Award, and the Davitt Award for Crime Fiction. Her work has been published in Australia, New Zealand, Britain, the United States, Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic and Thailand.