Pixel Raiders #1: Dig World

Pixel Raiders #1: Dig World by Bajo & Hex, illustrated by Chris Kennett (Scholastic Australia) PB RRP $9.99

ISBN 978-1-76015-925-2

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

When Rip and Mei discover they are trapped inside a new virtual reality game, they realise they will have to work together to win each level if they ever want to get back to their own reality. In the computer game world they are made of pixels and need to make shelter, grow food and ward off enemy attacks in order to survive.

Combining text and illustrations with fast intense chapters and gaming speak, Dig World achieves the feel of being inside a computer game which will greatly appeal to the many young readers who understand and appreciate the intricacies of game play.

Adventure, danger, good versus evil and the high stakes of survival are all integral to the plot. Written by well-known games reviewers Bajo and Hex from the ABC TV show, Good Games, Pixel Raider is bound to be a popular new series among young gamers between the ages of 8 and 12 years.

Z

Z by Michael Thomas Ford (Random House)

HB RRP $19.95
ISBN 978-1-8647-1822-5
Reviewed by Oliver Phommavanh

Z is a novel for teenagers that combine two awesome things, video games and zombies. Josh is a highly skilled player in a game where he fights zombies and saves humans in various situations. It’s a controversial game because the world has just recovered from an actual zombie virus that almost wiped humanity off the map. Josh even had family who were destroyed as zombies, yet he still thinks they’re a fantasy.

All this changes when he meets the mysterious Charlie. Charlie introduces Josh to an underground league where you can play the game for real. That means real weapons, locations and...zombies?

Z is a relentless thriller, with loads of zombie-blasting action (both in-game and real-life). Despite the violence, Ford handles the gruesome detail with discretion so it’s no graphic bloodbath scenes. Readers will enjoy the gaming strategies that Josh’s team uses to battle the cunning zombies.

There is some drug use in the book. Josh takes some Z, a drug that warps his mind and makes him think like a zombie, enhancing his gaming experience. However, this scene focuses more on what it means to behave like a zombie than anything else.

Z is a wonderful story that brings video games to life in more ways than one. It’s recommended for ages 12 and up.