Mind Game

by R.L. Copple

They said it was just a game. A game containing the most realistic virtual reality ever. Little does Jeremy know that this game will send him on an adventure to a distant galaxy, encounter strange aliens, fight dangerous battles, and struggle to rescue himself, his friends, and thousands of players from a dictator's trap. It will test not only his courage, but his trust in others and loyalty to his friends.

Join Jeremy, his scatter-brained friend Mickey, and his annoying sister Bridget as they embark on a journey like no other, and go where no virtual reality has gone before.

190 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 25, 2011

About the author

As a young teen, R. L. Copple played in his own make-believe world, writing the stories and drawing the art for his own comics while experiencing the worlds of other authors like Tolkien, Lewis, Asimov, and Lester Del Ray. After years of writing devotionally, he returned to the passion of his youth in order to combine his fantasy worlds and faith into the reality of the printed page. Since then, his imagination has given birth to The Reality Chronicles trilogy from Splashdown Books, and Mind Game, Ethereal Worlds Anthology, and How to Make an Ebook: Using Free Software from Ethereal Press, along with numerous short stories in various magazines. In his Texas Hill Country residence, he continues to create and give wings to new realities so that others might enjoy and be inspired by them.

Reviews

[Lisa Godfrees · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever fantasized about jumping into a video game world? Been interested in virtual reality? This is a story about what happens to two friends who enter the most realistic virtual reality video game ever and can’t get back out. There’s no exit and it’s not really a game.

Rating: G

I’m starting with the rating on this one because I was impressed with the way the author handled video game violence. Many people (the “them”s and “they”s) believe video games are desensitizing our children towards violence. Along with movies, they’re probably right. But what if the video game were real? What if ‘shooting up’ people actually meant you were really killing sentient beings? That’s what is explored in this book, and it is handled really well.

The book reminds me of The Last Starfighter (remember that movie?) meets Alfred Hitchcock with a side of Star Trek. At first I was worried that the book was going to be too dark for me, more on the horror side, but it wasn’t.

The characters range in age from 8-15 so I think this book would appeal to middle grades as well as youth. I’m an adult (most of the time), and I blew threw it in 24 hours because I enjoyed it so much.

Theology: Integrity and Regard for Life

This is a book written by a Christian but it’s not Christian fiction. There’s no preaching or overt faith references. There’s not really any hidden theology in the book either, with the exception of a passing reference to prayer.

But, what I liked about the book was the integrity of the main character, Jeremy. Here’s a guy who’s really savvy and understands what’s important. If I had a son, I would want him to be like this kid. I would let my daughters date him (probably). ;)

Social Issues:

As discussed, video games, violence, but also sibling rivalry.

This would make a good Christmas gift for a boy who loves video games (if you can get him to read it) or any reader who loves a good story.

[Shawn Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rick Copple spins a wonderful tale in his YA sci-fi novel, Mind Game. He writes a fast-paced story that engages the reader as they follow the adventure of the protagonist (Jeremy) and his friend (Mickey). They eagerly unwrap their Christmas presents, copies of the brand-new virtual-reality game, only to find themselves thrown into the midst of a war light-years away. When they activate the games, they suddenly find themselves on board a space ship, where they are fascinated by the intricate detail and immersive reality of the video game. Quickly do they find, though, that it might not be a game at all.

[Jodi Woody · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an "OK" read. Not sure what age group it was intended for. The main characters are supposed to be "kids" but we are never given an age. They start out in a way that I would have guessed about 11 or 12, but end up acting like teens and even adults later on. The characters are a little shallow, and the aliens are...well think Twilight Zone. The premise is that the newest game is really a ploy by aliens to use our gamers to win a war. Overall a fun read. Good for Jr. HIgh and up, no swearing, some kissing, but no sex.

[Pauline Creeden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read, reads like a video game :)