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Power Up! Cheat Code Chaos
STEP INTO A WORLD WHERE VIDEO GAMES ARE REAL!
Power Up is a thrilling new series of illustrated chapter books packed with action and humour.
Max Power may seem like an ordinary pre-teen gamer, but he has a BIG secret. Max doesn't just PLAY video games - he LIVES them! Ever since Max discovered a glowing key in his grandpa's shed, he has been able to transport himself into Arcadia - an incredible, pixellated planet inhabited by virtual characters.
IN BOOK TWO OF THIS SERIES...
The video-game city called Boom Town is being terrorised by a mashed-up monster that seems partly machine and partly animal. Where did the dragon come from - and how is it connected to Max's friend, Sprocket? Could the answer lie in the mysterious page of computer codes given to Max by his grandpa?
Max and his friends must battle against souped-up video game characters in a race against time to solve the mysteries of the Cheat Codex. Can they prevent Lady Lupa from freeing her monstrous master - the Glitch from the Dark Place and seizing ultimate power over Arcadia?
An epic adventure for readers aged 7+.
Power Up is a thrilling new series of illustrated chapter books packed with action and humour.
Max Power may seem like an ordinary pre-teen gamer, but he has a BIG secret. Max doesn't just PLAY video games - he LIVES them! Ever since Max discovered a glowing key in his grandpa's shed, he has been able to transport himself into Arcadia - an incredible, pixellated planet inhabited by virtual characters.
IN BOOK TWO OF THIS SERIES...
The video-game city called Boom Town is being terrorised by a mashed-up monster that seems partly machine and partly animal. Where did the dragon come from - and how is it connected to Max's friend, Sprocket? Could the answer lie in the mysterious page of computer codes given to Max by his grandpa?
Max and his friends must battle against souped-up video game characters in a race against time to solve the mysteries of the Cheat Codex. Can they prevent Lady Lupa from freeing her monstrous master - the Glitch from the Dark Place and seizing ultimate power over Arcadia?
An epic adventure for readers aged 7+.
144 pages, Paperback
Published August 25, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received this book from the publisher/Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
So when I downloaded this one from Netgalley I didn’t know it was a second book. Naturally I was a bit worried, would it work out? Would it be fun even if I didn’t know anything? Well, I can tell you that it was no problem. Yes, I definitely want to read the first book when I can, but I never felt like I missed something. We get some glimpses in what happened in the previous book which only made me curious instead of confused. I love it when I can read sequels/next books in series and just slide in without trouble. Because NG or Edelweiss don’t always put that information on the book page, so it happens.
In this one we meet a boy named Max (who looks very nerdy but is very cool) who loves games. But he has a secret. He can enter the world of games! Yup! That sounds like a dream right, I know I would love to pop by and meet the characters and actually play the game without a screen between us. He is visiting his granddad and thinks it is just going to be a normal vacation, but nope. Because quickly his granddad glitches and gives him a special page. Something he needs to complete a codex. Full of cheat codes. And so begins an exciting adventure with his best friend Jade. Through the game world, battling evil monsters (mostly due to the cheat codes that were used on them), seeing people play games, figuring out how to avoid a dragon and get the cheat codex (without it falling in the wrong hands). It was just oodles of excitement and I loved meeting new characters and new parts of the world. It was a ride and I wished many times that I could step into Arcadia myself and see the chaos with my own eyes and be part of it all. There is never a moment to relax. You are either giggling because of funny situations (or names in case of the -odger gang) or on the edge of your seat with excitement. And then there are the fun cheat codes that make it all even better. From disco fever to banana peels out of your hands a la Spiderman to ultimate powers. LOVE!
There is also a twist in regards to the evil villainess which I loved and had me GASPING. I just hadn’t expected that! Maybe it helps that I didn’t read the first book?
The art that filled the pages was so much fun, I really enjoyed the style and how it brought the book further to life.
Still think it is funny that the word noob is now the word for beginner. I know it as newb (new player) or noob (bad player/not good at the game).
I am also very terribly happy that the evil villainess is not getting a POV of her own. When the book started with that I was very worried that she would get more. Thankfully, NO. Everyone who knows me knows that there are things I hate in books and one of them is villain/villainess POV. Unless the villain/villainess is likeable (which almost never happens) I just hate those parts.
All in all, I flew through this book and read it in one sitting. It was just so much fun and I love the whole cheat codes and game world stuff. I want more! Recommended!
Review also posted on https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
So when I downloaded this one from Netgalley I didn’t know it was a second book. Naturally I was a bit worried, would it work out? Would it be fun even if I didn’t know anything? Well, I can tell you that it was no problem. Yes, I definitely want to read the first book when I can, but I never felt like I missed something. We get some glimpses in what happened in the previous book which only made me curious instead of confused. I love it when I can read sequels/next books in series and just slide in without trouble. Because NG or Edelweiss don’t always put that information on the book page, so it happens.
In this one we meet a boy named Max (who looks very nerdy but is very cool) who loves games. But he has a secret. He can enter the world of games! Yup! That sounds like a dream right, I know I would love to pop by and meet the characters and actually play the game without a screen between us. He is visiting his granddad and thinks it is just going to be a normal vacation, but nope. Because quickly his granddad glitches and gives him a special page. Something he needs to complete a codex. Full of cheat codes. And so begins an exciting adventure with his best friend Jade. Through the game world, battling evil monsters (mostly due to the cheat codes that were used on them), seeing people play games, figuring out how to avoid a dragon and get the cheat codex (without it falling in the wrong hands). It was just oodles of excitement and I loved meeting new characters and new parts of the world. It was a ride and I wished many times that I could step into Arcadia myself and see the chaos with my own eyes and be part of it all. There is never a moment to relax. You are either giggling because of funny situations (or names in case of the -odger gang) or on the edge of your seat with excitement. And then there are the fun cheat codes that make it all even better. From disco fever to banana peels out of your hands a la Spiderman to ultimate powers. LOVE!
There is also a twist in regards to the evil villainess which I loved and had me GASPING. I just hadn’t expected that! Maybe it helps that I didn’t read the first book?
The art that filled the pages was so much fun, I really enjoyed the style and how it brought the book further to life.
Still think it is funny that the word noob is now the word for beginner. I know it as newb (new player) or noob (bad player/not good at the game).
I am also very terribly happy that the evil villainess is not getting a POV of her own. When the book started with that I was very worried that she would get more. Thankfully, NO. Everyone who knows me knows that there are things I hate in books and one of them is villain/villainess POV. Unless the villain/villainess is likeable (which almost never happens) I just hate those parts.
All in all, I flew through this book and read it in one sitting. It was just so much fun and I love the whole cheat codes and game world stuff. I want more! Recommended!
Review also posted on https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review