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World of Adventure #9
Project: A Perfect World
Unhappy with his family's move to Folsum, New Mexico, Jim Stanton begins to suspect that something is not right with the town and with Folsum National Laboratories, headed by the creepy Jefferson Kincaid, a feeling that is reinforced by a mysterious girl named Maria. Original.
74 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
59 people want to read
About the author
Gary Paulsen
413 books4,013 followersGary James Paulsen was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best known for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness. He was the author of more than 200 books and wrote more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 6, 2026
What turns a conspiracy theory into a real-life threat? Project: A Perfect World, book nine in Gary Paulsen's World of Adventure, offers one possible answer. Thirteen-year-old Jim Stanton is seething as his family moves from California to Folsum National Laboratories in New Mexico for his dad's job. Jim had friends back home and was a standout pitcher for his baseball team, but all that goes up in smoke as he, his eight-year-old sister Laura, and their parents arrive in Folsum. Jim isn't inclined to give the town a chance, but even if he were, the families of Folsum employees behave strangely. Something is wrong here.
Jim is relieved to meet a somewhat normal girl his age named Maria, whose uncle Max used to work at Folsum. Maria seems surprised Jim is normal; she warns him to watch out for Jefferson Kincaid, president of Folsum National Laboratories, but Jim doesn't feel alarmed until Kincaid orders him brought in for a physical. The doctor injects Jim with something, and Jim would seek help right away if only...he could remember what's bothering him.
The skull-splitting headache that crops up every time Jim tries to recollect what the doctor did to him is enough to keep those thoughts at bay. Why is Jim in agony when the rest of his family feels fine after their physicals? They're acting peculiarly, though, more like robots than people. Folsum's secret project violates major societal guardrails, and Jim hasn't a prayer of resisting without external help. Perhaps Maria can clear his brain fog and help gather proof that Kincaid is playing an evil game, before it infects the nation and then the world. Can a pair of kids defeat an educated monster?
"How do you avoid mind control? The answer is simple. Think for yourself. Be your own person. No one can control what happens in your mind better than you."
—from Project: A Perfect World
Gaslighting operations work by isolation, convincing you that your rational thoughts are outlandish and exerting social pressure to force you to shed them. If you feel all alone, emotion will manipulate you into bending the knee to those who would rob you of freedom and agency. It's not easy to overcome such a plot, but if you fight tooth and nail, time is on your side. Emerge victorious against cowards who attack your sanity, and you'll have passed one of the most intense tests a human can face.
Project: A Perfect World is by far the best entry to this point in World of Adventure. The action is taut, the mystery compelling, and deep themes of conspiracy and control are explored. I rate the book at least two and a half stars, likely three; the only thing holding it back is its brevity, at seventy-four pages. Gary Paulsen isn't always great at science fiction, but he hit the nail on the head this time.
Jim is relieved to meet a somewhat normal girl his age named Maria, whose uncle Max used to work at Folsum. Maria seems surprised Jim is normal; she warns him to watch out for Jefferson Kincaid, president of Folsum National Laboratories, but Jim doesn't feel alarmed until Kincaid orders him brought in for a physical. The doctor injects Jim with something, and Jim would seek help right away if only...he could remember what's bothering him.
The skull-splitting headache that crops up every time Jim tries to recollect what the doctor did to him is enough to keep those thoughts at bay. Why is Jim in agony when the rest of his family feels fine after their physicals? They're acting peculiarly, though, more like robots than people. Folsum's secret project violates major societal guardrails, and Jim hasn't a prayer of resisting without external help. Perhaps Maria can clear his brain fog and help gather proof that Kincaid is playing an evil game, before it infects the nation and then the world. Can a pair of kids defeat an educated monster?
"How do you avoid mind control? The answer is simple. Think for yourself. Be your own person. No one can control what happens in your mind better than you."
—from Project: A Perfect World
Gaslighting operations work by isolation, convincing you that your rational thoughts are outlandish and exerting social pressure to force you to shed them. If you feel all alone, emotion will manipulate you into bending the knee to those who would rob you of freedom and agency. It's not easy to overcome such a plot, but if you fight tooth and nail, time is on your side. Emerge victorious against cowards who attack your sanity, and you'll have passed one of the most intense tests a human can face.
Project: A Perfect World is by far the best entry to this point in World of Adventure. The action is taut, the mystery compelling, and deep themes of conspiracy and control are explored. I rate the book at least two and a half stars, likely three; the only thing holding it back is its brevity, at seventy-four pages. Gary Paulsen isn't always great at science fiction, but he hit the nail on the head this time.
January 31, 2025
I love a good “something’s wrong with this town” story. It was great.
February 9, 2016
Otra historia de aventuras que se lee como si tuvieras 15 años, un lujo recordar quién me lo regaló. :)
November 4, 2013
It is such a great book!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews