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pepprika's review against another edition
5.0
I have no idea why, but I find myself re-reading this book every few years. It's a great mix of adventure, suspense, fantasy, and sci-fi. The perfect YA fantasy novel!
momreads's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I read this for a teen book club that I sponsor. The teens choose the books. The premise of the book was interesting. What if you play a virtual reality game in which you die for real if you don't win the game. Oh, and there is a time limit. The characters within the game were fun, each having a bit of an extreme personality type. The resets of the game where the protagonist had to start back at the beginning got to be repetitive but that was also part of the game so sort of necessary. Overall a fun book.
juliaw's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
iloveswedishchef's review
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I know it’s not fair to give this book less than a 5 because it’s too short, but it’s too short! I want more! More interactions with the brothers (ideally, Kendric would not have been a brother…), more lore about the villagers, more Nigel and Giannine! Please make this into a TV adaption (and make it good).
rukistarsailor's review against another edition
3.0
I loved Heir Apparent more when I was in fifth (or sixth?) grade. I just remember it being way more interesting and funny than it really was. I could see why I liked this book as a child, but I'm clearly not the target demographic anymore lol.
Spoiler
And for years I thought that the MC had only three chances, and the last time she died in the game, she died for real. I was sad that wasn't actually the case.missprint_'s review
4.0
Vivan Vande Velde is one of the best fantasy writers out there. Her stories are believable and populated with characters you'll remember long after the book is closed. Her stories are also surprisingly believable given that they are fantasies. Such is the case with this novel, which takes place in some undisclosed future time. The story gets into gear when the narrator, Giannine, enters a full-immersion virtual reality game (by the same name as the title of the book) to compete to rule a kingdom. The problem? If Giannine loses she might not be able to leave the game environment.
As you might have guessed by that little summary, most of this story revolves around Giannine playing the game over and over as she tries to win. This creates a lot of repetition--as we watch Giannine go through the same scenarios repeatedly with varying levels of success (If this sounds similar to the premise of "Groundhog Day" that's because it is.). Happily, instead of seeming redundant, the story/plot remains interesting. Vande Velde artfully describes the gameplay so that readers won't get bored. This makes the book go by really fast.
The characters are extremely interesting and the premise--while not totally new--is unique, as is the author's handling of it. The story features Vande Velde's usual humor throughout. What it doesn't feature is her usual ambiguous ending. The story is still open-ended but it has more closure than are found in A Well-Timed Enchantment or Companions of the Night (both also by Vande Velde and also highly recommended), which makes for a nice change.
You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print
As you might have guessed by that little summary, most of this story revolves around Giannine playing the game over and over as she tries to win. This creates a lot of repetition--as we watch Giannine go through the same scenarios repeatedly with varying levels of success (If this sounds similar to the premise of "Groundhog Day" that's because it is.). Happily, instead of seeming redundant, the story/plot remains interesting. Vande Velde artfully describes the gameplay so that readers won't get bored. This makes the book go by really fast.
The characters are extremely interesting and the premise--while not totally new--is unique, as is the author's handling of it. The story features Vande Velde's usual humor throughout. What it doesn't feature is her usual ambiguous ending. The story is still open-ended but it has more closure than are found in A Well-Timed Enchantment or Companions of the Night (both also by Vande Velde and also highly recommended), which makes for a nice change.
You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print
cmcryst's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0