About This Book
Heir Apparent plunges 14-year-old Giannine into a perilous virtual reality game where she must claim a throne in a medieval world. The catch: every time her character dies, she's sent back to the beginning, and a malfunction means she can't exit without risking brain damage. This fast-paced novel is a thrilling blend of science fiction and fantasy, as Giannine learns from her mistakes, builds alliances, and solves riddles to survive. It's an excellent choice for middle-grade readers (ages 11-14) who enjoy adventure, problem-solving, and stories about resilience, offering a unique take on consequences and growth.
In the virtual reality game Heir Apparent, there are way too many ways to get killed--and Giannine seems to be finding them all. Which is a darn shame, because unless she can get the magic ring, locate the stolen treasure, answer the dwarf's dumb riddles, impress the head-chopping statue, charm the army of ghosts, fend off the barbarians, and defeat the man-eating dragon, she'll never win. And she has to, because losing means she'll die--for real this time.
peril_danger
Character Death
Scary Scenes
Discussion Prompts
1
If you were Giannine, what's the first thing you would try differently after dying the first time?
2
How does Giannine's experience in the game help her think about her real-world problems?
3
What are some of the pros and cons of a virtual reality game like Heir Apparent?
4
Giannine learns to make allies and negotiate instead of fighting. When is it better to talk things out than to use force?
5
The book shows Giannine learning from her mistakes. Can you think of a time you learned something important by making a mistake?
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