Sometimes I just need to read a simple fictional story. Sometimes I just need to allow my mind to relax and get lost in another world, becoming the characters, experiencing the reality that the author weaves as a tapestry in my mind.

And that’s exactly what happened with MindWar by Andrew Klavan.

Set in America, in a current time, MindWar unleashes the technology of tomorrow. Terrorists have created an alternate reality where they can attack anywhere they please through technology and escape unscathed, because America does not have the ability to retaliate. But all is not what it seems.

Rick Dial is a teenage cripple. Having lost the use of his legs in a devastating car accident, he slips into a dark pit of despair and despondency, spending all his time playing video games, becoming a master of various fantasy realms.

But the government has noticed his abilities. And they want to insert him into the MindWar, a virtual reality where his life would be on the line, along with the safety and security of America.

Can he get in and accomplish the mission he is given before the game world destroys him?

I won’t spoil the end by telling you what happens, but the end is predictable.

This is the first of a trilogy based on this character and his insertion into the alternate, digital reality created by a master terrorist. I found much to like and a few things that I didn’t as I read this novel.

The Good

The creativity of this plot was new to me. I read technology thrillers occasionally, but the way Klavan sets this up is different than anything I’ve read before. Character development was detailed as well. As you read MindWar, you understand Rick Dial; you see the entire story through his eyes. The creation of Rick Dial, and his relationships with those around him seem natural. Dialog flows easily. You get the impression that the real life portion of this novel is just like it really is. That’s good. Many fiction authors cannot accomplish that. Klavan has succeeded in that.

The Bad

But if the real life portion of the story is excellent, the digital game environment was the exact opposite. Klavan’s criminal mastermind apparently created a virtual reality inspired by a mixture of Halo or The Matrix and Super Mario. The creatures in the alternate world were laughable, and lacked imagination. Or perhaps they had too much imagination. I cannot imagine a super-terrorist creating guardians for his realm with crocodile heads, or pink skin.

The Review

Overall, MindWar was an interesting novel, geared towards teens. Having worked with teens for more than two decades, though, most of the one I know would not have been over-the-top-impressed with this book. A little more research could have gone into the gaming side to make this an exceptional book. As it is, it’s average, or a bit above.

On the positive side, though, it was very clean and I would have no problems allowing my boys to dig into this series.

I’m interested to see what the next volume in the trilogy holds. In the meantime, I will be checking out some of the other works by Andrew Klavan.

Question: Technological thrillers are very engaging to read. Do you have a favorite book or author in this genre? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

I received this book free from Harper Collins Christian Publishing as part of their BookLook Bloggers review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.