The Faces of Fear

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

A car accident, which killed her mother, has left Joan Sandow, 15, a
paraplegic. Her guilt-ridden, wealthy, and indulgent father allows his
“Princess,” once a star athlete but now wheelchair-bound, to
disassociate herself completely from her friends and receive
homeschooling. Joan’s outside contacts are limited to the Internet,
where, as Joanna, she masks her physical condition. Joanna’s response
to an invitation from Whizkid to play chess online initiates a series of
events that ultimately takes her life in a positive direction.

The key to the change is Joan’s and Whizkid’s participation in a
sophisticated interactive virtual reality computer adventure game that
allows them to feel as if they were warriors who were actually “in”
the game. Developed by Jason Bedard, a precocious program designer, the
four-part game has a malevolent side: a vengeful Jason, rejected by Joan
during her able-bodied days, has incorporated her fears into the game
and later adds those of Steve Andersen, a.k.a. Whizkid.

Teens who play computer simulation games will be attracted to
Hughes’s novel plot device. Recommended.