Livyers World.

Deborah Dowson is a Canaadian children’s librarian in North Wales,
Pennsylvania.

A virtual reality program is testing Viddy, but this program feels so real that he wonders if he really is living in a parallel universe where the speculated Y2K disaster did happen. This virtual world was plunged into a post-technological age with disastrous consequences, except, it seems, for the people of Newfoundland, who live simply and depend on fishing, hunting, and scavenging for survival, much as the original peoples did. The other unusual feature of this test is that Viddy is unable to quit the program on command, as he usually can. After surviving for several months in the Livyer world, Viddy passes the test, and may choose the option to return to his old life, but it may be a choice he is no longer willing to make.

This is a captivating story that compares and contrast a future technological society with the ancient ways of survival based on Inuk social organization. Readers are given pause to wonder about how technology influences society and to consider the pros and cons of two very different futures. The plot maintains an element of mystery and suspense as Viddy slowly discovers the culture and history of this “virtual world” and as he reveals details about his past and the futuristic society he has grown up in. The interesting premise, along with well paced and suspenseful action, clever, thoughtful, and sensitive characters, make for a first rate adventure. The story is far more intriguing than the cover suggests.

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