Mazes & Monsters

I'm surprised to see an accumulation of negative reviews. This book hits a continuing American theme...concern over youthful obsession. You could replace Dungeons & Dragons with Pokemon or the latest craze. Even as I write this I'm listening to a news story about a kid who committed suicide after becoming engrossed in online video games. While the book is not at the very top of my list for chapter flow and solid writing, it is quite enjoyable. If you read it in the context that it is a glimpse into parental concerns from a couple decades ago, it will be much more enjoyable. It certainly outshines most of the current glut of novels on the bestseller lists.

Oh, please! The book was fantastic. I read it last year, and I still thought the plot was fresh. The romance was out of an earlier time, of course, but I still found it endearing to the characters. It was the bonding between them that made them accept/need each other. (If you are not a gamer, I would recommend The Other Woman by Rona Jaffe and An American Love Story, too. If you are a gamer, you should read A Confederacy of Dunces. There's a character in it, Miss Trixie, that reminds me of your "enlightened" approach to chomping on people with their false teeth.)

Four brilliant characters, Robbie, Jay Jay, Daniel, and Kate, come alive in this novel by Rona Jaffe. In this tale of spellbinding suspense, we see how each attempts to deal with his or her own inner struggles. In doing so, the four college students immerse themselves in the fantasy role-playing game, Mazes and Monsters. One of them will never return to reality. We are invited to feel their triumphs and heartaches, their joys and their pain, which will stay with readers long after the last page is turned. A must read!!!

The setting is Grant University in Pequod, Pennsylvania. When four students embark on the role-playing game Mazes and Monsters, they encounter more than they bargin for when things get out of hand. With shear terror and convincing description, Rona Jaffe presents a compelling tale which lies on a fine line between fantasy and reality. As Robbie, Jay Jay, Daniel and Kate become more involved in "the game", they must bring themselves out of the darkness they have fallen into, and find their way back to reality. The adventures they embark upon lure the reader to the depths beyond; entising him to play along with them, and venture into their world...