‘Escape Room’ – Christopher Edge

Any book by Christopher Edge is usually a treat, blending a great story with something to encourage discussion. Escape Room is no different.

Ami is treated to an Escape Room experience by her father, and she is keen to show her skills. Upon entering the room she is surprised to have to join with four other children, each of whom seems to have their own set of skills. Their Host tells them that, in fact, they have been chosen to save the world and that they need to find the answer.

From the outset we see Ami plunged into some horrific scenarios. Each room has a distinctive environment, and it was fascinating to watch them try to work out exactly what was needed in order to get to the next stage. My personal favourite was the library of dust, but the group also experience a Mayan tomb, a deserted shopping mall overrun by extinct animals and a space mission to Mars. I was stunned as we watched the scenarios progress, realising quite quickly that there was a lot more to this than we first thought.

By the end of the book the message was clear. This will certainly be of interest to readers on a number of levels, and I’m definitely going to recommend this to a number of students who have an interest in environmental issues.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this before publication, expected February 2022.