Paraworld Zero (Parallel Worlds) - Softcover

Matthew Peterson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1590924916 ISBN 13: 9781590924914

Publisher: Blue Works, 2008

Synopsis

Simon Kent is just an ordinary 12 year old trying to cope with the loss of his parents and the bullies at school . . . or so he thinks. After meeting an outspoken girl with strange hair that changes colors with her mood, he is swept into a futuristic world filled with dragonlike creatures, vast technology, and enslaved giants. But Simon also stumbles upon a secret: He can perform magic in this parallel world! While fighting mystical creatures, unraveling an ancient mystery, and even experiencing his first kiss, Simon discovers that he, an outsider from Earth, is the only person who can save the high-tech planet from an impending doom.

About this title

About the Author

Matthew Peterson is an award-winning short story writer, second degree black belt in karate, Eagle scout, computer programmer, and former missionary. He also has uncanny luck with firsts, from getting accepted to the first and only university he applied to (Brigham Young University), becoming the Director of Information Technologies from his first and only job interview after graduating with a business management degree, and even marrying the first woman he dated in college. He wanted twins, and, miraculously, his first two children were red-headed twins. He won first place in the first writing contest he entered, and the first publisher he sent his book to bought the rights to publish it. He hopes his luck with firsts will continue on with his debut novel, Paraworld Zero.

Matthew has won or received honorable mentions in several writing contests including Writers Digest, Writers Weekly, and L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future. He currently lives in Arizona with his wife, five boys, and a giant African tortoise.

Reviews

Grade 5–7—The best thing that can be said about this book is that the painfully bad cover art should dissuade anyone from attempting to read it. The prose is ungainly and includes grammatical errors at regular intervals. The plot begins with a dark and stormy night straight out of the Bulwer-Lytton contest: "Rumbling sounds resonated from the darkness above, accompanied by a faint groan of atmospheric indigestion echoing in the distance." It doesn't improve. The story follows young Simon Kent, an orphan and a victim of bullies, as he is suddenly catapulted into a series of adventures by an encounter with a young student of magic. Tonya transports Simon to another "paraworld," one of many parallel universes. They have various adventures with Puds, ancient secrets, magic, space travel, etc., but the narrative is nearly impossible to read, let alone enjoy. If readers are looking for something involving parallel worlds, hand them Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves's wonderful Interworld (Eos, 2007).—Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI
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Edition details

• Publisher: Blue Works
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1590924916
• ISBN 13: 9781590924914
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 251