The Night Room

Seven high-school juniors think it will be fun to participate in the Argus program, a new computer program that lets them simulate their tenth high-school reunion, but they find that glimpses into the future can be devastatingly disturbing.

Grade 7-10?Tall and gawky Ira Martinic is involved in a love-hate relationship with school-paper reporter Tess and finds that they have both been chosen to participate in an virtual reality experiment. The Argus project, under the control of the cold and ruthless Dr. Ursula Halstrom, will simulate the 11th graders' 10th high school reunion, using an extremely well developed computer program based on prior interviews with the students. As the teens enter the Night Room, one at a time, they party and chat with many of their former classmates and discover the program's prediction of their projected physical appearance, career, and marital status. What no one knows is that a disgruntled computer hacker, angry because a previous Argus run has caused his girlfriend to break up with him, has planted a virus in the computer that will cause a fatal malfunction. Ira, the likable protagonist, races to prevent tragedy in the last-minute climax, which results in a darkly ironic ending. This suspenseful plot hinges on the identity and fate of the potential victim, and is enlivened by clever touches of humor. The characters are built on stereotypes (the swaggering jock, the overweight girl), but become real individuals as the book progresses. A satisfying thriller.?Lyle Blake Smythers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Like the movie The Breakfast Club, this novel is a veritable roll call of teen types-here, a jock, a genius, a tough-minded reporter for the school paper, an overweight aspiring actress, a cute blonde cheerleader-type, a timid outsider and an all-around nice guy-who forge unexpected friendships. Goldman gives the formula a science-fiction twist via an inventive plot device. These high schoolers have been selected to participate in "Argus," a virtual-reality computer program that sends each to a simulation of their 10th high-school reunion. The first session goes pretty much as its creator has planned: Joy finds that her wildest dreams have come true, but she also sees the possible consequences of her obsession with weight. Then a vengeful computer hacker activates an alternate program designed to kill one of the students. Tumbling to the scheme, the teens embark on a sweetly comic (if somewhat misguided) rescue mission composed of equal parts matchmaking and derring-do. Characters start off fairly flat, but gain some appeal: the obnoxious football star reveals his vulnerable side as he initiates his first romantic relationship; gawky Ira learns that his caring is his greatest talent; and so forth. A tempting premise plus plenty of action keeps the pages turning. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 6-10. It's high-school reunion time. Make that a virtual-reality reunion. Juniors Ira, Tess, Joy, and a few cohorts get to participate in a special computerized experiment at the local university that will project them into their tenth high-school reunion. The staff uses data from interviews to program the students' possible future selves and lives. Then, one by one, participants enter the "night room" to experience the reunion--with shocking, exhilarating, or just plain surprising results. Add a little malevolent tampering with the program, and the results could even be deadly. Goldman's thriller has a touch of sf and enough of an interesting subplot to keep the pace moving briskly. Characters are typical but believable: the shy new girl with aspirations of becoming an actress, the class star, the jock, the earnest school newspaper writer. Somewhat less believable and clear are the details of the tampering, in the sense that a computer deletion is supposed to translate into an actual death. Still, readers will be intrigued enough by the title's action and plot to virtually ensure its success. Anne O'Malley