The Leveller by Julia Durango

The Leveller by Julia Durango

Release Date: June 23, 2015

Publisher:  HarperTeen

Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 256

Summary: Nixy Bauer is a self-made Leveller. Her job? Dragging kids out of virtual reality and back to their parents in the real world. It’s normally easy cash, but Nixy’s latest mission is fraught with real danger, intrigue, and romance.

Nixy Bauer is used to her classmates being very, very unhappy to see her. After all, she’s a bounty hunter in a virtual reality gaming world. Kids in the MEEP, as they call it, play entirely with their minds, while their bodies languish in a sleeplike state on the couch. Irritated parents, looking to wrench their kids back to reality, hire Nixy to jump into the game and retrieve them.

But when the game’s billionaire developer loses track of his own son in the MEEP, Nixy is in for the biggest challenge of her bounty-hunting career. Wyn Salvador isn’t some lazy kid looking to escape his homework: Wyn does not want to be found. And he’s left behind a suicide note. Nixy takes the job but quickly discovers that Wyn’s not hiding—he’s being held inside the game against his will. But who is holding him captive, and why?

Nixy and Wyn attempt to fight their way out of a mind game unlike any they’ve encountered, and the battle brings them closer than either could have imagined. But when the whole world is virtual, how can Nixy possibly know if her feelings are real?

Gamers and action fans of all types will dive straight into the MEEP, thanks to Julia Durango’s cinematic storytelling. A touch of romance adds some heart to Nixy’s vivid, multidimensional journey through Wyn’s tricked-out virtual city, and constant twists keep readers flying through to the breathtaking end.

My Thoughts:  I wasn’t sure what to think as I started The Leveller. I don’t play video games but my boyfriend likes them! So, I wasn’t sure just how much I was going to really enjoy this one. But I was pleasantly surprised because I did like it enough and found it interesting, but weird.

We are introduced to Nixy who goes into video games and grabs the person out of them. In this reality, people who are in video games basically give themselves up to them and go into kind of a sleep mode. Its hard to explain but the book does a great job explaining it, much better than I could do.

Nixy gets an offer to go in and grab a well known guy’s kid.  The catch, everyone think he is trying to kill himself and he’s been in the game way too long.  I liked seeing Nixy go in and what she had to face to even get to him. Worst fears, scary moments, it was full of surprises. And things aren’t what they seem to be once she gets inside. There is more to the story than what she knows.

I really liked getting to know the boy Nixy goes in after. His name is Wyn and he seemed really smart and sweet both. He had a great personality and he made me laugh and smile.

I liked the plot of this one even though it was a little bit odd. At first, I wasn’t so sure about this one but I did end up liking it. And Nixy was a great character!

Overall:  I hope you give this a chance even if you don’t think its your cup of tea. I liked the plot, and the characters. I’d say this is probably more of a 3.5 cupcake rating. It was odd but once you get past that its interesting and fun.

Cover:  Like it! Love the girls ponytail. I’d want to know what it is about!!!

What I'd Give It: