Beth BowlandRecensioni

I have been trying to read this since I got it as an ER book in 2016. Skimming through, it's almost sort of interesting - but the writing, dialog, and description are so awkward and wooden that I can't stand it. And the end...this challenge, with the threat of death, was just a couple kids and their friends playing? Yeah, no. I don't want to find out any more about these people.

Aaron Martin is a 13 year-old boy from Bixie, Montana. On a cold and snowy day Aaron allows a young wayward boy to come warm up in his house. However, the boy, Nakal is not who he says at all and by allowing him inside, Aaron is now a player in a dangerous game being controlled by different beings in space. Nakal and Aaron are pawns in a scavenger hunt being led by The Council of Legend- an otherworldly group of beings that have promised Nakal the ultimate prize if he wins. Nakal is willing to do anything in order to gain an Earth family, but when Aaron learns that he is playing for his life, he is willing to fight even harder.

Polaris has a really interesting concept, humans being forced into a game beyond their control by beings in the stars. It had a little bit of a Jumanji feel to it. I liked the combination of the high-stakes game and science-fiction elements. At first, the game itself seemed very confusing and I was probably just as lost as Aaron. However, as Aaron begins to learn the rules and play some of the confusion is ironed out. I did like the inclusion of the constellations and star names in the clues and the artifacts for the scavenger hunt and I was trying to guess what each clue might lead to. Nakal is a bit of an enigma at first, he is originally set up to be the villain, but after learning his back story, I felt for him as well. It is too bad there wasn't a way for both boys to have their families. Overall, a unique and exciting science-fiction story aimed at middle-grade readers who enjoy adventure and aliens.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.½

Youth sci-fi adventure book with unique story line. Aaron, a 13 year old boy in Bixie, Montana, has to win a "game" in order to save his family, best friend, and himself from aliens. Really enjoyed the integration of astronomy in the clues. Thumbs up!

I read this book within a couple hours. I was disappointed honestly. Not only was the book too short but it didn't make much sense. The story line was okay but the way it was written was all over the place. I did not enjoy it much, Sorry!

I received this book as an early review.
I liked the idea about a cosmic game/treasure hunt. Unfortunately that's all I really liked. I felt the writing style and content seemed like a high school paper.

Although I found the book too short for my taste, and missing in plot depth, it contains an interesting story which mixes on- and off-planet parts, some suspense, some planetary science and good ideas, all of it in a gaming environment which result in a good reading time. I would recommend this book for teenagers.

The beginning was a bit rough but I'm glad I stuck with it. The story line was interesting and had some nice little twists. There were some spots where the dialogue seemed a bit stilted but overall worth the read.

I'm a science lover. This book is full of clever science insider references. I enjoyed it very much. The story line was somewhat like the Robin WIlliams movie Jumanji. Beth, thank you very much for the story; I will be definitely checking your site for more books!

I, too, am not who this book was written for but have read other fantastical stories that actually took me somewhere interesting. This had some great ideas, i especially loved the idea of the tears, but I found the dialogue and the experiences basic. And ideas brought up that never actually happened. Such as, being introduced back into the game, would have been nice to see that actually happen with at least one character. And wrapped up way too easily.

I would love to go back in time and see if my 9 year old would have loved this, like I loved Willy Wonka, Peter Pan, The Phantom Tollbooth, et al. for the adventures they brought me. Easy read though.

i'm sorry Ms Bowland but I couldn't finish the book, in fact I hardly started. Maybe it wasn't designed for a middle aged woman as the book's central characters are two boys. I found some of the writing fine, but found it often clumsy which put me off. I like the mystery that has been set up in the first few pages, but for me will it be unsolved as I can't make my way to the end of the book.

FROM AMAZON: Bixie, Montana, is in the middle of nowhere, not connected to any place, and not used as a pass through to get anywhere. But one snowy evening, a lone visitor walking down an old country road changes 13-year-old Aaron Martin’s life forever. Aaron thinks he’s being a Good Samaritan by inviting the nearly-frozen visitor into his home, but he’s unwittingly initiated The Game. A group of Elders, known as the Council of the Legend, come together from time to time to enjoy a rousing event they playfully call “The Game.” Now, Aaron’s town is the playing board and he and his fellow townspeople are the players. The rules are simple. Win. Because if Aaron loses, he won’t just lose his family . . . he’ll lose his very identity.