Nathan Penlington was an avid reader of the Choose Your Own Adventure books as a child. When he spots a job lot of 106 of the titles on ebay, he can't resist buying them. Yet Nathan gets more than he bargained for. Within the books he finds pages of a diary belonging to a child called Terence Prendergast. Nathan feels a connection to Terence and becomes desperate to contact him and find out how the angst ridden teen turned out. The Boy in the Book chronicles this search.
I was attracted to this book mainly because of the nostalgic element- I remember loving Choose Your Own Adventure books as a child and thought this would be an interesting look at this revolutionary genre through the eyes of a fan.
How wrong was I? The Boy in the Book is so much more than that. It is a quest, a story of determination and perseverance. It explores the obsessive nature of humanity. It is empathetic, warm and honest. And most of all it is entertaining. Nathan's search for Terence Prendergast is an epic journey full of charm and wit, and is an engaging and accessible non-fiction read. I especially liked how it explores the transition from childhood to adulthood, how things can be easily misinterpreted and that friendships can form in the most unusual of circumstances.
This one will appeal to fans of Danny Wallace and Dave Gorman.
The Boy in the Book is out now.
With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
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