This was a really fun story and quite unique. The characters were all interesting and the pacing was good.

"It was early morning and Arthur was already running late for school when the gnomes exploded." How could you not want to carry on reading after an opening line like this? This is another brilliant middle grade adventure. Arthur and his companions find themselves trapped within an 'in-reality adventure game' in the future and have to solve a series of puzzles in order to find their way back home. Not only is this an exciting read, but it is also educational, being peppered with historical figures including Sir Isaac Newton and Thomas Edison. Exciting and inventive. I loved it!

This book has one of the best beginnings of a book ever with some exploding gnomes. Arthur, Cecily and Ren who don't even know each other are transported to a ship where they meet Isaac Newton. They are then tasked with a quest which takes place in Wonderscape in 2473 . Their quest is like an online game which is an original concept for this age group although of course there is Ready Player One and Jumanji. There they face various challenges and perils as you would in an online game.
The beginning reminded me of Alan Garner's Elidor with children going through into another world.
The three children are diverse in background and well drawn. I always like it when the characters are sometimes a bit grumpy.
An exciting concept and an exciting adventure. Something new, fresh and appealing .

A great adventure tale mixing gaming with time-travel. I loved the cahallenges faced by the adventurers, and the historical figure thay meet along the way. A very original and exciting book that will appeal to a wide range of readers -great stuff!

The first sentence had me hooked - exploding gnomes! Where would we go next in this helter skelter world. Wonderscape is one of those books that you pick up and after a couple of paragraphs think why isn't this happening to me and why am I not on this adventure of a lifetime?

Why didn't I live there when I was a kid?


"Bravery isn’t about being fearless. It’s about being scared and doing it anyway."

Strangers on a journey
So, we have this trio who don't know each other well... actually at all. And they have to work together to travel through this dangerous world, solving various puzzles and challenges, so they can make their way back home. This proves difficult because everything is strange - the worlds are new and different; the rules are obscure and this game they are in has real life consequence - you can die for real.

“. the right thing was always worth doing, no matter how hard it might be"

Along the way as they go deeper into the game, they meet historical heroes from the Earth's past. Using the abilities and knowledge of these ‘public figures', the trio find out where they are, what happened to them and what lies in the future. Eventually Arthur, Ren and Cecily find themselves caught up in a web of mystery and part of a resistance movement.

Able and adventurous kids
However, these kids are not passive backseat passengers, they are in the driving seat making decisions and choices that effect their future and the rest of the worlds. Through their learning and knowledge - all three are able to contribute to the challenges. They apply hypothesis and solutions to resolve puzzles, social issues, with the hope they can survive another day to continue their journey home.

The important of learning, knowledge and education can not be understated. It literally saved their lives. Not forgetting their personal attributes of courage, persistence and determination But it is evident that there are ideas, conundrums 'things' you can't just work out no matter how clever you are when under a timed challenge. The knowing and applying of knowledge and facts was a lifesaver.

We are shown that each child is different and their difference is a benefit because cleverness, intelligence, gumption and resilience presents in different ways for each child. Each has an innate skill and the ability to acquire more, to leverage their knowledge, to win in this game within worlds. We see that there is no one right way to contribute to this quest. Everyone can help and does, in the way that they can.

"Yes, the Wonderscape had almost killed him; but it had also given him experiences he’d remember for the rest of his life, as well as two extraordinary friends– all of which he was grateful for."

Solo v Team

Friendship is explored in depth, as is identity. The face we present to the world isn't always how we see ourselves or know who we really are. It's the façade that is there to help us blend in, to not cause waves, make us noticed, or solicit questions. To deal with the family dynamics we cannot change.

It touches on the issues of loneliness and being alone, concerns which affect all these teens. Yet we see the power in connections the benefits of friendship. In having, making relationships with others; some of the puzzles could only be completed by working with another.

"He understood why it was more difficult to explore the maze alone: because then you weren’t just fighting whatever obstacles it threw at you, you were fighting the fear and worry that came with loneliness."

Wonderscape is a full-on adventure, that sweeps you up into different worlds, hints at time travel, presents the value of knowledge and ideas and is just plain fun. We're introduced to three teens who are disconnected (to varying degrees) from family, friends and the world in general. By the end of the book, introspection, camaraderie and action has made them see their value, worth and place in the world. That is priceless.

“Our futures are full of possibility,” Arthur said, feeling light. “They always have been"


My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in return for a candid review.

3 stars - Liked It

Following an explosion on a housing estate, Arthur, Cecily and Ren are drawn into a house to try to rescue a dog they think is trapped. Once inside, they find themselves trapped as characters in a reality game where they must solve ever more demanding challenges, meeting characters from the past. The sense of menace grows as the three protagonists face danger, and they are forced to rely on each other to navigate the perils of the game. This is a fast-paced, action adventure which will have wide appeal and linger in the memory.

Review published as part of the Wonderscape Blog Tour.

First lines don’t come much better than, ‘It was early morning and Arthur was already running late for school when the gnomes exploded’. Pitching the reader straight into the action, Wonderscape is a thrilling adventure through time and virtual reality for the gamer generation, that doesn’t slow it’s pace.

Arthur, Ren and Cecily and thrown together by the explosion on their way to school, and rapidly become a team who depend on each other for their lives. They each have a strong voice and grow to understand each other’s hopes and fears as their adventure progresses. It is wonderful to see them empathise with each other and understand that while outwardly, their lives are very different, they share more in common than at first glance.

The settings are distinct and transport you to each realm with ease, whether it’s on board a ship, traversing the desert or crossing a high gorge while wrecking balls swing towards them. Each setting brings it’s own unique challenge requiring teamwork, determination and perseverance to solve them, while the ever present threat of discovery and capture lurks around each corner.

I loved meeting the different heroes within the story as they worked their way through the Wonderscape. Among them are Sir Isaac Newton, the scientist who discovered gravity, Tomoe Gozen, twelfth century female samurai warrior and Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan activist who founded the Greenbelt movement which helped the planting of millions of trees.

Time-traveling, in-game experiences, friendships, solving mysteries, and many fun quests – that’s what «Wonderscape» brings to the table! Pitched as “Jumanji meets Ready Player One”, this book was a perfect distraction from the real-life world!

Every fan of video games will appreciate the in-game reality created by Jessica Bell! Just like in beloved Jumanji, a bunch of kids are pulled into a game where they need to complete certain quests to be able to move forward. This is not just the virtual reality of Ready Player One, the in-game reality becomes a real reality 😀 And they have limited time to be able to solve the greatest mystery of Wonderscape and get back home.

Unbelievably captivating and fast-paced, this book was very difficult to put down. One minute Arthur, Ren, and Cecily witness an explosion in the neighboring house and the next they are in a completely different world. Everything happens so quickly, we barely have the chance to meet the main characters. But I loved how their different personalities got to shine in various realms of Wonderscape. Each of them brought a different set of skills when needed the most.

Adventure, adventure, and more adventure. Besides being incredibly fast-paced, there was never a boring moment in Wonderscape. Each realm Arthur, Ren and Cecily traveled to was very interesting and fun to explore, and the moment they got there there were challenges [quests] to be completed.

I’m so happy that (1) I heard about this book at all and (2) that I was lucky enough to get my request approved. If you’re a fan of middle grade, make sure to add «Wonderscape» to your TBR!

I thought Wonderscape was a brilliant middle grade adventure story which was based on role playing games. I particularly enjoyed using historical figures - both well known and lesser known - within the story, as this helped to lend more realism to the worlds. The three main characters were all well written and developed and would be good role models for young readers.

Really fun adventure story that's very well written. Loved the characters, the plot and how entertaining it was.
It's a gem both for adults and young readers.

Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

I requested Wonderscape because my 11 year old has previously read and raved about Jennifer Bell. When I spotted Wonderscape the cover caught my eye, and then I realised I knew the author's name.

I really enjoyed this. There's some fabulously detailed world creation, lots of villainous opposition, an ambitious detailed plot and a developing friendship. And there's a dog called Cloud...who has some secrets!

In some ways this reminded me a bit of Jumanji - being trapped within a game, but it creates its own world well. I want a Wondercloak now, imagining what the design on mine would be...

Full disclosure - to get the fullest opinion on this book from a child’s perspective this review (from a very senior citizen) this review is based on my 10 year old grandson’s reading of Wonderscape. The fact that he read it in just over two days probably tells you all you need to know. He really didn’t want to put it down and was particularly impressed by the way the author mixed adventure with future reality (his words!). Although he thought the plot seemed a bit abrupt at the start, with some characters not being introduced at the time, he found that the way the author backfilled the gaps as the book progressed overcame this potential problem; the different events fit together well and the satisfying ending brought things neatly to a conclusion. Would he recommend it to friends? Definitely! It was up there with the best books he’d read.

I thought it was good, too!

Up until now, I’d not read any of Jennifer Bell’s work but intrigued by the beautiful cover and what I’d read about this book, I requested it from Net Galley to see what all the ‘fuss’ was about on Twitter.

With one of the best opening paragraphs I’ve read in a while, I was immediately hooked into wondering what was going on in what appeared at first glance to be a perfectly normal housing estate. It is here that we meet Arthur who is on his way to school when his morning is interrupted by an explosion witnessed also by Cecily and Ren, fellow pupils with whom it initially seems Arthur has little in common.

Together, they tentatively enter the affected house in order to rescue a dog they believe trapped inside only to find themselves mysteriously transported on board a ship . At first, the trio think that they are experiencing some sort of Virtual Reality activity similar to an escape room but discover that they really are at sea and are told that the ship is just one setting within the ‘Wonderscape’ of the book’s title. This is an ‘In-Reality Adventure Game’ (I-RAG) where participants need to solve the challenges posed to them in order to move on to the next area or ‘realm’, each of which is themed around a hero from Earth’s history.

Before moving on, they learn that the ship is crewed by robots and are equipped with technology which will assist them as they make progress by the realm’s hero, Isaac Newton, who also tells them that not only have they moved through space but through time and are in the year 2473. He reveals that the Wonderscape has been created by a company called Hxperion, founded by three siblings, one of whom had fled four years previously leaving several unpaid debts. After warning them that their time-travelling puts them at risk within the I-RAG, Newton offers them advice on how to return home and reveals that the three of them need to do this within 53 hours, or face being wiped from history.

And so, disguised as wanderers – players of the game – the three set off through the Wonderscape in order to track down the missing founder and safely return home. Along the way, they must solve the puzzles presented to them and avoid the threat of detection by those who would wish them harm.

Many of us are escaping into the other worlds that fiction presents to us at the moment but in this case the worlds presented to the main characters are horribly dangerous and all too real. As the book progresses, the mood shifts almost imperceptibly – from the humour of the opening paragraph and Isaac Newton’s choice of footwear through to the increasing peril the children find themselves in as they not only have to solve the puzzles posed by the Wonderscape but have to avoid being caught by those pursuing them for reasons which only fully become clear towards the end of the story.

At first, the three children barely know one another and it is clear that they have very little in common but as the story moves on, and they start to get to know one another, they learn to trust one another and work together without any apparent friction. This is quite unusual but here it is presented quite credibly with Arthur, Cecily and Ren accepting one another and forging the kind of friendships which you hope they will maintain into adulthood. Certainly, if I were reading this to my class there would be many opportunities for some great discussion about different types of family, of which children are generally very accepting.

Many readers will be familiar with the idea of travelling through both space and time thanks to the ever-popular Dr Who, but the Wonderscape here is something more like a blend of the TARDIS with the holodeck in Star Trek: The Next Generation. As Augmented Reality games such as Pokémon GO and the use of VR become more common-place, it seems to me to be the next logical step in game-playing would be something like the Wonderscape presented here, which makes it all the more believable and frightening. In particular, the idea of being tracked as you move about is one with which many adult readers might be uncomfortable, with the government’s planned Covid 19 app being seen as an invasion of civil liberty by some.

As an adult reader, the book also posed the question to me as to how far video games will ‘progress’ as technology advances. Many games are seen as harmless fun but with those games in which violence is a big part of the appeal, just how far the participants will be prepared to be involved in the games they play and how this will impact on players for whom the boundaries between fantasy and real-life blur remains to be seen.

Possibly I am over-thinking this but truth is said to be stranger than fiction so we will have to wait and see. In the meantime, this is an absolutely cracking story and one which I am sure many readers will enjoy, both adult and the children for whom it is intended. Huge thanks to both Net Galley and Walker Books for allowing me to read it ahead of publication on June 4th.

Wonderscape is pitched as Jumanji meets Ready Player One and for children and I have to say it did not disappoint. The book follows three kids who are acquaintances from school. When they investigate an explosion of garden gnomes on the way to school they accidentally travel to 2473 and find themselves within an adventure game. They learn to navigate this game together and meet some historical figures along the way.

This book was a lot of fun. There is adventure form the start and the world and game is well thought out. Jennifer Bell includes inspiring messages about overcoming fears and lessons to learn, for example judging people before you know them. However these messages never feel preachy and woven nicely into the story. Exactly as a children's book should!

This is a book which starts off with a literal bang. Arthur is on his way to school when his neighbour’s garden gnomes start exploding. He and fellow students Ren and Cecily call the police, but while waiting for them to arrive they hear a dog in distress barking in the house. Knowing that the house has been abandoned for a few years, the trio go in to save the dog, and moments later find themselves upon a research vessel with none other than Sir Isaac Newton!

It turns out that Arthur, Ren and Cecily have been transported to the 25th Century, right into a game called Wonderscape. This in-reality adventure game uses the latest in technology to allow its users to travel to different realms, completing tasks and challenges to win the honour of meeting famous figures from throughout history.

Isaac Newton has some bad news for them, though. Due to timey-wimey constraints, if they don’t make it back home within 48 hours there’s a good chance that the universe will erase their existence. Desperate to avoid becoming puddles of goo, the three classmates race against time to work out how to escape the Wonderscape before time runs out.

The best word to describe Wonderscape is propulsive. This story is non-stop action and the tension doesn’t let up for a second. Jennifer Bell cleverly never lets the reader forget about the time bomb ticking in the background, with Arthur regularly updating us on how much time is left causing your heart to beat just that little bit faster with each chapter that passes.

I thought the concept of the Wonderscape was so clever, and if it was a game which actually existed I’d be addicted to it! At points I was getting some Ready Player One vibes – it has certainly put me in the mood to re-read that story – so if you’re a fan of Ernest Cline’s debut but would like to try branching out into reading middle grade then this is a great place to start. (Or vice versa! If you read Wonderscape but are looking for something a bit more grown up, Ready Player One is awesome).

Parts of Wonderscape also gave me Marvel movie vibes. You think you know what the story is, but then another plot is revealed and the stakes get even higher. We read the second half of Wonderscape in one sitting for that exact reason: when you realise there’s more to the story than just getting the three main characters home safely, you need to know how it’s going to end.

My favourite thing about Wonderscape was probably Cloud the dog, who isn’t just a dog… But I’ll let you find out what’s special about Cloud when you pick up this book!

When Arthur, Ren and Cecily decided to investigate an explosion, the last thing they expected was to find themselves trapped within a game - 400 hundred years in the future.

Jennifer Bell takes us on the fantastical, futuristic adventure of these three unlikely friends, as they are thrown into the challenges of the epic in-reality realms of Wonderscape. Through each themed realm, our group of 'wanderers' are expected to puzzle their way to an exit as well as gaining the pleasure of meeting a famous historical figure. With real & fictional historical figures, this adrenaline fuelled adventure mixes science fiction with historical facts. The plight of the three protagonists, not only through the game but with the issues they face at home, will keep you enthralled and very often on the edge of your seat throughout their journey.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to being able to share it within school.

Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.

Arthur, Ren and Cecily have nothing in common apart from the same school they all attend and their ability to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. An explosion occurs on an otherwise quiet street and the trio investigate where it stemmed from, and to possibly rescue the howling creature they can hear from an abandoned home as well. They find a fluffy, white dog inside. And, also, an entire other world.

They stepped into one room and found themselves aboard a ship in the middle of a vast ocean and heading straight towards perilous territory. This proved to be just the first in a vast series of missions to gain the next puzzle piece into solving just where they are, why history's greatest figures are trapped there, and how they can return to safety and their own timeline.

The synopsis cited this as being a blend of Jumanji and Ready Player one, and I'd say that was a pretty accurate analysis of the story. The action and adventure from the former was blended with the virtual reality setting and some of the scientific backing of the latter. I was surprised by how dense this got and that mathematical or scientific discussions were included at all, given the middle grade age range this is aimed towards.

The concept immediately appealed but upon reading I was consistently impressed with just how clever it was and how the adventurous story-line was constructed to appeal to a younger and older audience, alike.

Wonderscape is an exciting new middle grade novel - part science fiction, part fantasy. The Wonderscape is the largest in-reality adventure game (I-RAG) ever created. 13-year-olds Arthur, Cecily and Ren unwittingly find themselves there after a garden gnome explosion on the street where they live.

After walking through a strange doorway in a house on Peacepoint Estate, they not only step into another world but into another time - 400 years in the future, in fact. Gaming has really advanced in the 25th century. The Wonderscape is divided into different realms on different planets (some outside the Milky Way), players are called wanderers and travel from realm to realm via wonderways. These gateways between realms are opened with realm keys which the wanderers have to collect by solving riddles and completing challenges. As well as the realm keys, wanderers can earn money and gain wonderskills. Arthur, Cecily and Ren join in with the challenges, only the stakes are much higher for them; they have just 53 hours to make it home or their bodies will turn into protoplasm!

The Wonderscape has been designed and built by Hxperion, a company founded by three siblings: Milo Hertz, Valeria Mal’fey and Tiburon Nox. The Wonderscape is staffed by M-class, V-class and T-class mimics - androids built in the image of each of the three siblings. Early on in the story we learn that Milo is missing and pretty soon we see Valeria and Tiburon for the power-crazed, ruthless people that they are. Just wait until you see the V-class mimics in action - truly terrifying in a very inspired way!

I liked the variety of the differently themed realms, each has its own distinct landscape and is themed around a different hero from human history, including Isaac Newton, Thomas Edison, Wangari Maathai and Tomoe Gozen. I enjoyed this diversity and finding out more about the lesser-known historical figures. 

Jennifer Bell has created a vividly imagined world full of wonder - amazing inventions, mind-blowing technology, and fantastic detail. I loved the description of dragon odour as “a mix of burned toast and black treacle”. There are puzzles and riddles to solve, and the trio face peril at almost every turn: swinging boulders, hurtling avalanches, rocket launchers, and vertiginous race tracks - to name a few. Arthur, Cecily and Ren learn the power of working as a team, and Bell’s portrayal of an unlikely friendship between three mis-matched teens is excellent. 

Wonderscape is an inventive time travel adventure that will fire children’s imaginations.

‘Wonderscape’ is ‘Ready Player One’ meets ‘Jumanji’ with escape room-style puzzles that Arthur, Cecily and Ren must solve after they accidentally stumble into a portal whilst investigating some exploding gnomes. The three children only know each other by sight from school but must find a way to work together as they move through various realms solving puzzles.

Realms are the different worlds that make up the Wonderscape and each has a different theme from Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt to Space. The children are helped along the way by a dog called Cloud (who seems to know his way around the realms) as well as ‘heroes’ located in the realms whom they meet after completing the challenges. They are also rewarded with a ‘realmkey’ after completing the challenges which opens a Wonderway (portal) to another realm.

The realms are occupied by robots called ‘mimics’ that come in two types – T-class and V-class – although they are not always very friendly. Other ‘Wanderers’ (those solving the puzzles) can also be found in the realms and Arthur, Cecily and Ren must wear ‘Wondercloaks’ so that they don’t stand out. The Wondercloaks offer guidance to the wanderers on their various quests.

Hxperion is the company behind Wonderscape and was created by three siblings: Milo Hertz, Tiburon Nox and Valeria Mal’fey. The children discover that Milo is missing and the more they learn about this, the more they realise that finding him is the key to them being able to get home.

The imagination and creativity behind this book is astounding; I was totally immersed in the realms of the Wonderscape due to the detailed descriptions and was racing to solve the puzzles along with the characters. This is a fantastic, modern adventure story for children aged 9 and up who love computer games, time travel, or something totally different from anything they’ve ever read before. Also suitable for older readers who remember playing computer games as a child!

What an amazing book! Arthur ends up in a mysterious game from the future with two girls from school, and has to solve challenges and work out what is going wrong, and get back to his own time before time runs out. Absolutely thrilling, with great characters, a convincing plot and lots of real life facts. Each realm of the game has a real life hero, for example Edison, Shelley and Isaac Newton. I loved the fact that these heroes encompassed African women, a Muslim navigator and other people that might not usually appear in a canon of heroes. This would really appeal to confident readers aged ten and up, and unusually, the subject matter is completely suitable for anyone in this age group. The book has a broad appeal but would particularly be enjoyed by children who like computer games and facts, even though it is a well written narrative. It reminded me of a (much better written!) Ready Player One. Flavours of time travel, science fiction and classic children's adventure, with a message about friendship and appreciating your family.