Concerning & Potentially Concerning Content

This scattering of potentially concerning content. The most important thing to know is that the main character comes off as immature. He doesn’t like video games so he makes several comments to his friend, who loves them, about how “stupid” or “dumb” various aspects of the game are. This is a part of bickering that takes place in the core of the book. He mentions a past memory where he punched his friend in the stomach for pushing him off the diving board. He makes a negative comment about school (“even looking at his booger would be better than this math”). He mentions a prank (sticking sleeping hand in warm water). --- The term “booger” is mentioned multiple times as are a few instances of “I don’t care” (as a mean comment). One character asks the other if he is a ghost. There are also references to throwing up, barfing, maggots (as in a drill sergeant yelling this as a name), alien scum, dum-dum, “you’re such a baby”, shut-up. --- There is mention that one classmate’s is only cool because his dad designs video games. There is also a mention of homemade bike ramps and starting fires with magnifying glasses that you may want to avoid or discuss so kids don’t get ideas for unsupervised activities from this. --- There is a surprising reference to a classmate that disappeared, who people believe drowned while trying to cross a river after a storm. This part catches the reader off guard as it is heavier than anything else in the book. Later the reader learns that this child was actually also caught into and trapped in the video game. – Since the kids don’t die when “killed” in the game there is a lot of blasting each other, being eaten by bad guys and such, but all comes across as very light. The heaviest aspect comes when one side character remains trapped at the end of this book, setting up future titles.