The second installment of Max Brooks’ Minecraft novel series feels very much like entering the new level of a video game. In his first book, Minecraft: The Island, Brooks cleverly brought the popular video game series to life through an immersive plot that followed an amnesiac explorer who finds himself stranded on an island with no clue how to move forward except to master the island—otherwise, it’s a doomed situation.
It makes sense that each of Brooks’ Minecraft books have been masterfully written—as the author of the blockbuster hit World War Z (as well as several other zombie books), it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Brooks knows how to write a good survival story, especially through a very humanizing lens.
In Minecraft: The Mountain, the protagonist now finds himself exploring a harsh, unforgiving tundra filled with predators both alive and undead, feeling overwhelmed and lonelier than ever—until he runs into Summer, a stranger that saves him from certain death … and the first person the explorer has come across since finding himself stranded on this mysterious island.
What comes next in the story is an endearing tale of friendship and teamwork, as Summer and the explorer must now rely on each other and their growing sense of trust in order to survive—and unlock the mysteries of how they got to where they are in the first place.
What I love about Minecraft: The Mountain (as well as Minecraft: The Island) is just how fun and truly video game-like it is. Reading through each book actually does surprisingly feel like playing the Minecraft game, from the blocky Lego-like environment to the crafting quests and the exploratory atmosphere. Young readers especially will love this series, as it has plenty of twists and turns, but never gets too scary. Plus, if they haven’t played the actual game before, this certainly can serve as a perfect introduction into the world of Minecraft.
I like diving into franchise books like these because they give such a short but satisfying taste of what makes the source material so popular in the first place. Not to mention, they can be a great way to hold oneself over until the next time they can play/watch their favorite game.
And as the weather grows warm and we find ourselves getting a little burned out from staring at our screens, why not take a little time to read some quick, playful adventure reads like this one?
(image: Del Rey Books)
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