Post High School Reality Quest

(Paperback)

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Description

Buffy is playing a game. However, the game is her life, and there are no instructions or cheat codes on how to win.
After graduating high school, a voice called "the text parser" emerges in Buffy's head, narrating her life as a classic text adventure game. Buffy figures this is just a manifestation of her shy, awkward, nerdy natureuntil the voice doesn't go away, and instead begins to dominate her thoughts, telling her how to life her life. Though Buffy tries to beat the game, crash it, and even restart it, it becomes clear that this game is not something she can simply "shut off" or beat without the text parser's help.
While the text parser tries to give Buffy advice on how "to win the game," Buffy decides to pursue her own game-plan: start over, make new friends, and win her long-time crush Tristan's heart. But even when Buffy gets the guy of her dreams, the game doesn't stop. In fact, it gets worse than she could've ever imagined: her crumbling group of friends fall apart, her roommate turns against her, and Buffy finds herself trying to survive in a game built off her greatest nightmares.

Reviews

"This may be one of the most wildly original YA entries for 2017--the only book I can think to compare it to (for sheer originality, outrageous & clever humor, and sly irreverence) is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (it's that good--it's worthy of the comparison). Our MC, Buffy, finds herself navigating post-high school life & love while stuck inside a text-adventure video game. I am not a gamer, but you don't have to be to quickly catch on to the format (with saved lives/do-overs, etc.) and to rapidly become hooked and thoroughly strapped into this roller-coaster of a novel. I found myself laughing out loud many, many times while reading this (while shaking my head in awe "Meg Eden did NOT just pull that off..."). READ THIS BOOK. #TeamNarwhal"
--Laurie Frost, author of The Black Witch
"There's so much emotion in these pages and, amazingly, none of it overwhelms the reader. Pain is countered by joy, grief with understanding, the loss of innocence with the mixed gift of knowledge. Meg Eden has written a novel that's both captivating and funny, one that follows a beautifully-flawed young woman and her friends as they try to understand the complexities of a confusing age. But Post High School Reality Quest is more than a lovely and unsentimental coming-of-age story; it's the kind of book that's destined to stand out in your memory, one you quietly, lovingly, think about long after it's finished."
--E. A. Aymar, author of You're As Good As Dead
"Entertaining yet thoughtful look at figuring out who you are. The format and concept behind this book is refreshingly unique. It's told as a command-based video game, but the story is a contemporary coming of age tale. Definitely a must-read for gamers and really for YA readers in general!"
--T.E. Carter, author of I Stop Somewhere

Author Bio

Meg Eden's work has been published in various magazines, including Rattle, Drunken Boat, Poet Lore, and Gargoyle. She teaches creative writing at places including University of Maryland, The Writers Center, and Anne Arundel Community College. She has four poetry chapbooks, and is a poetry editor for Wherewithal. When shes not writing, she plays video games with her husband, namely Fire Emblem. She loves reading anything and everything she can get her hands on. Check out her work at megedenbooks.com.