Outside the Box | 
 enlarge | Author: Dan Allosso
Publisher: iUniverse, Inc.
Category: Book
List Price: $11.95
Buy New: $7.47
You Save: $4.48 (37%)
New (15) Used (7) from $5.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 406016
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 146
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.4
ISBN: 0595442951
EAN: 9780595442959
ASIN: 0595442951
Publication Date: May 25, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Brand New! Perfect Condition!
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Product Description
Teenager Reid Anderson knows theres something wrong with society, otherwise he wouldnt feel so alienated. He has a problem with authority but cant decide: am I antisocial or does society suck? So he goes through life pretending he doesnt care. A new Wii console and simulation game show up in his rec room, and Reid is just bored enough to try them out. When a demon from inside the game threatens him in reality, Reid is plunged into a world of troubled teens he didnt know existed. The demons challenge takes him on a journey of discovery. Suddenly exposed to other outsiders, Reid learns to question authority and find his own answers. He finds true friends among those labeled defective and cast aside by societyand together, they learn to fight for themselves. Set against a background of video games, teen mental illness, and anticonsumer counterculture; told through the eyes of Reid and his friends, Outside the Box challenges the safe, orthodox picture of the world championed in many popular teen novels.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
 Layered, imaginative page-turner October 20, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
"Is your Wii haunted?" Enticing surprises in a souped-up video game draw the reader into the isolated world of bored teenager Reid Anderson, who is just about ready to accept that he has no genuine friends, and that a connection with his parents may never happen. A startling email leads him to like-minded teens in a world hidden from "normal" kids, condoned by complicit adults, and ignored by everyone else. Reid learns to question what is normal. With each mysterious upgrade of his new technology, he is upgraded too. He develops real friendships and a new sense of purpose. A warning to tender-eared teens and protective parents in denial: the players in this imaginative, well-written page-turner for young adults are believable sixteen year-olds who use realistic dialogue. Early in the book, I considered that we might have a new call for youth uprising on our hands. However, as the plot complication accelerated toward a climax, another message bloomed: adults need to do a better job listening to our kids. Outside the Box is an insightful, important book. I highly recommend it to older teens and all adults, and I look forward to the sequel.
A new type of young adult book July 26, 2007
An excellent book; well written and well informed. A book parents need to read to help them understand their teenagers. Above all, a good story, well told.
Courtesy of Teens Read Too June 25, 2007
Let's begin this review by stating that the author, Dan Allosso, is working on a sequel to OUTSIDE THE BOX. I just wanted to get that out of the way, because after reading this book, you will definitely want to know more.
OUTSIDE THE BOX features top-of-the-line gaming equipment and cutting-edge game programs. Main character Reid Anderson takes readers on a trip into that world that they won't forget.
Reid generally likes to keep a low profile. His parents are hard-working, well-paid executives who keep their son surrounded with the latest and greatest of everything. His mother shops for him in the best clothing stores, making sure he has the coolest designer labels. His father designs game programs for a popular company, so it's no surprise when a brand new Wii machine shows up in the well-equipped basement rec room.
At first Reid doesn't show much interest. If it's something his parents think he might be interested in, he sure doesn't want it to look like they were right. But after thinking about it for awhile, Reid decides he might as well enjoy the Wii. Playing feels pretty normal at first, but then some strange things begin to happen. The game seems to have features regular off-the-shelf games wouldn't have. Reid considers that perhaps his dad has arranged some custom game to impress his otherwise ignored son.
But then a voice starts talking to Reid. The voice, and then an actual character, is part of the game. Weird ....
When Reid starts to investigate and mentions this strange phenomenon, he is warned by the game to keep quiet. The investigating Reid does begins to open some very interesting doors. One that's a bit scary is the fact that the state is watching kids diagnosed with mental health issues by having them play the game. Reid finds that the information gathered when the kids play is being used to prescribe changes in their medications and monitor their progress. Even more weird ....
An unexpected email message lets Reid know that he is not alone. He eventually joins forces with Louise, Larry, and Dave to question the mysterious JCN character in the game and find out exactly what is going on.
OUTSIDE THE BOX is sure to be popular among gaming teens, but beyond that, anyone who does indeed think "outside the box" is sure to be glad that the adventure will continue....
Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"
Not just for teenagers June 16, 2007
Even though it is a young adult novel, I would recommend it to anyone. I just love the liberal teen rebellion. This would make a GREAT movie!!
Find the Messages! June 13, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I just finished Outside the Box and can't wait for the next one.y Lots of messages buried in that little book.y Should be "required reading" for school kids ... better yet, it should be what happens to all the school kids.y Being "looked after" by someone who really cares what happens to them. Acknowledging that "authorities" don't always know what they are talking about or what they are doing; and that young people need to "follow their own inner voice" and that that's ok.
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