As the students at her school become increasingly caught up in the annual game of Elimination, Zoe grows more and more convinced that the new girl in her eighth grade class is not what she seems.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Dexter's (Mazemaker; The Gilded Cat) well-crafted science-fiction thriller centers on an eighth grader who, unbeknownst to her teachers and fellow students, is actually an alien planning to gain control of her classmates so that she can transport them to another galaxy. Sensible Zoe, the narrator, twigs to Christina's secret early on when she sees Christina turn into "a huge swarm of sparks, like a spiral of gnats." No one-especially not Zoe's parents-will believe her, not even when a strange sickness befalls the school, students start acting completely out of character, and teachers and administrators laugh off concerned parents. A school game called Elimination, played by tagging-or "killing"-other students and teachers, frames the eerie goings-on, which culminate in a dramatic scene on a deserted mountaintop. Dexter is adept at the art of suspense, manipulating several story lines that converge remarkably in the climax, and lifting the veil on hidden information at just the right moments. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8?The students at Oak Hill School annually participate in a sort of icebreaker game, called Elimination, as a way of helping kids get to know one another. It involves tagging individuals and claiming their game cards until only one is left, holding all of the cards. This year the game has taken on added excitement because of Christina, a new girl who is particularly adept at playing. Zoe becomes frightened when the students whom Christina tags appear mesmerized by her. They start getting sick in large numbers. Soon Zoe begins to suspect that Christina is an alien. Her fears are confirmed and she and a friend try to keep the girl from winning the game. In an exciting climax, Zoe learns that the winner will be taken away in an alien Transport along with all of the zombielike children. At the last moment a teacher steps forward and saves the day, going off in the Transport alone. Despite the fast-moving plot, weaknesses abound. The game appears to be an end in itself; no clear motives for promoting it are ever revealed. Also, Zoe's parents seem unusually calm when she starts describing Christina's disconcerting habit of dissolving into tiny pinpoints of light before her eyes. Adults at the school are amazingly tolerant of the chaos and upheaval the game causes. This story is for young sci-fi fans who enjoy excitement but won't be too analytical when it's all over.?Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Go Catherine Dexter!,
A Kid's Review
This review is from: Alien Game (Beech Tree Chapter Books) (Paperback)
I loved this book! I'm 11 but I think its for all ages. This is a must read book. I usaully hate science fiction, but this is more like mystery, and adventure!
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Sci-Fi book for non Sci-Fi lovers.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Alien Game (Beech Tree Chapter Books) (Paperback)
If you hate science fiction books and have to do one for a book report this is book is the perfect book for you. It is not too hard to follow and very interesting. I definitely reccommend this book to you.
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best books I've ever read is "Alien Game".,
By A Customer
This review is from: Alien Game (Library Binding)
Alien Game is a really good book. I highly recommend it to you. The main characters in it are Christina Blake, a new girl at school who is actually an alien; Linda, the girl who finds out Christine is an alien; Norton, Linda's boy-friend who is the only one who believes Linda; Amy, Linda's Friend; Rachel, Linda's friend; and the Duckies, a popular group at school. The story starts when the school starts playing a game called Elimination. Elimination is a game where you get a card with a person's name on it. You try to tag that person and not get tagged by the person who has your card. If you tag someone you get the card he or she has. Once you get tagged you cannot play anymore. If you hook onto people and make a threesome you can not get tagged. The winner of the game is the person who gets every card. However, the school just plays until the end of the week. Just before the school starts playing the game, a new girl comes in. Linda feels like she knows the girl. The girl looks exactly like a girl in the magazine she got. The girl's name is Christine Blake. The school starts playing Elimination. Then, a strange thing starts happening. Whoever gets tagged by Christine goes into a trance and then will do anything for her. Then something even more strange happens. Linda sees Christine disintegrate and then go back to normal. Norton is the only one who believes her. In the end Christine tells Linda that she is a master player. A master player is a person who wins a lot of games and can change shape. Christine gives Linda a chance to win and become a master player but Linda says no and gets tagged. Linda expects to get pulled into a trance, but nothing happens. Then Linda and Christine see that her card is not the one she wrote. Therefore Linda tags Christine but Linda does not become a master player because she does not have her own card. Then a teacher who had witnessed it all tags Linda and becomes a master player. I think the author wrote this book because she was interested in Aliens and liked the game Elimination. I think you should read the book Alien Game.
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