Grade 7-10?With a blend of idealism and realism, superhero and knight RanVan begins his unplanned quest to defend good and defeat evil and unfairness. In "real life," high-school freshman Rhan plays video games, helps his grandmother manage an apartment complex, and attends school. After noting inequities such as the popular kids hazing freshmen and not allowing anyone else to sit at the cafeteria tables, as well as meeting Thalie, who has problems with her mother's boyfriend, Rhan stands up to defend the underdogs and becomes RanVan: The Defender. In doing so, he discovers that his real life often parallels the fantasy world of his video game, with unexpected twists and turns and, often, near destruction. In Worthy Opponent, the teen and his grandmother move across Canada. With a new video game to purchase and conquer, he needs money so he finds a job?and a girlfriend. The game, which involves a good and an evil twin, again begins to parallel his real life as he tries to defend himself against "The Iceman." Canadian author Wieler has created an intriguing character who shows both strength and vulnerability. Rhan's ability to keep fighting despite his numerous setbacks and wrong decisions makes him a character with whom readers will empathize. Well-constructed parallel plots both within and between the books stretch the bounds of realism and provide readers with a strong story and a sympathetic hero.?Janet Hilbun, Sam Houston Middle School, Garland, TX
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Gr. 7^-12. The author of Bad Boy (1992) returns with another novel about contemporary teens, the first in a trilogy. Rhan Van, still raw from the horrific deaths of his parents, lives a hardscrabble life with his grandmother in a city apartment and finds solace at the video arcade where he can immerse himself in heroic quest games. Then along comes sexy, troubled Thailie, and Rhan suddenly finds himself a party to vandalizing school and private property at Thailie's behest. He doesn't recognize that his acts have a deeper, very personal meaning or that Thailie's destructive impulses spring from an agenda that's very different from his own. This isn't as tautly written or as obviously issue-oriented as Bad Boy, and there's no "punishment" in the strict sense of the word. However, there's definitely something to ponder in Wieler's forthright depiction of angry teenagers who destroy to soothe an ache inside. Pair this with Robert Cormier's We All Fall Down (1991). Stephanie Zvirin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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