Why Must Read Trapped in a Video Game: The Invisible Invasion (Volume 2)?

This sequel describes what happened to sixth-grader Jesse, the narrator of the original title to this series, right where that story left off. As before, this is a text novel, seasoned with just a few illustrations. Once again, Jesse has found himself in the eponymous dilemma. Yet I must commend the author for the variation he came up with this time, which pays obvious homage to what was, at one point, a wildly popular augmented-reality game. Three other characters from the prior volume have returned, including one whose fate was left up in the air in Book One, and it was satisfying for me to find Jesse and his companions seeking to resolve that character's predicament. This volume is relatively brief, action-packed (seemingly more so than the first book), suspenseful, funny, and meant to appeal to late-year elementary-school readers. No need for excessive detail or exact logic; I could fill those in for myself whenever I felt the need arise. The aim is to just have fun with the story. While there was no gross-out element as in the original, one scenario involving a credit card no doubt proved awkward for one character -- a bizarrely inventive look at what immersion into virtual reality makes possible. The end turned out to be far more a cliffhanger on this occasion.