Wide Awake in the Dreamscape
by Georgi Bond
“It’s not a game if it’s real.”
Unlike her brother Alfie, 12-year-old Lily is not at all interested in video games. But when she wakes up in
the middle of the night trapped in another world where monsters from nightmares are real, Lily has no
choice but to immerse herself in a world far different from anything she knows. Lily must learn the rules
and play the game. An unsuspecting Lily is suddenly transported into the Dreamscape, which is overrun by monsters from Colony, the latest online gaming craze which Alfie is entranced by. Why does this
shimmering, digital dreamland feel equally familiar and strange to Lily, as well as extremely dangerous?
Inside the Dreamscape, Lily meets twins Felix and Serena, who are also prisoners of the game and have lost their brother to Colony. The threesome learns that Colony lures players in and takes over their minds, filling them with horrifying nightmares. Their brothers are possessed by “dreamons”, cunning and evil monsters from Colony. Lily realizes that it might be possible for video games to shatter the boundaries of time and space in order to invade the deepest recesses of the human mind. If Lily and the twins can’t find a way to defeat the dreamons, millions of Colony players, including their brothers, could soon find themselves
enslaved to the game they set out to enjoy.
Wide Awake in the Dreamscape pits human friendship and courage against the dark fusion of nightmares
and technology in a way readers have never seen before. This fresh, action-packed story for older children
questions the ethics of technological progression and further explores our modern fears over the exposure
of our young people to bullying. Georgi Bond’s ambitious narrative serves as a necessary warning to
children and adults alike that the Internet can prove to be just as treacherous as it is revolutionary, and
reminds us that one unkind act might be all it takes to breed very real and terrible consequences in both
our world and the digital realm. Wide Awake in the Dreamscape is a must-read for kids looking for an
intelligent, thought-provoking sci-fi fantasy novel.
Georgi Bond was raised in rural Devon, England before going on to study archaeology
and conduct postgraduate research at Durham University. Bond has worked as a technical writer, marketing
copywriter and copy editor. Her current home is the one she built for herself in Riga, Latvia, where she lives
with her family. Wide Awake in the Dreamscape by Georgi Bond (published by Clink Street Publishing, RRP
$9.99 paperback, RRP $3.99 ebook) is available online at retailers including amazon.com and can be
ordered from all good bookstores. For more information, please visit: www.GeorgiBond.com.
For a review copy or to request an interview, please contact:
Diana Rissetto, Marketing and Publicity Executive / diana@authoright.com / 646-664-4272
Tell us about your new book.
In Wide Awake in the Dreamscape, a young online gaming community collides with a magical world populated by nightmare monsters. Three tweens are plunged into danger as they find themselves trapped in this mysterious and hostile world. They must fight to survive, and find a way to reverse the deadly and hypnotic spell cast over the gamers. As time runs out, they soon discover that there’s much more at stake than just their own lives.
What genre is it?
Fantasy, middle readers / junior fiction, age 9-12
What kind of readers will it appeal to?
The story appeals to boys who are into computers and gaming, and who enjoy a good fast-paced adventure story with lots of fighting action. So far, it’s proven most popular with girls, who connect with Lily and Serena and relate to their blossoming friendship. It appeals to girls who enjoy a magical mystery adventure with a fast and exciting pace. If you like a story that is imaginative, original, modern, exciting and fast-paced, you’ll like my book.
Tell us a bit more about your main characters.
The main character is a young girl called Lily. She is shy, reserved, serious and very caring. Her love for her younger brother, Alfie, gives her amazing inner strength and personal growth as the story progresses. In trying to rescue him, she finds the courage to face and overcome mortal danger, whilst also tackling her own fears and insecurities along the way.
How much of your—or the person you wish you were—is in your main character?
Lily doesn’t run away from unpleasant or frightening situations. I wish I could say the same for myself!
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’ve worked as a technical writer, copywriter, content writer and copy editor. But I never felt creatively satisfied. My mind kept wandering back to my childhood dream of writing a novel, so I took a career break and dived straight in. Wide Awake in the Dreamscape is the result. I’m also a yoga teacher, with a passion for all things connected with health and nutrition, and I’m particularly interested in raw-veganism and the healing power of foods.
Twitter and Facebook links:
What’s next?
I’m currently working on the sequel to Wide Awake in the Dreamscape
