Coma (series Moderator).

Kopp, Dwight.  Coma (series Moderator).  Dwight Kopp  2013  204p.  $9.13      ISBN 978-0-9895-8534-7  hs  Science fiction        VG-BN          

Written as the second book of the Moderator series, Coma picks up exactly where the first book ends, and begins with the same level of immediate suspense and action as Moderator.  There is no recap of the first book, and having read many books between the two books in the series, I found it necessary to reread the first book, as the characters and their game names are many and complicated.  Inclusion of the players’ identities in an extended prologue would have been helpful.  However, this book is just as exciting as the first, and a review of Moderator leads directly into the fast-paced plot of Coma.

In this second book, new players are manipulated into a game that has Lana kidnapped and held hostage, Nick framed for her mysterious disappearance, and Seth convicted for the murder of his grandmother and the theft of her lottery winnings.  As the new players begin their initiation to the game, the previous players from Moderator begin to piece together their experiences in an effort to identify the Moderator and stop him from the horror and terror he creates through the game.

 
Dwight Kopp once again has succeeded in keeping the reader on the edge of his or her seat in this intense, fast-paced suspense novel.  One becomes deeply involved in the plot and intimately identifies with the challenges and pain Lana faces in her struggle for survival.  Likewise, the reader also feels the deep frustration and urgency of the previous game players desperate to end the madness that the Moderator creates through the game. And once again, Kopp amazes the reader with a completely unpredictable surprise ending.

Summary: Coma is the second book in the Moderator series and is just as exciting as the first, launching the reader on a most suspenseful and dangerous quest with the characters that have been lured into the game. Both books have earned TriState Book Review Committee’s “Books of Note” sstatu.  The players in the game have compared notes and collectively seek the identity of the Moderator to put an end to the terror he causes: most recently the disappearance of Lana and the accusations that are cast on Nick and Seth.          

Games-Fiction, Adventure-Fiction                      --Virginia McGarvey

Kopp, Dwight. Moderator.

Kopp, Dwight.  Moderator.  Dwight Kopp    2013  202p  ISBN 978-0-9895853-1-6  ms/hs  Paperback  VG-BN  Science fiction

From the first pages of this book through the end, the reader is gripped by the horrific activities of young people who are following the commands of “The Moderator,” who manipulates gamers in an online gaming site to commit these deeds in real life.  While the personal motivation of The Moderator is never clearly defined (is he truly evil?), the reasons the teenage gamers follow his commands are more clearly presented.  These commands include bullying that results in hate crimes and the destruction of a young girl.  Some readers will see this book as “The Hunger Games meets online gaming.”  The variety of secrets and fears held by the gamers following the commands of the Moderator will resonate with teenage readers.  The naivety of teens combined with their desire to “win at any cost” and feel confident and powerful is well presented without seeming didactic.  The issue of privacy and the internet is at the heart of this novel, as is the fragile state of teenagers whose personal lives are not always what everyone else sees.  Kudos to the author for presenting a frightening look at what social gaming can become, and never being heavy-handed in his concerns about issues involving privacy and the internet. 

This is an intriguing town where adults and teens are equally interesting, and it needs a sequel.  It is to be hoped that the motives of the adults will be made clearer in the next book.  Strongly recommended wherever The Hunger Games was popular.  This is a book based on our times, describing activities that could actually happen in today’s society and unfortunately actually do happen due to social media’s prevalence.     

Summary: When the moderator of an online gaming site requires participants to carry out his commands, all equally horrific, a town is turned upside down, as the commands must occur with real-life citizens.  This book examines the themes of bullying, mind control, and online predators. Grades 7-12.

Science fiction, Horror-Fiction                                   --Lois McNicol