Life Hack

Jay is thrust into a fight for survival as the virtual world of Apocalypta begins to leak into reality in this heart-pounding teen thriller from award-winning author SJ Wills.

Apocalypta is the hardest game Jay has ever played, so when a cheat link pops up on his screen mid-battle he can’t resist downloading it. With the help of Life Hack, Jay races ahead of his friends to the final level. But when he spots an NPC acting strangely, an unsettling feeling sinks in.

At school the next day, reality twists: teachers talk about XP, Grub replaces pizza and the injury his character suffered in-game appears on Jay’s own leg.

As the wound worsens, Jay realises that Apocalypta has merged with his world and he must find a cure quickly. Can he level up before it’s too late?

Particularly suitable for readers aged 11+ with a reading age of 7.

About the author

SJ Wills is an award-winning children’s author best-known for her teen horror-thriller series Bite Risk, which won the Juniper Book Awards, was a Guardian “best children’s and YA books of 2023” and has been optioned for TV.