Demian's Gamebook Web Page

Item - Sneak Behind Enemy Lines

Please log in to manage your collection or post a review.


Series: What If Books — no. 3
Author: Clifford, Laurie B.
Date: 1984
ISBN: 0830709398 / 9780830709397
Length: 129 pages
Number of Endings: 43
LC Cataloging in Publication Summary: By entering a contest advertised on the back of a cereal box, the reader is launched on a series of adventures whose outcome is governed by the choices he or she makes at the bottom of each page.
Demian's Thoughts:

This is the worst book of the series thus far. For the most part, it's more of the same -- the same basic lopsided structure, the same writing that's almost effective but not quite, the same unconvincing moralizing. Where the last two books had some interesting features to help compensate for their failings, this one really doesn't. Although the reader's character has something of a background, it's completely irrelevant to the story, which itself is just a series of cliches. The decision-making isn't very interesting either, since most of the choices aren't very meaningful and there's often no way of predicting which choice will work out and which will bring the adventure to a screeching halt. It's also a little irritating that, though this is the longest book of the series, much of its length comes from story sections that could have fit on a single page but which were instead pointlessly cut in half. The only saving grace is the book's sense of humor, which is occasionally mildly amusing. It's not nearly enough, though, and I wouldn't really recommend wasting much time on this thing.

More reviews by Demian

Users Who Own This Item: Ardennes, Arkadia, exaquint, katzcollection, knginatl, mlvoss
Users Who Want This Item: bbanzai, Braldt, NEMO, Nomad, Pseudo_Intellectual, Waluigi Freak 99

Please log in to manage your collection or post a review.