The Annihilation of Foreverland by Tony Bertauski

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     Danny Boy awakens in a hospital room with no idea how he got there or who he is.  The old man sitting next to him is thrilled that he is awake and soon introduces him to his “camp”, which is a group of 5 other teenage boys.

     Danny Boy becomes quick friends with Zin who shows him around the island paradise.  The boys are given freedom to roam the Yard, play video games, and eat whatever they want.  The only catch is that every week they have to go to the Haystack.  Inside the Haystack the boys are tortured before they are offered the needle.  The needle fits snugly around their heads and goes into a hole in the forehead.  The needle transports the boys from the freezing room of the Haystack to Foreverland.

     Foreverland is an alternate reality world where the boys can do anything they want.  The old men on the island tell the boys that it’s part of their rehab therapy to go to Foreverland.  But while inside the alternate reality Danny Boy meets a red haired girl who gives him a message to take back to the mysterious Reed.  Reed is the only teenage boy who won’t take the needle and go inside Foreverland.

     The more Danny Boy sees of the Haystack, Foreverland, and the old men called The Investors, the more he thinks there’s something else going on besides rehab therapy.  With the help of Zin, Reed, and the red haired girl, the team tries to find out why The Director and The Investors have brought the boys to the island.

     This book was intriguing from the very beginning.  There were glimpses from The Investors as to what is really going on in The Haystack throughout the story.  Danny Boy and his friends act like typical teenage boys playing their video games and not worrying about the consequences of what is happening on the island.  While the changing point of view is hard to get uses to, it helps us understand more about both the boys and The Investors.

     The Annihilation of Foreverland is a fast paced book that will really appeal to teenage boys.  The mystery of where the boys come from and where they go after they graduate will keep young adults interested until the very end.

I give this book 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

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