Wander Lost, a Middle Grade Mystery For Board Game Lovers | Review & Content Guide
- MommaSaurus
- 18 hours ago
- 4 min read
Move over Jumanji, there's a new trapped in a board game story and its a fantastic middle grade adventure. Meet Wander Lost by Laura Martin.
Quick Summary
Genre: Action, Adventure, Mystery, Board Games, Video Games
Recommended Age: 10+
Formats: eBook, Audio, Physical
Possibly Concerning Content*
🤬 Profanity: None
❤️ Romance: None
🛡️Violence: Injuries
‼️ Heads-Up: Death of sibling (past).
Who is this for?
The Tropes: Portal fantasy, reluctant hero, Board game / video game lovers, trapped in a story, solving the families past mysteries
The Vibe: Good parent and sibling relationships. Lots of pausing to discuss clues. Entertaining humor mixed with gripping action.
For Fans of: Escape from Mr. Lemonchello's Library, and Jumanji
Our Review: The 'Not Bored' Game Story
Twins Rhett and Nash are thrust into an unbelievable adventure when their mom goes mission and their estranged grandfather informs them that they have the ability to travel into board games and must use this ability to find their mom. Filled with mysteries from both the past and present this action packed story will keep you hooked with laugh out loud moments and board game nostalgia.
We loved this story! We're fan of Laura Martin and have almost read all of her books and, to date, this is our favorite. The audiobook was duel narrated (male character point of view chapters by a male narrator and female character point of view chapters by a female narrator) by Andrew J. Andersen and Jesse Vilinsky who both did an outstanding job! There were moments where we laughed, quiet moments of contemplation, and a lot of pausing the audiobook to discuss what we thought had happened in the past and how each character might be connected as we tried to solve the mystery of where their mother was with the boys. We really liked the family dynamics here and the examples of forgiveness and respeecting authority. This is a great book all around.
We highly recommend.
Possibly Concerning Content Guide*
Click on 'possible spoilers' for details.
🤬 Q: Is there profanity in Wander Lost? A: No, there isn't even name calling in this book.
❤️ Q: Is there a romance in Wander Lost? A: No, there is no romance in this book, though there are hints that the grandfather might have romantic feelings for someone.
🛡️Q: What kind of violence is there in Wander Lost?
A: Characters are in baord games (and later video games) so there are sword fights and minor injuries. No deaths except the rather gruesome one in the past.
‼️ Q: Are there any heavy themes, triggering moments, or iffy subjects in Wander Lost?
A: There is loss of a sibling/child in the past. There is a faery in a board game who uses magic.
Possible Spoilers
The uncle of the boys was 'thrown to the sharks' by a pirate. This is not described in any detail and it happened in the past but it has a large emotional impact on the grandfather, their mother, and a secondary character.
The feary uses her wand and a magic word to make plants grow, turn a cage into plants, and create shoes. She is a board game character.
Official Blurb
"Rhett and his brother, Nash, have never been allowed to play board games. It's their mom's most important rule; the twins don't know why, but they know not to push her on it.
When their mom suddenly disappears, they're reunited with Ace, their long-lost grandfather, who reveals that their family is descended from a board game character who escaped his game and lived in the real world. Their family now has the ability to enter the world of any game they want—but this gift also comes with a price. A game character who’s wanted revenge against their mom for decades has finally caught her and is holding her hostage in the world of a game. Which game? That’s up to Rhett and Nash to figure out, even if it means breaking Mom’s most important rule.
But as they learn to use their newly discovered ability, exploring new worlds and facing new challenges and risks, the brothers quickly realize that saving Mom won't be all fun and games. It’s game on… or game over." - From Amazon
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📍*Possibly Concerning Content Disclaimer: I try my best to include all relevant content notes, or possibly concerning content, but I may not catch everything and/or you may feel things are concerning that I do not. Please research individually if you’re sensitive to specific topics/subjects! 📍
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