The Hero Game presents a thought-provoking and scary what-if scenario. Lance `Loser' Loosley, having suffered bullying and alienation for years in his small hometown of Gunyabah, finally cracks. In an act of anguished violence, he smashes a vial of a mysterious brown substance in his classroom. Rumoured to be a virus stolen from a cult, it is dismissed as typical Loser fantasy, until people actually start falling ill. We follow Loser's neighbour Mike and his classmates through their evacuation and isolation in the school hall. The bulk of the novel is set in one day, lending a sense of immediacy to the crisis. French has always excelled at bringing rural Australia to life and her portrait of a small town in crisis is true and not without humour. Trademark orange SES suits thinly disguise Pete the Tiler and other Gunyabah townsfolk. The efficiency of the CWA leaves Mike wondering whether they have chocolate slices in reserve or if they start frantically baking at the first sign of trouble. Lighter moments like these temper the overall sombre mood of the novel. In isolation in the school hall, Loser's classmates have time and space to reflect on their respective roles in his breakdown. Such philosophical questioning could promote some lively classroom discussion. Some of the characters are a little two-dimensional but this fast-paced adventure won't disappoint French's fans.

Finette Devrell is manager of children's bookselling at Pages & Pages Mosman. 

C. 2001 Thorpe-Bowker and contributors

Tags: jackie french