My book review of 'Best of Both Worlds' by Kenneth Oppel

Xavier is on a weekend away with his dad and his pregnant stepmum and wakes up on the first morning, not knowing where he is. It feels as if the house has been placed in an invisible dome, transported into a video game, and they've been given chickens, goats and wheat in order to survive. There's no sign of who has done this, no contact with the outside world and no means of escape.
Three years later, Xavier is 16 and has become resigned to their fate. Any efforts to penetrate the forcefield holding them captive haven't worked, so they get on with living their new reality.
But a new family has appeared, in a property not far from theirs. They have very different priorities and attitudes.
Xavier is most interested in the 17-year-old daughter Mackenzie, but soon her father becomes the concern for all of them as he becomes obsessed with making an escape, at a terrible cost.
This is such a clever book. I couldn't put it down. The writing was so sparce and direct, and the whole premise was so intriguing. What was happening here? I can't give it away but it is a very clever construct, which certainly sets you thinking! A great read for teenage readers, and older!