Love it for talking about making choices. ( )

I won a Choose Your Own Adventure story in a work contest, and I was delighted. Happy nostalgia! Even better, this one is a fantasy story about a hunt for unicorns that is filled with magic, dragons, griffins, and danger. As with all CYOA stories, this one has multiple plot threads that a reader follows depending on choices made while reading. You can go into the cave by turning to page 10, or head to the old church by turning to page 102. That kind of thing. The writing is decidedly mediocre, but then, that's not the point. The goal is to create an interactive reading experience that is made from choices the reader makes, rather than the typical linear story that moves from the first page to the end in the manner the author envisioned. It's a gimmick, but a fun one. Certainly, stories that are built with developed worlds and layers of plot and rounded characters are better, and more engaging, but the choose your own adventure format is a nice change of pace. ( )

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