For the Guys: Michael Grant's New Transmedia Experience: BZRK

On Friday's I like to step back and take a look at some books and authors that would be good for the guys.  I see tons and tons of great girl books in YA, but it feels like the guys are over-looked.  This is my way of putting the spotlight on them! 

Today I'm featuring a new book - Go BZRK - coming out by Michael Grant.  You know Michael Grant, author of the Gone series and the Magnificent 12 series.  But to call it simply a book would be wrong!  

Why I think boys will like it:
Technology, spy-like stuff,  Michael Grant said, "It's going to be vast, bloody, and beautiful. ",  mystery, crazy sounding people.  I think it has eveything they might like.  


Here is how it has been described:

Michael has a new series coming out that was conceived not only as a book, but also as a “transmedia” experience.  This may not be a familiar term to YA fans, but essentially a transmedia story is an interactive narrative told through the written word, video, puzzles, and more. But most importantly, it encourages fans to become part of the action 

Here's some more about the book/experience:

The missing son of a U.N. diplomat... the reemergence of a strange organization... a pair of society twins caught in the middle... this is just the beginning of "Go BZRK," a new transmedia experience from author Michael Grant. 

If you're ready to take the plunge in an interactive story like you've never experienced before, visit societytwins.com and register with nexushumanus.com to take your first steps in a strange and compelling universe. 

Filled with video, puzzles, community collaboration, and more, "Go BZRK" put YOU the player right in the middle of the action as you join Nexus Humanus and unravel a mystery that may hold the key to the fate of all mankind.

I've joined Nexushumanus to see what all the fuss is about :) Check it out!!!

If you're still not sure - here are some answers that Michael Grant gave to questons you might still have:

What is “Go BZRK”? Is this a book or some kind of interactive story? 
Both. The book comes out this winter, but the interactive part starts now.  One leads up to the other, but they're part of a complete package. 


Why “transmedia”? 
There are different approaches to transmedia.  Most people take a single story and reproduce it on various platforms.  My philosophy has been to make each element - ARG, app, web, book - a thing unto itself, each revealing some aspect of the world of BZRK.  I've been fascinated with this is as a new way to tell stories.  The book remains central, but now I can reach beyond the book and create a much more complete world.  I can tell stories that enhance the book, and stories that parallel the book, and stories that are offshoots of backstory.  I guess the answer to "why" is "because it's fun." 


How long is this running? Is this part of a larger picture? 
We'll be running this in several chunks between now and the book release this winter. Because these things have a hard start/stop point, August is a ramp-up phase. There'll be a lot of content coming out, but the experience really gets underway at the end of the month… just in time to distract the kids from their schoolwork. 


What if someone wants to follow the story but doesn’t want to participate? 
You don't have to do anything.  You can do one thing and not another.  But the deeper you plunge the wetter you get.  I think every part of this is fun, I think people will enjoy the ARG, the app, the site and the books.   


App? You've mentioned that a couple times now. 
Just wait and see.  

Ok I'm excited!! Are you?  I'll just have to wait and see what this is all about.  In the meantime I'll check out the websites and start to get immersed into the world of the book.