4. Traitors in Space

4. Traitors in Space. Tim Collins. 2025. 192 pages. [Source: Review copy] [3 stars, pick your own path, choose your own adventure, science fiction, space, aliens]

First sentence: The door to your ship closes, and you take your helmet off.

Premise/plot: YOU are in control of your destiny in this 'pick your own path' sci-fi space adventure. YOU are a scientist returning from space--bound for earth--but there's danger on the ship. An alien life form has been detected. It is presumably parasitic. ONE of your fellow crew COULD be the alien. But how do you KNOW who to trust and who to thrust out into space?!

My thoughts: I wanted to enjoy this one. I do think it's perhaps possible to read and enjoy this one. It depends on how YOU read choose your own adventure books. I am methodical. As in with paper and pen in hand, I write down ALL the page number opportunities, I track each one to the end. Go back start again. Cross page numbers off, etc. I don't immerse myself in the story--if there is in fact a story. It's just too mechanical or methodical for me. I don't reread the story heading into new endings.

It didn't work for me because I wanted more from the characters and the story. There are eight characters for YOU to "get to know" to figure out who is trustworthy and who is alien. Are eight characters developed? Nope. Are any of the eight characters developed? Nope. Is that too much to hope for?! Probably. I didn't really expect continuity between all the choices in terms of characters and story. BUT it would have added a level of awesomeness IF there had been a true mystery to solve. IF there were objective facts, truths that stayed true, between ALL the possibilities, then it would have been more like a mystery-mystery. There would have been clues that you could slowly but surely gather as you kept reading. Layers to the story. There's none of that. And that is okay. That's not the book in hand. And that's fine. Expect bare minimum of story and characters. Do expect a gimmicky, fun read with plenty of possibilities.

Despite the description saying TWENTY possible endings, I counted forty-two. At least ten of those were repeat endings using the exact same pages. Again, I think if there had been FEWER characters MORE time could have been spent with those we had AND the endings would have had to have been better.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Young Readers

62. Endlessly Ever After

Endlessly Ever After: Pick Your Path to Countless Fairy Tale Endings. Laurel Snyder. Illustrated by Dan Santat. 2022. 92 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Your mama shakes you out of bed. She says, "My darling dear, you need to run to Grandma's quick! She's feeling ill, I fear. Now take this cake, to cheer her up, and have a lovely day. But mind the path! For danger tends to lurk along the way." 

Premise/plot: This picture book is a choose your own adventure fairy tale. Readers become "Rosie" the heroine of more than a dozen (honestly I did NOT count so don't hold me to that) fractured fairy tales. The first decision you, dear reader, must make is whether to wear the RED CAPE or the faux fur coat. But that is just the beginning of the decisions readers are called upon to make. Some story threads end quickly--very, very quickly. (For example, one decision has you heading straight back to your own house to try again another day!) But beware, not all decisions end happily ever after. In fact, quite a few end up with you (the reader) dying. 

This choose your own adventure book begins like Little Red Riding Hood, but how it ends is up to you. Plenty of paths borrow from other fairy tales. (So many fairy tales!)

My thoughts: I'm still not sure if I explored EVERY path of this one. I tried. I think if I had a print copy in hand instead of an e-book (library checkout), I'd have made sure I tried EVERY SINGLE path. Clicking the links worked way better than I thought, to be fair. But it's just hard to keep track of every crossroad. Usually I read choose your own adventure books with a notepad and pen...and a handful of paper scraps. I mark each crossroad, I plot out every possible combination. (I sometimes indicate which paths lead to quick ends.)

I liked this one. I did. I really loved the creativity of it. I enjoyed the text, for the most part. It was entertaining. I could see how this one could be appealing to kids in various situations--at home and at school. I could see this being great to read on your own OR great to read aloud, just parent-and-child. I could see this being fun to add to your home library or your classroom library. Fairy tale units are still a thing, so this could be a fun addition. 

I didn't personally love the illustrations. That is not a deal breaker for me.

© 2022 Becky Laney of Young Readers