BLOG TOUR: Day 1: Surviving the Classics in a Whole New Way

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers….the place to get a taste of your next read (potentially at least). It’s Friday, it’s Friday…woo-hoo! Congratulations! You’ve made it through another week and for your reward, I grant thee…a weekend and THREE chances to win! Just check out the right hand sidebar for all the details. You’re welcome! ^_^ (Hehe…) Anywho…there’s plenty more reasons to celebrate the day that is today another of which will present itself right now….in the form of a blog tour!

That’s right! Today we play host to day one of a two day stop over for a blog featuring a children’s author that is taking the classics we know and love to a whole new level. How so? Read on my friend…read on.; for today’s feature is a review of the title, while tomorrow…let’s just say there’s a little surprise in store, so stay tuned. Without further adieu, today’s book of choice is….

Can You Survive?

Jack London’s Call of the Wild:

A Choose Your Own Path Book

By

Ryan Jacobson

From the publisher…

Stolen. Shipped. Enslaved.Can You Survive?


You find yourself in Alaska, a dangerous world of greedy men and savage dogs. Every moment, your life is at risk. Do you have what it takes to survive as Buck, literature’s most famous sled dog? Or will the freezing temperatures and rugged wilderness lead to your doom? Step into this adventure, and choose your path. But choose wisely, or else…

Okay, so as you probably ascertained from the title, this is a “choose-your-own-adventure” book…you know, like the ones from days gone by where you controlled your characters destiny? Yep….they’re BBBAAAACCCKKKK…with a vengeance and a few tricks up their proverbial sleeves. No sirree…this is certainly not your average book.

You start out in modern times as a young boy forced to endure a camping trip with dear old dad…and to make matters worse, you have to foot part of the bill. There goes your summer vacation of vegging around the house playing video games. Needless to say you don’t want to go which leads to a tantrum, an ill fated meeting with the family dog and a parent mad at you beyond compare. Good thing you actually LIKE being stuck in your room because that’s where you’re headed til a proper punishment is devised. At least it gives you time to think and ruminate on how your parents are ruining your life…or at least it would if those darn dogs would pipe down. I mean geesh! They sound like a pack of wolves they’re so loud….but wait, you’re not in the snowy northwest and that sound isn’t coming from outside your room but rather inside. O-O On the bottom shelf of the bookcase you discover something unimaginable…a paper copy (OMG…paper! Just kidding….) of Jack London’s timeless classic. Could a book POSSIBLY make all that racket…and if so, how? Only one way to find out…or to avoid it all, the choice is up to you….and so begins (or ends) the potential thrill (or not) of a lifetime.

I must say, I absolutely LOVED this read. Why? Well for starters, I was always a fan of the “choose-your-own-adventure” book format. I remember checking out several different ones from our school library as a child. I had the guilty habit of marking my spot so if something went wrong with my choice, I could always rewind the last scene. Second point to love….the way the book plays directly off of the classic story by Mr. London. It’s a great first exposure to the classic for little ones and a wonderful refresher for those that have read it previously. Trust me, the details are what’ll get you in the end. I speak from experience as I’m guilty of choosing the wrong option a time or two and dying miserably, but with the turn of the page, I was back again. By book’s end you’ll have a general outline of all the highlights in Buck’s life from innocent pup to dog of the wild from his point of view. The author did a splendid job of staying true to the original story and the imagery his words evoke truly transports you to the scenes taking place.

In summary, a familiar title with a new twist to shake things up a bit. You’ll learn the Law of Club and Fang. Make friends with John Thornton and enemies with Spitz as you journey through this harsh terrain. The path you take is in your own hands, but remember there is only one true way out, one way to survive. Do you have what it takes? We shall see….but at the very least you’ll pick up a skill or two along the way as well as the opportunity to immerse yourself in the classic from a whole new angle. Challenge your memory as you dive into the timeless tale or discover it for the first time. Either way, you can’t go wrong.



Ryan Jacobson

 Recommended reading for middle grade readers on up. This title just released this month so it should be readily available at a bookstore near you. Additional good news for fans of these adventure/classic combos….there’s ANOTHER book in the series being released in the early part of November dealing with none other than Sherlock Holmes! Exciting stuff!

ARC for review courtesy of Adventure Publications and author Ryan Jacobson. (THANKS!) To check out the publisher’s full catalog of titles, seek out their website. To learn more about Mr. Jacobson, feel free to visit his site, ‘like’ him on Facebook, or follow along on Twitter. Tomorrow’s stop on the blog tour, right here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers. Then on October 31st, the tour continues on making a stop off at Lost for Words. Be sure to check it out!



Until next time…happy reading!