Heir Apparent

Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde is the story of a girl who gets trapped inside of a video game.

Giannine Bellisario is given a gift certificate for Rasmussem Entertainment for her birthday. She can use is for either 45 tokens or 1/2 hour of virtual reality gaming. She chooses the virtual reality.

The game is Heir Apparent. The set up is that she is the illegitimate child of the king raised in the country by sheep farmers. Now the king has died and named her their heir.

Unfortunately, while Giannine is in the game, the OPOC (Citizens to Protect Our Children) break into the game center and destroy enough that she is trapped in the game. The only way to safely be removed from the game is if she can manage to win.

Technicians have determined that if she stays in the game too long brain damage will occur. Giannine doesn't know this. Although a hologram has warned her that she must win soon she does not know the risks to herself.

Velde, Vivian Vande. (2002). Heir Apparent. New York: Magic Carpet Books.