The internet is gone! And now everyone is forced to live in a world that is disconnected.
Twelve-year-old Ben Montana had a different life on the internet. His "real" life was found online. He could say and do things there that didn't matter in person. It was great, and wonderful, and perfectly...miserable.
When the internet crashes, and perilous hardships arise, dramatic events and trials force Ben into an adventure of real-world survival. In the end, Ben must confront what it truly means to be connected, and what it means to live.
Disconnected: The Broken Path is a stimulating adventure sure to entertain. Full of humor and poignant life-lessons, it is the perfect book for young adults and beyond. In a world absorbed by the internet,
Disconnected: The Broken Path shows the path forward to rebuilding life - life in the real world.
* * *
Maybe the worst part of a fight is when nobody comes to break it up. The school supervisor stood by the swing set staring at a phone, and the other students were loving the fight too much to call for help. So, on and on Ben and Jaxon tussled. Both wanted to stop, though they could never admit it.
"Ugh... You need to impress Sophie, hey?" said Jaxon, barely missing with a right uppercut.
Sophie Martine blushed a vibrant, beautiful pink as she stood near the brawl.
"I'll bet she'd love to see you hurt," said Ben as he threw his elbow into Jaxon's face.
And so the fight, and all its glorious pain, continued.
Somehow the supervisor did look up from her phone, and the fight did end. Ben and Jaxon found themselves sitting outside of the vice principal's office. It was time for
The Wait. The awful, nervous, tiresome wait. By this point both boys were choking back tears and thinking about how they would smooth-talk this incident with their parents-or parent, in Jaxon's case. Not a word was said between them. They were too tired to be angry now.
Eventually the vice principal, a cold and distant lady secretly known as Mrs. Dog by the students-short for Dogwood-called them in and demanded details. Both boys, in a pathetic quiver of emotion, blamed one another, but stopped short of stating the real reason for the fight. That would involve another world; another dimension of reality, or unreality. Best to keep it simple and follow
The Code.
"So," barked the vice principal after hearing that Ben had tried to gouge Jaxon's face with his elbow. "So..."
What would she say, this educated, professional, and feared leader of the school? What profound words of truth and terror would follow?
"So...was that a good choice or a bad choice?" came the anticipated words of wisdom.
Ben stared back in disbelief. It was all a dream world. He had just tried to annihilate another human being, and then he was asked if it was a good choice or a bad choice? He was tempted to claim it as a good choice. Her reaction might be worth it.
"Um, a bad choice."
The Code must be followed.
The same mindless question was asked to Jaxon, who did in fact make an error.
"It was a bad choice...but..."
"No 'buts' from you, little boy," snapped Mrs. Dog, glaring at Jaxon. "You need to make good choices and not bad choices." She twisted her face towards Ben. "Both of you!"
