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Ted Gerson learns he has inherited his great-uncle's apartment in New York City. The apartment holds puzzles and clues that Ted must solve, similar to the escape room video games he excels at playing. Ted teams up with his friends Caleb and Isabel to work through the apartment's mysteries. Their investigation leads them on a hunt involving both World War II history and modern-day challenges, as they race to uncover the truth about Ted's great-uncle's past. The story combines elements of mystery, history, and gaming into a real-world adventure. Characters must apply their different skills and knowledge to progress through increasingly complex situations. This middle-grade novel explores themes of friendship, family legacy, and the intersection between virtual and real-world problem-solving. The narrative draws connections between historical events and contemporary gaming culture while examining how different generations connect through shared experiences.

Readers praise this middle-grade novel for its engaging mix of real-world and virtual escape room puzzles, Japanese-American representation, and World War II historical elements. Many note that it appeals to fans of escape rooms, video games, and mystery stories. Positive reviews highlight: - Fast-paced plot that keeps kids guessing - Educational aspects about WWII history - Authentic gaming/tech references - Strong family relationships - Diverse characters Common criticisms: - Some puzzle solutions feel too convenient - Historical elements can slow the pacing - A few readers found the gaming terminology confusing Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (100+ reviews) One young reader noted: "The puzzles were fun to solve alongside Ted and his friends." A parent reviewer wrote: "My 11-year-old couldn't put it down and learned about Japanese-American history in the process." Several teachers report successfully using it for classroom reading due to its combination of entertainment and historical content.

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🎮 The book's video game elements were inspired by "escape room" games, which gained massive popularity in the mid-2010s when the author was writing the story. 🎖️ The World War II elements in the story were based on the real-life Nisei soldiers—Japanese American servicemen who fought for the U.S. while many of their families were held in internment camps. 📚 Author Denis Markell wrote this as his debut novel, drawing from his experience as a puzzle enthusiast and his son's love of video games. 🧩 Many of the puzzles featured in the book were tested on middle school students to ensure they were both challenging and solvable for the target audience. 🏆 The book was selected for several state reading lists and was nominated for the 2018-2019 South Carolina Children's Book Award.