Infected: An AFK Book (Piggy Original Novel)

by Terrance Crawford, Dan Widdowson (Illustrator)

Overview

Mystery, mayhem — try to survive the terrifying world of PIGGY in this original novel based on the fan-favorite videogame!

There is a mystery to be solved, keys to be found, and an evil pig to escape!

When an infection threatens to turn everyone into mindless, dangerous monsters, it is up to a few desparate survivors to get survive long enough to find a cure. But can they hold on long enough to get to the bottom of this mysterious illness, or will PIGGY and her new minons find them first?

Welcome to the bone chilling, pulse-pounding world of PIGGY, the survival-horror game that will keep you up at night. Explore a frightening maze full of secrets to unearth and monsters that are out for blood! Can anyone make it out alive?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338848120
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	01/03/2023
Series:	Piggy Series
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	900L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Terrance Crawford is a humor and pop culture writer from Detroit, Michigan, who lives in New York, New York.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for PIGGY: Infected:

“Just scary enough to make people feel braver for reading it.” — Kirkus

From the Publisher

2022-11-16
Humor and horror are seldom far apart in this tale about a virus that turns people into enormous animals.

A passage near the end of this novel says: “The flashing lights and sounds in the mall made Ben feel like he was in a video game, but he knew in his heart that a video game about an Infection apocalypse could never be made. Some things were better as real stories.” Given that the book is based on a video game, it’s a fun piece of metafiction—and apt, as many scenes in the book feel like levels in a game. Ben and his friends fight off giant monsters in one location after another: a mall, a train station, carnival grounds. The cartoonish tone may come as a relief at a time when actual viruses are spreading around the world. And the story is never quite as terrifying as it might have been. Ben never has to face a monster who was once a friend or a member of his family (though that could change in upcoming installments). Most of the characters, infected or not, are talking animals. Ben is an exception, like a guest star on an episode of The Muppet Show. His appearance is rarely described, but the illustrations portray him with dark, textured hair. Widdowson’s drawings are comfortingly geometric, full of circular heads and ruler-straight furniture.

Just scary enough to make people feel braver for reading it. (Horror. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews