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Can you solve the mystery of The Boy in the Book?

18 August 2020

When self-confessed ‘obsessive’ Nathan Penlington bought 106 second-hand copies of Choose Your Own Adventure books on eBay he thought he was just indulging a childhood passion. Little did he realise that when he found an extract from a troubling, hand-written diary inside one of them, it would set him off on a life-changing adventure of his own.

Nathan knew that he would have to track down the boy - now man - who’d written these strange words. He just didn't expect to be joined by a documentary crew who would help him every step of the way. Or that his quest would become a genre-busting, interactive web experience which now allows YOU to choose your own route through his astonishing story.

Help Nathan on his quest as he relives his own awkward childhood, learns more about the multi-million pound 1980s publishing phenomenon and its creator, and takes control of his adult destiny.

Play the Interactive Adventure

The Boy in the Book is a free-to-play interactive documentary, produced by CYOD and Joi Polloi with support from The Space.

Play the trailer

A publishing phenomenon

“You’re the star of the story!” This was the promise on the cover of each book in Edward Packard's Choose Your Own Adventure series. Readers became the central characters, making numerous choices and navigating their way towards many different endings. The Boy In The Book interactive documentary emulates this format, giving you tricky decisions to make as you follow Nathan’s progress.

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