The Amanda Project: Invisible I
$16.99, HarperCollins Australia

What is The Amanda Project? It's a series of good old-fashioned mystery novels with a modern online interactive twist. And I, for one, am hooked. Each book is narrated by a different character and written by a different author, all coming under the collective name of Stella Lennon. The first book in the series, Invisible I, hit my desk on a Friday morning and I finished it the same day. Yes I did do my work, I'm just a fast reader, especially if the story grabs my attention. And this one definitely did.

The page before Chapter One bears a quote from Tom Stoppard's play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. I knew right away that I was going to like this book. And as already mentioned, it's not just a book. Readers can join the website, create a character and help tell the story, plus do all sorts of other stuff like share music and play games. I haven't actually created a character online - I may read young adult fiction but am sadly no longer a young adult - but I have done the totem animal quiz. And I had such fun doing it that all the girls sitting near me had a go too. (My animal was a tiger. Yay!)

Now for the story ... Amanda Valentino arrived at Endeavor High on Halloween. Quirky, intelligent and prone to treat life like a big adventure, she chose three different students - Callie, Hal and Nia - to be her 'only' guide at her new school. And when she disappears months later on the Ides of March (the 15th) after an artistic encounter with the vice principal's car, Callie, Hal and Nia learn about each other.

But where has Amanda gone and why? Pushed into an unlikely alliance by a suspicious vice principal who thinks they know more than they do (and is prepared to keep them in Saturday detention until they spill the beans), Callie, Hal and Nia set out to track down the elusive Amanda. They pool their information, follow whatever clues they can find, do a spot of breaking and entering and finally create a website dedicated to the search.

This novel captures the fun of the chase, which is why it keeps you hooked. I stopped worrying about when we were going to find Amanda because I became so caught up the characters. I don't care if we don't find Amanda for ages, I just like chasing her!

To celebrate the book's release this month and to hook you into the hunt, I've got 10 copies of The Amanda Project: Invisible I to give away. All you have to do is send us an email telling us in the subject line which animal you'd like for your totem.