The novel often switches narrative views, however the principle characters who drive the plot ahead are youngsters Andi and Ro. Andi is a part-time worker of Residence Video World, and Ro is a daily on the arcade who crushes on Andi from afar.
When Residence Video World acquires a brand new arcade cupboard of unknown origins, gamers, together with Ro, instantly change into transfixed by the superior graphics and gameplay. Although not a gamer herself, Andi is a programmer with expertise fixing the machine boards. After observing the obsessive and regarding habits from Polybius gamers, she opens the cupboard to be taught extra about its tech and code. Believing the sport is harmful, Andi and Ro start trying to find the solutions they want. All of the whereas, Tasker Bay descends additional into insanity with every passing day.
Polybius does an important job of turning the city of Tasker Bay right into a compelling character of its personal. Armstrong accomplishes this, partly, by using quite a few third-person views past Andi and Ro, together with Residence Video World’s sketchy proprietor, the city physician (Andi’s mother), the sheriff (Ro’s dad), and a number of of Andi’s and Ro’s buddies. These subplots are interspersed all through, giving the novel a panoramic construction that showcases the alternative ways through which Polybius creates pandemonium.
Whilst somebody who was already well-versed within the Polybius city legend earlier than studying the novel, the story’s sturdy execution greater than makes up for these “spoilers.” That mentioned, if you do not know the ins and outs of the city legend, which dates again not less than 25 years, you may as properly learn the novel with none extra analysis. I am going to depart it at that.
Bestselling horror writer Richard Chizmar in contrast Polybius to Stranger Issues in a blurb that seems on the mud jacket. After studying all 352 pages in two late-night marathon periods, I can undoubtedly see the similarities between Tasker Bay and Hawkins. And identical to Stranger Issues, amidst carnage and chaos, Polybius appears like horror-sci-fi consolation meals.