Can a hardcore gamer survive a real-world crisis? Seventeen-year-old Alex Brooks is obsessed with becoming an e-athlete. What teen wouldn’t want to make a million dollars playing video games professionally? Especially if you’ve got a real shot at it like Alex. His mom, a television producer in Hollywood, casts her son in a reality show about young gaming hopefuls seeking fame and fortune. This gives him great exposure in the industry. On top of that, His dad owns an up-and-coming tech business that is about to launch a revolutionary product. Life couldn’t be better--or could it? Truth be told, Alex doesn’t need to go pro as bad as he needs to grow up, and what teen really wants to do that? He’s popular with other gamers but his over-inflated ego makes him obnoxious to almost everyone else. He hides a deep secret--the cavernous void in his life that nothing seems to fill. He thrives on a false sense of accomplishment but is haunted by an inescapable sense of loneliness. He has lived in the shadow of his dad’s relentless pursuit of building a tech empire while watching him fail to keep his family from falling apart. What will it take for Alex to gain a new perspective on what it means to become a man and what it takes to be a hero? Everything changes when Alex goes missing. He must face a life or death struggle in a foreign culture that doesn’t have a power grid. Man or computer mouse? His digital world didn’t prepare him for the challenges that are about to confront him. Alex is not ready to rescue anyone, he needs to be rescued. For those who really know Alexander, why would anyone want to save him? This coming-of-age story follows Alex as he is forced to grow up the hard way through extraordinary circumstances, which cause him to re-evaluate what’s important in life, his need for God, and the positive influence of older mentors. Adventure, danger, romance, survival, despair and Providence are the ingredients that help remake his life.

Find out what's going on any day of the year, anywhere across the globe! Since 1957, Chase's Calendar of Events lists everything worth knowing and celebrating for each day of the year: 12,500 holidays, national days, historical milestones, famous birthdays, festivals, sporting events and more. Publishers Weekly has cited it as "one of the most impressive reference volumes in the world." Library Journal named the 67th edition (A 2024 Starred Review) "an invaluable resource for trivia fans, planners, media professionals, teachers, and librarians.” From national days to celebrity birthdays, from historical milestones to astronomical phenomena, from award ceremonies and sporting events to religious festivals and carnivals, Chase's is the must-have reference used by experts and professionals—a one-stop shop with 12,500 entries for everything that is happening now or is worth remembering from the past. Completely updated for 2024, Chase's also features extensive appendices as well as a companion website that puts the power of Chase's at the user's fingertips. 2024is packed with special events and observances, including National days and public holidays of every nation on Earth Scores of new special days, weeks and months--such as International Day of Zero Waste or World Eel Day Famous birthdays of new world leaders, lauded authors and breakout celebrities Info on the 2024 Great North American Eclipse. Info on the restoration and reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris. Info on milestone anniversaries, such as the 300th birth anniversary of Immanuel Kant, the 250th anniversary of the First Continental Congress, the 100th birth anniversary of James Baldwin and more. Information on such special events as the International Year of Camelids and the Paris Olympics or Euro 2024. And much more!