It’s a funny thing reviewing a Choose Your Own Adventure, as you know the story that you’re reviewing will vary from the one that others have read! What I can say though is that Alien Arena is far and away the best one I’ve read yet. The narrative has an integrity which at no point feels like it is being forced into a particular direction. The writing quality is high (allowing for being written for young children) and the concepts are big, bold and impactful. I really admired, on my read through, how long it took The Doctor to enter the story - it puts the reader squarely in the role of the protagonist.

It would have been nice if there were some ending scenes seeded in, so the story didn’t end immediately after the peak of the action, but that’s my main note!