Off Target: The Path You Choose, Book One is a work of fiction for young adults penned by author Jill Ammon Vanderwood. Focused specifically on social issues, the format of the book is a 'choose your own adventure' style, where the reader can select a page to turn to in order to direct the course of the story for themselves. In this first volume of the series, the story focuses on a young man called Eric, a new friend to the central character of the story (‘you’, as the reader). When Eric takes his mother’s gun from her nightstand, suggestions are made as to what to do with it, and it’s up to you to see where the danger might lead.

With thirteen possible endings, all of which teach some important lessons about the relationship between young Americans and guns, this is an accomplished work which is socially conscious and also interesting for middle grade students and up to read. I feel that Off Target is best suited as a morality work that could be read in groups at school, with parents or in youth groups to explore the different possibilities of the choices before readers select the page to turn. Jill Ammon Vanderwood writes well in the second person to draw the reader further into the story, developing a real character whom the others talk to and take advice from. I enjoyed this sense of urgency and think it would be empowering for young readers to simulate making these important decisions in life.

Off Target by Jill Ammon Vanderwood allows readers to choose their own adventure with thirteen different endings. You, the main character in the book, are new in town and have just made friends with the boy next door – Trevor. On your first day at school, he introduces you to his friends, but you soon realise that Eric, one of Trevor’s friends, is the target of bullying. After school, you and a group of Trevor’s friends go to Eric’s house where he shows you his mother’s gun. Someone suggests that Eric take it to school to threaten his bullies into leaving him alone, but you are worried about what could happen if he does. What do you do? Do you steal the gun and hide it or do you join in with the others? Be careful; each choice carries responsibilities and leads to different consequences!

The Path you Choose format is an interactive and fun method for young adult books. Not only does it involve teenagers in the reading process by giving them the power to decide the direction they’d like the story to go in, it also teaches them valuable life lessons along the way. I enjoyed Off Target with its emotionally intense, yet reflective tone and its awkward, but authentic characters. The action-packed story line made it difficult to choose between the paths because I wanted to know what would happen in every instance. Luckily, readers can go back and start all over again, making this is a book within a book within a book… Jill Ammon Vanderwood has dealt with a controversial topic in a way that makes sense to teenagers; the mark of a talented YA author!