App Review: Loose Strands

LOOSE STRANDS by Darned Sock Productions is an amazing e-book app for children. Demonstrating the full potential of the interactive reading environment, this full-length fantasy novel for middle grades will keep young people engaged for days.

The gorgeous artwork combined with the perfectly matched introductory music and animations makes this an interactive novel that children will cherish.

The story revolves around Roland Bartholomew Dexter the Third, a boy who lives with his parents in a mysterious barbershop. Trapped in world filled with hair, censored books, and realistic dreams, young Roland discovers the reality of his universe while readers unlock pages of this amazing book.

The instructions page informs readers to “follow the strands of hair” to move forward and backward through the story. Clicking the screen replays the animation. On some pages, readers have their choice of which direction to follow the strand of hair. Readers can also save bookmarks as they go. Much like a Choose-You-Own-Adventure book, readers decide their own fate. The story provides suggestions and hints along the way. There’s something incredibly fun and engaging about swiping different directions to reveal each new electronic page in this exciting adventure.

Readers are in control of this mesmerizing story that includes 20 hidden pages, 3 hidden diaries, and the option to explore Roland’s village. A built-in map allows readers to track their reading experience, explore Roland’s house, and revisit areas of the story. In some cases, readers see the consequences of their choices when options and pages disappear from the map.

Much more than your standard adventure, the story explores complex concepts about life choices, decisions, and consequences both in the real and imagined world. While readers are making decisions about how they will explore the story, the characters are making their own connections.

I’ve read dozens of interactive novels over the past several years, however this is the ultimate reading experience combining nonlinear reading, optional adventures, simple gaming, and a compelling story into one visually stunning app.

To download the app for iPad, go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/loose-strands/id867732804…
To download the app for Android, go tohttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details…