Three teenagers Éric, Thierry and Andreas are passionate about video games. Andreas is violent, obsessed with war, and a firm believer in Neo-Nazi ideology. The three of them plunge into the wars of the 20th century through the video game “The Ultimate Experience”. But the game turns out to be very real... Éric and Thierry manage to get out of it in one piece, although they are physically hurt and begin to have nightmares. But Andreas disappears from reality: he is trapped in the game.
In this third and final volume of the trilogy about the boys, the characters have grown up and matured. They have stronger personalities. In this book, the writer revisits history, but he also deals with current political issues, such as the extreme right-wing movements, the radical Islamists, all forms of fascism. We encounter new characters as we plunge into contemporary wars, such as the war in the Balkans, and remain in an extremely violent world. The conclusion is surprisingly happy: the redemption of Andreas actually seems possible.
This great novel deals with the basic notions of Good and Evil. It is a realistic dive into the reality of wars, and questions the lessons that we never seem to learn from history. A gripping novel that does not make concessions to the harsh realities of life, but it also conveys a belief in the capacity of human beings to change for the best. This book was selected for the IBBY Honour List 2014.