Looking for a specific book title

AlexFielding

I am obsessing over a book I read about ten years ago and I can’t remember the title or the author!

Here’s what I do know:
- young adult novel
- 2 main characters: a teenage girl, and a teenage boy who was in a wheelchair
- they were testing a virtual reality game
- they didn’t not know each other in the real world (well, I believe they went to school together but they only found that out much later)
- there were references to the Minotaur maze, Ariadne and golden string/twine
- also lots of Escher references in maze and level designs
- golden clues hidden in the levels - hidden by Ariadne, golden or silver spiders were seen around them
- Ariadne was helping them through the levels (possibly a programmer of the game?)

And they were probably trying to save the world because that’s how most teen novels go. I actually have no recollection of the ending other than that they do finally meet in the real world at some point.

If anyone has any idea what book this is, I would owe you so much. I loved it when I was younger but always borrowed it from the library at school and now I have no idea how to find it again.

JHunz

I'm sure someone on here will come up with the name for you, but if they don't you might try calling up the school that you know you always borrowed it from and talking to the librarian. If I know my school librarians, they'll be thrilled that you're still reading as an adult and happy to try to help (no guarantee that they'll know which book it is either, of course).

MobiusDoppelganger

I don't know if this is helpful, but there was a series of books for young adults that was an offshoot of the Tom Clancy's Net Force series, called "Tom Clancy's Net Force Explorers" I recall having read the first few and that story doesn't sound familiar but it's possible it's one of the many books in that series.

List of books in the series according to wikipedia:
Tom Clancy's Net Force Explorers

xraydog

Is it this? Some relevant passages highlighted...

http://books.google.com/books?id=46JdKc2U2g4C&q=ariadne+subject:"virtual+reality"&dq=ariadne+subject:"virtual+reality"&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-SowT-LoIePt0gHBj9X-Cg&ved=0CEsQ6AEwBA

The girl is the one in the wheelchair according to that description. If it's not that maybe it's the same author.

AlexFielding

Wow, I did not expect to actually get the title of the book! I thought it was a total long shot - I'm so stoked right now.

xraydog, thank you so much - that is definitely it! I recognized the cover right away. Apparently in the years since I've read it I got confused about which one of them was in a wheelchair.
You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar. (Or a gentlewoman - but either way you are freaking amazing).

JHnuz, thanks for the idea! Should this ever happen again I will definitely try that

Mobius, even though those weren't the books, they look awesome so I think I will have to check them out.

Thanks again everyone. I was not expecting a response this quickly - you are all wonderful!