Most Minecraft books are the literary equivalent of a snack cake—fine for a bit, but no substance. 'The Crash' is a full meal. It uses the game as a backdrop to talk about real stuff like hospital trauma and the fear of losing a best friend.

If your kid is a Minecraft addict, this is one of the best ways to get them to put down the controller and engage with a story that has some actual weight. It’s not 'brain rot'—it’s a well-written thriller that happens to have blocks in it.