With no desire to thrust himself "into the vanguard of digital innovation," Iain Pears nonetheless finds himself there with publication of Arcadia. Pears notes, "...I undertook the project because I had reached the limit of my storytelling in book form and needed some new tools to get me to the next stage." His aim: to bypass "the limits of the classic linear structure," to build a story with many strands, each one complete in itself, but enhanced "when mingled with others."   Although readers may purchase Iain Pears's Arcadia (iOS, Free, $3.99 in-app purchase; Knopf, Feb. 2016; Gr 8 Up) as a conventional novel, an eBook, or an audiobook, it's hard to imagine a better container for this complex story than the app format. When fiction is translated to an app, readers might expect a multimedia experience but Arcadia is all about a new way to access a complex narrative solely through text connected by a clever GPS-like navigation map. The app description notes the uniqueness of this story. "Ten characters. Three worlds. Hundreds of paths to explore." When users enter the story, they are invited to read a short, lyrical description of the setting, then choose from six options to begin. Arrows provide easy navigation between the choices, and skimming each short section introduces a variety of characters and situations. One or two subtitles under each main title give more clues about which to select, such as "The Professor's Tale," or "The Young Girl's Tale." The clear font against a white background is easy to read, but users have the option to switch to another font and control the screen brightness. Touching an icon on the top of the screen allows viewers to see the map of the story with the sections that they have read marked and a blinking circle that will direct them back to where they left off. Access any of the worlds within the story—Willdon, Oxford, and Mull—can be found at the bottom of the map. Once an entry point has been chosen, the job of readers is to read. After each short section, they can continue following the experiences of their current character or to switch to one or more of the others. Strands can be followed from beginning to end, though readers may choose to move to another strand somewhere along the line, enjoying many new or overlapping chapters. The story of Arcadia is complex and many-layered. Characters are firmly established in their own worlds but Pears skillfully plays with melding genres and following themes across stories, while integrating allusions to art, history, and classic literature. Middle and high school students can certainly access Arcadia although understanding and enjoyment will increase with more reading and life experience.—Chris Gustafson, Whitman Middle School, Seattle Public Schools For more app reviews, visit our dedicated app webpage.