One Level Down

By: Mary G. Thompson

Narrated by: Si Chen

Trapped in a child’s body, a resourceful woman risks death by deletion from a simulated world. With her debut novella for adults, Mary G. Thompson (Wuftoom) has crafted a taut, ultimately hopeful story that deftly explores identity and autonomy.

“A perfectly executed gem of a book. Deeply satisfying and completely mesmerizing, it’s full of depth, heart, and thought.”―Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop

Ella is the oldest five-year-old in the universe. For fifty-eight years, the founder of a simulated colony-planet has forced her to pretend to be his daughter. Her “Daddy” has absolute power over all elements of reality, which keeps the colonists in line even when their needs are not met. But his failing experiments and despotic need for absolute control are increasingly dangerous.

Ella’s very life depends on her performance as a child. She has watched Daddy delete her stepmother and the loved ones of anyone who helps her.

But every sixty years, a Technician comes from the world above. Ella has been watching and working and biding her time. Because if she cannot get help, her only solution is a desperate measure that could lead to consequences for the entire universe.

©2025 Mary G. Thompson (P)2025 Spotify Audiobooks

Very thought provoking

This book was very thought provoking and deep. For such a short story, I thought it was pretty good.

Fascinating take on a simulated world

I’ve read a few novels following characters in simulated worlds, but One Level Down is much richer and deeper. Feeling trapped in her world, the protagonist tries to understand and escape her limits. A YA adventure which will relate to anyone who feels the constraints of family, school, friends, or their neighborhood and yearns for more.

Unique Simulated Reality

A new and interesting twist on the simulated reality sub-genre. Ella's life is both fascinating and bizarre. I was immediately drawn into the dilemma and her efforts to change it. I love protagonists who refuse to give up, even when facing impossible odds, and Ella fits that style perfectly. There is room for more at the end, so I hope Thompson expands this universe and Ella's story.