When life becomes too difficult to understand, nine-year-old Jack awakens one night to see a most extraordinary creature called Petucan who has come to his rescue. He is swept into the magical realm of Dhyāna Land where he sets out on a quest to find the mysterious and immortal Satya. With the help of exotic and memorable characters, his adventure begins. “Happy Jack, Happy Jack, run far away. Happy Jack, Happy Jack, don’t you come back.” Happy Jack, the unhappiest boy in the world, earned his nickname because he has lost his smile. He was abandoned at the tender age of seven and flounders with memories of a door slamming. His mother walked out and his father dropped him off at the police station. Struggling to survive in a children’s home and plagued with bad dreams, he blames himself for his home falling apart, trapping him in memories of a mom and dad that didn’t want him. As the real and imagined begin to merge, he boards the Mindless Express to Quiet Place Station. Aboard the Mindless Express is a game car. Jack becomes so absorbed in playing games, a yawing grey void opens up as the outside world disappears. Petucan has to pull him out of his gaming stupor so they can continue on their journey. After missing their stop, they end up at the base of Lying Mountain. Still stuck in the idea that he was a throw-away, he climbs the Lying Mountain and comes upon the Mountain Lyings that sneeze lies off the end of their noses. It’s here that Jack begins to understand the difference between lies and the truth. The truth leads him to the Stuckerpillers where he recognizes that he has been stuck in a past that no longer exists. The only way Jack can move forward is by facing the monster of his dreams, Ethos the Giant Ogre. He discovers his power and fights a heroic battle to save himself and his friends. It takes courage and an inner strength for Jack to vanquish his nightmare. Jack’s nightmare is destroyed once and for all. After discovering who the immortal Satya is, he takes charge and begins to write his own story. He becomes Happy Jack, the happiest boy in the world... and another story begins. With access to limitless information and social bullying and the endless abundance of violent video games, this book challenges readers of all ages to ask themselves the important questions: Who am I? What is my purpose? Merging the real and imagined, the novel directly engages the reader where they themself appear on the page at the end of chapter eleven. Emotional and satisfying, the profound messages woven throughout the novel is a direct result of the authors experience, and captures the imagination and hearts of children and adults trying to find their way home.