July 4, 2016
In this clever deconstruction of video game tropes, an eighth-grader’s everyday routine is inexplicably turned into a game. Now Bryan Biggins’s clothes grant stats (a holographic label identifies his shoes as “Boots of Average Walking Speed. Fire resistance +5%”), and completing various tasks and challenges grants him experience and allows him to level up. Running an errand (accepting a quest) for a teacher becomes a death-defying experience, a read-through of Shakespeare in English class takes on Choose Your Own Adventure qualities, and confronting a bully is like beating an end-level boss. Every time Bryan is close to defeat, he has to pay a coin in order to continue playing; he doesn’t want to know what happens if time runs out. Anderson (Ms. Bixby’s Last Day) presents an entertaining romp in which a mundane school day takes on epic qualities, but Bryan’s “win” is contingent on him working up the nerve to chat up his longtime crush, Jess—a “get the girl” convention that’s common enough in games but underwhelming in this context. Ages 8–12. Agency: Adams Literary.
June 15, 2016
A video game fanatic turns his world upside down.Bryan Biggins is a gamer. The white middle schooler is obsessed with "Sovereign of Darkness," a computer game with a secret level that constantly eludes him. But one night, Bryan finally gets all the elements lined up properly to enter it, and--poof!--he wakes up the next day living life as if it were a video game. His bike ride to school becomes a "Mario Kart"-esque race for survival. His gym class turns into a "Call of Duty"-like shoot'em-up. And his teachers become sages and dungeon masters. It's an imaginative premise that undercuts itself. Bryan's best friend, Latino Oz Guzman, seems mostly to be on hand for comic relief, but he fares better than the object of Bryan's affection, gorgeous, brown-skinned Jessica Alcorn, who has all the character development of Zelda. The novel appropriately lifts many elements from video games, but a flat female character who's just a prize for the male hero should have been left on the table. That's what the book is ultimately about: Bryan has to level up and win Jess' heart to complete the game, but Jess is barely in the book, which is instead dominated by video game allegories for middle school troubles. The last thing video game nerds need is a reinforcement of a regressive view of women as objects instead of individuals. (Fantasy. 8-12)
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July 1, 2016
Gr 4-6- Ready Player One for the middle grade crowd. Bryan "Bilbo Baggins" Biggins spends most of his time playing the video game Sovereign of Darkness with his best friend, Oz, and pining after his crush, Jess Alcorn. He has been trying in vain to unlock a secret bonus level at the end of the game, one that Oz keeps telling him just doesn't exist. But he keeps playing, over and over, until he finally reaches it one night before bed. The next day, something strange happens. Bryan's life becomes a role-playing game (RPG). His middle school adventures turn into dramatized video game escapades, including an intense game of dodgeball, a recitation from Romeo and Juliet, and (in one of the strangest quests) an attempt to retrieve a Twinkie from the teachers' lounge vending machine. With fast-paced action and a fun, engaging voice, there is plenty here to hold interest. Some of the interactions with Bryan's adversaries (hall monitor, teacher, school bully, etc.) are a bit over-the-top, but that's to be expected given the subject. The video game parody is clever and would also appeal to adults with a fondness for vintage arcade games. VERDICT Anderson combines action and realistic middle grade issues with video game references to produce a winning pick that's ideal for gamers or reluctant readers.-Jessica Ko, Los Angeles Public Library
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