Gamer Girl (2008)

Review by: Alphonse99

Gamer Girl is a book about a girl named Maddy, who is bullied because she's a geek and an outcast--and on top of all that, her parents are divorced. Gamer Girl is an awesome book, because you can really connect with the character. She loves mmorpgs and manga! The one thing is that I'm not much of a Realistic Fiction person, so I'm not sure whether I actually like hearing about problems in other people's lives.
Review by: Ally

That's a smart way of thinking about it. ( )

I was a little hesitant about this book, as it could have easily fallen into a trap of bad geek stereotypes, but instead it's a lovely blend of high school drama, budding online romance, gaming, drawing, and growing up. I loved how the game, to Maddy, was always more about who she was playing with than the game itself, which is what I've always felt to be true about online games like the fictional Fields of Fantasy (clearly based on World of Warcraft when you start hearing Maddy's gamer girl lingo, but could be any similar game really). I also loved how her success in game helped her find success elsewhere, as she "levels up" both in-game and out, making this a very modern coming-of-age story. ( )

I really thought I was going to hate this book, but I didn't. It was actually pretty cute, and I could relate to Maddy and her feelings towards the Haters. I think everyone can, actually. We've all envisioned ourselves as the hero, or the most popular... and I like the way this book is written. Very down to earth. ( )

Maddy's parents have just gotten divorced, and to make matters worse she has to move away from her Boston school with her mother and her little sister. Her only solace is in her manga-inspired artwork. So when her father sends her an online role-playing game called Fields of Fantasy for her birthday, she's excited to be spending time with him, even in a virtual world. But her father's high-level character doesn't have much time for a newbie. Just when she's beginning to feel discouraged, she meets another player who helps her through the opening stages. She feels that he's the only one who understands her, but she's never met him...has she?

The outcomes are fairly predictable, but the story was entertaining. The "Fields of Fantasy" scenes borrow heavily from World of Warcraft, which is amusing if you're a player. ( )

I can relate to this story since I'm a gamer also. I loved how the game was described. I like this book's idea, but I don't really like some details of it. ( )