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Kevin Jakubowski

Author of 8-Bit Christmas

2 Works 29 Members 6 Reviews

Works by Kevin Jakubowski

8-Bit Christmas (2013) 20 copies
8-Bit Christmas [2021 TV movie] (2021) — Author — 9 copies

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This is basicly and 80's update of the movie A Christmas Story. Replace the BB gun with a Nintendo and add in more 80's pop culture references than a vh1 special and you got yourself this story. It's a quick read and fun to read if you were born in the early 80's late 70's.
 
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nmorse | 5 other reviews | Dec 3, 2019 |
This book was full blown nostalgia for me. I wasn't alive during the beginning of the Nintendo craze but benefited from an older brother. I recall my early years sitting around watching him game.

The book was a lot of fun packed into an enjoyable christmas read!
 
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rabidgummibear | 5 other reviews | Nov 28, 2018 |
This book is about Jake, a 9 year old boy who wants a Nintendo. I was a kid (though a girl) in the 80s and couldn't resist reading this book for the memories. There's a lot - and I mean a LOT - of pop culture references in the book (and not all of them were accurate, at least I didn't feel like they were really 80s pop culture references), from Cabbage Patch kids to He-Man, and it's a fun romp through memory lane.

That being said - I had to rate the book 3 stars because I didn't feel like there was any plot at all. Yes, certain things happen in Jake's quest to own a Nintendo, and the book certainly has a lot of funny moments (and a part where I bawled my eyes out hysterically, which may add to my 3-star feelings for this book) but I just felt like every scene was strung together mostly to lead the reader through memory lane and to the end of the book, more so then to actually tell a story of one young boy.

In other words, the book was fun to read, without any meat on the bones.
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anastaciaknits | 5 other reviews | Oct 29, 2016 |
First, I'd like to thank Netgalley for the ARC.

8-Bit Christmas follows nine-year-old Jake, who just really wants a Nintendo for Christmas. It's the 80's, it's the cool new thing, and only the richest, most annoying kid in town has one. There's a fierce competition to use his Nintendo, culminating in children trading in their favorite toys for just a few minutes or hours of play. Jake's had enough of this nonsense and decides he's going to get his own Nintendo by whatever means necessary. He participates in a Cub Scout wreath-selling competition, teams up with his little sister to convince their parents to buy their most-desired presents, asks his relatives and Santa for a NES, and even resolves to buy his own if it comes to that. But after a disaster involving a dead dog, Nintendo is banned in the county where Jake lives and suddenly it doesn't look like a very likely Christmas present. Will Jake end up with the NES, or will he end up with something even better?

8-Bit Christmas is entertaining. I'll give it that. It's a quick read and I enjoyed the pop culture references, although some of them are a bit before my time. What it lacks, however, is a cohesive plot. It often feels like a bunch of funny anecdotes about Nintendo linked together with other funny anecdotes about unrelated things, with a He-Man or Cabbage Patch Doll reference thrown in for good measure. The author will go on about Jake's latest scheme to procure a Nintendo, only to philosophize about midwest winters for several pages. Then we're back to the Nintendo for awhile before switching gears entirely and hearing about Jake's obsession with crush on his art teacher. I feel like 8-Bit Christmas might make a better film than a book - after all, I did enjoy Assassination of a High School President, a film written by Jakubowski.

Still, it's not all bad. I laughed out loud on several occasions and read the majority of the book over about three days. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I were about ten years older, or if video games had been a big part of my childhood. If you were in elementary school during the mid-80's and got caught up in the Nintendo whirlwind, you'll probably enjoy it more than I did.
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Sara.Newhouse | 5 other reviews | Feb 11, 2016 |

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Works
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Rating
3.9
Reviews
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