Gamer Army

October 1, 2018

Gr 5-8-Twelve-year-old Rogan and four other tween gamers are chosen to compete in a prestigious Laser Viper tournament that seems too good to be true. Whisked off to luxury dorms, the gamers are dropped into missions using the latest in VR technology. As players are eliminated, ulterior motives from the game sponsors are revealed. Attempts at an over-arching narrative around the benefits of technology are delivered through monologues from the tournament facilitator, a high-profile figure in the gaming world. Dialogue among the characters acknowledges gender dynamics in video game culture, though the overuse of acronyms and technical language is distracting. The plot is driven by action in each of the gaming missions. VERDICT A solid additional purchase where gamer novels are in demand.-Angela Wiley, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2018
Twelve-year-old gamers at an elite tournament uncover secrets.In the not-so-distant future, the digital world's just as real as the physical one thanks to virtual-reality technology. Rogan, an egotistical-yet-talented "Laser Viper" player, spends more time alone in his virtual apartment (where he's facing eviction for failing to pay rent) than with his parents, who are wrapped up in their own digital lives. When the creator of "Laser Viper" invites him and four other players to a contest to become the "Laser Viper" Grand Champion, he leaves Seattle for the Atomic Frontiers headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he and the other players are sequestered. Joining him are his chief gaming rival, Shaylyn; brusque bully Beckett; brilliant Jacqueline; and team-player Takashi. The advanced version of the game is more real than ever--but when certain things don't add up, the players find themselves in danger from an unexpected source. Aside from brown-skinned Jacqueline and implied-Japanese Takashi, the only other main character explicitly of color is Xavier (called X), a brown-skinned, "tough-looking" Atomic Frontiers employee; Rogan, Shaylyn, and Beckett are default white. (Many principal characters are neurodiverse, but their conditions are controlled by the neuroports that also facilitate their play.) During the intricate gaming missions, the perspective hops among the characters (each playing a different class, "Team Fortress"-style), so readers don't miss anything, from the three elimination rounds to the championship, in this fast-paced narrative tailor-made for gamers.Authentic gamer action meets classic sci-fi themes and leaves room for sequels. (Science fiction. 8-14)

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October 15, 2018
Grades 3-6 This action-heavy first book in Reedy's (Divided We Fall?, 2014) new series is not-so-subtly influenced by Ender's Game (1985) and Ready Player One (2011). Like most people in his conspicuously indeterminate future, 12-year-old Rogan Webber spends most of his time in Virtual City, a comprehensive virtual reality world. When he is invited to participate in an elite video game tournament against four other Laser Viper players, Rogan leaps at the opportunity. He soon learns that the competition is run by the Wonkaesque creator of Virtual City, who will eliminate one player after every round. But it soon becomes clear that this game isn't what it appears to be. Despite spending an extended amount of time with one another during the competition, there is little chemistry between characters. Fans of pop-culture-reference-heavy Ready Player One should not expect as much detail in this book, as the same few video game references get recycled frequently. Even so, this fills a niche market in middle-grade sf and will appeal to young gamers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)