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Arena #1
Arena
A fast-paced and gripping near-future science fiction debut about the gritty world of competitive gaming...
Every week, Kali Ling fights to the death on national TV.
She’s died hundreds of times. And it never gets easier...
The RAGE tournaments—the Virtual Gaming League’s elite competition where the best gamers in the world compete in a no-holds-barred fight to the digital death. Every bloody kill is broadcast to millions. Every player is a modern gladiator—leading a life of ultimate fame, responsible only for entertaining the masses.
And though their weapons and armor are digital, the pain is real.
Chosen to be the first female captain in RAGE tournament history, Kali Ling is at the top of the world—until one of her teammates overdoses. Now, she must confront the truth about the tournament. Because it is much more than a game—and even in the real world, not everything is as it seems.
The VGL hides dark secrets. And the only way to change the rules is to fight from the inside...
Every week, Kali Ling fights to the death on national TV.
She’s died hundreds of times. And it never gets easier...
The RAGE tournaments—the Virtual Gaming League’s elite competition where the best gamers in the world compete in a no-holds-barred fight to the digital death. Every bloody kill is broadcast to millions. Every player is a modern gladiator—leading a life of ultimate fame, responsible only for entertaining the masses.
And though their weapons and armor are digital, the pain is real.
Chosen to be the first female captain in RAGE tournament history, Kali Ling is at the top of the world—until one of her teammates overdoses. Now, she must confront the truth about the tournament. Because it is much more than a game—and even in the real world, not everything is as it seems.
The VGL hides dark secrets. And the only way to change the rules is to fight from the inside...
336 pages, Hardcover
First published April 5, 2016
85 people are currently reading
2639 people want to read
About the author
Holly Jennings
7 books129 followersHolly Jennings is a self-proclaimed nerd and lover of all things geeky and weird. As the firstborn to a sports enthusiast, it was soon discovered that the only games she'd ever learn to master involved consoles and controllers. Her childhood was spent crushing virtual foes, racing on simulated tracks, and rescuing digital princesses. As a young adult, she fell in love with English class, speculative novels, and comic books, which inspired her to create stories of her own. Eventually, her passions converged and she started writing about the future of video games.
She lives in Canada.
She lives in Canada.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 409 reviews
January 27, 2016
The beginning of this book totally sucked for me. You have Kali Ling, who worked her way up in the virtual gaming leagues and now she is participating in the RAGE League. Which is the best of the gamers, gaming is now as big as the Superbowl. She and her team must look out to please their sponsors, keep their fans and that kinda stuff. (boring)
Kali is friends with benefits with one of her team members. The whole team parties so she thinks nothing about when he is dosing really heavy one night. (Drugs are VERY easy for them to get). He overdoses (not a spoiler-chill out) with Kali in his bed.
So her boss knows he needs to get another team member for the tournament coming up.
So enters the hot guy:
Something's wrong," she announced in a hushed voice.
I stopped dead. "What?"
"I was gay before I entered the office. And then, that happened."
She pointed to the guy standing with Clarence on the other side of the room.
My mouth dropped open, and my swirling stomach became an inferno, spreading heat..everywhere else.
That's right after her 'friend with benefits' died.
I almost went the DNF road right there. BUT I'm trying to be better about the quitting of books so I kept on trucking.
Her team is in pretty much shambles for a bit, adjusting to a new team member and after the death of one of their own. Then the boss man tells Kali and the new guy, Rooke that they have to play up a romance for the cameras.
We've been there before haven't we?
Kali realizes that she is not dealing with her previous guys death very well and FINALLY starts acting like she has some sense. She, with hot guy Rooke's help of course, starts to incorporate her lessons on Taoism and the pitfalls that come with being a professional gamer.
No one knew about except the gamers themselves. A victim of the minefields that was the life of a virtual gamer. Drugs. Alcohol. Obsession. Mental Illness. All shrouded in darkness by a world faker than the arena itself.
She starts to become that female warrior that she is known as.
That was the best part of this whole book. As a reader I got to see a female main character in a book actually grow some. Usually it's just all about getting the boy. This one DID keep from doing that. There was some touch of the lurvey dovey-including one of the hottest first kiss scenes that I've read in a young adult book. BUT the majority ended up being on her becoming her own kick-ass person.
I was a poster child for the Chinese warrior. No. The Chinese-American warrior. A perfect blend. Both sides as one.
One thing I did not get though:
The virtual gaming stuff. If our world has evolved to be to where the games are a form of highly paid rock-star entertainment..wouldn't there be more to it than a wheat field with taking your other teams tower after beating them to death? The same scene, every single match and we are supposed to believe that the gaming world is addictive as crack?
Crack is whack because I was not sold on that shit.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review
I'm highlighting my friend Sh3lly's review even though Netgalley denied her she is who brought the book to my attention. She is one of the best book promoters. Start approving her!
Kali is friends with benefits with one of her team members. The whole team parties so she thinks nothing about when he is dosing really heavy one night. (Drugs are VERY easy for them to get). He overdoses (not a spoiler-chill out) with Kali in his bed.
So her boss knows he needs to get another team member for the tournament coming up.
So enters the hot guy:
Something's wrong," she announced in a hushed voice.
I stopped dead. "What?"
"I was gay before I entered the office. And then, that happened."
She pointed to the guy standing with Clarence on the other side of the room.
My mouth dropped open, and my swirling stomach became an inferno, spreading heat..everywhere else.
That's right after her 'friend with benefits' died.
I almost went the DNF road right there. BUT I'm trying to be better about the quitting of books so I kept on trucking.
Her team is in pretty much shambles for a bit, adjusting to a new team member and after the death of one of their own. Then the boss man tells Kali and the new guy, Rooke that they have to play up a romance for the cameras.
We've been there before haven't we?
Kali realizes that she is not dealing with her previous guys death very well and FINALLY starts acting like she has some sense. She, with hot guy Rooke's help of course, starts to incorporate her lessons on Taoism and the pitfalls that come with being a professional gamer.
No one knew about except the gamers themselves. A victim of the minefields that was the life of a virtual gamer. Drugs. Alcohol. Obsession. Mental Illness. All shrouded in darkness by a world faker than the arena itself.
She starts to become that female warrior that she is known as.
That was the best part of this whole book. As a reader I got to see a female main character in a book actually grow some. Usually it's just all about getting the boy. This one DID keep from doing that. There was some touch of the lurvey dovey-including one of the hottest first kiss scenes that I've read in a young adult book. BUT the majority ended up being on her becoming her own kick-ass person.
I was a poster child for the Chinese warrior. No. The Chinese-American warrior. A perfect blend. Both sides as one.
One thing I did not get though:
The virtual gaming stuff. If our world has evolved to be to where the games are a form of highly paid rock-star entertainment..wouldn't there be more to it than a wheat field with taking your other teams tower after beating them to death? The same scene, every single match and we are supposed to believe that the gaming world is addictive as crack?
Crack is whack because I was not sold on that shit.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review
I'm highlighting my friend Sh3lly's review even though Netgalley denied her she is who brought the book to my attention. She is one of the best book promoters. Start approving her!
June 25, 2017
I thought it was pretty good and I had a crush on Rooke. Don't judge me! Lol =)
June 18, 2016
Review first posted at Fantasy Literature:
In the year 2054, virtual gaming has become a major sport with a huge following, and the RAGE tournaments are the ultimate competition, a virtual fight to the death between two five-person teams. The death matches take place in a simple virtual world: a field of tall wheatgrass and two stone towers, one tower assigned to each team. The rules are simple ― kill everyone (in a virtual kind of way) on the opposing team ― but real-world strength and skills translate directly to this virtual world, so rigorous physical training and well-developed martial arts skills in real life are critical.
Kali Ling is a member of Team Defiance, which is favored in the main tournament. But then things quickly start to go wrong for Kali and Defiance, following the rule of bad things coming in threes: First, a stunning loss in the final game of the pre-season to Team InvictUS sends Defiance to the loser’s bracket of the tournament, where a single loss will end their chances. Second, just after the team’s owner names Kali the captain of the team, Kali’s teammate and friend-with-benefits Nathan dies of a drug overdose in her bed, necessitating a quick replacement ― and the new team member, James Rooke, is surly and unfriendly to Kali. And finally, as Kali stresses over the cohesiveness of her team and getting trained for the tournament, and at the same time carries on with partying and clubbing at night, as the team’s owner demands for publicity’s sake, she begins to realize that she has a physical and emotional addiction to the readily-available drugs and constant plugging into the virtual world.
HP, the latest designer drug, is a favorite of gamers: it enhances all of your senses, basically making real life feel more colorful and exciting … more like virtual reality. The gaming league’s owners and sponsors are also part of the problem, as they encourage and even insist on the gamers’ public partying, exacerbating the reckless behavior and personal problems of the gamers. At the same time, the owners try to whitewash any problems (like Nathan’s death from an overdose) and hide them from the public’s eyes. Luckily for Kali and readers who love hot romance, the handsome Rooke begins to unbend enough to help Kali deal with her problems. With the assistance of the Tao Te Ching, the “Taoist bible,” as Kali calls it, Rooke is instrumental in bringing Kali back to good health and putting her back into touch with the Chinese half of her heritage.
While Arena takes place during the biggest gaming event of the year, the focus of Holly Jennings’ novel is not so much on the game itself, but on the lives of the players, especially Kali, as she attempts to come to grips with her own personal problems, the problems with the gaming culture, and her growing attraction to Rooke. The virtual game itself takes a secondary role to the addiction theme and the romance subplot. In fact, the virtual matches themselves are rather colorless: the same two stone towers and field of wheat are the virtual setting for every match, which seems highly unlikely for a virtual world. For better or worse, this puts the focus on the physical battles and strategy of the teams, but I never found it particularly engaging. It’s also odd that in a competition where the gamers’ physical training is so vital, the team owner and sponsors insist on their public partying every night, even at the expense of their training and mental health.
Arena’s treatment of the troubling problem of addiction lacks depth and realism. While lip service is given to principles of Taoism and therapy, really it seems to just be lots of training and romancing with Rooke that gets Kali through her withdrawal period and quickly weans her away from her addictive behaviors.
This is definitely an adult novel, with R-rated language, sex and violence, but the writing style is superficial, more like I would expect from a young adult novel. For example, Kali’s first impressions on seeing Rooke are worthy of a romance novel:
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review. Thank you!
In the year 2054, virtual gaming has become a major sport with a huge following, and the RAGE tournaments are the ultimate competition, a virtual fight to the death between two five-person teams. The death matches take place in a simple virtual world: a field of tall wheatgrass and two stone towers, one tower assigned to each team. The rules are simple ― kill everyone (in a virtual kind of way) on the opposing team ― but real-world strength and skills translate directly to this virtual world, so rigorous physical training and well-developed martial arts skills in real life are critical.
Kali Ling is a member of Team Defiance, which is favored in the main tournament. But then things quickly start to go wrong for Kali and Defiance, following the rule of bad things coming in threes: First, a stunning loss in the final game of the pre-season to Team InvictUS sends Defiance to the loser’s bracket of the tournament, where a single loss will end their chances. Second, just after the team’s owner names Kali the captain of the team, Kali’s teammate and friend-with-benefits Nathan dies of a drug overdose in her bed, necessitating a quick replacement ― and the new team member, James Rooke, is surly and unfriendly to Kali. And finally, as Kali stresses over the cohesiveness of her team and getting trained for the tournament, and at the same time carries on with partying and clubbing at night, as the team’s owner demands for publicity’s sake, she begins to realize that she has a physical and emotional addiction to the readily-available drugs and constant plugging into the virtual world.
HP, the latest designer drug, is a favorite of gamers: it enhances all of your senses, basically making real life feel more colorful and exciting … more like virtual reality. The gaming league’s owners and sponsors are also part of the problem, as they encourage and even insist on the gamers’ public partying, exacerbating the reckless behavior and personal problems of the gamers. At the same time, the owners try to whitewash any problems (like Nathan’s death from an overdose) and hide them from the public’s eyes. Luckily for Kali and readers who love hot romance, the handsome Rooke begins to unbend enough to help Kali deal with her problems. With the assistance of the Tao Te Ching, the “Taoist bible,” as Kali calls it, Rooke is instrumental in bringing Kali back to good health and putting her back into touch with the Chinese half of her heritage.
While Arena takes place during the biggest gaming event of the year, the focus of Holly Jennings’ novel is not so much on the game itself, but on the lives of the players, especially Kali, as she attempts to come to grips with her own personal problems, the problems with the gaming culture, and her growing attraction to Rooke. The virtual game itself takes a secondary role to the addiction theme and the romance subplot. In fact, the virtual matches themselves are rather colorless: the same two stone towers and field of wheat are the virtual setting for every match, which seems highly unlikely for a virtual world. For better or worse, this puts the focus on the physical battles and strategy of the teams, but I never found it particularly engaging. It’s also odd that in a competition where the gamers’ physical training is so vital, the team owner and sponsors insist on their public partying every night, even at the expense of their training and mental health.
Arena’s treatment of the troubling problem of addiction lacks depth and realism. While lip service is given to principles of Taoism and therapy, really it seems to just be lots of training and romancing with Rooke that gets Kali through her withdrawal period and quickly weans her away from her addictive behaviors.
This is definitely an adult novel, with R-rated language, sex and violence, but the writing style is superficial, more like I would expect from a young adult novel. For example, Kali’s first impressions on seeing Rooke are worthy of a romance novel:
My mouth dropped open, and my swirling stomach became an inferno, spreading heat … everywhere else. His chiseled cheekbones and hard jaw looked as if the Romans themselves had carved him out of stone. But wait, hello, a statue didn’t boast tanned skin or piercing, dark eyes. Along with his six-foot frame and perfect build, give him a couple of scars, and he’d be a gladiator in true form.This shallow type of language and viewpoint, and the predictable relationship between Kali and Rooke, are symptomatic of the book as a whole. Arena just isn’t particularly deep or insightful and, despite the action scenes and romance, I found myself getting bored and skimming through much of the second half. It’s a lightweight novel that never really engaged my interest.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review. Thank you!
January 9, 2018
Actual rating: 1.5 stars. Because it's Christmas and I'm feeling uncharacteristically lenient today. Don't worry, it won't last.
Disclaimer: this book was NOT marketed as YA when it was released! Cross my black, withered heart, hope to die and all that crap! I did not go into this willingly! I was despicably misled!
Presenting…the Adjectives Only Crappy Non Review (AOCNR™)! Because qualifiers are as dear to me as my murderous babies, and I won't let them be shamelessly vilified as they have been in recent weeks! The Anti-Adjective League sucks! The Anti-Adjective League should be outlawed and stuff! Revolt! Resist! Unleash the qualifiers!
Ha! Take that you adjective-loathing bigots!
☢Friendly warning: I'll be throwing in a few adverbs just to aggravate the prose zealots. You are quite welcome.
➽ This wonderful story is:
● Silly (very)
● Clichéd (absurdly)
● Predictable (awfully)
● Eyeroll-worthy (remarkably)
● YA-ish (nauseatingly)
● Flat (dreadfully)
● Forced (wretchedly)
● Repetitive (extraordinarily)
● Decaf (profoundly)
● Pretentious (strikingly)
● Clunky (scrupulously)
● Simplistic (wonderfully)
● Boring (eminently)
Don't mind me, just trying to make an inconspicuous point here.
➽ The delightful heroine is:
● Immature (utterly)
● Arrogant (spectacularly)
● Unlikable (thoroughly)
● Exasperating (remarkably)
● Self-righteous (uncommonly)
● Whiny (marvelously)
● Ungrateful (highly)
● Infuriating (unabashedly)
● Vapid (notably)
● Patronizing (horribly)
● Temperamental (magnificently)
● Selfish (tragically)
● Shallow (stunningly)
● Stupid (admirably)
I love the girl. I really do. She puts me in the best of moods and stuff.
Yes, this is indeed me without my make-up.
Also, this book will teach you that some things are bad, harmful, unhealthy, detrimental, dangerous and atrociously wrong: drugs, alcohol, partying too much and evil corporate machinations = terrible, horrendous, shockingly ghastly stuff. Stay the fish away.
Also also, this book will teach you that some things are good, wonderful, excellent, positive, pleasing, exceptional, fine and beautifully sensational: extreme grinning, spectacularly caricatural, one-dimensional characters, memory foam mattresses (very comfortable), self-centered bitches, juvenile views on Taoism, redemption, tropes galore and chiselled abs = wondrous, glorious, stupendously splendid stuff. Please do jump in with both pincers.
Yes, this is indeed me in a slightly slaughterish mood.
» And the moral of this I Won't Reveal Who Recommended this Book Because I Might Be Nefarious but I'm not Completely Heartless and Also Because Reasons and Stuff Crappy Non Review (IWRWRtBBIMBNbInCHaABRaSCNR™) is: blatantly moralizing YA/NA/whatever is truly a thing of beauty. Especially when it is as sub-par and insipid and formulaic and trivial and stereotyped as this little story here. Now can I please get a bloody shrimping medal for making it through this? Or, preferably, a bottle of whisky? It would be the charitable thing to do, you know. It is Christmas, after all. Even in my subaquatic kingdom.
[Pre-review nonsense]
If it feels like crappy YA, smells like crappy YA and tastes like crappy YA, then there's a slight bloody shrimping chance it bloody shrimping IS crappy YA.
➽ Full There Aren't Enough Words in this Universe or the Next to Properly Convey How Much the Heroine of this Story Needs to Die a Deadly and Preferably Excruciating Death Crappy Non Review (TAEWitUotNtPCHMtHotSNtDaDaPEDCNR™) to come.
Disclaimer: this book was NOT marketed as YA when it was released! Cross my black, withered heart, hope to die and all that crap! I did not go into this willingly! I was despicably misled!
Presenting…the Adjectives Only Crappy Non Review (AOCNR™)! Because qualifiers are as dear to me as my murderous babies, and I won't let them be shamelessly vilified as they have been in recent weeks! The Anti-Adjective League sucks! The Anti-Adjective League should be outlawed and stuff! Revolt! Resist! Unleash the qualifiers!
Ha! Take that you adjective-loathing bigots!
☢
➽ This wonderful story is:
● Silly (very)
● Clichéd (absurdly)
● Predictable (awfully)
● Eyeroll-worthy (remarkably)
● YA-ish (nauseatingly)
● Flat (dreadfully)
● Forced (wretchedly)
● Repetitive (extraordinarily)
● Decaf (profoundly)
● Pretentious (strikingly)
● Clunky (scrupulously)
● Simplistic (wonderfully)
● Boring (eminently)
Don't mind me, just trying to make an inconspicuous point here.
➽ The delightful heroine is:
● Immature (utterly)
● Arrogant (spectacularly)
● Unlikable (thoroughly)
● Exasperating (remarkably)
● Self-righteous (uncommonly)
● Whiny (marvelously)
● Ungrateful (highly)
● Infuriating (unabashedly)
● Vapid (notably)
● Patronizing (horribly)
● Temperamental (magnificently)
● Selfish (tragically)
● Shallow (stunningly)
● Stupid (admirably)
I love the girl. I really do. She puts me in the best of moods and stuff.
Yes, this is indeed me without my make-up.
Also, this book will teach you that some things are bad, harmful, unhealthy, detrimental, dangerous and atrociously wrong: drugs, alcohol, partying too much and evil corporate machinations = terrible, horrendous, shockingly ghastly stuff. Stay the fish away.
Also also, this book will teach you that some things are good, wonderful, excellent, positive, pleasing, exceptional, fine and beautifully sensational: extreme grinning, spectacularly caricatural, one-dimensional characters, memory foam mattresses (very comfortable), self-centered bitches, juvenile views on Taoism, redemption, tropes galore and chiselled abs = wondrous, glorious, stupendously splendid stuff. Please do jump in with both pincers.
Yes, this is indeed me in a slightly slaughterish mood.
» And the moral of this I Won't Reveal Who Recommended this Book Because I Might Be Nefarious but I'm not Completely Heartless and Also Because Reasons and Stuff Crappy Non Review (IWRWRtBBIMBNbInCHaABRaSCNR™) is: blatantly moralizing YA/NA/whatever is truly a thing of beauty. Especially when it is as sub-par and insipid and formulaic and trivial and stereotyped as this little story here. Now can I please get a bloody shrimping medal for making it through this? Or, preferably, a bottle of whisky? It would be the charitable thing to do, you know. It is Christmas, after all. Even in my subaquatic kingdom.
[Pre-review nonsense]
If it feels like crappy YA, smells like crappy YA and tastes like crappy YA, then there's a slight bloody shrimping chance it bloody shrimping IS crappy YA.
➽ Full There Aren't Enough Words in this Universe or the Next to Properly Convey How Much the Heroine of this Story Needs to Die a Deadly and Preferably Excruciating Death Crappy Non Review (TAEWitUotNtPCHMtHotSNtDaDaPEDCNR™) to come.
March 26, 2017
Twenty year old Kali Ling has finally achieved her lifelong dream of becoming a professional gamer in the Virtual Gaming League’s RAGE tournaments. The league has the best players in the world competing weekly in virtual reality tournaments, the weapons are digital but the pain is real for the players. They eat, sleep and breathe their training and workouts but after hours they are expected to go out and make the club scene to smile for the sponsors and cameras but the drugs are easy to come by in this party life.
When Kali's teammate overdoses the league covers it up and immediately replaces him. Kali struggles with dealing with Nathan's death and then the added pressure of being made the first female captain in competitive gaming. Turning to drinking and drugs herself Kali battles her own demons. Will she be able to pull herself out of the dark side of gaming and lead her team or will she become yet another victim of the lifestyle?
Arena is one of those books that got off to a bit of a shaky start for me and I was wondering if I would like it at all. By the end though I really did enjoy the overall book and the positive message that is mixed into the story. Set in an athletic world where pressures from owners, sponsors and fans have the players turning to drugs to cope with the pressure is something that is a very real and touching subject.
Kali was a very likable character that had many different demons to battle and a lot to live up to. Watching her grow and struggle was certainly intriguing and you can't help but to root for her to find her way and develop an inner strength. Drugs are a problem in all kinds of situations and here not only Kali but the whole team loses their friend to drugs and the story focuses on dealing with the loss and respecting their fallen teammate too.
What I didn't quite love about this book was the gaming aspect or at least how it was explained. Taking place in the future players are no longer couch potatoes but athletes and beautiful. I found it a bit hard to grasp that players can be stabbed and beheaded or killed in any number of ways in a game and somehow feel the pain but no physical carry over to the real world but one of the players jumped in a game and further injured their ankle. Perhaps anyone who is a gamer would grasp the whole concept better but since the gaming is only the setting around the story it only brought my rating down a slight bit.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
When Kali's teammate overdoses the league covers it up and immediately replaces him. Kali struggles with dealing with Nathan's death and then the added pressure of being made the first female captain in competitive gaming. Turning to drinking and drugs herself Kali battles her own demons. Will she be able to pull herself out of the dark side of gaming and lead her team or will she become yet another victim of the lifestyle?
Arena is one of those books that got off to a bit of a shaky start for me and I was wondering if I would like it at all. By the end though I really did enjoy the overall book and the positive message that is mixed into the story. Set in an athletic world where pressures from owners, sponsors and fans have the players turning to drugs to cope with the pressure is something that is a very real and touching subject.
Kali was a very likable character that had many different demons to battle and a lot to live up to. Watching her grow and struggle was certainly intriguing and you can't help but to root for her to find her way and develop an inner strength. Drugs are a problem in all kinds of situations and here not only Kali but the whole team loses their friend to drugs and the story focuses on dealing with the loss and respecting their fallen teammate too.
What I didn't quite love about this book was the gaming aspect or at least how it was explained. Taking place in the future players are no longer couch potatoes but athletes and beautiful. I found it a bit hard to grasp that players can be stabbed and beheaded or killed in any number of ways in a game and somehow feel the pain but no physical carry over to the real world but one of the players jumped in a game and further injured their ankle. Perhaps anyone who is a gamer would grasp the whole concept better but since the gaming is only the setting around the story it only brought my rating down a slight bit.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
April 26, 2016
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2016/04/01/b...
As soon as I heard about Arena, I knew I had to read it – especially after finding out its premise and learning about how the idea was conceived. As a lifelong gamer, author Holly Jennings was inspired by eSports and its role in the future of video games, as well as the current issues making waves in the industry today. Needless to say, my own fascination and love for gaming naturally led me to her debut novel, but I was also curious and excited to see some of these social themes would be handled in the book.
Turns out, Arena is about a lot more than its blurb promises. One part science fiction drama, one part action-packed suspense, and one part steamy romance, the book follows the trials and tribulations of protagonist Kali Ling, professional gamer and the first female captain in the Virtual Gaming League. The year is 2054, and major technological advancements in virtual reality have vaulted video gamers into the spotlight. Once hooked into the system, players essentially become their avatars, participating in encounters that look and feel real. Player-versus-player arena battles to the digital death are broadcast live to the delight of millions of fans who see this as a harmless way to enjoy the brutality and bloodshed. The VGL Championship game has become the new Super Bowl, and its players are the world’s new celebrities.
Kali is living the life she’s always dreamed of, competing for her shot at the finals when suddenly her team, Defiance, is hit by two major setbacks. First, they lose badly in the opening round to InvictUS, a talented new team that has seemingly come out of nowhere to take the league by storm. Second, that very same night, Defiance loses their member Nathan to a fatal drug overdose. Traumatized, Kali is haunted by scenarios where she could have saved Nathan, if only she had seen the problem or done something differently. The guilt eats away at her, throwing her off her game. It also doesn’t help that Nathan’s replacement, Rooke, is proving extremely difficult to work with. Defiance now only has one more chance to win the championship, and no mistakes can be made. In order to get her team back on track, Kali will have to find her balance before she spirals further out of control, destroyed by the very thing she loves.
On the surface, Arena would appear to be every gamer’s private fantasy. Games feel more realistic and immersive than ever before. Players are able to literally step into their characters’ shoes, competing for higher stakes and greater rewards. Gaming, which once was a hobby ridiculed and looked down upon in the past as a frivolous waste of time, is now the most popular sport on the planet. There’s no longer a stigma associated with being a “gamer geek”; if you are good at the games you play, you actually have the opportunity to go pro and be worshiped by a legion of adoring fans. Holly Jennings plays up the intensity of the action, both on and offline. Every weekend, teams of five meet in the arena and battle each other for victory, but the rest of the time, they’re either training rigorously to maintain peak physical condition, or out there hitting the media circuit and club scene to maintain their image. Just because gaming has reached a whole new level, it doesn’t mean that the players have stopped roleplaying. The scope of it has simply expanded, with the RP happening in front of cameras for the entire world.
At the same time, the dark side of gaming rears its ugly head. In a lot of ways, Arena can be seen as an allegory for some of the problems we see in gaming today, like sexism and the stereotypes that gamers face. Kali’s gender and half-Chinese heritage is a point that comes up a lot in the course of this novel, sometimes as a barrier and at other times as a selling point to be used by Defiance’s team owner. The book’s narrative also encompasses the cutthroat world of professional sports, exploring the physical and mental stresses of trying to stay relevant in a world where fandom is fluid and heroes are disposable as yesterday’s leftovers. The VGL only wants to show its viewers the glamorous side of the sport, covering up scandals like drug use. Gaming addiction, which is an issue the gaming industry faces today, is addressed as well. Where does the fun end and the obsession begin? And when a favorite hobby starts leading to unwanted obligations, does that also take away some of the joy?
I really enjoyed this novel, precisely because it asks some of these important questions. However, I was also a little surprised by the Young Adult vibes I got from it. Some concessions were made, sacrificing the complexity of the plot as well as the depth of world-building. We get little about the world outside the limited sphere of the VGL that we see through Kali’s eyes, and the story is also on the relatively simplistic side with a predictable ending that ties things together a little too neatly. There were some inconsistencies in the plot and character motivations, such as the team owner’s insistence that the team going out to party instead of staying in and training, when training is the clearer path to success and victory. Staying visible for the sake of the sponsors is important, but I imagine it would matter even more to the sponsors to have their teams win. I also wondered at lack of media coverage for InvictUS. They are the rising stars killing the competition, and should have been the ones dominating the magazine covers instead of Kali and Rooke’s love life, yet no one seems to know who they are or where they came from because details like that are overshadowed by the heavier emphasis on the story’s romance. In some respects, I feel this novel might appeal more to a teen/YA audience, despite its more serious concepts and older protagonists. This isn’t necessarily a criticism though, since I can see Arena as a book with great adult and YA crossover appeal, and I also frequently delve into the YA genre. In the end, despite some minor bumps along the road, I did have an excellent time with this story.
All told, this was a lot of fun. Arena is a powerful and dynamic multilayered experience: pure excellent popcorn entertainment for the win, with some deeper themes to chew on for the bonus round. If you’re a gamer or a reader with a passion for fiction about video games, you have to do yourself a favor and check this one out. Holly Jennings’ debut is a fast-paced, gripping read that will keep you turning the pages.
As soon as I heard about Arena, I knew I had to read it – especially after finding out its premise and learning about how the idea was conceived. As a lifelong gamer, author Holly Jennings was inspired by eSports and its role in the future of video games, as well as the current issues making waves in the industry today. Needless to say, my own fascination and love for gaming naturally led me to her debut novel, but I was also curious and excited to see some of these social themes would be handled in the book.
Turns out, Arena is about a lot more than its blurb promises. One part science fiction drama, one part action-packed suspense, and one part steamy romance, the book follows the trials and tribulations of protagonist Kali Ling, professional gamer and the first female captain in the Virtual Gaming League. The year is 2054, and major technological advancements in virtual reality have vaulted video gamers into the spotlight. Once hooked into the system, players essentially become their avatars, participating in encounters that look and feel real. Player-versus-player arena battles to the digital death are broadcast live to the delight of millions of fans who see this as a harmless way to enjoy the brutality and bloodshed. The VGL Championship game has become the new Super Bowl, and its players are the world’s new celebrities.
Kali is living the life she’s always dreamed of, competing for her shot at the finals when suddenly her team, Defiance, is hit by two major setbacks. First, they lose badly in the opening round to InvictUS, a talented new team that has seemingly come out of nowhere to take the league by storm. Second, that very same night, Defiance loses their member Nathan to a fatal drug overdose. Traumatized, Kali is haunted by scenarios where she could have saved Nathan, if only she had seen the problem or done something differently. The guilt eats away at her, throwing her off her game. It also doesn’t help that Nathan’s replacement, Rooke, is proving extremely difficult to work with. Defiance now only has one more chance to win the championship, and no mistakes can be made. In order to get her team back on track, Kali will have to find her balance before she spirals further out of control, destroyed by the very thing she loves.
On the surface, Arena would appear to be every gamer’s private fantasy. Games feel more realistic and immersive than ever before. Players are able to literally step into their characters’ shoes, competing for higher stakes and greater rewards. Gaming, which once was a hobby ridiculed and looked down upon in the past as a frivolous waste of time, is now the most popular sport on the planet. There’s no longer a stigma associated with being a “gamer geek”; if you are good at the games you play, you actually have the opportunity to go pro and be worshiped by a legion of adoring fans. Holly Jennings plays up the intensity of the action, both on and offline. Every weekend, teams of five meet in the arena and battle each other for victory, but the rest of the time, they’re either training rigorously to maintain peak physical condition, or out there hitting the media circuit and club scene to maintain their image. Just because gaming has reached a whole new level, it doesn’t mean that the players have stopped roleplaying. The scope of it has simply expanded, with the RP happening in front of cameras for the entire world.
At the same time, the dark side of gaming rears its ugly head. In a lot of ways, Arena can be seen as an allegory for some of the problems we see in gaming today, like sexism and the stereotypes that gamers face. Kali’s gender and half-Chinese heritage is a point that comes up a lot in the course of this novel, sometimes as a barrier and at other times as a selling point to be used by Defiance’s team owner. The book’s narrative also encompasses the cutthroat world of professional sports, exploring the physical and mental stresses of trying to stay relevant in a world where fandom is fluid and heroes are disposable as yesterday’s leftovers. The VGL only wants to show its viewers the glamorous side of the sport, covering up scandals like drug use. Gaming addiction, which is an issue the gaming industry faces today, is addressed as well. Where does the fun end and the obsession begin? And when a favorite hobby starts leading to unwanted obligations, does that also take away some of the joy?
I really enjoyed this novel, precisely because it asks some of these important questions. However, I was also a little surprised by the Young Adult vibes I got from it. Some concessions were made, sacrificing the complexity of the plot as well as the depth of world-building. We get little about the world outside the limited sphere of the VGL that we see through Kali’s eyes, and the story is also on the relatively simplistic side with a predictable ending that ties things together a little too neatly. There were some inconsistencies in the plot and character motivations, such as the team owner’s insistence that the team going out to party instead of staying in and training, when training is the clearer path to success and victory. Staying visible for the sake of the sponsors is important, but I imagine it would matter even more to the sponsors to have their teams win. I also wondered at lack of media coverage for InvictUS. They are the rising stars killing the competition, and should have been the ones dominating the magazine covers instead of Kali and Rooke’s love life, yet no one seems to know who they are or where they came from because details like that are overshadowed by the heavier emphasis on the story’s romance. In some respects, I feel this novel might appeal more to a teen/YA audience, despite its more serious concepts and older protagonists. This isn’t necessarily a criticism though, since I can see Arena as a book with great adult and YA crossover appeal, and I also frequently delve into the YA genre. In the end, despite some minor bumps along the road, I did have an excellent time with this story.
All told, this was a lot of fun. Arena is a powerful and dynamic multilayered experience: pure excellent popcorn entertainment for the win, with some deeper themes to chew on for the bonus round. If you’re a gamer or a reader with a passion for fiction about video games, you have to do yourself a favor and check this one out. Holly Jennings’ debut is a fast-paced, gripping read that will keep you turning the pages.
February 27, 2016
So this is going to be one of those reviews that begins, “I really wanted to like this but …”
Arena, Holly Jennings’ 2016 novel about futuristic virtual gamer teams has some inspiration from Ready Player One with the gamer punk setting and there is also some cyberpunk references, but this is more Off to Be the Wizard than Neuromancer.
Actually its more teenage urban fantasy, dressed up like an adult SF thriller but it has some non-YA elements and actually some serious themes like addiction, mental illness and drug culture. Sex, drugs and rock and roll - life in the fast lane world of professional virtual gamers. Sure they’re celebrity famous, but there’s a rocky underworld to being a virtual warrior.
Jennings is a talented writer and the good news is that she likely has some good writing in her, and this has some good points, and I can see where some people would like this and even (sigh) maybe a film series like Divergent, but besides a cool idea and some good action, there’s not much here.
Arena, Holly Jennings’ 2016 novel about futuristic virtual gamer teams has some inspiration from Ready Player One with the gamer punk setting and there is also some cyberpunk references, but this is more Off to Be the Wizard than Neuromancer.
Actually its more teenage urban fantasy, dressed up like an adult SF thriller but it has some non-YA elements and actually some serious themes like addiction, mental illness and drug culture. Sex, drugs and rock and roll - life in the fast lane world of professional virtual gamers. Sure they’re celebrity famous, but there’s a rocky underworld to being a virtual warrior.
Jennings is a talented writer and the good news is that she likely has some good writing in her, and this has some good points, and I can see where some people would like this and even (sigh) maybe a film series like Divergent, but besides a cool idea and some good action, there’s not much here.
January 27, 2016
I was certain that I wouldn't like this after the first four or five chapters - until I ended up getting sucked into the story.
Once past the somewhat convoluted opening, Arena turned into a pretty great story dealing with things like addiction, leadership and GAMING! Holly also touches on some of the real life pressures that pro athletes in all kinds of sports face, not limited to the stupidly easy access to drugs and alcohol, and loss of control.
I'm a ridiculous sports fan (seriously, check my Instagram), and a tiny nerd. So, I sort of love the idea of pro gamers - especially where the game is like a virtual Battle Royale. Not that I could watch it if it was a real thing since I have no stomach for violence. But reading about it was pretty sweet.
(actual) review to come closer to release.
Once past the somewhat convoluted opening, Arena turned into a pretty great story dealing with things like addiction, leadership and GAMING! Holly also touches on some of the real life pressures that pro athletes in all kinds of sports face, not limited to the stupidly easy access to drugs and alcohol, and loss of control.
I'm a ridiculous sports fan (seriously, check my Instagram), and a tiny nerd. So, I sort of love the idea of pro gamers - especially where the game is like a virtual Battle Royale. Not that I could watch it if it was a real thing since I have no stomach for violence. But reading about it was pretty sweet.
(actual) review to come closer to release.
June 16, 2016
Guess this was his way of making amends...And honestly, a unique battle simulation wasn't a bad effort. Well, for a girl like me. Most boyfriends bought flowers or jewelry to apologize. Mine had given me an arena full of virtual opponents. A chance to test my fighting skills.
Kali Ling is a professional gamer who competes in one of the hottest eSports of the future. It is virtual tower defense game where players armed with melee weapons and grouped in teams of five simply try to kill off the opposing team. The twist with professional gaming of the future is that apparently the safety features are turned off so you feel pain when injured, and also your physical and athletic prowess in the real world translates to an advantage in the virtual one. As a result, professional gamers are not only top gamers, but top athletes as well.
Early in the book, Kali's team suffers a near devastating double loss, first in losing a match early on in a tournament, and then by having one of the team members die from a drug overdose. The owner of the team quickly replaces the fallen team member and Kali and the rest of the team are instructed to carry on and continue with the tournament. The rest of the book deals with the how that plays out.
The book tries to do a lot of things and is only successful at some of them. One of the areas where it works is in capturing the culture of celebrity and the idea that an athlete under contract is merely a commodity. This is something Kali has to battle and come to terms with. How far is she willing to go to satisfy the owner of the team and the sponsors in the image conscious world of professional gaming?
The immense pressure that must be felt by individuals in such a situation is very well conveyed. It also provides a nice vehicle for the main character's personal growth and development. The problem is that the issues explored are incredibly serious and I thought the way they were dealt with were far too simplistic.
Kali lives on the edge in a world that encourages an image of endless partying coupled with perfection in performance at all times. The result is a downward slide towards substance abuse, mental illness and general instability. Kali essentially pulls herself through all this by having a positive mental attitude, which I thought was not only a bit too easy, but dangerously insulting. It plays into the stereotype that addicts are simply weak willed or don't really want to get better. Living with addiction and mental illness isn't simply a matter of having a can-do attitude, and books like this make it seem like it's a pretty easy thing to get through something that is incredibly difficult.
One thing I did not understand at all is why the author even chose to make the gamers top athletes as well? Was she trying to give more legitimacy to virtual gaming by making it a "real" sport? Being very pro-gaming myself I didn't think it needed any legitimizing, and I personally didn't think the idea of having avatars perfectly reflect how individuals are in reality was necessarily an improvement in VR gaming.
Regardless, anyone who has spent any time around athletes who are in training for an event would know that they would not be able to do drugs, drink, and party until late every single night, yet still get up early and have their training and physical performance unaffected. If she had chosen to have the gamers just be regular gamers and engaging in a partying lifestyle for the sake of the narrative, I could buy that, but I just didn't buy that they were doing high performance physical training on top on everything else.
You might think that with everything I've said above that I hated this book, but surprisingly, I quite enjoyed it while I was reading it. In the end, however, I think this book is trying to do too many things. If it had just stuck with the gaming and focused a bit more on the issues there, it could have been a lot more fulfilling.
Kali Ling is a professional gamer who competes in one of the hottest eSports of the future. It is virtual tower defense game where players armed with melee weapons and grouped in teams of five simply try to kill off the opposing team. The twist with professional gaming of the future is that apparently the safety features are turned off so you feel pain when injured, and also your physical and athletic prowess in the real world translates to an advantage in the virtual one. As a result, professional gamers are not only top gamers, but top athletes as well.
Early in the book, Kali's team suffers a near devastating double loss, first in losing a match early on in a tournament, and then by having one of the team members die from a drug overdose. The owner of the team quickly replaces the fallen team member and Kali and the rest of the team are instructed to carry on and continue with the tournament. The rest of the book deals with the how that plays out.
The book tries to do a lot of things and is only successful at some of them. One of the areas where it works is in capturing the culture of celebrity and the idea that an athlete under contract is merely a commodity. This is something Kali has to battle and come to terms with. How far is she willing to go to satisfy the owner of the team and the sponsors in the image conscious world of professional gaming?
The immense pressure that must be felt by individuals in such a situation is very well conveyed. It also provides a nice vehicle for the main character's personal growth and development. The problem is that the issues explored are incredibly serious and I thought the way they were dealt with were far too simplistic.
Kali lives on the edge in a world that encourages an image of endless partying coupled with perfection in performance at all times. The result is a downward slide towards substance abuse, mental illness and general instability. Kali essentially pulls herself through all this by having a positive mental attitude, which I thought was not only a bit too easy, but dangerously insulting. It plays into the stereotype that addicts are simply weak willed or don't really want to get better. Living with addiction and mental illness isn't simply a matter of having a can-do attitude, and books like this make it seem like it's a pretty easy thing to get through something that is incredibly difficult.
One thing I did not understand at all is why the author even chose to make the gamers top athletes as well? Was she trying to give more legitimacy to virtual gaming by making it a "real" sport? Being very pro-gaming myself I didn't think it needed any legitimizing, and I personally didn't think the idea of having avatars perfectly reflect how individuals are in reality was necessarily an improvement in VR gaming.
Regardless, anyone who has spent any time around athletes who are in training for an event would know that they would not be able to do drugs, drink, and party until late every single night, yet still get up early and have their training and physical performance unaffected. If she had chosen to have the gamers just be regular gamers and engaging in a partying lifestyle for the sake of the narrative, I could buy that, but I just didn't buy that they were doing high performance physical training on top on everything else.
You might think that with everything I've said above that I hated this book, but surprisingly, I quite enjoyed it while I was reading it. In the end, however, I think this book is trying to do too many things. If it had just stuck with the gaming and focused a bit more on the issues there, it could have been a lot more fulfilling.
August 17, 2016
4.5 action-packed stars!
Hear ye hear ye, gamers, sci-fi readers, kick-ass heroine lovers, Sword Art Online fans - you're gonna want to read this gem.
In the year 2054, competitive gaming is the biggest sport in the world and pro-gamers are the celebrities.
After a tragedy strikes her team, Kali─the first female captain of a pro-gaming team─begins to lose herself in the spotlight and pressures of the RAGE tournament, a gladiator-like championship of the Virtual Gaming League. Millions of people watch the fully immersive virtual reality death matches, where players engage in blood-soaked battles equal parts sport and entertainment. Players face grueling training day in and day out to be in top physical and mental condition because what you’re capable of in reality is parallel to the virtual world. There’s no magic or sudden ability boost when you step into the virtual reality, your skills in the VR are dependent on your own physical abilities. Being a split second faster than your opponent can mean the difference between life and death; winning and losing.
Kali, the hotheaded leader of team Defiance, struggles with the pressure of her newly appointed role and leading her disjointed team. The more time she spends in the virtual reality, the more she loses her grip on the real world and soon she begins to experience lapses in time─one moment she’s on the battlefield in the VR and the next she’s at a press conference with dozens of eyes on her, waiting for an answer. We see Kali’s battle with addiction as she struggles to come to terms with her reality; the inhumanity of the industry, and her growing relationship with Rooke who helps her find a balance. The world of pro-gaming stood under the brightest spotlight but was shrouded in the darkness of drugs, addiction, and mental illnesses.
Arena is packed with intense action and complex characters that drive the compelling story line. Holly Jennings delivers a well written, thrilling debut novel that sci-fi lovers won’t want to miss. You don’t have to be a gamer to enjoy this, but understanding the references make it all the sweeter.
Basically, this was the book I never knew I needed in my life. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for Kali.
Hear ye hear ye, gamers, sci-fi readers, kick-ass heroine lovers, Sword Art Online fans - you're gonna want to read this gem.
In the year 2054, competitive gaming is the biggest sport in the world and pro-gamers are the celebrities.
After a tragedy strikes her team, Kali─the first female captain of a pro-gaming team─begins to lose herself in the spotlight and pressures of the RAGE tournament, a gladiator-like championship of the Virtual Gaming League. Millions of people watch the fully immersive virtual reality death matches, where players engage in blood-soaked battles equal parts sport and entertainment. Players face grueling training day in and day out to be in top physical and mental condition because what you’re capable of in reality is parallel to the virtual world. There’s no magic or sudden ability boost when you step into the virtual reality, your skills in the VR are dependent on your own physical abilities. Being a split second faster than your opponent can mean the difference between life and death; winning and losing.
Kali, the hotheaded leader of team Defiance, struggles with the pressure of her newly appointed role and leading her disjointed team. The more time she spends in the virtual reality, the more she loses her grip on the real world and soon she begins to experience lapses in time─one moment she’s on the battlefield in the VR and the next she’s at a press conference with dozens of eyes on her, waiting for an answer. We see Kali’s battle with addiction as she struggles to come to terms with her reality; the inhumanity of the industry, and her growing relationship with Rooke who helps her find a balance. The world of pro-gaming stood under the brightest spotlight but was shrouded in the darkness of drugs, addiction, and mental illnesses.
Arena is packed with intense action and complex characters that drive the compelling story line. Holly Jennings delivers a well written, thrilling debut novel that sci-fi lovers won’t want to miss. You don’t have to be a gamer to enjoy this, but understanding the references make it all the sweeter.
Basically, this was the book I never knew I needed in my life. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for Kali.
Read
December 18, 2015No, no, no-no-no.
I'm afraid I am having to dnf this one after 100 pages. It's just too silly. Which is not to say that it's horrible. The story has features of interest, and I think that if I were a middle-grader I might find this a really interesting read, but frankly it's pretty much on the level of the second book in the Divergent series, which is where I abandoned Veronica Roth.
And now that I think of it, one of the reasons I abandoned Roth's series was because of her lamentable treatment of death and sorrow. I mean I'm sorry, but it seems like poor writing to me (not to mention unrealistic) to having one's characters get over the death of someone they knew very well in a day or so. Particularly if they miraculously recover because Mr. Hottie shows up. In Roth's case her character's parents were both brutally murdered and no time was wasted before Tris was commenting on how hawt Tobias/Four was.
Similarly in this book a couple of days after waking up to find her lover dead and cold in her arms, Kalie feels that old swirling in her ... um, tummy when her lover's replacement shows up. I mean he's sooo chiseled. Squeee?
Now I don't mean to make myself sound sophisticated. I like trashy novels. I'm looking for one with an Amish girl and a hunky fireman... but to stay on topic, there are some expressions herein that create a hurdle I can't leap. At one point, for example, when Mr. Hottie first appears, one of Kali's female team mates says that (paraphrasing) 'I used to be gay before I went into the office'. This is how hot this guy is. Really?
There are fun points to this book. The technology and questions that are raised are interesting. So I don't mean to diss the book entirely. It's obviously just for a younger audience.
And if you were to ask me what it was like I'd say that it reminded me of GIRL IN THE ARENA and Mercedes Lackey's HUNTER. Both books I really enjoyed. This one, not so much.
Sex, drugs, alcohol and mild violence.
I'm afraid I am having to dnf this one after 100 pages. It's just too silly. Which is not to say that it's horrible. The story has features of interest, and I think that if I were a middle-grader I might find this a really interesting read, but frankly it's pretty much on the level of the second book in the Divergent series, which is where I abandoned Veronica Roth.
And now that I think of it, one of the reasons I abandoned Roth's series was because of her lamentable treatment of death and sorrow. I mean I'm sorry, but it seems like poor writing to me (not to mention unrealistic) to having one's characters get over the death of someone they knew very well in a day or so. Particularly if they miraculously recover because Mr. Hottie shows up. In Roth's case her character's parents were both brutally murdered and no time was wasted before Tris was commenting on how hawt Tobias/Four was.
Similarly in this book a couple of days after waking up to find her lover dead and cold in her arms, Kalie feels that old swirling in her ... um, tummy when her lover's replacement shows up. I mean he's sooo chiseled. Squeee?
Now I don't mean to make myself sound sophisticated. I like trashy novels. I'm looking for one with an Amish girl and a hunky fireman... but to stay on topic, there are some expressions herein that create a hurdle I can't leap. At one point, for example, when Mr. Hottie first appears, one of Kali's female team mates says that (paraphrasing) 'I used to be gay before I went into the office'. This is how hot this guy is. Really?
There are fun points to this book. The technology and questions that are raised are interesting. So I don't mean to diss the book entirely. It's obviously just for a younger audience.
And if you were to ask me what it was like I'd say that it reminded me of GIRL IN THE ARENA and Mercedes Lackey's HUNTER. Both books I really enjoyed. This one, not so much.
Sex, drugs, alcohol and mild violence.
March 22, 2016
Arena is sadly a case of one step forward, and far too many steps back to count. Things to love about this book.
The Asian-American, kick ass, female lead.
The lesbian, equally kick ass supporting duo, that get their fair share of the action both singularly, and as a couple.
The corporate manipulation that leaves one very wary of unseen puppet masters and their insidious machinations.
The things that make this book eligible for the Wonder Of Flight award. An honor bestowed on those select few reads which are subject to be thrown across the room for crimes such as vapidity of characters or plot, storyline recycling gone wrong, or simply an inability of the reader to stomach any or all of what may or may not be occurring in said book at any given time.
All crimes of which this book is sadly guilty.
The "virtual RPG" is a la Ready Player One meets The Hunger Games plus a dash of Red Rising for spice.
What do we do to dress things up a bit?
Take things from YA to Adult in three descriptors or less?
How about sex, drugs, and manipulation?
Because that is what we get in post game play. While this nod to the "live hard play harder" lifestyle does prove quite eyebrow raising at first glance. There is only so much bed hopping, drug taking, and clubbing that one can stand before the bloom is well off of that rose.
This really had the potential to be a good story. If it had been allowed to be its own unique tale. Instead of an amalgamation of ones we've heard before. All dressed up in mommy and daddy's clothes for a big night at the grownup's table.
The Asian-American, kick ass, female lead.
The lesbian, equally kick ass supporting duo, that get their fair share of the action both singularly, and as a couple.
The corporate manipulation that leaves one very wary of unseen puppet masters and their insidious machinations.
The things that make this book eligible for the Wonder Of Flight award. An honor bestowed on those select few reads which are subject to be thrown across the room for crimes such as vapidity of characters or plot, storyline recycling gone wrong, or simply an inability of the reader to stomach any or all of what may or may not be occurring in said book at any given time.
All crimes of which this book is sadly guilty.
The "virtual RPG" is a la Ready Player One meets The Hunger Games plus a dash of Red Rising for spice.
What do we do to dress things up a bit?
Take things from YA to Adult in three descriptors or less?
How about sex, drugs, and manipulation?
Because that is what we get in post game play. While this nod to the "live hard play harder" lifestyle does prove quite eyebrow raising at first glance. There is only so much bed hopping, drug taking, and clubbing that one can stand before the bloom is well off of that rose.
This really had the potential to be a good story. If it had been allowed to be its own unique tale. Instead of an amalgamation of ones we've heard before. All dressed up in mommy and daddy's clothes for a big night at the grownup's table.
September 15, 2016
Where do I start?
Hmm... Well. It's not bad, it's not amazing but I'd say it was a decent book. I enjoyed the gaming, training, industry, fighting, and Taoist aspects but the major setback for me was the silly teen romance. It ruined the book for me with the main characters anger issues and how she was so over dramatic. I get the addictions were affecting her but it really turned me away whenever it just focused on "relationship" building between Rooke and Kali.
I would say if you're looking for something to read after you've read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, then read this. It was a good journey back into the gaming/futuristic/VR/Sci Fi type world.
Personally, I felt most of the characters felt flat once Rooke joined the ranks. I was expecting more from the characters at the start, but like I said, when they introduced Rooke and the author focused on his relationship with Kali, any chance of the other characters to gain some backstory or more personality was lost. They became background noise.
I loved the fact the author implemented old games. When they played smash bros or mario kart. I was like YEAAAAAHHH! But as I said, this book was a roller coaster of feelings.
I don't think this book is bad, but I think if the author held back from the teen romance, I wouldn't be giving it a 3/5 rather than a 4/5. This book was recommended to me by a friend and I know I gave him a hard time complaining about the teen romance, but I will say I am glad I got to experience this book.
Hmm... Well. It's not bad, it's not amazing but I'd say it was a decent book. I enjoyed the gaming, training, industry, fighting, and Taoist aspects but the major setback for me was the silly teen romance. It ruined the book for me with the main characters anger issues and how she was so over dramatic. I get the addictions were affecting her but it really turned me away whenever it just focused on "relationship" building between Rooke and Kali.
I would say if you're looking for something to read after you've read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, then read this. It was a good journey back into the gaming/futuristic/VR/Sci Fi type world.
Personally, I felt most of the characters felt flat once Rooke joined the ranks. I was expecting more from the characters at the start, but like I said, when they introduced Rooke and the author focused on his relationship with Kali, any chance of the other characters to gain some backstory or more personality was lost. They became background noise.
I loved the fact the author implemented old games. When they played smash bros or mario kart. I was like YEAAAAAHHH! But as I said, this book was a roller coaster of feelings.
I don't think this book is bad, but I think if the author held back from the teen romance, I wouldn't be giving it a 3/5 rather than a 4/5. This book was recommended to me by a friend and I know I gave him a hard time complaining about the teen romance, but I will say I am glad I got to experience this book.
June 3, 2016
This book would have easily been a 4 if the beginning had been more engaging. Honestly, I thought about DNF'ing a few times but I really try not to DNF books I've been sent for review. I'm glad I stuck with it because the last 1/3 was really quite good, and now I will definitely be picking up the sequel.
I love esports and honestly I'm just glad to be getting more books about it.
Thanks to Ace Books/Penguin Random House for sending me a copy to review. All opinions are my own.
I love esports and honestly I'm just glad to be getting more books about it.
Thanks to Ace Books/Penguin Random House for sending me a copy to review. All opinions are my own.
June 16, 2017
3.5 stars
My favorite parts of this book by far were those that involved virtual gaming. It's a nice extrapolation of current gaming/e-sports, and was really fun to think about. I would love a whole book just about that! I also liked how it showed the celebrity culture that went with the top teams - everything done is for the camera and the sponsors, and at the same time, people have to train hard!
There is also a whole message about drug abuse and addiction. I didn't enjoy that part as much, and I thought that the main character dealt with these difficult things too easily. However, again the widespread use and the way it was hidden has a lot of parallels in current times. I would have rather focused more on the game :)
All in all it was an enjoyable book, and I would recommend it especially to those interested in games or e-sports.
My favorite parts of this book by far were those that involved virtual gaming. It's a nice extrapolation of current gaming/e-sports, and was really fun to think about. I would love a whole book just about that! I also liked how it showed the celebrity culture that went with the top teams - everything done is for the camera and the sponsors, and at the same time, people have to train hard!
There is also a whole message about drug abuse and addiction. I didn't enjoy that part as much, and I thought that the main character dealt with these difficult things too easily. However, again the widespread use and the way it was hidden has a lot of parallels in current times. I would have rather focused more on the game :)
All in all it was an enjoyable book, and I would recommend it especially to those interested in games or e-sports.
February 6, 2017
I really enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected I would.
I loved the concept and the world building was really interesting. I love the idea of VR becoming such a massive "sport" and the whole book felt futuristic yet obtainable. With VR becoming more readily available, I can definitely see gaming jumping to a whole new level.
I really loved Kali and I though she was a very complex character. I really appreciated how the author included Kali's struggles with being a women in a man dominated industry. I liked how the sexism towards Kali and her fellow women gamers was shown and not swept under the rug. I also really appreciated how Kali didn't let it stop her from gaming.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was very different from anything I've read before and I loved the concept. If you're into video games or sci-fi, I think you might want to check this book out.
I loved the concept and the world building was really interesting. I love the idea of VR becoming such a massive "sport" and the whole book felt futuristic yet obtainable. With VR becoming more readily available, I can definitely see gaming jumping to a whole new level.
I really loved Kali and I though she was a very complex character. I really appreciated how the author included Kali's struggles with being a women in a man dominated industry. I liked how the sexism towards Kali and her fellow women gamers was shown and not swept under the rug. I also really appreciated how Kali didn't let it stop her from gaming.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was very different from anything I've read before and I loved the concept. If you're into video games or sci-fi, I think you might want to check this book out.
June 16, 2016
3.5 stars rounded up.
September 2, 2017
Ich mochte an dem Buch den flüssigen Schreibstil, das System dahinter sowie auch die vielen liebevollen Gaming-Details, doch ein paar Sachen haben mich leider gestört. Dazu gehört insbesondere, dass ich mir mehr erhofft habe und statt einer wirklich packenden Story eine vor allen Dingen vorhersehbare vorfand. Man hätte im Allgemeinen mehr Tiefe hineinbringen können und auch mehr aus den Charakteren machen können, zumal mir manche Reaktionen etwas untertrieben vorkamen. Trotzdem ist das Buch nicht schlecht, ich mochte es ganz gern und es gibt gute 3,5 Sterne von mir.
June 28, 2017
This was a solid sci-fi story, perfect for the YA audience that likes some gaming in their books. It's not all fighting to the death in a virtual arena though, I'd have been fine if it had, and much of the characters time is spent dealing with their love lives.
The Arena is a game called RAGE that's pretty much the most popular thing in the world. Kali Ling is one of the top players in the world but because she is a female in a mans world it's been a bit tougher for her to gain the recognition she deserves. She also gets stereotyped as the "Asian Gamer Chick" by her other players. All of this has driven her get better and better and she, like other gamers, revels in the high she gets from being in the virtual world. When a drug appears that can mirror this high and her teammate bites the dust the story gets going and explores themes such as addiction, corruption, sexism and many others. It's not fancy but Jennings does a good job of creating a believable gaming world and if it was not so love dovey, including a few pretty raunchy scenes, I'd have liked it more.
The Arena is a game called RAGE that's pretty much the most popular thing in the world. Kali Ling is one of the top players in the world but because she is a female in a mans world it's been a bit tougher for her to gain the recognition she deserves. She also gets stereotyped as the "Asian Gamer Chick" by her other players. All of this has driven her get better and better and she, like other gamers, revels in the high she gets from being in the virtual world. When a drug appears that can mirror this high and her teammate bites the dust the story gets going and explores themes such as addiction, corruption, sexism and many others. It's not fancy but Jennings does a good job of creating a believable gaming world and if it was not so love dovey, including a few pretty raunchy scenes, I'd have liked it more.
June 26, 2021
This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Arena
Virtual reality has advanced into full immersion gaming. Kali Ling battles to the death in the Arena for the enjoyment of her fans and to fill the pockets of her sponsors. The thrill of the battle sings in her veins as she defeats her foes. And in the professional gaming leagues, death isn't painless. Each time she dies, Kali experiences a virtual death as real as one in real life. But when you can wake up from death, over and over again, what does it matter if you die? Until the lines begin to blur between the virtual world and the real one.
Like most gamers in Arena, Kali indulges in alcohol and drugs, chasing the high she feels when in the game. Her life is a whirlwind of training, publicity, and fame, but she can leave all of it behind when she is immersed in the virtual world. The game itself becomes an addiction for her. When she loses a teammate to an overdose, her need to escape reality increases. She begins to spiral out of control. Watching Kali struggle to balance her life and reclaim her place in the real world made the pages fly by. Amidst the clamor of battle and gaming, Holly Jennings makes it clear that being a celebrity comes with a price.
The character development was spot on in this novel. I didn't notice Kali's slow decline into addiction at first. I realize now that this is how it starts. Small things that no one really notices until something major happens, then all the pieces begin to line up. The description of this book might talk about how Kali is the first woman to lead a team in the RAGE tournaments, but the true story is how she learns how to deal with the pressure and responsibility of that role.
Watching Kali struggle in both the real and virtual worlds kept my attention the entire time. There is never a dull moment and I couldn't wait to have a free moment to dive back into this book. I can't wait to start the next one!
Virtual reality has advanced into full immersion gaming. Kali Ling battles to the death in the Arena for the enjoyment of her fans and to fill the pockets of her sponsors. The thrill of the battle sings in her veins as she defeats her foes. And in the professional gaming leagues, death isn't painless. Each time she dies, Kali experiences a virtual death as real as one in real life. But when you can wake up from death, over and over again, what does it matter if you die? Until the lines begin to blur between the virtual world and the real one.
Like most gamers in Arena, Kali indulges in alcohol and drugs, chasing the high she feels when in the game. Her life is a whirlwind of training, publicity, and fame, but she can leave all of it behind when she is immersed in the virtual world. The game itself becomes an addiction for her. When she loses a teammate to an overdose, her need to escape reality increases. She begins to spiral out of control. Watching Kali struggle to balance her life and reclaim her place in the real world made the pages fly by. Amidst the clamor of battle and gaming, Holly Jennings makes it clear that being a celebrity comes with a price.
The character development was spot on in this novel. I didn't notice Kali's slow decline into addiction at first. I realize now that this is how it starts. Small things that no one really notices until something major happens, then all the pieces begin to line up. The description of this book might talk about how Kali is the first woman to lead a team in the RAGE tournaments, but the true story is how she learns how to deal with the pressure and responsibility of that role.
Watching Kali struggle in both the real and virtual worlds kept my attention the entire time. There is never a dull moment and I couldn't wait to have a free moment to dive back into this book. I can't wait to start the next one!
August 24, 2017
Well...I didn't really read this book. I couldn't finish it. Unfortunately, the language was so bad I just couldn't read on. And, I am okay with some language...an occasional swear word is okay with me. But every/every other paragraph...no thank you.
But, because I am reviewing this book for a publishing company I have to do an official review, which will be coming tomorrow.
Official Review:
Okay, so unfortunately, I could not finish this book. In the first few pages, there were so many curse words that I just couldn’t read on. To make sure that I wasn’t judging it too quickly, I quickly skimmed the book to see if it wasn’t just the fighting scenes where they swore. Nope, the language was quite shocking throughout the entire book. I am not one to judge a book too quickly, but I could not read on. If there is an occasional swear word, I won’t immediately slam the book shut. But, if there is one in every other paragraph, no, thank you. Bye, bye, book.
I really wanted to like this book. It seemed like an interesting plot and setting. I was hoping it would be good because my sister and brother like these types of books. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book.
The cover was cool. It was one of the main things that made me want to read this book. I am going to give it 3 stars. Because, the whole “Suit up. Plug in. Press start…Don’t die.” That was really fascinating.
Unfortunately, I cannot give this book a good rating. I am going to give it 1 star. I wish I could give it more stars because it looked like it would have been a very intriguing story.
But, because I am reviewing this book for a publishing company I have to do an official review, which will be coming tomorrow.
Official Review:
Okay, so unfortunately, I could not finish this book. In the first few pages, there were so many curse words that I just couldn’t read on. To make sure that I wasn’t judging it too quickly, I quickly skimmed the book to see if it wasn’t just the fighting scenes where they swore. Nope, the language was quite shocking throughout the entire book. I am not one to judge a book too quickly, but I could not read on. If there is an occasional swear word, I won’t immediately slam the book shut. But, if there is one in every other paragraph, no, thank you. Bye, bye, book.
I really wanted to like this book. It seemed like an interesting plot and setting. I was hoping it would be good because my sister and brother like these types of books. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book.
The cover was cool. It was one of the main things that made me want to read this book. I am going to give it 3 stars. Because, the whole “Suit up. Plug in. Press start…Don’t die.” That was really fascinating.
Unfortunately, I cannot give this book a good rating. I am going to give it 1 star. I wish I could give it more stars because it looked like it would have been a very intriguing story.
June 1, 2016
After all the hype, including a buy-me-now blurb from Ilona Andrews (one of my auto-buy authors), ARENA just...wasn't good.
At best it read like an after-school special and at worst, as a repetitive story and full of stilted conversations. The concept of immersive gaming is fascinating, especially after enjoying the heck out of READY PLAYER ONE but the execution here was incredibly lacking.
I honestly didn't care about any of the characters, despite their complex and myriad problems. What I did enjoy was the concept of the virtual reality battles -- those were written with detail and heart but even then, I would have enjoyed a bit more variance in the programming. I would imagine a tournament of that scale would change, at least in minor ways, as it got to the final round.
So, yeah. Not the best.
At best it read like an after-school special and at worst, as a repetitive story and full of stilted conversations. The concept of immersive gaming is fascinating, especially after enjoying the heck out of READY PLAYER ONE but the execution here was incredibly lacking.
I honestly didn't care about any of the characters, despite their complex and myriad problems. What I did enjoy was the concept of the virtual reality battles -- those were written with detail and heart but even then, I would have enjoyed a bit more variance in the programming. I would imagine a tournament of that scale would change, at least in minor ways, as it got to the final round.
So, yeah. Not the best.
April 17, 2017
When I started this book, I had no idea what to expect. I didn't even remember signing up for the giveaway on Goodreads. I was very pleasantly surprised by this.
I lked this, but had to read the first chapter twice because it was easier to understand after I knew what was going on. In this we have two different settings. One is the real world, the other is a virtual reality. There is a lot of action in this, and the author write those scenes very well.
I lked this, but had to read the first chapter twice because it was easier to understand after I knew what was going on. In this we have two different settings. One is the real world, the other is a virtual reality. There is a lot of action in this, and the author write those scenes very well.
July 20, 2022
Honestly? At first I didn't really know what to think about this one, but it got better and better, and a lot deeper than I would've thought! I ended up really liking this book.
Arena takes place in the year 2054 and is about Kali, the first female captain of a professional e-sports team competing in virtual reality gladiator fights. The book was fast paced, full of action with a little romance here and there, and - and here's what I didn't expect - actual thought provoking topics like drugs and the pressure put on professional athletes (or in this case, gamers).
Kali's character develops really nicely throughout the book. I didn't really like her at first, nor could I relate to her. All the partying and drug use was honestly quite appalling, but I think that's on purpose. I really liked her development though and also that of her relationship with her new team member Rooke.
The gaming aspects were interesting, even though virtual reality gaming is not a new concept. The fights were quite brutal and bloody which was fitting but may not be for everyone. I also liked the hints at older games throughout the book, it really shows that the author herself loves video games.
In the end the book was not only entertaining and exciting but felt a bit like a warning too. A warning not to lose touch with reality when playing video games, and a bit of an eye opener what's going on behind the scenes of professional sport events and leagues. Not all that glitters is gold etc. I really appreciate the book for that!
Despite the sort of weak start, I ended up really liking Arena and I'd recommend it not only to gamers - although it's certainly helpful if you have a little interest and/or experience in that field.
Arena takes place in the year 2054 and is about Kali, the first female captain of a professional e-sports team competing in virtual reality gladiator fights. The book was fast paced, full of action with a little romance here and there, and - and here's what I didn't expect - actual thought provoking topics like drugs and the pressure put on professional athletes (or in this case, gamers).
Kali's character develops really nicely throughout the book. I didn't really like her at first, nor could I relate to her. All the partying and drug use was honestly quite appalling, but I think that's on purpose. I really liked her development though and also that of her relationship with her new team member Rooke.
The gaming aspects were interesting, even though virtual reality gaming is not a new concept. The fights were quite brutal and bloody which was fitting but may not be for everyone. I also liked the hints at older games throughout the book, it really shows that the author herself loves video games.
In the end the book was not only entertaining and exciting but felt a bit like a warning too. A warning not to lose touch with reality when playing video games, and a bit of an eye opener what's going on behind the scenes of professional sport events and leagues. Not all that glitters is gold etc. I really appreciate the book for that!
Despite the sort of weak start, I ended up really liking Arena and I'd recommend it not only to gamers - although it's certainly helpful if you have a little interest and/or experience in that field.
May 5, 2016
** This book is one I requested and was sent for free from the publisher but that in no way affects my review or thoughts **
I picked this one up after reading the description of this book becuase I thought that this could be the next Ready Player One but focused on female gamers. That sounded like a great thing to me, and I have to say I wanted to see some girl-power gamers being represented. This book definitely started out out super strong in that way. We have a young warrior female, Kali, who is half-Chinese, half-American and who is part of the RAGE tournaments. The RAGE tournaments are competitive VR games which are universally watched and recorded by the public. This is the season for competition and the final trophy, if Kali can just pull the rest of her team together they may actually have a shot at winning...
The things I most liked about this were that Kali's character was put through some scenarios I didn't expect. We get to see substance abuse in YA books fairly frequently, but we don't actually see withdrawal and recovery often, more likely disaster. I liked the way that this book dealt with addiction to the game, addiction to substances, and generally a disconnect from reality.
I also liked that whilst there is certainly a romantic element the love interest didn't come into the story and become the focus entirely and even when he was in the spotlight and seemingly taking over his motivations were good and he was a character I at least liked.
Now for the elements I think could have been stronger. I wish that we had been able to spend a bit more time in the training and tournament phases becuase this book races along at speed and sometimes I didn't believe that the team or Kali herself would have been able to change things or work on things as quickly as they did. I do think that the final battle which the whole book leads up to was incredibly short, just a few pages, and whilst I liked the focus on characters I do think just a bit more of a convincing timeline would have made this a lot stronger as a book.
I liked the references to older video games, and seeing the way that VR felt to our characters and affected their psyche was cool. We also get a good look at the ideas of 'image' which the gaming industry are focused heavily on, and I liked seeing the team's reaction to that later in the book.
On the whole this had some very positive ideas and some good solid moments but there were also a few times where I couldn't quite suspend my disbelief. I do think that this is a good YA read, and I would say if any of what I've said above interests you then maybe try it out. It's not the next Ready Player One, but it's done well and it's interesting. 3.5*s overall.
I picked this one up after reading the description of this book becuase I thought that this could be the next Ready Player One but focused on female gamers. That sounded like a great thing to me, and I have to say I wanted to see some girl-power gamers being represented. This book definitely started out out super strong in that way. We have a young warrior female, Kali, who is half-Chinese, half-American and who is part of the RAGE tournaments. The RAGE tournaments are competitive VR games which are universally watched and recorded by the public. This is the season for competition and the final trophy, if Kali can just pull the rest of her team together they may actually have a shot at winning...
The things I most liked about this were that Kali's character was put through some scenarios I didn't expect. We get to see substance abuse in YA books fairly frequently, but we don't actually see withdrawal and recovery often, more likely disaster. I liked the way that this book dealt with addiction to the game, addiction to substances, and generally a disconnect from reality.
I also liked that whilst there is certainly a romantic element the love interest didn't come into the story and become the focus entirely and even when he was in the spotlight and seemingly taking over his motivations were good and he was a character I at least liked.
Now for the elements I think could have been stronger. I wish that we had been able to spend a bit more time in the training and tournament phases becuase this book races along at speed and sometimes I didn't believe that the team or Kali herself would have been able to change things or work on things as quickly as they did. I do think that the final battle which the whole book leads up to was incredibly short, just a few pages, and whilst I liked the focus on characters I do think just a bit more of a convincing timeline would have made this a lot stronger as a book.
I liked the references to older video games, and seeing the way that VR felt to our characters and affected their psyche was cool. We also get a good look at the ideas of 'image' which the gaming industry are focused heavily on, and I liked seeing the team's reaction to that later in the book.
On the whole this had some very positive ideas and some good solid moments but there were also a few times where I couldn't quite suspend my disbelief. I do think that this is a good YA read, and I would say if any of what I've said above interests you then maybe try it out. It's not the next Ready Player One, but it's done well and it's interesting. 3.5*s overall.
June 3, 2017
My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 Unicorns - I loved it!!!
***I choose what I read and review based on what intrigues me!! Yes, I got a review copy of this book, but no one tells me what to think, feel, or write about any book!
The cover is what attracted me to this book, but the description is what compelled me to want to read it! There are two covers, but this one is my first and favorite one!
I requested this book because it intrigued me, but then I was distracted by life, school, and other books. I’m sorry I was distracted for so long because this book is not my usual read. There were no shifters, vampires, or elements of paranormal that are my usual reads. I think part of what intrigued me is my son and students who are gripped in all that is gaming. I’m also a teacher who recently adding teaching computer and programming into my wheelhouse. I like trying to read things I think would interest the students. They would love this book for the strife from drug addiction and fighting the world.
This is the first book in the series, and I’d say it is more new adult because the characters are 20ish years old. I’ve seen several places that classify it as YA, and I can see my students this. You should be aware though that there is graphic descriptions of violence and gore. There is also drugs, alcohol, and the misuse of them with partying. And I truly believe that gamers can lose themselves in the games and forget the real world around them. I think as long as you go into the book knowing there is death from drug overdose and all of the above that high school students read this stuff all the time by their own choice. It shocked me that students want the dirty gritty story of pain and strife. Some know these things personally, and they say it helps them to read about it.
This book demonstrates morals which you can overcome addictions, you can change the world, and you have to start with yourself. Kali is an amazing lead character, and I loved her story. She perseveres, overcomes, and comes out the other side much stronger and wiser. She has help along the way with her teammates especially Rooke because they had the same battles to fight. I can’t even put into words how engaging and awesome this story was.
Holly Jennings is a new author for me, and her writing is amazing. I can lose myself in her book, and I can’t wait to do it again!
I highly recommend this book to any nerd especially if you had personal battles and challenges to overcome, or you are a hard-core gamer who needs a reminder to live your life in the real world and play and have fun in the virtual one!
***I choose what I read and review based on what intrigues me!! Yes, I got a review copy of this book, but no one tells me what to think, feel, or write about any book!
The cover is what attracted me to this book, but the description is what compelled me to want to read it! There are two covers, but this one is my first and favorite one!
I requested this book because it intrigued me, but then I was distracted by life, school, and other books. I’m sorry I was distracted for so long because this book is not my usual read. There were no shifters, vampires, or elements of paranormal that are my usual reads. I think part of what intrigued me is my son and students who are gripped in all that is gaming. I’m also a teacher who recently adding teaching computer and programming into my wheelhouse. I like trying to read things I think would interest the students. They would love this book for the strife from drug addiction and fighting the world.
This is the first book in the series, and I’d say it is more new adult because the characters are 20ish years old. I’ve seen several places that classify it as YA, and I can see my students this. You should be aware though that there is graphic descriptions of violence and gore. There is also drugs, alcohol, and the misuse of them with partying. And I truly believe that gamers can lose themselves in the games and forget the real world around them. I think as long as you go into the book knowing there is death from drug overdose and all of the above that high school students read this stuff all the time by their own choice. It shocked me that students want the dirty gritty story of pain and strife. Some know these things personally, and they say it helps them to read about it.
This book demonstrates morals which you can overcome addictions, you can change the world, and you have to start with yourself. Kali is an amazing lead character, and I loved her story. She perseveres, overcomes, and comes out the other side much stronger and wiser. She has help along the way with her teammates especially Rooke because they had the same battles to fight. I can’t even put into words how engaging and awesome this story was.
Holly Jennings is a new author for me, and her writing is amazing. I can lose myself in her book, and I can’t wait to do it again!
I highly recommend this book to any nerd especially if you had personal battles and challenges to overcome, or you are a hard-core gamer who needs a reminder to live your life in the real world and play and have fun in the virtual one!
May 29, 2016
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Virtual gaming as a professional sport set the intensity and action of this novel but I really struggled with the main character at first.
Opening Sentence: This wouldn’t be the first time I died.
The Review:
Arena is set in the year 2054. Virtual gaming is now a competitive, professional sport as popular as the Super Bowl. I really enjoyed the opening to this novel, it reminded me a bit of Sword Art Online until the consequences of this world is fully unveiled. Then I had a really hard time with Kali, the main protagonist, as she tries to survive the enticing grips of the virtual world. Eventually, Kali becomes a better person but the journey to get there takes a while.
Virtual gaming has a dark side. It isn’t all fun and gaming. In order to be a part of the professional world, gamers must be in peak physical condition. They have to mentally and physically be able to perform the fight moves in the real world in order for it to transition to the virtual. If you can’t fly in real life then you definitely can’t fly in the virtual. Also, sensations are heightened, colors are more vibrant, smells are more pungent and pain is very real. When you die in the virtual you will feel every repercussion until you wake back up in the real world once again whole. Gamers are just about as fake as the games they are playing. Each team member plays a part for the media and for sponsors who will pull their money as soon as someone does something that they don’t like.
I drove my fingers through his hair, and his tongue assaulted mine. I tasted everything he’d done that night, a bittersweet mix of soda, vodka, and traces of HP.
HP. Nathan wasn’t the only one wishing he was still in the virtual.
I closed my eyes and envisioned the tower, surrounded by stone and grass. The metal against my back turned to earth. Warmth spread through my body as the sunlight caressed my skin. The sweetest scent, like a thousand wildflowers, wafted against my nose, carried by the thick, mountain air. It filled my lungs and breezed across my face. Reality was the game. Plastic. Metal. People. All fake. The game was real—tangible, sweet and warm—and the only place I was alive and free.
Kali and Team Defiance are the number one team in the world until they are overwhelmingly defeated in the semifinal rounds. Then to make matters worse one of the team members dies from a drug overdose. As Team Defiance has now been moved to the losers’ bracket, they cannot lose any more matches if they have any hopes of making it to the Finals. Team Defiance undergo some major changes when Kali is named team captain (the first ever in the sport) and a new member joins the team.
He drove his sword through my chest and ripped it out again.
I dropped to my knees. My fingers went numb and ice-cold. Death was an animated thing, slithering up my arms and chest until it wrapped around my throat and crushed my last, gasping breath.
I woke with a jolt, slamming back to this world. Slick with sweat, trembling uncontrollably, I breathed through my hand and forced my stomach calm, thankful that the pod’s solid doors kept my reaction concealed from everyone else. I coughed and sputtered until tears stung my eyes and dribbled down my face. As my body slowly recovered, I started to laugh, and kept laughing until there were new tears in my eyes. Nothing like seeing your own insides to make you feel mortal.
Nothing like coming back to life to make you feel like a god.
Kali is not a redeemable character at the beginning of Arena. In fact, she’s kind of hard to read because you know she is throwing her life away and doesn’t care one bit. She’d rather be lost in the virtual than in the clinical, whitewashed real world. Just when I was about to give up on finding anything redeeming about Kali, she finally begins to understand how detrimental she’s been living her life. Kali with the help of Rooke, the new team member, begins to change her life around while also trying to be a better teammate, captain and person. Kali wants to put an end to the dark side of virtual gaming.
I left the doc’s office feeling stronger than I had in a long time. Each step that pounded into the hallway’s metal floor sent another shock wave of perseverance through my body. This wasn’t just about me or my career. The team was counting on me to lead them to the championship. That’s what mattered.
But the problem with living in a reality so plastic and fake and a virtual world so full of life, the lines between what matters and what doesn’t get blurry.
Fast.
Overall, Arena has quite a bit of action and some intense moments. I still felt it was slow going for me, it may not be that way for others but I did struggle with Kali’s struggle. I just wanted it to get over with so I could see how the Final fight would go. I was not disappointed in the ending at all, Arena has a wonderful, intense ending. The thing that I did like about Arena was how it was a different read for me. I haven’t really read anything set with virtual gaming like this. If you want to read something a bit different, try Arena. If not, then I would suggest you pass on it.
Notable Scene:
“And when you do a hit of HP at the clubs, is that for the team, too?”
I ground my teeth together. Whatever I chose to do at the clubs was none of his fucking business.
“You can’t keep going like this,” he stressed. The muscles in his neck went tight. “You could die, Kali. Don’t you see that?”
Pffft. I waved him off. “We don’t die, you idiot. We never die. We just wake up. You know why the rest of us do this? Why we drink and party and get so high we can’t remember our own names? It’s just to pass the time until we can go back to what’s real.”
He took a step back, and the color drained from his face. “What did you just say?”
“Nothing. I don’t know.”
He took my head in his hands and forced my eyes up. “Look at me. What do you see?”
“An asshole.” I slapped his hands, but his grip only tightened on my jaw.
“How many times have you died?”
“What?”
“How many times?”
“Thirty, maybe. Forty. I don’t know.”
“Dying here isn’t like the games,” he said. “This is reality.”
FTC Advisory: Ace/Penguin provided me with a copy of Arena. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Virtual gaming as a professional sport set the intensity and action of this novel but I really struggled with the main character at first.
Opening Sentence: This wouldn’t be the first time I died.
The Review:
Arena is set in the year 2054. Virtual gaming is now a competitive, professional sport as popular as the Super Bowl. I really enjoyed the opening to this novel, it reminded me a bit of Sword Art Online until the consequences of this world is fully unveiled. Then I had a really hard time with Kali, the main protagonist, as she tries to survive the enticing grips of the virtual world. Eventually, Kali becomes a better person but the journey to get there takes a while.
Virtual gaming has a dark side. It isn’t all fun and gaming. In order to be a part of the professional world, gamers must be in peak physical condition. They have to mentally and physically be able to perform the fight moves in the real world in order for it to transition to the virtual. If you can’t fly in real life then you definitely can’t fly in the virtual. Also, sensations are heightened, colors are more vibrant, smells are more pungent and pain is very real. When you die in the virtual you will feel every repercussion until you wake back up in the real world once again whole. Gamers are just about as fake as the games they are playing. Each team member plays a part for the media and for sponsors who will pull their money as soon as someone does something that they don’t like.
I drove my fingers through his hair, and his tongue assaulted mine. I tasted everything he’d done that night, a bittersweet mix of soda, vodka, and traces of HP.
HP. Nathan wasn’t the only one wishing he was still in the virtual.
I closed my eyes and envisioned the tower, surrounded by stone and grass. The metal against my back turned to earth. Warmth spread through my body as the sunlight caressed my skin. The sweetest scent, like a thousand wildflowers, wafted against my nose, carried by the thick, mountain air. It filled my lungs and breezed across my face. Reality was the game. Plastic. Metal. People. All fake. The game was real—tangible, sweet and warm—and the only place I was alive and free.
Kali and Team Defiance are the number one team in the world until they are overwhelmingly defeated in the semifinal rounds. Then to make matters worse one of the team members dies from a drug overdose. As Team Defiance has now been moved to the losers’ bracket, they cannot lose any more matches if they have any hopes of making it to the Finals. Team Defiance undergo some major changes when Kali is named team captain (the first ever in the sport) and a new member joins the team.
He drove his sword through my chest and ripped it out again.
I dropped to my knees. My fingers went numb and ice-cold. Death was an animated thing, slithering up my arms and chest until it wrapped around my throat and crushed my last, gasping breath.
I woke with a jolt, slamming back to this world. Slick with sweat, trembling uncontrollably, I breathed through my hand and forced my stomach calm, thankful that the pod’s solid doors kept my reaction concealed from everyone else. I coughed and sputtered until tears stung my eyes and dribbled down my face. As my body slowly recovered, I started to laugh, and kept laughing until there were new tears in my eyes. Nothing like seeing your own insides to make you feel mortal.
Nothing like coming back to life to make you feel like a god.
Kali is not a redeemable character at the beginning of Arena. In fact, she’s kind of hard to read because you know she is throwing her life away and doesn’t care one bit. She’d rather be lost in the virtual than in the clinical, whitewashed real world. Just when I was about to give up on finding anything redeeming about Kali, she finally begins to understand how detrimental she’s been living her life. Kali with the help of Rooke, the new team member, begins to change her life around while also trying to be a better teammate, captain and person. Kali wants to put an end to the dark side of virtual gaming.
I left the doc’s office feeling stronger than I had in a long time. Each step that pounded into the hallway’s metal floor sent another shock wave of perseverance through my body. This wasn’t just about me or my career. The team was counting on me to lead them to the championship. That’s what mattered.
But the problem with living in a reality so plastic and fake and a virtual world so full of life, the lines between what matters and what doesn’t get blurry.
Fast.
Overall, Arena has quite a bit of action and some intense moments. I still felt it was slow going for me, it may not be that way for others but I did struggle with Kali’s struggle. I just wanted it to get over with so I could see how the Final fight would go. I was not disappointed in the ending at all, Arena has a wonderful, intense ending. The thing that I did like about Arena was how it was a different read for me. I haven’t really read anything set with virtual gaming like this. If you want to read something a bit different, try Arena. If not, then I would suggest you pass on it.
Notable Scene:
“And when you do a hit of HP at the clubs, is that for the team, too?”
I ground my teeth together. Whatever I chose to do at the clubs was none of his fucking business.
“You can’t keep going like this,” he stressed. The muscles in his neck went tight. “You could die, Kali. Don’t you see that?”
Pffft. I waved him off. “We don’t die, you idiot. We never die. We just wake up. You know why the rest of us do this? Why we drink and party and get so high we can’t remember our own names? It’s just to pass the time until we can go back to what’s real.”
He took a step back, and the color drained from his face. “What did you just say?”
“Nothing. I don’t know.”
He took my head in his hands and forced my eyes up. “Look at me. What do you see?”
“An asshole.” I slapped his hands, but his grip only tightened on my jaw.
“How many times have you died?”
“What?”
“How many times?”
“Thirty, maybe. Forty. I don’t know.”
“Dying here isn’t like the games,” he said. “This is reality.”
FTC Advisory: Ace/Penguin provided me with a copy of Arena. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
May 19, 2016
Based on previous experience with books about virtual reality, I was quick to reach out to ACE publishing to request this stunning debut. And in short, this book did nothing but impress me. Arena brought the best of Ready Player One's thrilling and action-packed fight scenes and the snarky romance of any well-written New Adult contemporary.
Arena takes place in a society where virtual gaming has dominated and has become a well-recognized trend. Among the many virtual reality games, there are the RAGE tournaments where competitors compete in teams of 5 in combat to the death with weapons. Kali Ling, along with her teammates, love the rush that any VR game brings them. That is, until one of them overdoses, dies and Kali is appointed the new leader of team Defiance- one of the top teams in the industry. They've also got a new team member, the handsome Rooke who Kali can't seem to keep her mind off of. They must learn to work together as a team and possibly win it all in the championships. However with Kali relying so much on the VR world, she may not realize that she's loosing her grip on reality.
This book is a nod to the YA diversity that I have been dearly missing and not only with a female protagonist. She is also half Chinese! There are many cultural aspects as the book takes a deep dive into talking about Taoism. I appreciated the inclusion of an LGBT couple. It seems like there was an influx of diverse topics and characters, And although these aspects may seem really out of place together, they were seamlessly woven into the story that it felt effortless.
I don't think I've ever connected to a character more than I did with Kali, and not just because she's Asian. She is deeply flawed to the bone and doesn't realize it till halfway through the book. It's not to say that I loved her from beginning to end, considering I did have a problem with her when I first met her. She was this overconfident and cocky player who thought she was better than everyone else and acted a little bit too much like Celaena Sardothien-y. But not to fret, she grew away from that and it's because of the inner battle she fought that made her character all the more alluring. The whole time you're reading the book you realize that if she wants to get rid of her problems, it's all up to her and no one else. Kali was not afraid to embrace her ethnicity and race, which is something I've seen less and less in books with diverse characters. Plus she's a girl gamer, so she can kick some real ass. She's just so fucking amazing.
What may turn a lot of readers off, however, is the mention of it being in the genre of New Adult. Or it might turn people on, hey, you never know. For me, it was an automatic yes since NA is a genre I want to explore. What to expect? Profanity and lots of it. Sex, drugs and clubbing. Honestly it wasn't even that bad. I know for some people when they think of NA they think erotica. At least, that was always what I thought. The sexually explicit scenes were nowhere near erotic and are comparable to those in any other science-fiction YA books. So if you're worried about this book being 'too NA', for a lack of better words, then please don't be.
Holy shit. The romance was so fucking beautiful. This book made me feel so sexy. Wait no, scratch that. That sounds weird and so not platonic. I think the one thing that totally buys readers over when it comes to romance is snark and the classic trope of enemies become lovers. I really enjoy that trope when it's well done and Holly Jennings couldn't have done it better.
Looking for humor? This book's got it! I just about ate up all the dirty jokes and creative comebacks. LIKE WHAT ARE YOU HOLLY JENNINGS? A FREAKING COMEDIAN?
What more can I say to make you read this book? The lovely people at ACE/Penguin were nice enough to send me an ARC but me, being a complete idiot, just recently picked it up and now I regret not picking it up sooner. Arena is not a story, it's an adventure- filled with mystery, darkness, virtual gaming and smutty romance! Pick up this book and press start because I did, and I'm never looking back.
Arena takes place in a society where virtual gaming has dominated and has become a well-recognized trend. Among the many virtual reality games, there are the RAGE tournaments where competitors compete in teams of 5 in combat to the death with weapons. Kali Ling, along with her teammates, love the rush that any VR game brings them. That is, until one of them overdoses, dies and Kali is appointed the new leader of team Defiance- one of the top teams in the industry. They've also got a new team member, the handsome Rooke who Kali can't seem to keep her mind off of. They must learn to work together as a team and possibly win it all in the championships. However with Kali relying so much on the VR world, she may not realize that she's loosing her grip on reality.
This book is a nod to the YA diversity that I have been dearly missing and not only with a female protagonist. She is also half Chinese! There are many cultural aspects as the book takes a deep dive into talking about Taoism. I appreciated the inclusion of an LGBT couple. It seems like there was an influx of diverse topics and characters, And although these aspects may seem really out of place together, they were seamlessly woven into the story that it felt effortless.
I don't think I've ever connected to a character more than I did with Kali, and not just because she's Asian. She is deeply flawed to the bone and doesn't realize it till halfway through the book. It's not to say that I loved her from beginning to end, considering I did have a problem with her when I first met her. She was this overconfident and cocky player who thought she was better than everyone else and acted a little bit too much like Celaena Sardothien-y. But not to fret, she grew away from that and it's because of the inner battle she fought that made her character all the more alluring. The whole time you're reading the book you realize that if she wants to get rid of her problems, it's all up to her and no one else. Kali was not afraid to embrace her ethnicity and race, which is something I've seen less and less in books with diverse characters. Plus she's a girl gamer, so she can kick some real ass. She's just so fucking amazing.
What may turn a lot of readers off, however, is the mention of it being in the genre of New Adult. Or it might turn people on, hey, you never know. For me, it was an automatic yes since NA is a genre I want to explore. What to expect? Profanity and lots of it. Sex, drugs and clubbing. Honestly it wasn't even that bad. I know for some people when they think of NA they think erotica. At least, that was always what I thought. The sexually explicit scenes were nowhere near erotic and are comparable to those in any other science-fiction YA books. So if you're worried about this book being 'too NA', for a lack of better words, then please don't be.
Holy shit. The romance was so fucking beautiful. This book made me feel so sexy. Wait no, scratch that. That sounds weird and so not platonic. I think the one thing that totally buys readers over when it comes to romance is snark and the classic trope of enemies become lovers. I really enjoy that trope when it's well done and Holly Jennings couldn't have done it better.
Looking for humor? This book's got it! I just about ate up all the dirty jokes and creative comebacks. LIKE WHAT ARE YOU HOLLY JENNINGS? A FREAKING COMEDIAN?
What more can I say to make you read this book? The lovely people at ACE/Penguin were nice enough to send me an ARC but me, being a complete idiot, just recently picked it up and now I regret not picking it up sooner. Arena is not a story, it's an adventure- filled with mystery, darkness, virtual gaming and smutty romance! Pick up this book and press start because I did, and I'm never looking back.
April 4, 2016
Unfortunately, this book didn't capture me like I thought it was going to. I didn't hate this book by any means. I liked it, but it wasn't as awesome as I though it would be.
The first couple of pages of this book were really exciting. I was extremely intrigued and I loved the action. However, after that, the beginning portion of this book was really slow. There was some sex, drugs, and drama that honestly bored me. Most of the drama consisted of the team's desired "image" and how they keep the image to please people. I thought it was a boring way to start a book that had such an exciting premise.
To be honest, the rest of the book wasn't that much more exciting. I was expecting a lot more gaming and action than there was. I felt like a lot of this book consisted of drama with romance, the team image, teammates not getting along, and drug abuse. Since I was expecting action, this really bored me! The only times I blew through chapters was when it was set in the virtual reality. I wanted more chapters about the actually gaming, because those scenes were great! I though Holly did a fantastic job at creating action scenes that were fun and exciting. Kali, the main character, was a freaking badass when it came to fighting!
Kali annoyed me in the beginning of the book. I had a really hard time connecting with her at first. She was so irritating! I didn't understand her reactions to certain events in the beginning of the book. However, Kali had some fantastic character growth in this book. She turned into a strong and dominant woman. I really admired the journey she went on. She was one kick-ass female.
One thing I didn't like about the writing in this book was that I felt like the author didn't deal with darker subjects really well. Drugs were abused all the time in this book, and I felt like it was so overlooked! Drug addiction and other big issues just felt glossed over. I thought they should have been made a bigger deal.
I actually really liked the romance in this book. I was so thankful that the romance wasn't insta-love. I thought the romance was well paced. It was a little cliche, but I liked Rooke and Kali together. They had great chemistry together, and they worked really well together.
This book wasn't horrible, but it wasn't fantastic either. It was engaging and the action scenes were a lot of fun. I wish there would have been more action scenes and less drama, because I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more then. I would be interested in reading more books from this world, and visiting these characters again. I think this book has great potential to become an awesome series.
3 / 5 Fangs
*This book was given to me in exchange for a honest review. *
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
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The first couple of pages of this book were really exciting. I was extremely intrigued and I loved the action. However, after that, the beginning portion of this book was really slow. There was some sex, drugs, and drama that honestly bored me. Most of the drama consisted of the team's desired "image" and how they keep the image to please people. I thought it was a boring way to start a book that had such an exciting premise.
To be honest, the rest of the book wasn't that much more exciting. I was expecting a lot more gaming and action than there was. I felt like a lot of this book consisted of drama with romance, the team image, teammates not getting along, and drug abuse. Since I was expecting action, this really bored me! The only times I blew through chapters was when it was set in the virtual reality. I wanted more chapters about the actually gaming, because those scenes were great! I though Holly did a fantastic job at creating action scenes that were fun and exciting. Kali, the main character, was a freaking badass when it came to fighting!
Kali annoyed me in the beginning of the book. I had a really hard time connecting with her at first. She was so irritating! I didn't understand her reactions to certain events in the beginning of the book. However, Kali had some fantastic character growth in this book. She turned into a strong and dominant woman. I really admired the journey she went on. She was one kick-ass female.
One thing I didn't like about the writing in this book was that I felt like the author didn't deal with darker subjects really well. Drugs were abused all the time in this book, and I felt like it was so overlooked! Drug addiction and other big issues just felt glossed over. I thought they should have been made a bigger deal.
I actually really liked the romance in this book. I was so thankful that the romance wasn't insta-love. I thought the romance was well paced. It was a little cliche, but I liked Rooke and Kali together. They had great chemistry together, and they worked really well together.
This book wasn't horrible, but it wasn't fantastic either. It was engaging and the action scenes were a lot of fun. I wish there would have been more action scenes and less drama, because I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more then. I would be interested in reading more books from this world, and visiting these characters again. I think this book has great potential to become an awesome series.
3 / 5 Fangs
*This book was given to me in exchange for a honest review. *
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
February 4, 2018
With the amazing advancements made in virtual reality, gaming has become a sport all its own. Kali Ling has been a gamer her entire life. Now she is the first female team captain in the Virtual Gaming League’s RAGE tournaments. Every week, Kali and her team fight to the death in the Virtual world on National television.
Though the fights are digital, every player feels the pain of their death. Kali is at the top of the virtual world, until one of her teammates dies of an overdose and leaves her to deal with her team and their new recruit. With the guilt of not being able to save her teammate and the pressures and stress of turning her teammates into a new team, Kali is falling apart inside. In order to heal her team and herself, she will have to change her world and the game, but will she be able to?
In the last century alone, gaming has grown more and more popular and advanced. Already we are seeing virtual reality take a grip on the world around us. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to think that in 50 years we may in fact have full immersion video gaming.
Imagining the gaming in the near future is easy, the changes in scenery, is a little more difficult. The idea that all of LA may be completely reconstructed in less than 50 years is harder for me to believe.
Personally, I am not a very big fan of science fiction, but occasionally, I stumble across a book or a series that appeals to me, and this one did, even though I am not a gamer myself. The plot of this story goes far beyond just the gaming world and, in my opinion, the synopsis does not do this novel justice.
The characters are realistic with dynamic personalities and unique qualities. All of the characters on Kali’s team have strengths and weaknesses that balance the team as a whole.
This novel delves into serious areas that are not only futuristic issues, but are also a concern in our world today. For once, there is a young adult novel that shows the negatives behind partying, drinking, and using drugs. It was refreshing to have a writer show these issues in their true light.
I was also happily surprised by how this book discussed the value of appreciating reality and finding balance in one’s life.
I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to readers who enjoyed “Flashpoint” by Nancy Kress or readers who enjoy the idea of full immersion virtual reality gaming on a large scale.
I received my copy of this novel from bloggingforbooks.com and have received permission from Penguin Random House, Inc. to use an image of the cover artwork above.
stephanietiner.weebly.com
Though the fights are digital, every player feels the pain of their death. Kali is at the top of the virtual world, until one of her teammates dies of an overdose and leaves her to deal with her team and their new recruit. With the guilt of not being able to save her teammate and the pressures and stress of turning her teammates into a new team, Kali is falling apart inside. In order to heal her team and herself, she will have to change her world and the game, but will she be able to?
In the last century alone, gaming has grown more and more popular and advanced. Already we are seeing virtual reality take a grip on the world around us. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to think that in 50 years we may in fact have full immersion video gaming.
Imagining the gaming in the near future is easy, the changes in scenery, is a little more difficult. The idea that all of LA may be completely reconstructed in less than 50 years is harder for me to believe.
Personally, I am not a very big fan of science fiction, but occasionally, I stumble across a book or a series that appeals to me, and this one did, even though I am not a gamer myself. The plot of this story goes far beyond just the gaming world and, in my opinion, the synopsis does not do this novel justice.
The characters are realistic with dynamic personalities and unique qualities. All of the characters on Kali’s team have strengths and weaknesses that balance the team as a whole.
This novel delves into serious areas that are not only futuristic issues, but are also a concern in our world today. For once, there is a young adult novel that shows the negatives behind partying, drinking, and using drugs. It was refreshing to have a writer show these issues in their true light.
I was also happily surprised by how this book discussed the value of appreciating reality and finding balance in one’s life.
I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to readers who enjoyed “Flashpoint” by Nancy Kress or readers who enjoy the idea of full immersion virtual reality gaming on a large scale.
I received my copy of this novel from bloggingforbooks.com and have received permission from Penguin Random House, Inc. to use an image of the cover artwork above.
stephanietiner.weebly.com
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