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Gamer Girl
After Maddy's parents divorce, she's stuck starting over at a new high school. Friendless and nicknamed Freak Girl, Manga-loving artist Maddy finds refuge in the interactive online game Fields of Fantasy. In that virtual world, she reinvents herself as Allora, a gorgeous elfin alter ego, and meets a true friend in Sir Leo. Maddy can't hide behind Allora forever, especially as a real-life crush begins edging in on her budding virtual romance. But would anyone pick the real Maddy, gamer girl and Manga freak, over the fantasy? This fresh, geeky/cool novel includes online chats and exciting gaming, and features Maddy's Mangastyle artwork.
248 pages, Hardcover
First published November 13, 2008
81 people are currently reading
2570 people want to read
About the author
Mari Mancusi
64 books2,286 followersMari Mancusi grew up where the north wind meets the sea (otherwise known as Massachusetts), but has since made her home in the great state of Texas, mostly due to her love of summer. (And tacos.) A former Emmy Award winning TV news producer, today she is the author of more than two-dozen books for kids, teens, and adults, mostly of the sci-fi/fantasy variety. In addition to writing, Mari loves traveling, video games, and cosplaying. She is also Mom to an eight year old Frozen superfan who, when recently asked by her teacher to describe her hero answered: “My Mom!” (Okay, fine, she said Kristin Bell.)
You can find Mari online at www.marimancusi.com. She knows several Samanthas.
You can find Mari online at www.marimancusi.com. She knows several Samanthas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 746 reviews
May 25, 2009
SERIOUSLY someone stop me from picking books entirely based on their covers. IT USUALLY DOES NOT END WELL.
In this case, I expected a wonderful book and got a cliched story with unlikable characters.
In this case, I expected a wonderful book and got a cliched story with unlikable characters.
January 26, 2010
This is not a book as much as it is a collection of clichéd plot devices and character stereotypes that are more two-dimensional than those found in after-school specials.
It has everything which makes a teen book amount to nothing. A main character named "Maddy Starr" (an obvious author-insert for Mari Mancusi) who constantly bitches about how "nobody gets her, and nobody ever will," and how she's repulsed that no one at her new school is a "mop headed emo boy" or an "Edward Cullen worshiping goth-girl". Rather, they're all "AberZOMBIES" and "Haters." Please note the capital "H," as Maddy expresses such disgust for anyone who is different from herself that she needs to emphasize it with a proper noun. All in all, the result is a grotesque caricature of a gothic teenage girl. She constantly talks about Twilight and My Chemical Romance, at one point even going as far as to complain that the lead singer from My Chemical Romance does not attend her school, because if he did, they would sooo totally be soul-mates.
The reader quickly begins to wonder whether the author truly writes at a middle-school level, or whether this is a devious marketing ploy created to pump the teen demographic for every last one of their parents' dollars. Either way, there is no literary merit to this book. Despite failed attempts at profundity, there's no message deeper than "love is good, follow your dreams, cliques are bad." But even the intended anti-clique message is overshadowed by the fact that all the cliques in the book are so incredibly stereotyped. In the end, they're really more of a straw man to make the main character seem superior than anything more meaningful.
All teenage girls, especially those who self-identify with alternative subcultures, should be insulted at this patronizing blackface show, reducing them to Hot Topic-obsessed, whining cardboard cutouts. I know teenage girls are better than this. The teen market deserves better than what Mari Mancusi has to offer.
It has everything which makes a teen book amount to nothing. A main character named "Maddy Starr" (an obvious author-insert for Mari Mancusi) who constantly bitches about how "nobody gets her, and nobody ever will," and how she's repulsed that no one at her new school is a "mop headed emo boy" or an "Edward Cullen worshiping goth-girl". Rather, they're all "AberZOMBIES" and "Haters." Please note the capital "H," as Maddy expresses such disgust for anyone who is different from herself that she needs to emphasize it with a proper noun. All in all, the result is a grotesque caricature of a gothic teenage girl. She constantly talks about Twilight and My Chemical Romance, at one point even going as far as to complain that the lead singer from My Chemical Romance does not attend her school, because if he did, they would sooo totally be soul-mates.
The reader quickly begins to wonder whether the author truly writes at a middle-school level, or whether this is a devious marketing ploy created to pump the teen demographic for every last one of their parents' dollars. Either way, there is no literary merit to this book. Despite failed attempts at profundity, there's no message deeper than "love is good, follow your dreams, cliques are bad." But even the intended anti-clique message is overshadowed by the fact that all the cliques in the book are so incredibly stereotyped. In the end, they're really more of a straw man to make the main character seem superior than anything more meaningful.
All teenage girls, especially those who self-identify with alternative subcultures, should be insulted at this patronizing blackface show, reducing them to Hot Topic-obsessed, whining cardboard cutouts. I know teenage girls are better than this. The teen market deserves better than what Mari Mancusi has to offer.
September 29, 2011
lowered my iq
July 26, 2012
You can read my full review by clicking here!
Have you ever read a unique book where no matter how hard you try, you can't seem to find anything like it? Gamer Girl would have to be one of those types of books. There's nothing really special in wording that Mari Mancusi uses. But somehow, the plot draws me in. It's different, to say the least.
I read Gamer Girl about three years ago, and at that time, I was a seventh grader. The cover drew me in(I always judge the cover) and when I finished the book, it stuck with me. Here I am now, three years later, re-reading, and reviewing it on here. I couldn't get it out of my head, and I wanted it on my blog.
Maddy is the type of misunderstood gothy girl. She moves to a new school, where she is deemed "Freak Girl". Like I said, the word choices aren't the best, and at times, the plot is slightly cliche, but the story is wonderful. Who doesn't love a happily ever after? Anyways, back to Maddy. So, Maddy loves to draw anything manga(a Japanese art style). She also loves playing a game titled Fields of Fantasy. Through this, she meets a chivalrous knight, SirLeo. Maddy is swept away into a wonderful relationship with SirLeo.
In the real world, Maddy has a huge crush on Chad, who I couldn't help be like. He was sweet but shy and at times could be considered a coward, but who cares! Frankly, Chad was a sensitive guy. Maddy made a great choice in picking him.
Overall, Gamer Girl could be considered a cliche read, but it's a really cute and fast read. You won't regret reading it(especially if you're into manga)!
Side Note: If anyone has read this book and has a recommendation for fans of this book, feel free to leave the book title(s) in the comments! I've desperately been searching for a book like this.
Have you ever read a unique book where no matter how hard you try, you can't seem to find anything like it? Gamer Girl would have to be one of those types of books. There's nothing really special in wording that Mari Mancusi uses. But somehow, the plot draws me in. It's different, to say the least.
I read Gamer Girl about three years ago, and at that time, I was a seventh grader. The cover drew me in(I always judge the cover) and when I finished the book, it stuck with me. Here I am now, three years later, re-reading, and reviewing it on here. I couldn't get it out of my head, and I wanted it on my blog.
Maddy is the type of misunderstood gothy girl. She moves to a new school, where she is deemed "Freak Girl". Like I said, the word choices aren't the best, and at times, the plot is slightly cliche, but the story is wonderful. Who doesn't love a happily ever after? Anyways, back to Maddy. So, Maddy loves to draw anything manga(a Japanese art style). She also loves playing a game titled Fields of Fantasy. Through this, she meets a chivalrous knight, SirLeo. Maddy is swept away into a wonderful relationship with SirLeo.
In the real world, Maddy has a huge crush on Chad, who I couldn't help be like. He was sweet but shy and at times could be considered a coward, but who cares! Frankly, Chad was a sensitive guy. Maddy made a great choice in picking him.
Overall, Gamer Girl could be considered a cliche read, but it's a really cute and fast read. You won't regret reading it(especially if you're into manga)!
Side Note: If anyone has read this book and has a recommendation for fans of this book, feel free to leave the book title(s) in the comments! I've desperately been searching for a book like this.
January 13, 2011
This book had the potential to be so much more, a real paen to the "pwn you" spirit of geek girls and gamer-girls everywhere (of which I am one), but the author chose instead to rehash every predictable high-school trope prevalent in much of today's YA fiction. Not to mention create the thoroughly unlikable character of Maddy Starr, who was quite obviously Mari Mancusi--another grown woman reliving her high school days--what is the deal with that anyway? First Meyer and now Mancusi and goddess knows who else in YA-landia. Not that I have an issue with that, but it would be nice to not be so obvious about it by making the main character the kind of person you wish you had been back then. Think Cameron Crowe's Fast Times at Ridgemont High or the late John Hughes' films. I get the thing about "write what you know", but talk about wearing that adage into the ground. (By the way, author John Rechy--City of Night--has a wonderful essay about why writing what one knows is so limiting and why we shouldn't always fall back on it).
Anyway, the plot (yes, there is one) as I remember it centers around poor 15 year-old Maddy Starr, whose parents are divorced (haven't we read this before somewhere else?), transplanted into a brand new high school surrounded by Haters and Aber-Zombies (okay that was funny since I hate A&F) who call her freak girl because she wears all black, has this thing about My Chemical Romance and Edward Cullen, likes Japanese manga and online gaming. Maddy spends a good portion of the book in her online World of Warcraft knockoff and the other half acting like a maladjusted little brat who somehow becomes uber-popular due to the fact that she's great at drawing manga which somehow attracts the attention of the school's Mean Girl squad. During all of this, Maddy starts falling in love with a too-good-to-be true online character named Sir Leo, which then turns into a totally predictable love interest with the popular guy who secretly is a game-geek too.
There's also a gay male character whose name I wish I could remember because he actually managed to have a relatable personality. He's also the character that the immature and highly judgmental Maddy is afraid might turn out to be her "Sir Leo" online companion and spends a good portion of the book trying to blow him off because he's not the hottie that the 'popular' guy is. Great message to send to girls, Ms. Mancusi. Guess she's a member of the Stephanie Meyer Looks Matter Most Regardless If The Guy Is A Complete Jerkwad fan club as well.
Anyway, the plot (yes, there is one) as I remember it centers around poor 15 year-old Maddy Starr, whose parents are divorced (haven't we read this before somewhere else?), transplanted into a brand new high school surrounded by Haters and Aber-Zombies (okay that was funny since I hate A&F) who call her freak girl because she wears all black, has this thing about My Chemical Romance and Edward Cullen, likes Japanese manga and online gaming. Maddy spends a good portion of the book in her online World of Warcraft knockoff and the other half acting like a maladjusted little brat who somehow becomes uber-popular due to the fact that she's great at drawing manga which somehow attracts the attention of the school's Mean Girl squad. During all of this, Maddy starts falling in love with a too-good-to-be true online character named Sir Leo, which then turns into a totally predictable love interest with the popular guy who secretly is a game-geek too.
There's also a gay male character whose name I wish I could remember because he actually managed to have a relatable personality. He's also the character that the immature and highly judgmental Maddy is afraid might turn out to be her "Sir Leo" online companion and spends a good portion of the book trying to blow him off because he's not the hottie that the 'popular' guy is. Great message to send to girls, Ms. Mancusi. Guess she's a member of the Stephanie Meyer Looks Matter Most Regardless If The Guy Is A Complete Jerkwad fan club as well.
May 3, 2011
THIS BOOOK IS MY NUMBER 1 FAVORITE BOOK! This book was so awesome! For me i loved this book because this book talks about a girl that love japanese manga and anime and she watches the episodes and draw them, it's just like me and other people who love anime and manga! This book really made me smile when i heard very familliar animes in the book. For me, this book was sort of like a cinderella story,have any body heard of the movie "A Cinderela Story"? That movie had the movie star Hilary Duff in it, and also the other movie called, "Another Cinderella Story". That movie had the disney star Selena Gomez in it, anyways going back to the subject,It's like she's trying to figure out who the secret person is in her online game, and people in school treat her rudely and call her the name, "Freak Girl" but the only thing that's missing is that she does not have a stepmother! Which is good! When i was in hurry i was looking for a good book and then i found this book, and then i read the inside blurb and then i heard that she draws manga and loves anime. So i thought that this was pretty cool reading a book about anime, it was sort of suprising. This book had a amazing storyline, and that's what made me fall in love with this book! I would love to read this book again and again! But i would also love it if my friends would read this book too! This book is like a any girl's life in elementary, middle, or high school year. But sometimes this book can be really sad at some parts when she gets picked on or something goes wrong, it just has lots a things to a girl's life in highschool. It just takes steps around her life until it gets happier and happier, and then it gets sad again but then something good happens, it's all like a cinderella'a life! I really, really, really, enjoyed this book so much! It makes me feel happy to be talking about this book cause this book is my number 1 of course. WARNING!! IF YOU'RE GOING TO READ THIS BOOK THEN BEWARE! BECAUSE THIS BOOK MAY CONTAIN SOME BAD WORDS AND SOME TALK BACKS! If you are not allowed to read a book that contains those words and talk backing then i suggest you do not read this book! But if you really want to read this book then ask your parents if you can! I gurantee that YOU and other peole wiil absoultely love this book! I swear! This book is very, very good! I hope that you will simply enjoy this book, as much as i did! Find this book in your librarry[I found this book in the girl's book section]! Goood luck!!!
January 6, 2010
No. Just, no.
I hate this book. I just HATE it. I want to throw it to the wall and burn it. I forced myself to finish this book so I can get on with reading another book that I was sure would be better (I HATE having to stop reading a book without finishing it). I'm used to reading predictable books, but this is just ridiculous. No plot twist, no real conflict, it's plain and there's nothing memorable about it besides the fact that it includes manga and a MMORPG.
I couldn't connect AT ALL with the main character (or ANY of the characters for that matter). All the characters were plain cut-outs from stereotypical characters in an overused plot line without anything to stick out on it's own.I have a better chance at connecting with characters that are the total opposite of me, which I have multiple times.
I read manga, watch anime, and play MMORPGs. I actually feel offended reading this book, and I know a lot more people that would be, too. A friend of mine reads manga, watches anime, and plays MMORPGs, as well, and WILL NOT read this book for the fact that it is unrealistic and stereotypical. She only liked the cover.
Sorry Mancusi, but I will not be recommending this book to ANYONE. It left a very foul taste on me and... no. Never again.
I hate this book. I just HATE it. I want to throw it to the wall and burn it. I forced myself to finish this book so I can get on with reading another book that I was sure would be better (I HATE having to stop reading a book without finishing it). I'm used to reading predictable books, but this is just ridiculous. No plot twist, no real conflict, it's plain and there's nothing memorable about it besides the fact that it includes manga and a MMORPG.
I couldn't connect AT ALL with the main character (or ANY of the characters for that matter). All the characters were plain cut-outs from stereotypical characters in an overused plot line without anything to stick out on it's own.I have a better chance at connecting with characters that are the total opposite of me, which I have multiple times.
I read manga, watch anime, and play MMORPGs. I actually feel offended reading this book, and I know a lot more people that would be, too. A friend of mine reads manga, watches anime, and plays MMORPGs, as well, and WILL NOT read this book for the fact that it is unrealistic and stereotypical. She only liked the cover.
Sorry Mancusi, but I will not be recommending this book to ANYONE. It left a very foul taste on me and... no. Never again.
June 27, 2012
(REVAMP OF AN OLD REVIEW)
Let’s be honest. This book is pretty much a big, fat, destructive insult to the female gamers who have played video games in their lifetime and enjoyed them. Yes, the book itself is full of overused cliches, insanely one-dimensional stereotypes, and a plot that has been used countless times in FanFiction.net, but the one thing that ticked me the most was that this was supposed to be about a female who plays video games. She could have represented the 43% of the Gamer community!
Yes, our heroine plays World of Warcraft-ripoff and brags about how much of a true blue gamer girl she was because of it (while the other gamers in the book are bashed by our wondrous special snowflake for having no life and labels them as “computer addicts” and “nerds”), but she never even tried to explore or even tell us the good and bad things of playing video games (asides the obvious shut-in and personal information-related stuff, but that’s never explained in detail nor shown in any way possible its ill effects). The “Gamer Girl” the book was praised so freely was her in-game avatar (Yes, Mancusi. We call them AVATARS.)
About our lovely special snowflake: Maddy Starr is a rude, selfish, whiny, immature, unappreciative spoiled brat who thinks that she is so unique that everyone else is mere blank stereotypical compared to her and bashes majority of them as Aberzombies (Simply because they don't wear black) and Haters (The Stereotypical Bullies who made up of... you guessed it... JOCKS AND CHEERLEADERS!)
Maddy's ability is to throw popculture references here and there like she is so trendy and hip, but the existence of these references are only there to just make the book look dated. To me, it just makes her look more like a stereotypical Goth Poser/Japanophile that “Gamer Girl” isn't even remotely relevant to the character AND the book itself!
I got a few questions to ask to many, but let’s face it it’s 2012 and I doubt the author will respond to this rantable observational review, so what the hey?
First of all, can those who were truly alienated and those who were bullied for being different, relate to a overdramatic brat who in the end got everything she wants just by being a total jerk to others who aren’t in her status quo? As a female gamer who does spend her life in video games, has Maddy played any other video game in her life? Has she spent her time playing games and staying there for purposes other than “my dad or a hot faceless guy’s there”?! Is there any critical trouble that Maddie has been facing in the Online Community other than being in fear on finding out who Sir Leo is? Also, were there any other female gamers in this book that Maddy ever felt a personal connection to? Either the female characters (aside from Maddy) are pink-loving, dumb blonde cheerleader-type girls that Maddy loves to complain about, or emo kids/weeaboos which Maddie praises for being so ZOMG UNIQUE!
Also, is Maddy stupid enough NOT to know that Chad Murray (middle name possibly Michael), the Aberzombie/Hater object of her affections enough to give you diabetic purple prose describing him every time was Sir Leo? or even the fact that her friend Matt was gay? (Of course, Maddy won't date or be close to someone who isn't as hot as his avatar!) Is there anything Maddy even learned in the new school of hers? She seems that the entire point with the school was on how to get out of there! Yes, even with the newly formed Anime Club, she still wants to win the manga contest and go back to Boston, returning back to her old life. Oh, and is Maddy also stupid enough not to notice that there were even “goth” kids in the new school?!
The ending was just terribly concluded and I thought that Maddy didn't deserve to win that manga contest for a couple of reasons:
1.) Judging from her plot earlier in the book, the “IRL GIRL GOES TO FANTASY WORLD” is overused in EVERYTHING. Also, the later part of the plot was “I return to the real world and KILL EVERYONE WHO HATES ME! "PRAISE ME SLAVES!” that just means Maddy gets a terrible development of inflating her ego.
Standing against the bullies is admirable, yes; But we have to remember that Maddy hates and rants about everyone in her new school who doesn't share her interests or dress the way she does. She judges people merely in their covers and just claim that they don't think deep. Of course, not all people are shallow preps who only think about sports and/or make-up and grow to be emotionless accountants and businessmen and definitely not all "goth" kids are deep, emotionally invested philosophers who are also geeks and in need of love.
And it makes me sad because I can like Maddy if she plays more video games (and plays them passionately as well, since it's about a GAMER GIRL), give off more of a challenge than your average me against new life motif and show the readers about empowerment in a new light.
Instead, Maddy gave Allora (her "gamer girl" AND comic book heroine OC) God Mode Mary Sue Powers and everyone in the manga who isn't the enemy is A-Ok with it. It's not development! It's means that it's okay to be a jerk to those who are jerks; A bully to who bullied her.
2.) Collaborative effort from the “Anime Club” and Maddy (who was apparently the best artist in her school in the eyes of the weebs who I bet just plain sucks at art) gets all the credit? Isn’t that… just plain unfair? We readers do not even know what style Maddy used. But people in the book are praising it apparently and think it's hxcore!
3.) Another thing that bother me was the probability of Plagarism. Majority of the elements of her manga was merely from playing the video game. She might just mindlessly grabbed all the references or ripped them off bluntly. Don’t you think someone will notice that “That elf and knight looks like the one in that video game I saw! MY GOD, SHE IS RIPPING THEM OFF!” the moment he even saw the cover page and read a few pages? I mean is the plot, as truly unoriginal as it is, ripping off elements from a PATENTED source material just adding insult to injury?
I know that the young demographic is a time of innocence, but they aren’t stupid. Kids need books that need interesting characters with likable features, an interesting and consistent plot, and a strong character development amidst the popculture references and alternative lifestyles. I think that's why Harry Potter was a great seller, because all characters (especially the villains) were well-developed and has reasons why they are this way.
GAMER GIRL on the other hand has a Twilight-happy love story, characters who only exist to either torture or praise Maddy, and a stupid plot that doesn't involve anything about a girl and a deep love for video games. Calling it "My Manga Girl" or "My Freak Girl" would have been a better option for the title.
But I recommend this to no one because it's more insulting than ever empowering.
Let’s be honest. This book is pretty much a big, fat, destructive insult to the female gamers who have played video games in their lifetime and enjoyed them. Yes, the book itself is full of overused cliches, insanely one-dimensional stereotypes, and a plot that has been used countless times in FanFiction.net, but the one thing that ticked me the most was that this was supposed to be about a female who plays video games. She could have represented the 43% of the Gamer community!
Yes, our heroine plays World of Warcraft-ripoff and brags about how much of a true blue gamer girl she was because of it (while the other gamers in the book are bashed by our wondrous special snowflake for having no life and labels them as “computer addicts” and “nerds”), but she never even tried to explore or even tell us the good and bad things of playing video games (asides the obvious shut-in and personal information-related stuff, but that’s never explained in detail nor shown in any way possible its ill effects). The “Gamer Girl” the book was praised so freely was her in-game avatar (Yes, Mancusi. We call them AVATARS.)
About our lovely special snowflake: Maddy Starr is a rude, selfish, whiny, immature, unappreciative spoiled brat who thinks that she is so unique that everyone else is mere blank stereotypical compared to her and bashes majority of them as Aberzombies (Simply because they don't wear black) and Haters (The Stereotypical Bullies who made up of... you guessed it... JOCKS AND CHEERLEADERS!)
Maddy's ability is to throw popculture references here and there like she is so trendy and hip, but the existence of these references are only there to just make the book look dated. To me, it just makes her look more like a stereotypical Goth Poser/Japanophile that “Gamer Girl” isn't even remotely relevant to the character AND the book itself!
I got a few questions to ask to many, but let’s face it it’s 2012 and I doubt the author will respond to this rantable observational review, so what the hey?
First of all, can those who were truly alienated and those who were bullied for being different, relate to a overdramatic brat who in the end got everything she wants just by being a total jerk to others who aren’t in her status quo? As a female gamer who does spend her life in video games, has Maddy played any other video game in her life? Has she spent her time playing games and staying there for purposes other than “my dad or a hot faceless guy’s there”?! Is there any critical trouble that Maddie has been facing in the Online Community other than being in fear on finding out who Sir Leo is? Also, were there any other female gamers in this book that Maddy ever felt a personal connection to? Either the female characters (aside from Maddy) are pink-loving, dumb blonde cheerleader-type girls that Maddy loves to complain about, or emo kids/weeaboos which Maddie praises for being so ZOMG UNIQUE!
Also, is Maddy stupid enough NOT to know that Chad Murray (middle name possibly Michael), the Aberzombie/Hater object of her affections enough to give you diabetic purple prose describing him every time was Sir Leo? or even the fact that her friend Matt was gay? (Of course, Maddy won't date or be close to someone who isn't as hot as his avatar!) Is there anything Maddy even learned in the new school of hers? She seems that the entire point with the school was on how to get out of there! Yes, even with the newly formed Anime Club, she still wants to win the manga contest and go back to Boston, returning back to her old life. Oh, and is Maddy also stupid enough not to notice that there were even “goth” kids in the new school?!
The ending was just terribly concluded and I thought that Maddy didn't deserve to win that manga contest for a couple of reasons:
1.) Judging from her plot earlier in the book, the “IRL GIRL GOES TO FANTASY WORLD” is overused in EVERYTHING. Also, the later part of the plot was “I return to the real world and KILL EVERYONE WHO HATES ME! "PRAISE ME SLAVES!” that just means Maddy gets a terrible development of inflating her ego.
Standing against the bullies is admirable, yes; But we have to remember that Maddy hates and rants about everyone in her new school who doesn't share her interests or dress the way she does. She judges people merely in their covers and just claim that they don't think deep. Of course, not all people are shallow preps who only think about sports and/or make-up and grow to be emotionless accountants and businessmen and definitely not all "goth" kids are deep, emotionally invested philosophers who are also geeks and in need of love.
And it makes me sad because I can like Maddy if she plays more video games (and plays them passionately as well, since it's about a GAMER GIRL), give off more of a challenge than your average me against new life motif and show the readers about empowerment in a new light.
Instead, Maddy gave Allora (her "gamer girl" AND comic book heroine OC) God Mode Mary Sue Powers and everyone in the manga who isn't the enemy is A-Ok with it. It's not development! It's means that it's okay to be a jerk to those who are jerks; A bully to who bullied her.
2.) Collaborative effort from the “Anime Club” and Maddy (who was apparently the best artist in her school in the eyes of the weebs who I bet just plain sucks at art) gets all the credit? Isn’t that… just plain unfair? We readers do not even know what style Maddy used. But people in the book are praising it apparently and think it's hxcore!
3.) Another thing that bother me was the probability of Plagarism. Majority of the elements of her manga was merely from playing the video game. She might just mindlessly grabbed all the references or ripped them off bluntly. Don’t you think someone will notice that “That elf and knight looks like the one in that video game I saw! MY GOD, SHE IS RIPPING THEM OFF!” the moment he even saw the cover page and read a few pages? I mean is the plot, as truly unoriginal as it is, ripping off elements from a PATENTED source material just adding insult to injury?
I know that the young demographic is a time of innocence, but they aren’t stupid. Kids need books that need interesting characters with likable features, an interesting and consistent plot, and a strong character development amidst the popculture references and alternative lifestyles. I think that's why Harry Potter was a great seller, because all characters (especially the villains) were well-developed and has reasons why they are this way.
GAMER GIRL on the other hand has a Twilight-happy love story, characters who only exist to either torture or praise Maddy, and a stupid plot that doesn't involve anything about a girl and a deep love for video games. Calling it "My Manga Girl" or "My Freak Girl" would have been a better option for the title.
But I recommend this to no one because it's more insulting than ever empowering.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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April 30, 2009I didn't like this book. The plot was way too predictable (she ends up with Chad, which we knew would happen the moment she first meets him, even though he is a "Hater". And it isn't hard to figure out who Sir Leo is...), and the main character was annoying. She cared too much about clothes (she has a problem with people not wearing goth clothes; according to her, everyone who wears Abercrombie is a zombie, this may be true in many cases, but come on, let's try to be a bit more open minded? Clothing doesn't make the person.) She ends up hanging out mainly with people the school considers "freaks" through a manga club she creates. I have a bunch of friends who are into manga, and I find this quite stereotypical. My friends are not goth (not that I have anything against being goth), and they also manage get along fairly well with people who aren't as manga crazy as they are. I also think that the main character is kind of spoiled; she is really bummed out about not living in the city where her school and she isn't afraid to make it clear (she blames her problems on her mom's divorce, which is understandable, but I think that repeatedly telling her mother that she shouldn't have left her dad is rather cruel). And the ending of the book is way too sugar coated (Maddy gets friends, a boyfriend, wins the first round of the contest, and comes to terms with her dad's irresponsibility and her mom's choice to divorce. Everyone is happy except for the bad kids who get suspended.)
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On the upside, some of the dialog between Sir Leo and Allora was fun to read. Fantasy fields does sound like a really cool game, I wish I could try it. I was also able to recognize the majority of the mangas which were mentioned in the book, which was rather satisfying. I guess my friends' manga interest is rubbing off on me.
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On the upside, some of the dialog between Sir Leo and Allora was fun to read. Fantasy fields does sound like a really cool game, I wish I could try it. I was also able to recognize the majority of the mangas which were mentioned in the book, which was rather satisfying. I guess my friends' manga interest is rubbing off on me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2016
The only thing worse than a stereotyped otaku-gamer heroine is one that reads like she was written by a wannabe otaku-gamer.
I think this book has done more damage to the image of the manga-reading/cosplayer/nerd community than good.
I think this book has done more damage to the image of the manga-reading/cosplayer/nerd community than good.
February 24, 2009
I'm actually between a 2 and 3 star. Though I thought this might be a great book because I play online games and I am into manga, I felt unhappy. Okay, I got it, I wasn't able to really put the book down, but still, it wasn't real.
What I mean by this is that, she's bullied. Yes, you've seen many bullied in your highschool days, but that much? Every single day... I think the author, Mari Mancusi, is fantasizing. Well, I can't be talking because I have not gone through highschool, but I know it's not that horrific. Also, sure, we want to feel bad for her and be happy for her to find Sir Leo, but... it's too dream like... What is possibility that the boy she likes is Sir Leo, out of how many channels in that world, can she meet some guy that is from her school?
Also, I believe there are some spelling mistakes, such as on page 140, I believe, the words are "sad" instead of "saw" and page 141, the word "pad" instead of "pay" didn't see that coming, did ya? A published book with spelling errors... I'm guessing the editors are lazying around or something, for I'm finding newer books to have more grammar or spelling mistakes rather than older books, such as the 2001 books are perfectly fine, or course this is an assumption because I haven't read for a while, and this is my second book I've found two mistakes in the text.
It also seemed as if it was coming from a middle schooler rather than a sixteen year old highschooler, I didn't really think highschoolers had that much time to play a computer game eight hours straight.
It felt unfufilling. Though I usually read book series, I have read a one book stories that sates me of my book hunger, this one did not.
Finally, unless I can find other points to make, I felt disappointed. It felt like I could predict what would happen next. Maybe I have a creative mind or something, but this is the second book that's happened to me... The other one was something with a dragon in it and a girl not being able to fly on it because her father forbids her for her mother died... Because her gold or silver buckles didn't hold and she fell to her death. I don't know... Something's not right here.
Please consider these things before rating this book,
~ Dawn Uzumaki
What I mean by this is that, she's bullied. Yes, you've seen many bullied in your highschool days, but that much? Every single day... I think the author, Mari Mancusi, is fantasizing. Well, I can't be talking because I have not gone through highschool, but I know it's not that horrific. Also, sure, we want to feel bad for her and be happy for her to find Sir Leo, but... it's too dream like... What is possibility that the boy she likes is Sir Leo, out of how many channels in that world, can she meet some guy that is from her school?
Also, I believe there are some spelling mistakes, such as on page 140, I believe, the words are "sad" instead of "saw" and page 141, the word "pad" instead of "pay" didn't see that coming, did ya? A published book with spelling errors... I'm guessing the editors are lazying around or something, for I'm finding newer books to have more grammar or spelling mistakes rather than older books, such as the 2001 books are perfectly fine, or course this is an assumption because I haven't read for a while, and this is my second book I've found two mistakes in the text.
It also seemed as if it was coming from a middle schooler rather than a sixteen year old highschooler, I didn't really think highschoolers had that much time to play a computer game eight hours straight.
It felt unfufilling. Though I usually read book series, I have read a one book stories that sates me of my book hunger, this one did not.
Finally, unless I can find other points to make, I felt disappointed. It felt like I could predict what would happen next. Maybe I have a creative mind or something, but this is the second book that's happened to me... The other one was something with a dragon in it and a girl not being able to fly on it because her father forbids her for her mother died... Because her gold or silver buckles didn't hold and she fell to her death. I don't know... Something's not right here.
Please consider these things before rating this book,
~ Dawn Uzumaki
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2024
This book is somewhat cliche, but I actually really enjoyed it! This is more like book candy for me than it being super inspirational or really deep, it's just a casual story to enjoy that has a little bit of romance! If you feel like just tuning out the world for a little while, then you can try this book!! It's a pretty quick and easy read.
December 29, 2013
Maddy's parents have recently divorced and her mom has moved Maddy and her younger sister from the big city of Boston, to a small rural town. Maddy and her old friends from Boston describe most of the teens in the area as Aberzombies, preppy kids that dress in polo shirts, play football, and aren't really aware of most of Maddy's interests.
Maddy loves manga, anime, and is a gifted artist, but is quickly deemed as "freak girl" by one of the most popular boys at her school. It doesn't help that her grandma makes her wear a unicorn sweatshirt and mom jeans her first day, making her take off her all-black outfit of "approachable goth meets Hello Kitty."
When her father gives her a video game for her birthday, she's overjoyed. It's called Fields of Fantasy, but readers will instantly recognize the familiar structure of the popular MMO, World of Warcraft. Her dad promises to meet her online so they can hang out now that her parents have divorced, but things don't quite go that way when she loads up the game and starts to play.
This book actually really reminded me of the mini series The Guild which is also based on World of Warcraft and people who liked that series should definitely check out this book. The protagonists have quite a bit in common.
The story is structured simply and has a lot of duh moments that unfortunately dumb down the language and make it feel like it's intended for an audience a lot younger than necessary, but in the end is a charming, sweet story about a girl who is just trying to find her place.
I particularly liked the way one of the teachers was depicted, having similar interests and being a responsible adult at the same time. While the ending was a little too "Mary Sue" in the way that it was unrealistically perfect, the gamer aspect was decidedly cool and well handled.
Maddy loves manga, anime, and is a gifted artist, but is quickly deemed as "freak girl" by one of the most popular boys at her school. It doesn't help that her grandma makes her wear a unicorn sweatshirt and mom jeans her first day, making her take off her all-black outfit of "approachable goth meets Hello Kitty."
When her father gives her a video game for her birthday, she's overjoyed. It's called Fields of Fantasy, but readers will instantly recognize the familiar structure of the popular MMO, World of Warcraft. Her dad promises to meet her online so they can hang out now that her parents have divorced, but things don't quite go that way when she loads up the game and starts to play.
This book actually really reminded me of the mini series The Guild which is also based on World of Warcraft and people who liked that series should definitely check out this book. The protagonists have quite a bit in common.
The story is structured simply and has a lot of duh moments that unfortunately dumb down the language and make it feel like it's intended for an audience a lot younger than necessary, but in the end is a charming, sweet story about a girl who is just trying to find her place.
I particularly liked the way one of the teachers was depicted, having similar interests and being a responsible adult at the same time. While the ending was a little too "Mary Sue" in the way that it was unrealistically perfect, the gamer aspect was decidedly cool and well handled.
November 4, 2011
Gabby Watson
Book Review 2
11/2/11
Gamer Girl:
A Twist on Reality
Life sucks. Well at least Maddy Starr thinks it does. But you can’t blame her: her parents just got divorced and because of that, Maddy, her sister, and her mom are stuck living in her grandma’s “unicorn museum”. She’s getting mercilessly bullied by Billy Henderson and the Haters, and it doesn’t help that she’s in love with Billy’s right hand man.
Things start to look up on Maddy’s 16th birthday. Her dad sends her a computer game called Fields of Fantasy. Her character, Allora, instantly meets the charming Sir Leo, and there’s definitely chemistry between them. Maddy starts to wish that this game was a reality so she could really be with Sir Leo, but alas, it’s not. But Sir Leo is a lot closer than she thinks.
This is one of my favorite books because Mari Mancusi made everything so relatable and realistic. I constantly find myself laughing at the way she’s teasing her sister or agreeing with why she’s arguing with her mom. I recommend this book to girls only because It’s a major chick-lit filled with romance, drama, and computer games.
Book Review 2
11/2/11
Gamer Girl:
A Twist on Reality
Life sucks. Well at least Maddy Starr thinks it does. But you can’t blame her: her parents just got divorced and because of that, Maddy, her sister, and her mom are stuck living in her grandma’s “unicorn museum”. She’s getting mercilessly bullied by Billy Henderson and the Haters, and it doesn’t help that she’s in love with Billy’s right hand man.
Things start to look up on Maddy’s 16th birthday. Her dad sends her a computer game called Fields of Fantasy. Her character, Allora, instantly meets the charming Sir Leo, and there’s definitely chemistry between them. Maddy starts to wish that this game was a reality so she could really be with Sir Leo, but alas, it’s not. But Sir Leo is a lot closer than she thinks.
This is one of my favorite books because Mari Mancusi made everything so relatable and realistic. I constantly find myself laughing at the way she’s teasing her sister or agreeing with why she’s arguing with her mom. I recommend this book to girls only because It’s a major chick-lit filled with romance, drama, and computer games.
January 1, 2022
I’ve had this book for nearly ten years, since I was in middle school. It’s cliche and predictable but it’s so much fun and gives me so much nostalgia that I keep coming back to it again and again. I can’t even remember how many times I’ve read this now but I know I will continue to reread it for years to come.
December 6, 2017
I read this AGES ago in high school and it was so, so important to me. I need to reread and properly review.
September 9, 2010
I'm a little torn with my impressions of "Gamer Girl". Let me first start off by saying that the premise did appeal to me because I was very much into games, manga, and anime when I was around the protagonist's age (matter in point I still am, but I don't have as much of the time to place to it now as I used to.). So when I read the premise, I thought it was an excellent subject to write a book about and eagerly awaited reading it. I lucked out finding it at my local library (which I just checked out earlier today - ended up starting it on the bus ride back home).
I started reading and realized that if I were in the latter part of middle school or the early part of high school, I probably would've loved this book. The writing style is easy to digest. The protagonist is quite real in terms of being a teenager dealing with her family's divorce, moving to a new school, and having to cope with being labeled "a freak" for liking the things that she does and for the groups she associates with. Yet the story, as it all unfolds, is quite predictable and even inaccurate in some points about the culture it portrays. I did appreciate some of the references to anime shows (I did see Fullmetal Alchemist, .hack//SIGN, and Inuyasha among a few mentioned throughout the work) and some of the nods to MMORPGs. The chat sessions were very well done.
However, I think Mancusi probably could've done more research with respect to teenage gamers and anime/manga lovers, allowing that to show in the fruit of the story and make it much more palpable. It was a great premise to explore and develop upon, but I don't think she really delved into it enough. It's too watered down for those who might not be gamers or anime/manga lovers to really know how people who are into those hobbies think or know why they love it, nor is it expanded enough for those who might love those hobbies to identify with it more than just a basic level of recognition. So, it's a give and take, though I understand if delving into it might've taken away from the basic story Mancusi wanted to tell, but I think it could've added to the charm of the story.
I'll admit it kept me turning the pages to see how things would turn out. Unfortunately, I saw the resolution far before it happened, but I would say Gamer Girl's more satisfying if you take it for what it offers as it goes along and don't have too many expectations going into it. It was a lukewarm read for me, but I will give it the benefit of the doubt.
Overall: 2.5/5
I started reading and realized that if I were in the latter part of middle school or the early part of high school, I probably would've loved this book. The writing style is easy to digest. The protagonist is quite real in terms of being a teenager dealing with her family's divorce, moving to a new school, and having to cope with being labeled "a freak" for liking the things that she does and for the groups she associates with. Yet the story, as it all unfolds, is quite predictable and even inaccurate in some points about the culture it portrays. I did appreciate some of the references to anime shows (I did see Fullmetal Alchemist, .hack//SIGN, and Inuyasha among a few mentioned throughout the work) and some of the nods to MMORPGs. The chat sessions were very well done.
However, I think Mancusi probably could've done more research with respect to teenage gamers and anime/manga lovers, allowing that to show in the fruit of the story and make it much more palpable. It was a great premise to explore and develop upon, but I don't think she really delved into it enough. It's too watered down for those who might not be gamers or anime/manga lovers to really know how people who are into those hobbies think or know why they love it, nor is it expanded enough for those who might love those hobbies to identify with it more than just a basic level of recognition. So, it's a give and take, though I understand if delving into it might've taken away from the basic story Mancusi wanted to tell, but I think it could've added to the charm of the story.
I'll admit it kept me turning the pages to see how things would turn out. Unfortunately, I saw the resolution far before it happened, but I would say Gamer Girl's more satisfying if you take it for what it offers as it goes along and don't have too many expectations going into it. It was a lukewarm read for me, but I will give it the benefit of the doubt.
Overall: 2.5/5
July 13, 2017
3.5 stars
This was cute but BOY was it predictable. Right from the start, I could have told you exactly how the story would go to a T. It also reads quite young and dramatic, with a child of a recent divorce going around hating the world for being so unfair and whatever. That's not necessarily unrealistic, and as someone who also went through a divorce and also had a shit time in high school because of it, I can kind of relate. But it did feel quite juvenile and Disney Channel-esque. Maybe my cringe reaction was more towards myself, remembering how I also went through life like that for a while, and less at this book and Maddy specifically.
But this book still soothes my geeky soul. Not only did I relate to the divorce stuff, but manga? Yes I was a huge manga fan in high school. Yes, I had trouble with owning my hobbies and rejecting the judging eyes of the "norms". I do like gaming. I have made friends online, and oh yes, that is such a sketchy territory and can easily get your feelings all jumbled up.
Some of the gaming stuff kind of made me scoff - like people in-game typing 133t and "kewl", but then again, this book was written in 2008, when that was a bit more normal. IDK.
At the end of the day, this book is really light, really cliché, really short, but still relatively entertaining. Though I knew 100% how the romance would go, I found myself engaged in the story nonetheless. Do I have my reservations about the love interest because of his spinelessness and the speed at which their affections grew? Quite. But the story got there in the end.
This was cute but BOY was it predictable. Right from the start, I could have told you exactly how the story would go to a T. It also reads quite young and dramatic, with a child of a recent divorce going around hating the world for being so unfair and whatever. That's not necessarily unrealistic, and as someone who also went through a divorce and also had a shit time in high school because of it, I can kind of relate. But it did feel quite juvenile and Disney Channel-esque. Maybe my cringe reaction was more towards myself, remembering how I also went through life like that for a while, and less at this book and Maddy specifically.
But this book still soothes my geeky soul. Not only did I relate to the divorce stuff, but manga? Yes I was a huge manga fan in high school. Yes, I had trouble with owning my hobbies and rejecting the judging eyes of the "norms". I do like gaming. I have made friends online, and oh yes, that is such a sketchy territory and can easily get your feelings all jumbled up.
Some of the gaming stuff kind of made me scoff - like people in-game typing 133t and "kewl", but then again, this book was written in 2008, when that was a bit more normal. IDK.
At the end of the day, this book is really light, really cliché, really short, but still relatively entertaining. Though I knew 100% how the romance would go, I found myself engaged in the story nonetheless. Do I have my reservations about the love interest because of his spinelessness and the speed at which their affections grew? Quite. But the story got there in the end.
March 20, 2023
Mari Mancusi has been a long time fave of mine and honestly, I've been looking for this book since it came out! I finally came across it in a charity book store and I scooped it up as fast as I could.
If you're looking for a mid-2000s middle grade/YA book following a manga-loving girl who becomes a video gamers and the typical high school hijinks, then you've found your book! This book is so utterly adorable with a fast paced plot to fulfill all of your 2000s nostalgic needs.
Maddy's parents have divorced and man is that hard. She now lives with her Grandma, Mother, and little sister. Her Grandma is obsessed with unicorns and apparently embarrassing her?! Her Dad isn't super in the picture and even when he is he's too busy obsessing over that video game of his... The one Maddy wants to play... The one her Dad gets her for her birthday?! This changes everything! She meets an online friend who she is slowly falling in love with. It's a much needed distraction from the bullies in her high school who keep making fun of her for her love of manga and her incredible artistic abilities.
This book is light and fun! I went into it hoping for an escape from reality and I sure got it! It's got middle grade meets YA vibes and is super light hearted. It's an easy read and is not super deep other than your typical "your better than the mean girls" and how to deal with divorced parents. I absolutely adored this book and I don't understand all the hate it gets. It's a fantastic read that is light, fluffy, and fun.
Five out of five stars.
If you're looking for a mid-2000s middle grade/YA book following a manga-loving girl who becomes a video gamers and the typical high school hijinks, then you've found your book! This book is so utterly adorable with a fast paced plot to fulfill all of your 2000s nostalgic needs.
Maddy's parents have divorced and man is that hard. She now lives with her Grandma, Mother, and little sister. Her Grandma is obsessed with unicorns and apparently embarrassing her?! Her Dad isn't super in the picture and even when he is he's too busy obsessing over that video game of his... The one Maddy wants to play... The one her Dad gets her for her birthday?! This changes everything! She meets an online friend who she is slowly falling in love with. It's a much needed distraction from the bullies in her high school who keep making fun of her for her love of manga and her incredible artistic abilities.
This book is light and fun! I went into it hoping for an escape from reality and I sure got it! It's got middle grade meets YA vibes and is super light hearted. It's an easy read and is not super deep other than your typical "your better than the mean girls" and how to deal with divorced parents. I absolutely adored this book and I don't understand all the hate it gets. It's a fantastic read that is light, fluffy, and fun.
Five out of five stars.
August 15, 2013
Okay I get that this is purely fictional and yet, I expected scenarios to be possible and not so far-fetched when it comes to realistic fiction. One of the elephantine/ginormous plotholes is something I wouldn't spoil. Never mind, here it is: For such a beautiful cover, there were too many cliches to count with a lackluster outline of cliques and stereotypes to boot. The book did make me laugh at how cheesy some of the lines were.
What truly made me furious was the manga references. It just totally caused me to hate the whole manga-reading group. The author seriously needs to do more research on manga before throwing out random book titles. The words .HACK and Chibi Vampire made me cringe and I flinched at the ignorance of the characters (which is a direct cause of the author). Sorry, but it's true. A little bit of research and googling should've informed the author that 'chibi manga' is only a narrow section in the whole otaku world. What happened to shojo and shonen manga? Weren't there guys in the clique? What the hell did they read then? If the author can oh-so-casually throw out these titles, maybe she should've included Naruto, One Piece, Fruits Basket, Bleach, Fairy Tail, Vampire Knight, and countless others for the sheer popularity of them. I can't believe that such a great premise and idea turned out as slapdash sloppy work. This ranting comes now from a manga-loving old reader. Even when I read this book wayyy before I invested myself in anime and manga, I already found it to be lacking. This does an injustice to all otakus out there.
What truly made me furious was the manga references. It just totally caused me to hate the whole manga-reading group. The author seriously needs to do more research on manga before throwing out random book titles. The words .HACK and Chibi Vampire made me cringe and I flinched at the ignorance of the characters (which is a direct cause of the author). Sorry, but it's true. A little bit of research and googling should've informed the author that 'chibi manga' is only a narrow section in the whole otaku world. What happened to shojo and shonen manga? Weren't there guys in the clique? What the hell did they read then? If the author can oh-so-casually throw out these titles, maybe she should've included Naruto, One Piece, Fruits Basket, Bleach, Fairy Tail, Vampire Knight, and countless others for the sheer popularity of them. I can't believe that such a great premise and idea turned out as slapdash sloppy work. This ranting comes now from a manga-loving old reader. Even when I read this book wayyy before I invested myself in anime and manga, I already found it to be lacking. This does an injustice to all otakus out there.
December 23, 2010
Gamer Girl, by Mari Mancusi, is about a 15 year old girl, named Maddy, and that she gets a game from her dad for her birthday. Her mother and father split up, and Maddy and her sister, and mom, have to live at their grandma's house. Maddy has to leave her old friends behind for what her mother and father's relationship had ended. She has to go to a whole different school, in order to make new friends and enemies. So the game that Maddy got for her birthday is named, Fields of Fantasy, and she gets hooked because that was the game she had always wanted, but her mother thought it to mature for her, and that she was too young to play in online games. But Maddy played anyways, and she met a kid at school in the game, at first she thought it was Matt, but at the end, it was a really cute guy that she liked that was at her school. So in the end, she goes out with Chad, the kid that she met online. By the way, she was a really good manga drawer. She had entered into a contest to win a 10,000 dollar prize, and to get her book published. So she won the contest, and got the 10,000 dollars, which, orgininally, she was going to use it for a schollorship for going back to her old school, but she desided to stay, right where she belongs.
While I was reading this book, I made a text-to-world connection. This game was made off of another game called WoW. (World of Warcraft) But overall Maddy got hooked to the game because she met people online that she didn't have to show her true self.
I give this book 5 stars because it was well written. There was lots of details, and I love video games, so that is why i choose this book!
While I was reading this book, I made a text-to-world connection. This game was made off of another game called WoW. (World of Warcraft) But overall Maddy got hooked to the game because she met people online that she didn't have to show her true self.
I give this book 5 stars because it was well written. There was lots of details, and I love video games, so that is why i choose this book!
January 10, 2013
This is a book that I would read once, but never again.
I'm not going to lie; I did not enjoy this book as much as I wanted myself to. The main character was a girl that I could easily aspire to become; her life could possibly be an exact duplicate of mine, however, the difference was that her life was too easy.
This book did not do what I wished it would to me emotionally. In most books I enjoyed, there were times when I could emotionally connect with the main character, and we would seem to form some type of bond.
Nothing like that ever happened whilst reading this novel.
Although the main character did experience struggles of some sort, they were fairly insignificant, not to mention cliche. The way conflicts were overcome were, in my opinion, unrealisitic.
This book left me unsatisfied. It's not the type to leave me wanting for more; it lacked in character development and plot.
All in all, I didn't enjoy this book, as I am envious of the main character's life.
I'm not going to lie; I did not enjoy this book as much as I wanted myself to. The main character was a girl that I could easily aspire to become; her life could possibly be an exact duplicate of mine, however, the difference was that her life was too easy.
This book did not do what I wished it would to me emotionally. In most books I enjoyed, there were times when I could emotionally connect with the main character, and we would seem to form some type of bond.
Nothing like that ever happened whilst reading this novel.
Although the main character did experience struggles of some sort, they were fairly insignificant, not to mention cliche. The way conflicts were overcome were, in my opinion, unrealisitic.
This book left me unsatisfied. It's not the type to leave me wanting for more; it lacked in character development and plot.
All in all, I didn't enjoy this book, as I am envious of the main character's life.
March 20, 2009
His name is CHAD MURRAY? Like, in recognition of Chad Michael Murray, the One Tree Hill star? What a terrible, terrible coincidence. Just, come on - as soon as he cheated on/betrayed Sophia Bush, he's been kicked off my LIKE list to the very bottom. Besides, I’ll always remember him as squinty-eyed-boy.
Gamer Girl (GG) reminded me too much of A Cinderella Story (ACS). So typically clichéd that it made me want to bang my head against the wall. Then moan in agony.
1. Pathetic protagonist who's constantly ridiculed/made fun of. (In GG: Maddy's called a Freak. In ACS: Sam is nicknamed Diner Girl in mockery.)
2. There’s an even more pathetic loser boy who, on the surface, is Golden Boy, but underneath, might as well be a puppet whose strings are pulled by the Popular Crowd. (In GG: Chad. In ACS: Austin.) Honestly, I don’t know why women fall for men like them. In both, the boys are simply too awkward for words and/or too pretentious on paper that they fall off the edges.
3. Instant Messaging/Conversing through internet. (GG: Chad and Maddy meet through an online game with faeries and adventure. ACS: Austin and Sam are chat buddies who basically spill secrets/complain about life, etc. to one another.)
4. None of the works seemed too cautious of online predators. Oh yes, it’s mentioned (but not in depth) in GG but the protagonist brushes it off her shoulders without a care (what kind of message does this send out?). As for ACS – well, it’s so filled with romance that there’s practically no logic, so the dangers of online chatting is completely lost.
5. Clichéd storyline. Girl meets Boy online. Girl and Boy start falling madly in love with each other despite note knowing the other’s true identity. Boy and Girl suffer through obstacles (usually jumping to conclusions in thinking that another boy is the Online Soul Mate) before finally meeting one another. Boy and Girl are then thrown more obstacles (starting with biting remarks from the Popular Crowd, then confrontations). Finally, Girl and Boy are seen kissing in the last chapter/scene, which is usually romantic. (In ACS: Austin and Sam kiss in the rain.)
Needless to say, I didn’t really like it. It thought it was less than mediocre writing, but some part of me liked some aspects of the storyline. Maybe it’s because I haven’t read anything romantic, sweet, or fluffy these days that I smiled while reading the story.
Gamer Girl (GG) reminded me too much of A Cinderella Story (ACS). So typically clichéd that it made me want to bang my head against the wall. Then moan in agony.
1. Pathetic protagonist who's constantly ridiculed/made fun of. (In GG: Maddy's called a Freak. In ACS: Sam is nicknamed Diner Girl in mockery.)
2. There’s an even more pathetic loser boy who, on the surface, is Golden Boy, but underneath, might as well be a puppet whose strings are pulled by the Popular Crowd. (In GG: Chad. In ACS: Austin.) Honestly, I don’t know why women fall for men like them. In both, the boys are simply too awkward for words and/or too pretentious on paper that they fall off the edges.
3. Instant Messaging/Conversing through internet. (GG: Chad and Maddy meet through an online game with faeries and adventure. ACS: Austin and Sam are chat buddies who basically spill secrets/complain about life, etc. to one another.)
4. None of the works seemed too cautious of online predators. Oh yes, it’s mentioned (but not in depth) in GG but the protagonist brushes it off her shoulders without a care (what kind of message does this send out?). As for ACS – well, it’s so filled with romance that there’s practically no logic, so the dangers of online chatting is completely lost.
5. Clichéd storyline. Girl meets Boy online. Girl and Boy start falling madly in love with each other despite note knowing the other’s true identity. Boy and Girl suffer through obstacles (usually jumping to conclusions in thinking that another boy is the Online Soul Mate) before finally meeting one another. Boy and Girl are then thrown more obstacles (starting with biting remarks from the Popular Crowd, then confrontations). Finally, Girl and Boy are seen kissing in the last chapter/scene, which is usually romantic. (In ACS: Austin and Sam kiss in the rain.)
Needless to say, I didn’t really like it. It thought it was less than mediocre writing, but some part of me liked some aspects of the storyline. Maybe it’s because I haven’t read anything romantic, sweet, or fluffy these days that I smiled while reading the story.
July 2, 2012
Maddy’s life couldn’t get much worse. Her parents split and now she’s stuck in a small town and at a new school. Most of the time, she retreats into her manga art, but when she gets into the Fields of Fantasy online computer game, she knows she’s found the one place she can be herself. In the game world, Maddy can be the beautiful and magical Allora and have a virtually perfect life. And she even finds a little romance. But can Maddy escape her real-life problems altogether, or will she have to find a way to make her real world just as amazing as her virtual one?
Maddy Starr is going through a rough time in her life when she begins to explore the world of online gaming, a rough topic in her family since her parents just divorced in part thanks to her dad’s addiction to Fields of Fantasy, a fictional adaptation of World of Warcraft.
Because of Maddy’s parents’ divorce, Maddy is forced to leave her school and friends in Boston and move out to the country with her unicorn obsessed grandmother who continually remarks on how inappropriate her clothing and interests are. To make matters worse, Maddy is overwhelmingly unpopular at her new school and becomes a quick and easy target for bullies.
Through gaming, Maddy is able to tap into her inner confidence and make new friends. She also becomes a much better person. I was very relieved by this, since the back of the book made me nervous that there was an anti-gaming message hidden within. Fortunately for those of us who enjoy a quick game, the message is more about finding a balance between virtual reality and actual reality than it was a blasting of gaming communities as a whole.
Maddy is an interesting main character, and by interesting I do mean remarkably unlikeable for the first few chapters. Thankfully, Mancusi accelerates her character development very quickly so that we can identify with her before any momentum is lost.
This novel is fast paced and light enough for much younger readers. As a girl gamer, I was thrilled to pick up Gamer Girl, but I have to say that it wasn’t exactly what I expected.Far from being a novel by gamers and for gamers, Gamer Girl possesses an outsider’s perspective into the world of geek culture, but with any luck will interest future Gamer Girls into pursuing further avenues of geekdom.
Maghan Drummond
Wovenmyst.com
Maddy Starr is going through a rough time in her life when she begins to explore the world of online gaming, a rough topic in her family since her parents just divorced in part thanks to her dad’s addiction to Fields of Fantasy, a fictional adaptation of World of Warcraft.
Because of Maddy’s parents’ divorce, Maddy is forced to leave her school and friends in Boston and move out to the country with her unicorn obsessed grandmother who continually remarks on how inappropriate her clothing and interests are. To make matters worse, Maddy is overwhelmingly unpopular at her new school and becomes a quick and easy target for bullies.
Through gaming, Maddy is able to tap into her inner confidence and make new friends. She also becomes a much better person. I was very relieved by this, since the back of the book made me nervous that there was an anti-gaming message hidden within. Fortunately for those of us who enjoy a quick game, the message is more about finding a balance between virtual reality and actual reality than it was a blasting of gaming communities as a whole.
Maddy is an interesting main character, and by interesting I do mean remarkably unlikeable for the first few chapters. Thankfully, Mancusi accelerates her character development very quickly so that we can identify with her before any momentum is lost.
This novel is fast paced and light enough for much younger readers. As a girl gamer, I was thrilled to pick up Gamer Girl, but I have to say that it wasn’t exactly what I expected.Far from being a novel by gamers and for gamers, Gamer Girl possesses an outsider’s perspective into the world of geek culture, but with any luck will interest future Gamer Girls into pursuing further avenues of geekdom.
Maghan Drummond
Wovenmyst.com
November 16, 2012
Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
Maddy Starr's world has come to an end. Her parents just divorced, and now she's living with her mother and her 8-year-old sister in the unicorn-infested house of her grandmother. Yikes! Could it possibly get any worse?
Yep, it can get worse.
On her first day at her new high school, Maddy is humiliated. As she's about to leave for school, her grandmother declares she will not allow her granddaughter to go to school looking like "a dead prostitute." When Maddy protests that this is her style and she has nothing else to wear, her grandmother promptly hands over something of her very own wardrobe - grandma-style jeans and a sweatshirt adorned with sparkling unicorns. OMG!
It doesn't take Maddy long to figure out that school is not going to be like it was back in Boston. Arriving in a unicorn sweatshirt is bad enough, but she quickly becomes the victim of a group of popular kids she dubs "The Haters." Lucy, Chelsea, Chad, and the biggest bully, Billy, pretty much consider it their job to make life miserable for Maddy.
One bright spot in an otherwise dark world is the birthday gift Maddy gets from her dad. He gives her a subscription to an online fantasy game called Fields of Fantasy. She has watched him play the game for years and has always dreamed of joining as a real gamer. The game is fun to play and gives her some great inspiration for the manga drawings she enjoys creating. An added bonus comes in the form of an online friendship she develops while playing.
Even if everyone at her new school hates her, at least Sir Leo seems to appreciate and understand her online character, Allora.
GAMER GIRL offers readers a look at popular online gaming, the increasingly popular genre of manga, and a glimpse of the frustration of fitting in and dealing with bullies. Mancusi has created a fast-paced story that will surely interest teen readers. They'll not only be able to relate to the characters, but also be encouraged to explore their own talents and be themselves.
Maddy Starr's world has come to an end. Her parents just divorced, and now she's living with her mother and her 8-year-old sister in the unicorn-infested house of her grandmother. Yikes! Could it possibly get any worse?
Yep, it can get worse.
On her first day at her new high school, Maddy is humiliated. As she's about to leave for school, her grandmother declares she will not allow her granddaughter to go to school looking like "a dead prostitute." When Maddy protests that this is her style and she has nothing else to wear, her grandmother promptly hands over something of her very own wardrobe - grandma-style jeans and a sweatshirt adorned with sparkling unicorns. OMG!
It doesn't take Maddy long to figure out that school is not going to be like it was back in Boston. Arriving in a unicorn sweatshirt is bad enough, but she quickly becomes the victim of a group of popular kids she dubs "The Haters." Lucy, Chelsea, Chad, and the biggest bully, Billy, pretty much consider it their job to make life miserable for Maddy.
One bright spot in an otherwise dark world is the birthday gift Maddy gets from her dad. He gives her a subscription to an online fantasy game called Fields of Fantasy. She has watched him play the game for years and has always dreamed of joining as a real gamer. The game is fun to play and gives her some great inspiration for the manga drawings she enjoys creating. An added bonus comes in the form of an online friendship she develops while playing.
Even if everyone at her new school hates her, at least Sir Leo seems to appreciate and understand her online character, Allora.
GAMER GIRL offers readers a look at popular online gaming, the increasingly popular genre of manga, and a glimpse of the frustration of fitting in and dealing with bullies. Mancusi has created a fast-paced story that will surely interest teen readers. They'll not only be able to relate to the characters, but also be encouraged to explore their own talents and be themselves.
May 21, 2020
The cringe. THE CRINGE IS REAL.
Okay, so I knew that going in because I read this way back in high school, lured by the pretty cover and Bitmoji-like art heading every chapter. But for kicks, I wanted to read it again just to see if it was as bad as I remember. AND YES, IT IS.
To be fair, I kinda see what Mari Mancusi was going for with the attempted self-awareness of "this is so after-school special" and intentionally making everything a bit ridiculous (manga makes you popular! You too can win a competition at the last second with a patched-together sketchbook! Your online crush is the hot guy at school!). At least, I hope it was intentional.
Even more frustrating than the ridiculous plot, however, is the characters. They are cardboard. They are pavement. They are flat as flat can be. Seriously, Maddy's (and Maddy Starr? Can we talk about that name in addition to CHAD MURRAY?) grandma is the best character ("Maddy, you look like a dead prostitute."). Jock is bully! Popular girl is meanie! Hipster boy is gay! Young teacher likes manga! Divorced parents just don't understand! It really IS an after-school special. Aside from Grandma, I really don't know who we're supposed to sympathize with because Maddy is such a self-absorbed brat and everyone else is barely an actual person.
And the dialogue... especially the in-game and "gamer" dialogue. I get that it was 2008, BUT COME ON. Reading it is so cringy. Leetspeak was already waaaaay out of the zeitgeist. He-he, indeed. UGH.
There is one section that's pretty funny--Maddy, trying to give up her online crush, imagines a world where he's moved on, has a wife and kids, and vaguely remembers a girl from a game he once played but doesn't want to bring her up to his wife because it'll just make her crabby. That is the EXACT thought process of someone overthinking a doomed crush.
So yeah. Don't be fooled by the pretty cover unless you want a "so bad it's good" experience.
Okay, so I knew that going in because I read this way back in high school, lured by the pretty cover and Bitmoji-like art heading every chapter. But for kicks, I wanted to read it again just to see if it was as bad as I remember. AND YES, IT IS.
To be fair, I kinda see what Mari Mancusi was going for with the attempted self-awareness of "this is so after-school special" and intentionally making everything a bit ridiculous (manga makes you popular! You too can win a competition at the last second with a patched-together sketchbook! Your online crush is the hot guy at school!). At least, I hope it was intentional.
Even more frustrating than the ridiculous plot, however, is the characters. They are cardboard. They are pavement. They are flat as flat can be. Seriously, Maddy's (and Maddy Starr? Can we talk about that name in addition to CHAD MURRAY?) grandma is the best character ("Maddy, you look like a dead prostitute."). Jock is bully! Popular girl is meanie! Hipster boy is gay! Young teacher likes manga! Divorced parents just don't understand! It really IS an after-school special. Aside from Grandma, I really don't know who we're supposed to sympathize with because Maddy is such a self-absorbed brat and everyone else is barely an actual person.
And the dialogue... especially the in-game and "gamer" dialogue. I get that it was 2008, BUT COME ON. Reading it is so cringy. Leetspeak was already waaaaay out of the zeitgeist. He-he, indeed. UGH.
There is one section that's pretty funny--Maddy, trying to give up her online crush, imagines a world where he's moved on, has a wife and kids, and vaguely remembers a girl from a game he once played but doesn't want to bring her up to his wife because it'll just make her crabby. That is the EXACT thought process of someone overthinking a doomed crush.
So yeah. Don't be fooled by the pretty cover unless you want a "so bad it's good" experience.
September 11, 2016
I thought that this was a cute book that explores the dynamics between Maddy and her newly divorced family and having to now go to a new school, in a new city and facing up to the mean people she encounters. But her father buys her an online game called Fields of Fantasy and she starts playing it hoping to connect to her absent father, but instead starts to play with a boy her age, called Sir Leo.
I liked how the book touches on a lot of the feelings that you get when you have to go to someplace new, and the character of Maddy reflects the range of emotions in true form. But the harder that she tries to be true to herself and make a change in herself and her school, the mean people still try and pull her down, almost ruining all her chances. Plus she tries to find out more about the Sir Leo character when he reveals that he lives in the same town as her, and she thinks she knows who the real person is, only to be told its not.
The ending is sweet, and the real person behind Sir Leo proves that he is as noble as his online persona and things work out for everyone. It might be a little too perfect for my taste but it proves a good point that things really can get better. I would have loved to see more after the contest, but all in all...its a good book for a nice fun quick read.
I liked how the book touches on a lot of the feelings that you get when you have to go to someplace new, and the character of Maddy reflects the range of emotions in true form. But the harder that she tries to be true to herself and make a change in herself and her school, the mean people still try and pull her down, almost ruining all her chances. Plus she tries to find out more about the Sir Leo character when he reveals that he lives in the same town as her, and she thinks she knows who the real person is, only to be told its not.
The ending is sweet, and the real person behind Sir Leo proves that he is as noble as his online persona and things work out for everyone. It might be a little too perfect for my taste but it proves a good point that things really can get better. I would have loved to see more after the contest, but all in all...its a good book for a nice fun quick read.
December 18, 2015
This book is so amazing. I can relate myself to this charcter. When I first started reading it, I was like, wow this so amazing. Maddy watches animes. I watch and draw pictures to. I like this book because it also inspires people not to give up and to take a stand for what you belive in. I also like how Maddy used the game to escape from her real world where Maddy met nicer people than at her school.
When Maddy made her manga club, more people came then she expected. I felt sorry when the bully took her drawings and drew nasty and mean things on them. But Maddy had friends who helped remake her manga drawings. The title made me want to read this book. The first time I laid eyes on Gamer Girl, it made me want to read it. I hope from this review that this would make you want to read the book. Gamer Girl is for people who like anime or like to read young adult books.
When Maddy made her manga club, more people came then she expected. I felt sorry when the bully took her drawings and drew nasty and mean things on them. But Maddy had friends who helped remake her manga drawings. The title made me want to read this book. The first time I laid eyes on Gamer Girl, it made me want to read it. I hope from this review that this would make you want to read the book. Gamer Girl is for people who like anime or like to read young adult books.
March 14, 2017
I loved this sooo much! It gave me so much nostalgia. This is about girl having a really rough time at school and then her dad gives her an online videogame for her birthday. She meets someone to quest with in there and it takes off from there. I met my husband in a mmorpg, Everquest 2. This brought me back to then. The author was authentic to the mmo experience down to fetch quests and dying in awkward places. There is also a mention on anime and manga in there like full metal alchemist and .hack. It was awesome. I felt all the geeky feels. The main character starts out pretty shallow but grows throughout the book. She also plays it safe online not giving her info. away. I loved this sooo much and made me reminisce about meeting my hubby. So great!!!
March 12, 2014
I read this book once upon a time, back when I was young and naive. I really communicated with the main character back then, now so long ago. Now that I have returned to the book with all the things I have learned and experienced, to be very frank, this book sucks.
The cover is cute, and the chapters begin with cute emoticons of the mc. That's cute. However...the plot is too predictable, the main character annoys me deeply (she also contradicts herself at select parts), and it is just one long ramble about special snowflakes. It honestly hurts. However, it's a nice read for those younger than myself. Those who cannot read much deeper than surface level.
The cover is cute, and the chapters begin with cute emoticons of the mc. That's cute. However...the plot is too predictable, the main character annoys me deeply (she also contradicts herself at select parts), and it is just one long ramble about special snowflakes. It honestly hurts. However, it's a nice read for those younger than myself. Those who cannot read much deeper than surface level.
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