Enter the Meta

by Colette Bennett

Lissa is obsessed with Ancestral, the latest and greatest battle arena co-op game out there—and she's really good at it. If she wants to get to the top, she will have to band together with her best friend Ji-Soo—and their friends Ray, Zio, Jae-Jin and Lucas—to become Team Phoenix. With the support of former pro Esport-player, Devon, Team Phoenix trains day and night for the upcoming Regional Championships.

But the road to victory has its twists and Lissa is haunted by the loss of her brother, Ji-Soo's got a crush on Jae-Jin, and they’re up against the number one team in the region, Mastermind, a group of frat boys who aren't afraid to play dirty. The odds feel stacked against them, but Team Phoenix is determined to rise from the ashes.

347 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 17, 2023

About the author

Hi! My name is Colette, and I knew I wanted to be a writer at age 9. I'm grateful and lucky today to be able to not only make my living doing so but also to share what I've learned in my journey with other writers to help them grow.

Since 2007 I have been writing and producing social media content for outlets such as CNN, HLN, Yahoo!, TheStreet, Engadget, The Daily Dot, Colourlovers, and Gamasutra. I believe in telling each story with care and integrity. I've written hundreds of breaking news articles and features, covered live events, and shaped the growth of websites and social media feeds.

I also write essays, horror, science fiction, and poetry. My essays can be found in literary journal Nonbinary Review. My stories have been published in the anthologies The Corona Book of Science Fiction and The Corona Book of Horror Stories. My poem "Wing" also won the Atlanta Writers Club award for 2023.

My first novel, a young adult story about the world of esports called Enter The Meta, is forthcoming from Rebellion Publishing/Solaris in January 2023.

Reviews

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
Six young people, all skilled players at the incredibly popular multiplayer online battle arena game Ancestral, decide to band together as Team Phoenix so they can complete in the Regional Championship.

The world of esports is tough, super competitive, and Team Phoenix must work incredibly hard honing their individual characters’ skills in the game, but must also learn to work well as a team so they can take their good but not great ranking as Team Phoenix and move it into the upper echelon.

Working with positive and inspiring coach Devon, a former professional player and winner of a championship years earlier, Liss, Jin-Soo, Jae-Jin, Zio, Ray and Lucas form an incredibly tight bond, working through mental blocks and learning to support each other both in the game and outside it, which gives the book many of its best moments.

Colette Bennett's characters are wonderful, with Liss and Jin-Soo especially sympathetic, as Liss must confront her grief over her younger brother's death some years earlier, and Jin-Soo must balance what she wants out of life versus her Korean family's demands that she follow a much more rigid path. The two are the heart of the team for me, and their support for each other, and for the others, made my heart warm.

Bennett writes action well, and the scenes in the game are exciting, especially during the final match between Team Phoenix and a dodgy competing team.

I did find the prose a little awkward in other parts, but still enjoyed this fast moving story of friendship and gaming.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Rebellion for this ARC in exchange for my review.

[Karen Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised by how well this went down with the grandchildren, they all liked it from the youngest girl to the oldest boy. They seemed to know a lot more about the gaming world than I did ( and had to explain a few things) . That said , the only complain was that it got them too excited as a bedtime story so I had to FaceTime it during the day and read at home at the weekends. It's not often a book goes down so well with the whole group.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm quite older than the age target but i thoroughly enjoyed this story. Good plot, strong characters.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

[Cayce Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging exploration of friendships, fandom, and the emotional struggles of being a young adult. I was reminded a bit of Ready Player One as I read this, also being heavy on the gaming but not at the expense of the characters, who were complex and easy to root for. This book pulls you into the world of esports in a friendly way, and would work for people who don't know a lot about the subject (but are willing to learn) as well as those who know and love it. I think anyone who is into a fandom of any kind will relate to this book, which in many ways is a coming of age novel set in the world of esports. It was fun to live in this book for a while and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA novels featuring groups of friends who team up to face an obstacle together.

[TQ Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a sweet, refreshing story.
Bennett’s characters are charming and just complex enough for a YA novel. They have personal challenges that they learn to work through by working together to become expert gamers, trounce some bullies, and find themselves in the process.
While reading this book, I kept thinking it would be a perfect gift for a young gamer who might need some encouragement to read (but doesn’t need their gaming discouraged).
I really, really love the gamer wisdom sprinkled throughout—especially (I’m summarizing here) “be proud of what you’ve done but not so attached that you don’t see how to keep advancing.”

[Carly Kulzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very cute, refreshing novel featuring a variety of characters going through their own life struggles. They come together as a team of “misfits” to play in a regional championship for a new game. I love that it’s a mix of individual character development, team development, and intense gaming scenes. Very well written!

[Robyn Little]

I received a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review

This middle-grade e-sports read started off surprising throwing you right into the story and the action from an unexpected point. We follow the feeling of powerlessness utilized by teamwork in an online multiplayer that soon turns grim, the worldbuilding is carefully constructed and you are quick to grasp what is happening even if the plot is a bit out of your zone.

[Kyle J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how thoughtful and kind the characters were. Everyone felt like a fully fleshed out character and it really helped breath life into the story.

Also, there's a dog named Toast. How can you not love that?

[shannon✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for this free copy in exchange for my honest review

I did enjoy reading this book and it was quite a cool concept but in my opinion it focused too much on the game and the gameplay itself and not so much on the characters and their development.

[Helen Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enter the Meta follows a crew of teens and young adults as they train for a regional gaming championship. Mentored by a retired pro-gamer, it seems like they have everything they need to come out on top. But personal struggle and self doubt has each of the main characters looking inwards for strength.

I do not consider myself a gamer or well versed in gaming (unless you count marioKart and Lego Harry Potter) but I did find myself quite enjoying this story. It felt like having a secret view into a world that is a complete mystery to me. Despite my lack of knowledge in the gaming space, I found the characters likable and easy to root for. By the end, I was sitting on the edge of my seat to see if Team Phoenix would be victorious.

This is absolutely a heart warming read, if you want a story that is very character driven with relatively low stakes, then this is a perfect for you. I'm excited to see what Colette comes up with next after reading her debut novel!