Gamer Girl: First Review!

Just got sent my very first review of my November book, Gamer Girl, from Huntress Reviews. A five star review! Yay! I've never gotten 5 stars from them for any of my previous books. :) Mostly they give out 3's. So that was a great way to start my Friday!

Anyway, here it is! :)

Author: Mari Mancusi
Title - Gamer Girl (Y.A. / Nov. 13, 2008)

When Maddy Starr's parents split, her life changed - and not for the better, as far as she can tell. Maddy must leave her private school and all her friends to move in with her grandmother. Farmingdale, New Hampshire, is not across the country, but for Maddy it may as well be. On Maddy's first day at Hannah Dustin High, her grandmother makes her wear horrid clothes, escorts her to the main office, and even manages to totally embarrass and humiliate the most popular boy in school. Of course, this means Billy Henderson becomes an enemy before Maddy even speaks to him. His friends are there when it happens too. Maddy is given the nickname Freak Girl and becomes their favorite person to harass. Therefore, no one in the school will become friends with Maddy or help her with the Haters. (That is the nickname Maddy gives the popular kids.)

When Maddy gets Fields of Fantasy "FoF" for her birthday from her father, she is thrilled. Maddy quickly installs the PC game and begins playing. Maddy's character is an Elfin Princess named Allora. While online, Maddy sheds the role of an outcast and becomes a beautiful magician with powers to take down her enemies with a snap of her fingers and a wave of her wand/staff. Maddy's dad is in the game often too, but seldom has time to play with her. That is okay, because Allora meets SirLeo, a tank, who helps her learn the game and teaches her to role play. They even find a little online romance.

Maddy uses her virtual life to begin creating a manga graphic novel in her real life. With a bit of help from a cool teacher, Maddy even begins a manga club. Perhaps her virtual life and her new hobbies in real life can help Maddy gain some friends, as well as find ways to kick back at the Haters.

***** Being a gamer girl myself, I was instantly enthralled with Maddy and her virtual self. I saw many similarities to a popular MMORPG game (which I play) titled World of Warcraft "WoW". (I wonder if that is the game the author, Mari Mancusi, loosely based FoF on.)

Maddy is a character that any teen can relate to. But if you enjoy video games (online or off / PC or console), graphic novels, or manga (Japanese style of drawing) you just may find yourself reading at lightning speed. I read the entire story in a single afternoon. Mari Mancusi writes stories that are UNPUTDOWNABLE! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch.