In Real Life

by Cory Doctorow, Jen Wang (Illustrator)

Overview

From New York Times bestseller Cory Doctorow, the story of a girl who gets into gaming—and ends up on a globe-spanning crusade to stop exploitation online.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781596436589
Publisher:	First Second
Publication date:	10/14/2014
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	243,804
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	GN390L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Cory Doctorow is a co-editor of Boing Boing and a columnist for multiple publications including the Guardian, Locus, and Publishers Weekly. He was named one of the Web's twenty-five influencers by Forbes magazine and a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. His award-winning novel Little Brother was a New York Times bestseller, and his recent novels include Information Doesn't Want to Be Free (McSweeney's). He lives in London with his wife and daughter. In Real Life is his first graphic novel.

Jen Wang is an cartoonist and illustrator currently living in Los Angeles. Her works have appeared in the Adventure Time comics and LA Magazine. Her graphic novel Koko Be Good was published by First Second. In Real Life is her second book.

Editorial Reviews

Ultimately, Doctorow and Wang want us to consider what it means to be part of groups that hate other groups, and how technology and persistence can help us overcome such barriers…In Real Life is a powerful narrative…and it's easy to imagine many young gamers—not to mention many young gamers' parents—moved to consider the consequences and limitless potential of the worlds they helped create.

The New York Times Book Review - Chris Taylor

08/25/2014
In a heartfelt and of-the-moment story, Doctorow draws on his technology acumen and activism to portray the intricacies of 21st-century global citizenry, while also touching on what it means to be a gamer (particularly a female one). After joining the massively multiplayer online game Coarsegold, Arizona high schooler Anda meets Raymond, a boy from China who works as a “gold farmer,” collecting in-game resources to be sold for real-world cash (a concept Doctorow explored in-depth in 2010’s For the Win). Initially, Anda is led to believe that Raymond and his ilk are corrupting the game, but after she discovers their tenuous economic circumstances and poor living conditions, she begins urging Raymond to demand better treatment. It’s a noble cause, but it comes with potential consequences for both Raymond and Anda. Characters come to life through Wang’s (Koko Be Good) fluid forms and emotive faces, and her adroit shift in colors as the story moves between the physical and gaming worlds is subtle and effective. Ages 12–up. Author’s agent: Russell Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

A lovely graphic novel for gamer girls of all ages.” —Felicia Day, star and creator of The Guild

“Stunning artwork . . . An educational introduction offers further insight into gaming and the economies and political implications behind them.” —BCCB

“The combination of girls-only gaming; gorgeous, stylized artwork; and a meaningful, sophisticated message about online gaming makes this a surefire hit for readers everywhere, especially girls.” —Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

“The illustrations of the game are vibrant and dynamic . . . The subject matter will have a built-in audience, and the appealing artwork will move this off the shelves.” —School Library Journal

“Online gaming and real life collide when a teen discovers the hidden economies and injustices that hide among seemingly innocent pixels . . . Through Wong's captivating illustrations and Doctorow's heady prose, readers are left with a story that's both wholly satisfying as a work of fiction and serious food for thought about the real-life ramifications of playing in an intangible world. Thought-provoking, as always from Doctorow.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Characters come to life through Wang's fluid forms and emotive faces, and her adroit shift in colors as the story moves between the physical and gaming worlds is subtle and effective.” —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

09/01/2014
Gr 9 Up—Anda begins playing Coarsegold Online, a massive multiplayer game, after a gamer specifically looking for girls to play as female characters visits her school. Immediately adept at the game, Anda meets a player who tells her she can make money by killing characters farming for gold. These farmers sell gold to players, allowing them to essentially cheat at the game by quickly buying items they have not earned. Anda meets Raymond, a Chinese teen who works as a gold farmer. She learns about his real life—he works long days and has no health coverage. She encourages him to demand health care or strike, a choice that ends up having real-world ramifications. The narrative toggles between the in-game story and real life. The illustrations of the game are vibrant and dynamic, contrasting well with the muted browns and drab greens of Anda's reality. A detailed introduction by Doctorow about games, economics, politics, and activism serves to ensure readers "get" the story. The author attempts to tackle these large issues and others (like gender and privilege) but only does so superficially. The writing can feel heavy-handed, with the message overpowering Anda's voice. The problematic notion of a white character speaking for and trying to save minority characters (that all look identical) is addressed, but the too tidy ending makes that issue, and many others, feel oversimplified. The subject matter will have a built-in audience, and the appealing artwork will move this off the shelves, but readers may ultimately find the story unsatisfying.—Amanda MacGregor, formerly at Apollo High School Library, St. Cloud, MN

School Library Journal

2014-07-22
Online gaming and real life collide when a teen discovers the hidden economies and injustices that hide among seemingly innocent pixels.Anda, a shy, overweight gamer and a recent transplant to Flagstaff, Arizona, is beyond excited when a guest speaker in one of her classes invites her to join in playing a massive multiplayer online role-playing game called "Coarsegold." With her parents' approval, Anda joins the presenters' guild, a group of girls playing the game as girl avatars. Once in "Coarsegold," Anda—known online as Kalidestroyer—is confronted by another guild member named Lucy, who asks her if she'd be interested in earning "real cash." When she accepts, she's pulled into a world of real-money economies where workers "play" the game, garnering items they can then sell for actual money to other players. Doctorow takes a subject that many people probably haven't considered (unless they've already read his For the Win, 2010) and uses the fictional frame to drive home a hard truth: that many of the games we play or items we buy have unseen people tied to them, people who have their own struggles. Through Wong's captivating illustrations and Doctorow's heady prose, readers are left with a story that's both wholly satisfying as a work of fiction and serious food for thought about the real-life ramifications of playing in an intangible world. Thought-provoking, as always from Doctorow. (Graphic fiction. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews