'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 Thought-provoking, as always from Doctorow.' - Kirkus Reviews 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 series food for thought about the real-life ramifications of playing in an intangible world. 'Online gaming and real life collide when a teen discovers the hidden economies and injustices that hide among seemingly innocent pixels. Doctorow's plot emphasizes that collective action can lead to better working conditions and that the Internet can be a powerful tool for good.' - Common Sense Media Jen Wang's dynamic layouts clearly convey the story and give momentum to the action scenes. Both Anda and her online avatar are depicted as smart, competent, and ultimately kind. ' In Real Life is an exciting and heartfelt exploration of video-gaming and global economics that features a capable and caring protagonist. In Real Life is a powerful narrative.' - The New York Times Book Review '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 touching and morally complex tale for young adults. This behavior is strictly against the rules in Coarsegold, but Anda soon comes to realize that questions of right and wrong are a lot less straightforward when a real person's real livelihood is at stake. Gaming is, for Anda, entirely a good thing.īut things become a lot more complicated when Anda befriends a gold farmer-a poor Chinese kid whose avatar in the game illegally collects valuable objects and then sells them to players from developed countries with money to burn. It's a place where she can meet people from all over the world, and make friends.

It's a place where she can be a leader, a fighter, a hero.

'A lovely graphic novel for gamer girls of all ages.' -Felicia DayĪnda loves Coarsegold Online, the massively-multiplayer role playing game that she spends most of her free time on. From acclaimed teen author Cory Doctorow and rising star cartoonist Jen Wang comes a New York Times-bestselling graphic novel that takes a sensitive, thoughtful look at adolescence, gaming, poverty, and culture-clash.

In Real Life by Cory Doctorow