Gamer Army
by Trent Reedy (Author)
After Rogan Webber levels up yet again on his favorite video game, Laser Viper, the world-famous creator of the game invites him to join the five best players in the country for an exclusive tournament. The gamers are flown to the tech mogul's headquarters, where they stay in luxury dorms and test out cutting edge virtual-reality gaming equipment, doing digital battle as powerful fighting robots. It's the ultimate gaming experience. But as the contest continues, the missions become harder, losing gamers are eliminated, and the remaining contestants face the growing suspicion that the game may not be what it seems. Why do the soldiers and robots they fight in Laser Viper act so weird? What's behind the strange game glitches? And why does the game feel so...real?
Rogan and his gamer rivals must come together, summoning the collective power of their Gamer Army to discover the truth and make things right...in a dangerous world where video games have invaded reality.
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Kirkus
Authentic gamer action meets classic sci-fi themes and leaves room for sequels.
School Library Journal
Twelve-year-old Rogan and four other tween gamers are chosen to compete in a prestigious Laser Viper tournament that seems too good to be true. Whisked off to luxury dorms, the gamers are dropped into missions using the latest in VR technology. As players are eliminated, ulterior motives from the game sponsors are revealed. Attempts at an over-arching narrative around the benefits of technology are delivered through monologues from the tournament facilitator, a high-profile figure in the gaming world. Dialogue among the characters acknowledges gender dynamics in video game culture, though the overuse of acronyms and technical language is distracting. The plot is driven by action in each of the gaming missions. VERDICT A solid additional purchase where gamer novels are in demand.—Angela Wiley, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Publishers Weekly
In this action-packed middle grade adventure, five top American gamers are chosen to participate in an elite tournament as part of a new reality show hosted by one of the world's most powerful corporations. Rogan Webber, 12, is determined to win the competition and be crowned Laser Viper Grand Champion, all to prove himself to his workaholic parents. To succeed, Rogan and the other competitors must work as a team, tackling special Laser Viper missions. One gamer is voted out after every round, and as the contestants are winnowed down, they begin to suspect there's more to the game than they first thought. Pop culture references fly fast and furious as the characters quip, argue, and form unexpected friendships amid constant danger and excitement. Readers will undoubtedly predict some of the tournament's major twists, and Reedy (If You're Reading This) folds in a heavy-handed message about the dangers of virtual reality as a substitute for real life. Still, Reedy offers a diverse cast and an over-the-top sense of excitement. Ages 8-12. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary. (Nov.)
Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Review quotes
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV032040 - Juvenile Fiction | Sports & Recreation | Games - General
JUV049000 - Juvenile Fiction | Computers & Digital Media
Secrecy
Secrets
Conspiracies
Virtual reality
Video games
Video gamers
Video games industry
