I would give this one a 3.5. As a teen graphic, I think it did a great job at being relatable to a group of people that aren't always given the credit they are due: the gamers, the nerds, the not-so-popular. Having the protagonist be a larger, mousy girl was refreshing for a genre that often depicts women as tiny-waisted wraiths.

The protagonist, Anda, joins an online multiplayer role-playing game called Coarsegold and is instantly hooked. After joining with a new friend to do side missions, she meets a boy whose circumstances make her question her actions and how they affect people in the real world.

While I think the topic is important and timely, I had a bit of an issue with how it came across. It was almost too didactic and tried too hard to convince me of its message. That being said, I do agree with the message of looking beyond what is easy and entertaining to see how our actions impact others. Overall, a well-drawn story with a thoughtful moral center.

I read In Real Life back to back with Eliza and Her Monsters, which as an excellent choice. IRL explores the context of connecting over the internet, in-game dynamics, and remembering that people exist on the other side of an avatar. Phenomenal art!

I loved this graphic novel. Not only is the art work beautiful but the whole premise of the book spoke to me as a girl gamer. A lot of the points hit true to home. Girl gamers are constantly being categorized as a lesser player (even though they may kick ass) and especially when talking on a headset so it is apparent which gender you belong too. I loved that the guild in In Real Life if an all girls guild, it gives back pride to girl gamers. I'm curious what the author's take on the over sexualization of female characters in gaming is. It was never touched on in the book, but it is a very large part of gaming today. Overall I absolutely loved this. I'm definitely recommending this book.

First, can I just say how amazing the illustrations were for this book! Completely loved them. The story plot itself was fantastic, it gives a real insight into what really happens online and particularly in these role play games. More of a book for teens, something that will warn them of the dangers of online gaming and how they need to be careful who they interact with and what not to share. It also shows them that life in other countries isn't the same as what they see in their own life.

If the plot was just as good as the art then this would be my all time fav graphic novel, but unfortunately the plot just did not go far enough me for. 10/10 for drawing and use of colour though, it made this a lot of fun to read. Loved the main character too, I just wanted it to go so much further.

Depth. It's a word not often associated with graphic novel stories, but this one has depth.

Anda is recruited in her computer class at school to join an online game as long as she makes her character a girl. Anda jumps at the chance. Once in the game, she quickly excels and gains notice by another lady gamer who calls herself Sarge. Sarge recruits Anda to help fight off gold farmers. Gold farmers are people hired to play the game to collect gold that can be sold for real money to lazy players who want quick advances. Anda has no problems fighting this injustice in the gaming world, that is until she finds a gold farmer, Raymond, who speaks English. She finds out that he works crazy hours in China playing this game, doesn't get health benefits, is sick, and really doesn't get paid all that well. Anda suggests he go on strike, but that backfires in him losing his job. Meanwhile, Sarge finds out that Anda has gone soft on a gold farmer and she loses it. Anda doesn't give up on helping Raymond though, and eventually they find a way to help out him and others at his place of work.

This is a spectacular book in that it will help bring awareness of sweatshop conditions of numerous workers around the world to a group of students who are probably ignorant of such things. I applaud the creativity of Doctorow and Wang in bringing together gaming and human rights in such a way. It doesn't come off as preachy, but it does bring awareness and it also is likely to help students envision ways they can do something to help such people. A great discussion starter! I can see this jumping on numerous reading lists and book club selections. This edition is a rerelease of the original edition. Nothing has changed that I noticed.

Notes on content: There's some moderate swearing from Sarge on every third page or so where she appears. Also very rarely some mild swearing from Anda. No sexual content. There are battles in the gaming world. Occasionally a character is shown severed, but there is no blood. Raymond's situation is sobering, but not bloody or overly abusive.

In Real Life is an accessible book, especially in a middle school curriculum that is working to engage high interest reading, social justice discussions, and the role of individual responsibility. It's also a text that can be used in an ethics, economics, social studies curriculum on the hight school level too. Our kids are highly involved in the online gaming world, so the revelations about the allure, the time, the feeling of urgency is realistic, and actually made me think differently about my own children's online experiences. Kids are building these types of relationships online that are building teams, cooperation, loyalty, traits we want to encourage. However because adults, or rather mostly k-12 female teachers over 30 are largely ignorant of the allure of these types of games.

I was struck by the power of the story to share information, key skills that can change individuals' lives. The sharing on worker organization, acceptable standards of living, real working conditions for children would prompt many a classroom discussion. I also liked how this book attempted to address the paternalistic viewpoint that "western ways are always best."

The artistic aesthetic is attractive, colorful, and also reinforces the realistic experiences... mom and dad are heavy, protagonist isn't perfect either. The allure of the online world is the reinvention or recreation of oneself and the use of avatars can help prompt that discussion.

When this book comes out, I am going to recommend our high school history and theology departments consider reading/incorporating since their curricula specifically addresses the role of social ties and the calls to social justice.

My favorite part of this Graphic Novel was the art style, I absolutely adored it. It was a fun, fast, and exciting read. I read more than half of it in one sitting, but then sadly had to go to class, but immediately started reading it again the second I could. I thought that it was originally going to be about just a geek girl who is obsessed with video games, but I was pleasantly surprised with the social issues that were presented in it. I would have loved a bit more build up about the game and the different things that I could be done within it, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I will forever hope for a continuation of this story with Anda and what else she does within the game.

Graphic novel with themes of anti-bullying, girl power, being safe on the internet, and economics. I love how Anda isn't stick-thin and when she feels powerful --not as a gold farmer killer, but strong in personality and self-esteem, she dyes her hair the same color as her avatar, which is metaphorical for taking on that positive self-esteem and asserting her anti-bullying ways IRL, too.

Description: Anda begins playing a MMORPG after receiving a RL invitation to join a girls-only guild. In the game she meets and befriends a teenage Chinese boy who is a gold farmer. Morals and ethics are questioned as Anda fights for her new friend.

In Short: This beautifully illustrated graphic novel tackles themes of child labor, bullying, and poverty, against the backdrop of a sweet and inspiring story. I definitely recommend it to those who enjoy video games. Being a gamer girl myself I was drawn to this book and I was not disappointed.

Pros: I love the protagonist, Anda. She is such hero. She defends the oppressed. She befriends the excluded. Anda is someone who appears to be an underdog herself, a new girl that doesn’t have a lot of friends. But she really is a fighter for the little guy. Not to spoil it or anything, but she does make a difference. Overall awesome story. Fun to read and beautiful artwork.

Cons: I have no notable issues with this book.

Parent’s Guide: There is cartoon violence. No nudity or sexual content.

Review available on the blog Sept 29, 2017.

Interesting subject matter, beautifully drawn, will appeal to those that care about gaming and social justice issues.

In Real Life isn't just about a girl joining the online gaming world for the first time there is so much more to this story. I enjoyed the different culture that clashes in this book. For me, the characters were light with a strong plot. This is a fast read that has strong messages. I don't wanna give too much away but I enjoy this book.

I absolutely loved this graphic novel! The art is beautiful, and the story is a thought provoking one while still remaining entertaining. Anda is a new girl in town and when a female gamer comes into her classroom to talk about this female led guild in Coarsegold (a MMORPG) and Anda falls in love with it. Meeting a fellow member of the guild, they start missions taking out gold farmers, players who only make gold to sell for real world money (which is illegal) and Anda befriends one, and learns about his life in China. The story opens up the conversation of what is right, what's wrong and what's fair. It's a great starting ground for a conversation about where the things we have are from, and even what living and working conditions might be like somewhere else. It also starts the conversation on how we can be more compassionate. I will definitely be recommending this book at work.

I loved it! The intro by Doctorow was almost as good as the book. I loved the illustrations, the writing, and the story. Some great messages about bullying, seeing someone else's point of view, being brave and trying to make a difference. Highly recommend this one!

This is a great graphic novel for teens, especially those who play video games and MOST especially fans of online games like World of Warcraft.

Doctorow is treading over similar ground as he did in his novel For The Win, but in a simpler (and less preachy) way. The story is serviceable but I can't say I was ever fully invested since I've previously read For The Win. That said... it talks about important issues that teens and other young readers may not be aware of.

As noted in another review, the storyline moves very quickly and at times the conflicts can be too quickly resolved in a way that doesn't ever quite feel earned and I think this has a bit to do with the adaptation (though the source story is similarly paced at times).

That said, the artwork from Jen Wang is absolutely beautiful and really captures the fantastical online game, as well as Anda's less bright, and less exciting, real world.

I'm a bit hyper-critical of the book because I've read and LOVED so much of Doctorow's work, but there's a lot of great little moments and details through the story that will definitely appeal to gamers and other geeky YA readers. I know I would have loved it at 14!

This was a really cute graphic novel. It's about a high school girl who finds the different sides of MMRPG. I find it hilarious that her class had a speaker come in and sell the game to them. When I was elementary school, Subaru did the same thing to us even though we couldn't drive so that very believable to me. It's short so I find her conflicts and resolutions too quick. Should have been longer.

I received an electronic copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was definitely very interesting. I went into it knowing nothing and having only been familiar with it in any way because I had seen the cover floating around booklr and bookstagram. But story-wise I had no idea what this was going to be about... and I was pleasantly surprised! It is fantastically devoid of a love story, thank god! It focuses on the main character, Anda, who is offered by a guest speaker at her high school to join a guild on an online game. This guest speaker happens to be a fairly well known gamer, and Anda is inspired because she is a female gamer in an area dominated by males. So she joins, and the situation ends up being way more complex than she anticipated.

This book managed to tackle a couple of much more serious issues than I thought it would. I was thinking it would be Anda's coming of age story of her trying to fit in as a geeky game girl. But it's so much more! It's about learning about the world around you while your young, and figuring out how you can actually make a difference in the world. And most importantly it's about being as open and accepting of those around you as possible. Don't be a short-sighted bigot; you pursue your passion, and be kind and let other pursue theirs to. And help them along the way if you can.

At a couple of various points I do think the topic/theme of the book was a bit more grand than the story's setting. It's a graphic novel that takes place in high school and has a contemporary feeling - sometimes trying to tackle worldwide issues is just too big for this novel.

I would definitely recommend this graphic novel. It's a sweet story, very original, and easy to get through.

This beautiful, thought-provoking graphic novel introduces Anda, a high schooler newly-moved to Flagstaff, Arizona. This book avoids so many cliches: it doesn't dwell on angst about her move, she has a loving relationship with her parents, she's a girl gamer and programmer and that's no big deal, and she's overweight and that is never once an issue. There is no pursuit of a romantic relationship, either. This is about her--in current online parlance--"getting woke." She thinks gold farmers in her beloved Coarsegold Online are horrible until she actually gets to know one.

There is a lot of nuance and moral complexity to the book when it comes to the gold farmers, their roles within the online economy, and what their real lives are like: logged in at a computer for hours a day for little pay and likely no access to healthcare.

The artwork is incredible. Anda real-life body reminded me a great deal of myself as a teenager, and I immediately felt invested in her as a character. Jen Wang really did an extraordinary job illustrating the entire book. It's a joy to the eyes.

This is a book with continued relevance as online gaming becomes more mainstream and the economies within those digital worlds become more real, in a microcosm.

I am in the beginning phases of appreciating the beauty of graphic novels, and this is the first I’m reviewing. I received and eARC and read it on my iPad Pro and it was such a wonderful experience. The illustrations in this graphic novel were definitely some of the best I’ve ever seen. The colors were so vivid and eye catching, they were one of my favorite parts of this graphic novel.
I thought it had a very interesting storyline, like nothing I’ve ever read before. The game that was portrayed in the graphic novel seemed very fun, yet addictive at the same time. I loved that the story was based on friendship and not romance. It was quite the breath of fresh air. I almost felt as if the plot got lost throughout the middle of the story though.
Overall I had a wonderful time reading and enjoying the illustrations. I think if you are a fan of graphic novels you will definitely enjoy it. If you are new to graphic novels I also feel this is a wonderful place to start.