Book Review: In Real Life by Lawrence Tabak

Goodreads Description :

Fifteen-year-old math prodigy Seth Gordon knows exactly what he wants to do with his life—play video games. Every spare minute is devoted to honing his skills at Starfare, the world's most popular computer game. His goal: South Korea, where the top pros are rich and famous. But the best players train all day, while Seth has school and a job and divorced parents who agree on only one thing: "Get off that damn computer." Plus there's a new distraction named Hannah, an aspiring photographer who actually seems to understand his obsession.

While Seth mopes about his tournament results and mixed signals from Hannah, Team Anaconda, one of the leading Korean pro squads, sees something special. Before he knows it, it's goodbye Kansas, goodbye Hannah, and hello to the strange new world of Korea. But the reality is more complicated than the fantasy, as he faces cultural shock, disgruntled teammates, and giant pots of sour-smelling kimchi.

What happens next surprises Seth. Slowly, he comes to make new friends, and discovers what might be a breakthrough, mathematical solution to the challenges of Starcraft. Delving deeper into the formulas takes him in an unexpected direction, one that might just give him a new focus—and reunite him with Hannah.

Title: In Real Life
Author: Lawrence Tabak
Genre: Contemporary, YA, Romance
Format: Paperback/E-book
Pages: 288 pages
Publisher:Tuttle Publishing
Source: Dymocks & Netgalley

 

When I first saw this on NetGalley i knew I had to try and request this and after reading a couple of chapters I went out to get the physical book (since it was already out) as its THAT GOOD! Its like this book has everything I love! Gaming, realistic and relatable teen along with a hint of romance and a hella lotta teen awkwardness.

15 year old Seth is a math genius and an avid gamer, is one of the best Starfare (i believe its a parody to StarCraft) gamer in the US. Like many teenagers he has a lot of commitments like school, a part time job, hobbies, chores, and maybe even a girlfriend? For Seth gaming is not just a hobby but a passion. He always dream of getting signed by the top teams in South Korea and train with the pro. However things aren’t as what it seems when he learns the true reality being a pro gamer with sponsors and endorsement, competitive team mates, the large pay checks and even the fame. Through the book follow him as he juggles all his commitments and parents’expectation while trying to get drafted by Team Anaconda as a professional eSport player in Korea.

I was hooked on this book from page one and its one of the few books that I went out and got a physical copy after getting a review from NetGalley as it was a book I had to own on my shelve. I enjoy the cast of characters, the pacing of the story and even the reality of both the eSport and Asian entertainment industry.

I like how the story was paced out and how things weren't a bed of roses but a rose bush of thrones. The writing was realistic, fun and light hearted while hitting some serious issues like the rise to fame and even one of the most realistic teenage lives I’ve ever read in a book.

I rarely find a YA even in the contemporary genre where it shows a teen with a lot of commitment as from my life as a teen and a student we have a heck loads of commitment from doing well in school to extra curriculum, chores and maybe even a part time job. In fact Seth’s literally a guy version of me as a teen as like Seth  had to juggle a long list commitment in high school leaving me with little time for leisure including gaming (which my parents till this day cringe and grit their teeth with disapproval).

Speaking of gaming while I'm not an avid fan of the genre of games Seth plays (not to mention I'll probably suck at it) I really enjoy how the book touch on eSport which is a really big thing Korea taking out football size arenas for tournament. I do wish we get more of how the game plays but then it might just get confusing and let's face it, this is a book not a Starfare 101 manual.

While this is a coming of age story about Seth realizing his true passion might not be gaming or that dreams aren't what it seems, I do enjoy the the hint of romance and dare I say it gives the story some fluff that will make me smile and awe at the cuteness. Seth's friendship and budding romance with Hannah was sweet and well pace out and I love watching as he slowly but surely falls for her.

Also I enjoy how the author portrayed the Korean/Asian culture in a way where he didn't over stereotype it as well as did his research.

I also love the sibling relationship between Seth and his brother Garret and the only flaw of the story I can think of was the parents where the book did the ‘typical YA thing’ which was to write off the parents saying that one’s in a secluded location where you can’t contact with a mobile phone or that the other is away on a business trip so is rarely at home... well at least there is a decent reason why they are out of the story . Even so there are some good adult figures in the game like Song who mentors Seth, helps build his other interest that is math and is like his adopted father figure while in Korea. In fact the Math element here was really cool, reminding me a bit of An Abundance of Katherine without the crazy amount of footnotes.

Lastly this book tackles a topic I wish more books tackle that was Seth being thrown into the 'suddenly forced to grown up world' and be an adult. While yes this is a topic that is more of you need to experience it instead of read it but seeing from Seth POV of him forced to mature and be independent is both refreshing and something touch close to home for me making me wish I read this years ago before I left home to come to Australia.

Seth character and narration was what made the book for me. I love his snark yet smart alec comments and all the crazy yet random fantasy he dreams of that is NOT in a SICK sexual way but like in a cute and maybe impossible even for reality way like what he'll do when he get his first paycheck or how he'll surprise Hannah. Long story short, this boy has one crazy head and to compare it its like reading a little brother's diary that you lost temptation to. Also he is highly intelligent and quick thinking not to mention down to earth kid who don't let fame get to his head. Seriously the best thing about Seth is his character development where he handles situation like being troll/ bullied by competitors, rude team mates and all his commitments maturely. Mostly what I like was that when he realize that things aren't as great as it seems, he's at least honest with himself and moves on.

Overall this is definitely a book I'll recommend if you are a gamer,  if you are not a gamer, if  you are interested in/ like the idea of gaming or if you want a realistic and refreshing male POV narration. A great coming of age story with a hint of romance and a heck lotta gaming. Also if you're looking for a book to recommend/gift to a guy friend/ brother to check.

This is one of the best and more underrated books I've read and I'm looking forward to reading more of Lawrence Tabak writing.

Recommend: Fans of John Green's An abundance of Katherine, Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl and James Dashner's Eye of Mind series (review here) and Laurinda by Alice Pung (Review here).

Ohhhhh... What's this?? top shelve approved??? WTF IS THIS???

Well I decided to make a 'stamp' of approval for books that i enjoyed and will highly recommend. Long story short if I love the book that I highly recommend it will have the 'stamp of approval' deserving to be placed on the top shelve.

Since we're talking about gaming I have a new section called RowGames where I review and discuss some games I recently been playing. I mainly play PC games, currently playing Life is Strange and recently gotten Gone Home so will probably be reviewing that soon. Also I just downloaded a bunch of gaming apps on my iPad so i might also review a few mobile games if I enjoy it.

Book Review: Pandora Jones: Reckoning (Pandora Jones #3) by Barry Jonsberg

Goodreads Description: 

Pan blinked. Something strange was happening to her mind and body. She felt relaxed, but at the same time, acutely aware of everything. She remembered the Professor's words: she was the cause of the destruction of humanity. And she felt the truth of those words.

Pandora Jones's problems appear insurmountable. She must convince her team that nothing is as it seems and that they must escape and expose The School to save the world from the plague she unwittingly inflicted on it. The only thing Pan has on her side is her gift of intuition, and her belief in the people she cares about.

But with the clock ticking, can she find a way to stop the plague, and should she do it at any cost?

Pan and her friends face off against the might of The School as the final pieces fall into place in the hugely compelling Pandora Jones series.

Title: Pandora Jones: Rekoning
Author: Barry Jonsberg
Genre: Sci-Fi, survival, paranormal, apocalyptic, YA, 
Format: Paperback
Pages:312 pages
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Source: ARC was received in exchanged for an honest review from the publisher

Warning: This review might spoil evens from Book 1: Admission (Review Here) and Book 2: Deception (Review Here).

This is one of my most anticipated books of the year and like every last book in a series I'm excited yet scared on how its gonna end and thank goodness Reckoning did everything right on ending a series!

The third and final book of the Pandora Jones series picks up immediately where we left off in Deception. In this book the truth behind the school, Pandora and her friends reason for being there and most importantly where did Pandora's powers come from is revealed.

I savored the story not wanting it to end yet wanting answers for all the cliff hanging questions in the previous book and this book delivered, tying in all the loose end in ways i didn't expected with a nice little bow. While I still was not a fan of Pan's inner captain obvious thoughts, I'm now at a point to where I'm used to it so it didn't bother me as much as it did in the previous books. The pacing in this book was slightly slower pace but I preferred that as it gives me a breather to process what's going on. Also like the previous books the action and suspense were nothing but nerve wrecking and epic to the point I'm on the edge of my seat hoping they'll be okay (spoilers... not really).

The scientific element is wicked and easy to follow and I also like how they talk about the ethics and morals of science and health. Lastly the way the book concluded was fitting and perfectly done! Prior to the released of the book my over thinking theory brain could not think of a 'happy' and satisfying way for this series to conclude but gosh did the author did a great job of summing up the series!

The character and relationship building in this book was probably the best in the series where we not only explore more of Pan and Jen's friendship that was established in the previous book but we also get to know more of the other characters aka their group mates like Wei Lin, Sanjit, Sam and Karl where in the short time we manage to get more of their backstory and their strengths, weaknesses and secrets which will all be important for the later part of the book. Mostly I enjoy how this diverse cast of characters interact with each other as they work together to try and crack down the secret behind the school.

Pan's relationship with Nate was surprisingly bittersweet and though Nate was such a hit/miss character for me through the series, his fate was the saddest part of this book. I seriously was rooting for Pan and Nate to be together especially with how he redeems himself ( comparing him to Theresa in Maze Runner AT LEASE HE TRIES TO REDEEM HIMSELF which got me to emphasis for his character) and the surprise of his relationship with a certain school faculty member.

Lastly the truth behind Pan's powers was kinda confusing but surprising. I had to re read that whole scene a couple of times but I like what they did with her finding out the truth and also answers some questions I had of another character in the previous book. Also from what I gather, Pan 'unlocks' a new level or ability with her power in each book which is really cool as we get to see her developed and adapt to her 'gift'.

Overall the Pandora Jones series is seriously one of the best and unique apocalypse/sci-fi theme YA I've came across as well as one of the more underrated Aussie YA out there. I highly recommend this series for its diverse cast of characters, epic and fast pace action and plot twisting story line.

Movie Review: Paper Towns

Movie Description: 

Adapted from the bestselling novel by author John Green ("The Fault in Our Stars"), PAPER TOWNS is a coming-of-age story centering on Quentin and his enigmatic neighbor Margo, who loved mysteries so much she became one. After taking him on an all-night adventure through their hometown, Margo suddenly disappears--leaving behind cryptic clues for Quentin to decipher. The search leads Quentin and his quick-witted friends on an exhilarating adventure that is equal parts hilarious and moving. Ultimately, to track down Margo, Quentin must find a deeper understanding of true friendship--and true love. 

Release Date : 2015-07-24
Casts : Hannah Alligood, Cara Delevingne, Justice Smith, Drew Matthews, Nat Wolff, Cara Buono, Jaz Sinclair, Jim R. Coleman, Austin Abrams, Caitlin Carver, Meg Crosbie, Griffin Freeman, Halston Sage
Duration : 109 minutes runtime

There is only one way for me to describe this movie that is TEEN AWKWARDNESS AT ITS FINEST! 

This is the first book to movie I watch this year. I am really a fan of watching in a cinema but cause this is something I was anticipating I was willing to drag myself to the cinema and was not disappointing by!

Also this is a book to movie adaptation I'll suggest if you have yet to read to book, go ahead and watch the movie first as the movie cut out some unnecessary I was not a fan of in the book.
 

Book vs Movie???

Can I just say I LOVE THE MOVIE more tHan the boOK???

I meant this is how I want my books to movie adaptations to be. It was faithful to the plot of the book but they change things up (and yes guys change is good if done right) to make the story better and more satisfying.

So its kinda obvious I favor the movie over the book. They improved the plot of the story and characters (which I got annoyed with some) and changed up a lot of the scene I assume for visual and timing reason but it all works well.

I also like how they gave a bit more attention to some of the side characters like Radar, Lacey and Angela and even developed a cute side story for Radar and Angela's relationship.

The Story

In the book it mainly focuses on Q's obsession on looking for Margo which if I recall after a while I kinda got bored of Q going on and on about looking for Margo like a broken record.

The movie changes up a lot of stuff that Q missed out on in the book like parties, prom and graduation and mainly focuses on his friendship with Ben and Radar as well as Q discovery of self confident, taking risks and enjoying the last of high school before the all go away for college.

Also the most important part of the story was the road trips and they were done perfectly! I was smiling like an idiot during Q and Margo's midnight joyride and actually was on the edge on my seats during some of the scenes!

Also the 'main roadtrip' was my favorite part of the book so I was excited to see how I pictured it but more! In fact TFIOS fans might want to keep your eyes peal as there is a cameo (that is not John Green unfortunately) that made the whole cinema yelp of excitement (including me and the middle age couple next to me).

So Gus reincarnated to the dude with the dragon tattoo... GUSSSSS!!! Wait Gus??? The dude's dead (oops spoiler for TFIOS) still *fangirl scream and swoon in the corner!!!*

So Gus reincarnated to the dude with the dragon tattoo... GUSSSSS!!! Wait Gus??? Dude's dead (oops spoiler for TFIOS) still *fangirl scream!!!*

Mostly what I like about the movie was how they wrap up the story. If you were to read the book and felt not so satisfied with it, I promise they improved the ending, warping Q, Margo and the gang's story nicely with a satisfying but bittersweet bow. Mostly what I like about the ending was how Q's character move on with his life ending the story in an optimistic note.

Writing/Look/Sound

While the writing was at times cheesy and cringe worthy, its still forgivable as like I mention this movie has teenage awkwardness at its finest. I kid you not I actually facepalm at some of the awkward moments in the movie as I too might have said/did something similar to them.

The pacing of the movie was fast pace and while I did like the pacing I wish that it was slightly longer. 

The it has same look and feel to TFIOS which should not be a surprise since its coming from the same team ( and author). I also love the transitioning scenes especially that final shot.

I love the soundtrack to the movie and like TFIOS I'm definitely getting the soundtrack. In TFIOS I was hoping that Nat Wolf will sing for the soundtrack so I was excited that Nat & Alex had a song in the soundtrack for the movie. 

 Characters

Quentin or 'Q' played by Nat Wolf was exactly how I pictured in my head (actually that's how I picture all the main guy character in John Green books). I really like how his character is portrayed from this shy outcast guy to being more confident by doing things he'll never do for the sake of finding Margo. I love his acting in TFIOS as Issac, I'll admit I was not  fan of Nat Wolf as I hated that Nickelodeon show he was on as a kid but I'll admit, he has improved over the years. Looking forward to seeing what's next for him.

I love the way Cara Delevingne's portray Margo! It reminds me of a tone down version of Effy from Skins. I'll admit I was one of them who didn't think she'll be able to live up to the role but she did better than I expected. While I occasionally hear a slip of her accent I still like the way she talk and carry herself as like Margo in the book she gave this air of mysteriousness. With this being her breakthrough/debut role I'm looking forward to seeing more of her on the big screen.

Coming out of the cinema, my friend Puj (who has yet to read the book) went on about how Ben's her favorite character. I freaking love Ben in the book and was looking forward to his character in the movie. While sadly the number of times Ben say the word 'Honey Bunny' can be count on one hand (yes i counted), his character in the movie is my favorite and is freaking hilarious and adorkrable.

Radar was another fun character to watch and was looking forward to him shouting 'ITS NOT MY FAULT MY PARENTS OWN A COLLECTION OF BLACK SANTA'.

The bromance between Q, Ben and Radar were some of the best moments in the movie! This is 'squad goals'. I crack up every time the guys did something goofy and feel for them when something awkward happened to them.

I really like how they Lacey and Angela's characters were more in the story, making me care for their characters more.

Overall

Paper Town is a hilarious and smart movie with a hint of teen romance along with a good ol road trip. The movie improved not only the book but elements that I felt off with TFIOS and to be honest I actually preferred this over TFIOS. 

You'll see me snooping around JB-HIFI for the dvd when it comes out and while I still am not a fan of the poster, I still highly recommend watching Paper Towns Movie and watching this with a your friends.

Check out Paper Towns if you are a fan of High School drama and friendship, a fan of John Green's stories and random yet fun road trips.

To describe my feeling when I walked out of the cinema, I was smiling like an idiot, feeling happy and satisfied with the story and how it wrapped up.

Book Review: We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach

Goodreads Description:

Before the asteroid we let ourselves be defined by labels:
The athlete, the outcast, the slacker, the overachiever. 

But then we all looked up and everything changed. 

They said it would be here in two months. That gave us two months to leave our labels behind. Two months to become something bigger than what we'd been, something that would last even after the end. 

Two months to really live

Title: We All Looked Up
Author: Tommy Wallach
Genre: Contemporary
Format: Paperback. Arc

Pages: 370 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Source: ARC was received in exchanged for an honest review from the publisher.

I was intrigue with this book when I first got it but it took me a couple of tries to actually finish it.

The Plot

What do you do if an asteroid is heading towards Earth and you only have 7 weeks to live? Do you go on with life like everything is normal? Sit there and wait for the asteroid to hit? or what about abandoning your label and live your life to the fullest?

With the end of the world happening, we follow the lives of four high school senior who were defined by their labels abandoning the stereotype as they live their last days of their lives.

 Characters/Narrative

Multiple POV are usually a hit or a miss for me. I was not a fan of the multiple POV at the start but it's something I grew to enjoy when reading this. Also with FOUR different characters we get four very different opinions on what's going on and were easily distinguish with their different personality. 

At first the cast of characters looked like your stereotype one dimensional high school students but as the end of the world begins they abandon their labels and developed for the better as they become . This book is filled with character and relationship development I enjoyed especially when the characters and their story intertwine with each other. 

Anita's my favorite character followed by Eliza then Andy and Peter. I mostly like Anita on how she handles the situation thrown at them positively and maturely as well as her growing as a character. Eliza is another favorite especially on how her story progress as she followed her passion of photography and put it to use to rebuild her reputation with taking photos of humanities reaction to the end of the world.

Writing

The writing was my favorite part of the book. Its a story of 'what if'' and makes me question and maybe even doubt about life and the things we do. I really enjoy how provoking and philosophical the book become especially in the event of something similar to an asteroid were to happen how will people react.

I love the concept of the story! Its the breakfast club meets the end of the world reminding me a bit of Melissa Kell's 'The Incredible Adventure of Cinnamon Girl'. Also the story was more of a coming of age as each of the characters get push out of their comfort zone to take a leap into living the life they always wanted.

Books with a music element thrown in are usually a love/hate but for this book I love the music element which makes sense since the author is also a musician.While I have yet to check out the companion soundtrack to the book I do like how they talk about music especially how it bonded Anita and Andy's relationship.

Romance take the back seat in this book till the later part of book and while it was kinda force and sudden, it suited the situation they were going trough with the apocalypse,so better get together now than maybe never. Also this book dealt with the sex situations honestly and positively especially with Andy who's obsess with getting laid before the end of the world and Eliza who owes up to her actions.

There are also some side plot of complicated family and friendship, being in the wrong crowd, breakups and in Eliza's case bullying and slut shaming.

While the pacing of the book was a bit draggy and as I mentioned had a hard time getting myself connection with the book, after about three 'chapters' I finally am enjoying what I'm reading. Along with the multiple point of view there is a 'countdown' to when the asteroid is estimated to hit instead of the traditional chapters which I thought was a fun addition to the book.

The tone of the story is dark and hopeless it still have its lighter and maybe even an optimistic side to the situation as people loosen up and celebrate their lives while our four main characters figure out what they really want in their lives.

Overall

I really like how smart and provoking this book is and was intrigued till the end. I also like how it concluded where it gave an ambiguous ending leaving us for the readers to imagine what happen next which suits the the story. 

Check this book out if you like a provoking and bittersweet story with an edgy dark twist as well as a cast of realistic character with very diverse personalities.

Game Discussion: Life Is Strange Episode 3 (Chaos Theory) SPOILERS!!!

 

WARNING: SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 1, 2 & 3 OF LIFE IS STRANGE as I'll be discussing the choices I made in the game and why. If you want to see a no/mild spoiler review (Click here) for episode 1 and for episode 2 (Click Here). Episode 3 review will contain spoilers (Click Here)

Once again this being a game of choices and how it effects the past, present and future I will also talk about the continuation of my choices in the previous episode and how it effects my gameplay. If you want to check out the choices I made in episode 1 (Click here) & episode 2 (Click Here) .

Major Choices

1) Leave the money 

I love the mission where we go around the school in the middle of the night! As i mentioned in my review its my favorite chapter to replay. Both in the school in the swimming pool are probably my most replayed chapter in the whole game.

Also can I just add how much I love the part where we rewind and open the poor door that Chloe was harassing! HAHA!

Yes Chloe that handicap money does look shady but we don't want to get into more trouble not to mention leave our mark for the cops to come. So be a good person and choose to leave the money (and prey that Chloe didn't sneak back to seal the cozy chair)

2) Kiss Chloe

 

OMG THIS CHOICE!! OK so my gut tells me to Kiss her but my heart ships Max with Warren so I kid you not I message like 5 friends to ask WTH do I do!!

Once all of them say KISS HER  i hit the left button and BOO YAH it was hella cute and Chloe's reaction was priceless!!! xD

3) Side with David

My least favorite mission was to find those DAMN EGGS! But i did have fun snooping around David's garage. 

Ok so i know people will be like 'WHY DO YOU SIDE WITH THE CREEPY ABUSIVE STEP *INSERT MEAN WORD HERE*' and here is my reason:

-I want to keep him on my side to get more infomation from him.

-He is a red herring on Rachael's disappearance and on Kate's suicide attempt and once again he has information we might need to crack the case.

-As much as I love Chloe, she was acting out a bit too much to my liking and as Max say we have no proof on David.

-I don't want to hurt Joyce

-to piss off an already piss off Chloe (ok that was a joke but that literally was the consequence)

4) Throw in the parking lot

I mentioned in my review that I love the puzzle to get Frank's keys as we not only get to know more about both Frank and Nathan but we also get to EFF up their brains (along with the cop) and rewind like nothing ever happened.

Also I might have had a little fun pouring beans all over Frank

Um yah cause we are good people and don't want to hurt a Dog who did nothing (yet) to us. Also we don't want to piss off Frank AND I'm a dog person. 

5) Chloe have the gun

So my Chloe has David's gun as I tried to shoot Frank in episode 2 so I didn't get the keep/leave gun option in Frank's RV.

Minor Choices

1) Lisa is alive

 

Haha don't know how I manage to keep Lisa alive considering I'm the worst at keeping plants alive in reality. Now we have Kate's bunny so I wonder what's gonna happen to the poor thing under my care.

2) "Helped" Warren with his exam

Not so sure how this is gonna bite me in future episode but we need to help him keep his 4.0 GPA . Also cause I helped him in episode 2 he got an A- (which I changed to an A+)

3) You are on the Vortex Club's party list

Cause I'm suddenly bff with Courtney in episode 2 so it looks like I'm part of the vortex club

4) You erased some names from the Vortex Club party list *evil*

Sorry to whoever but you're not on the list *muahahaha*

5) You erased the cop's answerphone message

Woops....

6)  You helped Alyssa

Oh man poor Alyssa... I wonder what happen to her when Max is not around.

7) You warned the homeless woman

Ok so is it me or does the Homeless woman know something... she reminds me of Samual and I think this might help us in the later episodes of the game.

8) Took a Photo in the Past

Optional photo reason... nuf said.

9) Left your mark on the fireplace

Okay so I don't remember what I left at the fireplace but looks like it will have consequences.

Bonus Choice

WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST JOYCE???

For me its FLUFFY PANCAKES ALL THE WAYYYYYYY aka my favorite breakfast food so move aside Max (and William) as I'm gonna get them all... okay I won't get them all as I'm a nice person and can't eat them all.

Overall

The choices in this game are snowballing! I can see how our actions from earlier episodes is shifting the story. For example, I stay hidden in the closet from David so because of that Chloe brings up not taking the blame of the weed.

I already finish episode 4 so I'll be discussing my choices and the game really SOON.

If you played the game and have made similar or different choices comment below and let's discuss.