  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 10/01/2018 Gr 5–8—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 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 10/15/2018 This action-heavy first book in Reedy’s (Divided We Fall?, 2014) new series is not-so-subtly influenced by Ender’s Game (1985) and Ready Player One (2011). Like most people in his conspicuously indeterminate future, 12-year-old Rogan Webber spends most of his time in Virtual City, a comprehensive virtual reality world. When he is invited to participate in an elite video game tournament against four other Laser Viper players, Rogan leaps at the opportunity. He soon learns that the competition is run by the Wonkaesque creator of Virtual City, who will eliminate one player after every round. But it soon becomes clear that this game isn’t what it appears to be. Despite spending an extended amount of time with one another during the competition, there is little chemistry between characters. Fans of pop-culture-reference-heavy Ready Player One should not expect as much detail in this book, as the same few video game references get recycled frequently. Even so, this fills a niche market in middle-grade sf and will appeal to young gamers. - Copyright 2018 Booklist. Loading...
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