annegvall's review
5.0
Leveled up
Short read but very fast paced. Loved it, the storyline was good and I really like that squirrel, clearly the heart of the team!
Short read but very fast paced. Loved it, the storyline was good and I really like that squirrel, clearly the heart of the team!
chelsealouise07's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
thinde's review against another edition
3.0
When you're setting up a character's development arc, there must be flaws, weaknesses, ignorance, etc. which the character must overcome to become the hero of their own story. The problem here is that the reader is forced to spend the first three chapters wallowing in Marcus' wimpy, loser life. I skipped ahead liberally, having faith (from the Lucky Beggar story) that Anderson would have something worthwhile to see.
The central gimmick showed initial promise. What if you could suddenly track your progress in the real-world with an RPG heads-up display? And then, taking it farther, what if you could level up to abilities beyond those present in the real-world... magic, superhuman strength, etc? If only it had stopped there.
Sadly, Anderson decides to take it a step too far. Death is not permanent. People start acting like stupid NPCs. The world devolves into the depths of cartoonish vapidity. There are a few saving graces that make it tolerable. Marcus must conquer four of his worst fears. Thus we get to enjoy that promised redemption arc. He's also a nice guy, so it's easy to pull for his success.
Overall, this is a miss for me. The concept was explored better by Dan Sugralinov.
The central gimmick showed initial promise. What if you could suddenly track your progress in the real-world with an RPG heads-up display? And then, taking it farther, what if you could level up to abilities beyond those present in the real-world... magic, superhuman strength, etc? If only it had stopped there.
Sadly, Anderson decides to take it a step too far. Death is not permanent. People start acting like stupid NPCs. The world devolves into the depths of cartoonish vapidity. There are a few saving graces that make it tolerable. Marcus must conquer four of his worst fears. Thus we get to enjoy that promised redemption arc. He's also a nice guy, so it's easy to pull for his success.
Overall, this is a miss for me. The concept was explored better by Dan Sugralinov.
jkonczak's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
tanieeahhhh's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
scott_e_k's review against another edition
5.0
Been searching for a fun fiction read for a while and this one fit the bill. It’s becoming harder and harder to find a good fiction novel for men these days so I’m glad I stumbled across this one on Amazon.
It’s a fun and fast paced story with a totally relatable protagonist facing normal day to day issues like a crap job that’s going no where, no social life outside of his witty best friend/sidekick, and is basically just existing rather than living life. It’s a great modern hero’s journey with a video game twist as Marcus true to find his confidence, overcome his fears, and gets a second chance to get the girl of his dreams while he figures out how to be a hero and live his best life.
It’s a fun and fast paced story with a totally relatable protagonist facing normal day to day issues like a crap job that’s going no where, no social life outside of his witty best friend/sidekick, and is basically just existing rather than living life. It’s a great modern hero’s journey with a video game twist as Marcus true to find his confidence, overcome his fears, and gets a second chance to get the girl of his dreams while he figures out how to be a hero and live his best life.
ladykristianna's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lisadee's review against another edition
3.0
Not really something I would normally pick up, but it was kind of fun. The teen age boy humor got a little old by the end.
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