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A review by linearev
In Real Life by Cory Doctorow
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I speed through this graphic novel in one sitting because it’s genuinely a pretty good book. Without spoiling anything, it’s about a girl discovering a multiplayer worldwide online game and meeting all different kinds of people in there.
It’s a pretty good story and the ending makes sense for me. I like some of the characters and the rest didn’t annoy me too much. Though I did find that the story progressed too fast and mindlessly on some subjects, while also breaking the mold of the characters, they’ve already established. The art is really amazing and detailed, though not in an overdone way, reminding me of a video game in 2-D form.
With spoilers!
The plotline about the 16 year-old Chinese guy should’ve been way more expanded in my opinion. It was way too heavy to be covered this lightly and the easy result they come up with disappointed me. It’s great that they try to cover something as heavy as underaged online working, but they also have to do it justice and cover it properly. I felt the parents went from being overprotective to Carefree way too quickly, also never seeming to have a proper effect on the main characters screen time. I did really like the fact that you never know who’s behind the screen of friends you find in the game, which I feel is very realistic.
All in all a pretty great graphic novel with beautiful art and a captivating storyline.
It’s a pretty good story and the ending makes sense for me. I like some of the characters and the rest didn’t annoy me too much. Though I did find that the story progressed too fast and mindlessly on some subjects, while also breaking the mold of the characters, they’ve already established. The art is really amazing and detailed, though not in an overdone way, reminding me of a video game in 2-D form.
With spoilers!
The plotline about the 16 year-old Chinese guy should’ve been way more expanded in my opinion. It was way too heavy to be covered this lightly and the easy result they come up with disappointed me. It’s great that they try to cover something as heavy as underaged online working, but they also have to do it justice and cover it properly. I felt the parents went from being overprotective to Carefree way too quickly, also never seeming to have a proper effect on the main characters screen time. I did really like the fact that you never know who’s behind the screen of friends you find in the game, which I feel is very realistic.
All in all a pretty great graphic novel with beautiful art and a captivating storyline.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Cultural appropriation, and Toxic friendship