My Rating: 4 stars
I'm not a video game fanatic by any means, but I have definitely played my fair share of video games growing up. Even though nowadays, I don't play video games as much as I used to, I still play enough to keep myself informed about the various gaming trends out there, mostly due to my nephew being an avid gamer. Overall, I would consider my interest in gaming-related stuff to be moderate, so the fact that Gabrielle Zevin's newest book is about gaming, by itself, wouldn't necessarily make this a "must-read" for me. Rather, what attracted me to this book were the following (in no particular order): 1) the timespan, which covered most of the 1990s through contemporary times, some of which mirrors the time period of my youth (though admittedly, the 1980s was a huge part of that as well); 2) the setting, with a large part of the story taking place in Los Angeles, which is where I grew up (and where I still live); 3) the intricately complex premise as described in the plot summary, which essentially promised that this story would be about much more than just gaming (which was indeed true!) and that it would be different from anything I've read before (also true!); 4) I'm a sucker for nostalgia and it was pretty obvious, even before reading this book, that there would be plenty if that throughout the story; 5) this is by the same author who wrote The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, which is one of my favorite books of all time. In the end, what ultimately drew me in and kept me reading were all of the above, yes, but also, the characters, who were all so realistically rendered — it was hard not to empathize with Sam and Sadie and, given all they go through, root for them even during those times when they made frustratingly horrible decisions. Oh and of course, there's Marx, who plays such a critical role in both Sam's and Sadie's lives — these three characters, their trials and tribulations, form the heart of the story, though if I were to choose a favorite character, it would probably be Sam's grandfather Dong Hyun, whom I adored despite his brief appearances throughout the story.
In addition to the brilliant writing as well as the wonderfully drawn characters, another aspect that makes this book stand out is its unique structure — there are segments that switch between different points of views and perspective, as well as scenes that take place in the gaming world and also in the real world. While it was a bit difficult to keep up with at times, the journey to the end was well worth he effort, in my opinion. This is one of those books that needs to be experienced to be effective, which is why I'm keeping my review deliberately short as well as vague. This is also a book that's very hard to categorize, as there is a little bit of everything in here — there are aspects of multiple genres in here, from historical to contemporary to romance (though as the premise suggests, this is not a typical love story), with subtle hints of science fiction and nonfiction elements sprinkled in throughout. There is humor and warmth in the story, but there is also tragedy and heartbreak — though most impressive for me in terms of the structure is Zevin's ability to incorporate such a wide range of current affairs and social issues into the story, but in a way that didn't feel contrived or overwhelming. I felt that the story overall was way more complex than her previous works, plus the emotional elements were also well done, though for me, this one was a bit less poignant and resonant than The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, in my opinion at least (that book made me cry multiple times as I was reading it!).
While you don't need to be a gamer to enjoy this one, I do feel that having some familiarity with the gaming world does make a difference in that it enhances the reading experience (at least that's what it did for me). I loved the bit about the trick for getting Mario on top of the flag, (where was this tip 30 years ago when I was obsessed with playing Super Mario Bros? LOL!) as well as the various other references to games that I was familiar with (whether through playing those games myself at some point or hearing my nephew and his cousins / friends talk about them). Given everything that has gone on the past couple years, I was definitely happy getting the chance to relive those fun, nostalgic moments of childhood, even if only for a short while! Even if you're not into gaming, I still highly recommend reading this one, as the story on its own goes deep — though some parts do take a little bit of patience to get through, but to me, the journey was worth it in the end.
Received ARC from Knopf Publishing via NetGalley.
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