Written by Savannah (Youth Services Department)
There is a time when every gamer must take a break from the game. The good news is that there are a number of books that have to do with video games, whether it’s about gamers themselves or it's based on a video game.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the Oasis. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines—puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.
Brain Jack by Brian Falkner
Las Vegas is gone, destroyed in a terrorist attack. Black Hawk helicopters patrol the skies over New York City, and immersive online gaming is the most dangerous street drug around. In this dystopic near-future, technology has leapt forward once again, and neuro-headsets have replaced computer keyboards. Just slip on a headset, and it's the Internet at the speed of thought.
In Real Life by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang
Anda loves Coarsegold Online, the massively-multiplayer role playing game that she spends most of her free time on. It's a place where she can be a leader, a fighter, a hero. But things become a lot more complicated when Anda befriends a gold farmer—a poor Chinese kid whose avatar in the game illegally collects valuable objects and then sells them to players from developed countries with money to burn. This behavior is strictly against the rules in Coarsegold, but Anda soon comes to realize that questions of right and wrong are a lot less straightforward when a real person's real livelihood is at stake.
Slay by Brittney Morris
An honors student at Jefferson Academy, seventeen-year-old Keira enjoys developing and playing Slay, a secret, multiplayer online role-playing game celebrating black culture, until the two worlds collide.
Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth
Vi's favorite escape from the world is the MMORPG Twelfth Knight. She creates a masculine alter ego, choosing to play as a knight named Cesario to create a safe haven for herself. But when a football injury leads Jack Orsino to the world of Twelfth Knight, Vi is alarmed to discover their online alter egos—Cesario and Duke Orsino—are surprisingly well-matched. As the long nights of game-play turn into discussions about life and love, Vi and Jack soon realize they've become more than just weapon-wielding characters in an online game. But Vi has been concealing her true identity from Jack, and Jack might just be falling for her offline...
Five Nights at Freddy's: Fazbear Frights (graphic novel series)
What do you wish for most? It's a question that Oswald, Sarah, and Oscar think they know the answer to. Oswald wishes his summer wasn't so boring, Sarah wishes to be beautiful, and Oscar wishes to get his hands on the mechanical toy that's out of stock all over town. But in the twisted world of Five Nights at Freddy's, their hearts' deepest desires have an unexpected cost.
A comprehensive, colorful look at everything to know and love about Super Mario, with character profiles, gameplay tips, and little-known trivia. For over 35 years, gamers young and old have gone on fantastic adventures with Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, and friends. The Big Book of Super Mario is a colorful celebration of that rich history from the 1980s to today!
If you love games, check out game-related events for teens at the library, including our upcoming Video Game Trivia Night!
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