Tag: virtual reality

REVIEW: Flash Facts edited by Mayim Bialik

REVIEW: Flash Facts edited by Mayim Bialik

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of three chapters from this book from Netgalley and DC Comics in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

This title includes ten “tales of science and technology,” illustrated with DC characters like The Flash. My review copy included three stories:

  • “Fast Tracks” – The Flash explains the science of crime scene investigation.
  • “More Than Meets the Eye” – Cyborg and Beast Boy (Teen Titans Go) explore the world of virtual reality.
  • “Human Extremes” – Swamp Kid learns about three examples of ways humans adapt to extreme conditions.

The facts are predominant with only the loosest example of a “story” to fit around them. I found “Fast Tracks” the most engaging of the three. After Flash/Barry explains concepts like DNA and blood and hair evidence, readers are invited to test their skills on a simple crime. While the content was dense and detailed, the art work was complementary. And the facts were a perfect fit for who Barry is in his every day life. The “skills test,” while brief, made me feel like I was part of the conversation with the character. Alone I would have given this story 3 or 3.5 stars. The material might be too dense, or not a good fit, for kids who come to the book for the DC characters and for comic-like stories. But this one piece of the three I got to read would have the best chance of keeping even those kids who were expecting something else engaged with this.

The other two stories were not great. Reading them felt like I was being force-fed information I didn’t ask for. I identified with Beast Boy in the second story who only wanted to be left alone to play his VR game. He never asked to understand the technology behind virtual reality. If Robin had been the one droning on and on, I would have thought it was an attempt at humor. Anyone who has watched a few episodes of Teen Titans Go knows how he can be. But this was Cyborg, so it didn’t click for me. Readers who do want to know how VR works will find plenty to enjoy here, but kids who come for a fun Cyborg and Beast Boy story may be disappointed.

The third story included three facts that were barely connected by the theme and the fact that one character was present for all three parts. There was an attempt to put a story in where Swamp Kid and Swamp Thing team up to fight a wrong, but it was thin and unsatisfying.

While the Flash story felt information-heavy, I was on board for a whole book like that. There are other non-fiction graphic novel series like Science Comics and Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales that do a fantastic job melding the graphic novel format with the fact-based content in a way that grabs kids and draws them in. The format can work. And fun DC characters would have been a bonus if this had come together in a different way.

But the other two sample chapters turned me off from this. While it is quite possible that the other 7 stories are excellent, I am troubled that these three were chosen to publicize the book if there were other, better examples in the collection. I wish there had been a better integration of DC characters and engaging stories to go along with the science and technology content. As I said, the Flash story is an example of how that can be done in a way that makes sense.

I think kids who pick this up for the science and technology pieces will have the best chance of being satisfied. Those who see DC characters and a graphic novel format who pick this up expecting adventures for their favorite characters might be disappointed.

Rating: ♥♥*

*♥♥ = Finished but didn’t enjoy; issues

REVIEW: Virtual Unicorn Experience by Dana Simpson

REVIEW: Virtual Unicorn Experience by Dana Simpson

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

In the latest comics collection/graphic novel starring Phoebe and her best friend Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, Phoebe explores life without her phone, unicorn court, and the science museum. She also hangs out with Lord Splendid Humility and her human friends Max and Dakota. Phoebe also learns about unicorn self-esteem, the Unicorn Investigative Agency, and the cut throat world of unicorn theater. She even gets to enjoy having a unicorn tail for awhile.

This collection is full of sass and sarcasm, unicorns and laughs. I completely enjoyed this one! One moment I was heartbroken for Marigold, and then the next I was laughing with her. I loved the full range of topics and adventures the two protagonists have together. This is one of my favorite books in the whole series.

This is book 12 in this long-running series! You can see my reviews of some of the other books here. You’ll also see posts where I talk about what makes Marigold a “memorable protagonist” and why I put this series in my list of “Must Have Graphic Novels” for kids in 2018. Hand this book – and the whole series – to graphic novel fans, unicorn fans, and kids who love smart and sassy characters!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Slay by Brittney Morris

REVIEW: Slay by Brittney Morris

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Kiera Johnson may seem like a typical teen – high school senior, math tutor, gamer. But she’s also the creator of the video game SLAY. After a lifetime of experiences of being in the minority, including being one of four Black kids at her high school, Kiera wanted a place where she didn’t feel like an outsider. So she built the game.

She doesn’t want anyone to know she is the developer. She’s always on her guard, hiding the game from her family and friends. If he knew, her boyfriend would probably dissect SLAY to see if it is authentic enough, and that’s only if he could get past the idea that gaming is a distraction to keep Blacks from achieving all they can in the world. Her sister would probably antagonize everyone in the game with her questions and opinions about every little thing. In a way, even in the world she created to celebrate Blackness, Kiera can’t just be completely herself when it comes to SLAY.

Then a kid is killed over something that happened in the game. The whole world learns about SLAY. Kiera, as her character Emerald, is under fire as the developer for creating this “violent” place with “gangs” and other misconceptions from outsiders, both White and Black. Reporters are debating the “racist” nature of SLAY because only Blacks are invited to join. And Kiera’s being harassed inside her own game by a new player who wants to tear down everything she has built. How does a 17-year-old high school student stand up under a firestorm like this?

Review

“All I ever wanted to do was escape into this magical world where for once I don’t have to act a certain way because I’m Black, and where I don’t have to answer certain questions because I’m the Black authority in the room, and where if I do something that’s not stereotypically Black, I’m different…. I think I love SLAY so much because we’re a mutually empathetic collective. As we duel, as we chat, there’s an understanding that ‘your Black is not my Black,’ and ‘your weird is not my weird,’ and ‘your beautiful is not my beautiful,’ and that’s okay.” pg 108-109, e-book

Oh my goodness, I loved this book!! I decided to share these quotes because I thought only Kiera’s words would do when talking about why she built SLAY and what it meant to her. I adored Kiera. And I felt her longing for a place where being Black was celebrated and not debated, where she could shed the tightly controlled facade she maintained in ALL her face-to-face relationships. My favorite thread of this whole book is this idea of finding (or in Kiera’s case, creating) and defending a space where you can be yourself. And I think that became extra special because I loved Kiera and wanted that space to be safe for her.

The gaming pieces of this are cool! Nothing too technical for a non-coder or non-gamer like me. I loved how the uninitiated adults discovered the richness of Black history Kiera built into the game. The dueling style was also fantastic. I have no clue if a dueling-style VR game exists now, but I enjoyed the fictional game play. But really, the game is just a vehicle for telling a richer, deeper story.

While tragic, the murder that pulls SLAY into the public eye isn’t the main story either. Kiera wrestles with her responsibility as the game developer, but ultimately those questions take a back seat to the racial and discrimination questions that are more central to the story.

The obvious question at the center of Slay is is it racist for Black gamers to have their own game, their own forum, where White folks aren’t allowed? And I was happy to see there weren’t any easy answers offered to this question. Readers will have to wrestle with that on their own. But there were just as many hard, nuanced questions about the Black community from within their own ranks. And that was part of the magic of this book for me. It showed me questions I couldn’t possibly know to ask as a white person. And it let me learn and question and wrestle as I read. And I loved every minute of it. This was engrossing and engaging and something I won’t soon forget! (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++

REVIEW: Mr. Lemoncello's All-Star Breakout Game by Chris Grabenstein

REVIEW: Mr. Lemoncello’s All-Star Breakout Game by Chris Grabenstein

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Mr. Lemoncello is at it again. This time, his latest game is going to be televised on Kidzapalooza, a station “where kids rule.” It’s the station where Haley Daley’s TV show broadcasts.

Mr. Lemoncello has created a game where teams of kids enter fictional stories in motion capture suits and play out stories from different genres. Each story contains a puzzle to be solved. Solve 5 to get to the final puzzle to win the game and “breakout” from the Alexandriaville library.

Charles Chiltington is determined to beat Kyle Keeley once and for all. He puts together a crack team of 8th grade book fanatics to compete against Kyle and his 7th grade friends. But when the game gets started, all of the teams are in for some surprises!

Review

This was another fun Lemoncello adventure. There are tons of book references in this one, just like in earlier books. But specific books are not the focus of the game itself which gives this a little different “flavor” from the other books in the series.

Kyle and his friends are as delightful as ever. As usual, Kyle is a normal pre-teen – never perfect but always well-intentioned. And in this story he gets to experience some empathy-building tasks that help him grow as a hero for the series.

I was disappointed by some of the adults in this one – Kyle’s parents and the teachers who apparently buy the baloney Charles is still shoveling. As a teacher – and a parent – my “spidey-sense” would have been tingling at all the sucking up Charles does. Add in Charles’ behavior from the previous books, and there should be no adult outside Charles’ own family who would take him at his word. The author puts some effort into making Charles somewhat sympathetic, but I wasn’t buying it. Sure, he has some terrible influences at home, but Charles still makes the choice to be a bully and/or a cheat every time. And those choices are on him. Maybe it’s time for a new nemesis for Kyle to square up against.

Kids will love this new Lemoncello adventure. Character qualities, motivation, and empathy are great discussion topics for group reading.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

REVIEW: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

In 2018, when people dreamed of the future, most of them probably got it wrong. It’s no utopia. It’s still a system of haves and have-nots. And there are even more have-nots than ever before.

In 2045, Wade Watts is one of the have-nots. He’s essentially homeless. He can crash at his aunt’s crowded trailer, but if he does, she and her crappy boyfriend always take his stuff and try to sell it for money. Thankfully Wade has carved out a little man cave for himself in a pile of abandoned cars. It’s taken some time and a lot of ingenuity, but he has it set up so he has shelter from the elements, heat when it gets cold, and most importantly, he has access to the OASIS, a virtual utopia where most people spend their time. But even in the OASIS, Wade is a have-not. The only reason he can even access it is because of equipment he gets free through school. He’s low ranked with little power and even fewer resources. But all that could change if he could find Halliday’s hidden Easter Egg in OASIS.

James Halliday created OASIS. And when he died several years ago, he launched a contest for control of his company, his vast fortune and the OASIS. For years now, no one has been able to crack the riddle and find the first of three keys needed to find the egg. And everyone knows that whoever finds it first will be tracked by every egg hunter (“gunter”) in the world, not to mention the corporate bigwigs who want to take over the OASIS for their own profit. But it would be worth it to win.

Wade is about to find himself in the middle of the melee when the race to find Halliday’s egg finally kicks into gear. But he has no idea how high the stakes really are.

Review

Both my son and husband read this when it first came out, and they insisted I had to read it as one of my challenge books for this summer.  This book has been immensely popular. It’s been turned into a movie, and named one of the 100 Most-Loved Books by The Great American Read. I see the appeal. The world-building is excellent and extensive. The stakes are no joke, even for a contest in a virtual world. And the pop culture references are plentiful.

For me, this felt like an amped up, high tech version of The Westing Game at first. You have a rich guy leaving all his wealth to the person who can figure out a series of puzzles. The puzzles aren’t really intellectual pieces for the reader to solve like you might find in other books with a similar set up. Only the characters with extensive knowledge of Halliday and top level video gaming skills can solve them.

The characters are fascinating. Wade has immense skill – and luck. Pretty much every solution he comes up with works, from his hacking skills to his foresight to his gaming skills. I was surprised that there weren’t more glitches in his plans through the story. The roadblocks generally came from the actions of other characters rather than Wade’s plans falling apart. The gunters in Wade’s circle were interesting and the relationships between them were complicated. They were friendly, but ultimately competitors, which added to some interpersonal tension. Overall, this wasn’t a character-bonding book for me. I didn’t connect with any of them.

I struggled to stay engaged with this one. The world-building is incredibly detailed which means occasionally the story would veer off from the egg hunt to a tangent (or what felt like a tangent) as a means for elaborating on the world. Reading this felt like a slog for me at times – not the writing, which is good, but just the detail. I’m generally a fast reader, but I really had to take my time with this one because there were so many details. In the end, I enjoyed the book. I don’t know that I would read it again and don’t feel the need to see the movie, but I am glad I read this. It’s fun to finally be able to discuss it with my family. (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥