Scan barcode
jerseygirl_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Racism
allisonwonderlandreads's review
2.0
Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for sending me this copy to review! Sadly, DNF @ 33%.
The future world Kluwe envisions includes a flooded landscape (thanks, global warming) with no anonymity online (hello, censorship), one where pro gamers are the new pro athletes and Florida is ruled by a theocracy. Sounds fun, right?
Let's start by saying Otaku is a book about gaming that is probably best enjoyed by gamers. The first chapter is a wash of lingo that fits the scenario. If you're familiar with rpgs, it's as easy to follow as clicking "load game" on a home screen, but if not, you're left afloat without a tutorial. For me, it felt natural and added credibility to the environment. Gamers talk a certain way, after all.
However, the same overwhelming approach is taken to introducing the world, and I found this less forgivable since anyone reading is a newbie to this possible future world. Country names, technologies, and slang inundate the writing as if I should be able to follow along. World history and social context comes via info dump disguised as conversation four chapters in.
The main character is Ashley, known online as Ashura, the best gamer (called an otaku) out there and a general badass black woman. While I appreciate the direct and appropriately angry discussion of the stigmas and discrimination she faces in the game and in the real world, it comes across as wooden in the writing rather than the living, breathing nightmare it represents.
I also have to say that the violence against women in this book was astounding and at times, triggering. I'm talking all kinds: physical, sexual, and graphically verbal. The stilted, shallow telling of these events I suspect to originate with the fact that the author does not share the identity markers of the character who is being attacked and lacks the necessary emotional connection with the situations to do it justice.
The future world Kluwe envisions includes a flooded landscape (thanks, global warming) with no anonymity online (hello, censorship), one where pro gamers are the new pro athletes and Florida is ruled by a theocracy. Sounds fun, right?
Let's start by saying Otaku is a book about gaming that is probably best enjoyed by gamers. The first chapter is a wash of lingo that fits the scenario. If you're familiar with rpgs, it's as easy to follow as clicking "load game" on a home screen, but if not, you're left afloat without a tutorial. For me, it felt natural and added credibility to the environment. Gamers talk a certain way, after all.
However, the same overwhelming approach is taken to introducing the world, and I found this less forgivable since anyone reading is a newbie to this possible future world. Country names, technologies, and slang inundate the writing as if I should be able to follow along. World history and social context comes via info dump disguised as conversation four chapters in.
The main character is Ashley, known online as Ashura, the best gamer (called an otaku) out there and a general badass black woman. While I appreciate the direct and appropriately angry discussion of the stigmas and discrimination she faces in the game and in the real world, it comes across as wooden in the writing rather than the living, breathing nightmare it represents.
I also have to say that the violence against women in this book was astounding and at times, triggering. I'm talking all kinds: physical, sexual, and graphically verbal. The stilted, shallow telling of these events I suspect to originate with the fact that the author does not share the identity markers of the character who is being attacked and lacks the necessary emotional connection with the situations to do it justice.
jayurick's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
amandakh's review against another edition
3.0
Loved the take down of misogyny in tech spaces. The moments of character development and game scenarios were great. Ended up being more description of military and combat than I liked but good story overall.
lisad's review against another edition
4.0
I really thought this was a very unique story that is unlike anything I've read recently. The gaming and VR aspects of this story is really something I know nothing about, but it kept my interest for the whole time and I wanted to know more. The writing was also very good, with a knack for evoking a very physical feeling with the descriptions that made me feel like I was there in person, seeing and feeling all of it. So well done on that point. If I have one teeny tiny complaint, there is a lot of jargon in the book that I didn't understand, but it wasn't enough to make me stop reading or not understand what was going on. I think this is a great one for anybody who likes things along the lines of Ready Player One.
librarianryan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Otaku is a Japanese word for someone to whom fandom is life. They live their fandom day to day, in and out. It is everything, so much so that it can damage and even eradicate their social life. And it’s the perfect title for this book. Take Ready Player one, and mix it with Warcross and you get this book. The game is life. Most people play and even work within the game. Most everyone is in Candyland, but only the best can climb the ladder for all the fame and glory. However in future Florida (now called the Southern Protectorate) where society is based on religious rules, being a woman is somehow less than being a man, and being a woman at the top of the leader boards makes you target for those who want you put in your place. But the game is really just training missions to make better soldiers, and only the best can take over the world. Overall I really enjoyed this read. The ending was totally predictable, but the ride to get there was fun. I loved the kick ass females. I loved all the diversity, it didn’t feel forced. However, I wish it was more prominent that the lead was Black. It was almost buried and easily skipped over. You can not tell from the cover that the character is Black, and with an Asian world title it would not have been an easy guess. Other than that, no complaints. A fun escape read.
ronald's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
bit of a disappointment. Feels like it borrows a lot from a handful of similar books, specifically Ender's Game.
gregbutera's review against another edition
4.0
Yes this book has some of the flavor of the super talented warrior like in Ender’s Game and some of the geek culture from Ready Player One as other reviews have mentioned. But I think the most effective sections are during the sections outlining the Game being played whether it is in a boss battle watched by millions or just the daily missions that the players have to complete for maintaining their ranking. The author does a good job describing the feel of a professional Twitch stream of people playing a video game,and why people would want to watch it. The book also effectively highlights the threats and verbal abuse that women in the public eye have to endure online and in the gaming world. Is Ash a little too perfect, too successful? Yeah, she is. But storybook heroes often are. I found the storyline gripping and I read it in a day.
tundragirl's review against another edition
4.0
It's clear that Chris Kluwe is a gamer, but with this debut novel he also proves that he's done his SF homework. I really enjoyed this (maybe not as much as I liked Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies, but that's a horse of an entirely different feather).
More...