A review by kari_f
Homerooms and Hall Passes by Tom O'Donnell

4.0

“Though none knew who had created it, Homerooms & Hall Passes was an enormously popular game in the Realm of Bríandalör. Some played the game to win (though that wasn’t really the point). Others saw it as a chance to socialize with friends while eating piles of unhealthy snacks. Many enjoyed playing an H&H character who was vastly different from themselves, while just as many opted to play ones who represented themselves exactly. The basic appeal of the game was that it allowed the players to inhabit—if only in their collective imagination—a strange fantasy world that bore only a passing resemblance to reality.”

This book was utterly delightful! A merry band of young rogues is swept away into the world of the role-playing game they enjoy every week, and they have to put all of their efforts into surviving the rigors of suburban middle school. There’s humor, adventure, friendship, and shenanigans along the way, and I loved every one of the main characters! 

I highly recommend this for nerdy middle graders and adults alike, especially if you’re a role-playing D&D sort of person.