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A review by manwithanagenda
Homerooms and Hall Passes by Tom O'Donnell
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The everyday world of dungeon delving, trap-springing, horde-looting, and lich-foiling can get a little wearying after awhile. That's why the game of Homerooms & Hall Passes has gained so much of a following in Bríandalör.
Once a week, despite the constant interruptions of mysterious strangers waving maps and villagers troubled by marauding beasts, a party of young adventurers gets together for an evening of H&H. If only for a brief time they can pretend to be middle schoolers vying to get into the right clique or extra-curricular instead of being 11 year old warriors and dungeon-crawlers. It means hours of dice-rolling, salty snacks and a bit of healthy (and SOCIAL! It really is social!) escapism.
This is a very funny fish-out-of-water story where a party of adventurers fall under a curse and get transported to the "fictional" world of their favorite role-playing game. Suddenly the paladin, wizard, barbarian, ranger and thief have to navigate the turmoil of middle school: passing algebra and creative writing, doing the school announcements, making friends, and, quite possibly, saving the world again. Let's hope they don't blow it.
The book works on a few levels, but I wish O'Donnell had gone for a few more jokes n' tropes that surround D&D culture. There were a few times where he held back from a joke or pun when he should have just gone for it. At its heart this is a book about true friendship and being yourself, which is nice, too.
Once a week, despite the constant interruptions of mysterious strangers waving maps and villagers troubled by marauding beasts, a party of young adventurers gets together for an evening of H&H. If only for a brief time they can pretend to be middle schoolers vying to get into the right clique or extra-curricular instead of being 11 year old warriors and dungeon-crawlers. It means hours of dice-rolling, salty snacks and a bit of healthy (and SOCIAL! It really is social!) escapism.
This is a very funny fish-out-of-water story where a party of adventurers fall under a curse and get transported to the "fictional" world of their favorite role-playing game. Suddenly the paladin, wizard, barbarian, ranger and thief have to navigate the turmoil of middle school: passing algebra and creative writing, doing the school announcements, making friends, and, quite possibly, saving the world again. Let's hope they don't blow it.
The book works on a few levels, but I wish O'Donnell had gone for a few more jokes n' tropes that surround D&D culture. There were a few times where he held back from a joke or pun when he should have just gone for it. At its heart this is a book about true friendship and being yourself, which is nice, too.