In Real Life by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang

Title: In Real Life
Author: Cory Doctorow
Illustrator: Jen Wang
Publisher: First Second
Publication date: October 14, 2014
Pages: 175
Source/format: Paperback//Library

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Anda loves Coarsegold Online, the massively-multiplayer role-playing game where she spends most of her free time. It's a place where she can be a leader, a fighter, a hero. It's a place where she can meet people from all over the world, and make friends.

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.

From acclaimed teen author (Little Brother, For the Win) and Boing Boing editor Cory Doctorow and Koko Be Good creator Jen Wang, In Real Life is a perceptive and high-stakes look at adolescence, gaming, poverty, and culture clash.

M Y  T H O U G H T S

In Real Life is so much more than video games and LARPing. It's about female empowerment, human rights and doing the right thing.

When Anda's class has a lady named Liza visit to introduce students to a multiplayer online game called Coarsegold Online, Anda jumps on the opportunity to connect with other girls online. She convinced her mother to let her sign up at a $12 monthly cost. Anda's avatar leveled up quickly and she joins Clan Fahrenheit that is lead by Lucy aka Sarge. Through one of the missions, Anda meets Raymond, a 16-year-old Chinese boy, who is a gold farmer. However, Anda finds out that Raymond's real job is to gold farm in order to make a living. He is exploited. Through Raymond's friends and Anda's Fahrenheit guild, she is able to start a movement to prevent bullying and for everyone to access equal human rights.

Jen Wang illustrated the cover perfectly. On the left, we have Anda in her real-life persona while on the right we have her Coarsegold Online alter ego, Kalidestroyer. With engaging illustrations and a diverse character cast, I am excited to see more from Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang. In Real Life is captivating and the plot and illustrations draw readers in.

In Real Life discusses video games, politics and economics through sequential art. This graphic novel would be a great addition to read class regarding injustices around the world economically. Online gaming isn't just for the rich who can afford to pay a monthly fee. In fact, online gaming can hide so much more. It really makes you think about what is underneath the surface. Everything isn't what appears to be.