03 April, 2014

Review: Backwards Compatible: A Geek Love Story by Sarah Daltry and Pete Clark

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GoodReads Summary:

A YA Gamer Geek Comedy in the vein of Scott Pilgrim andNick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Ideal for fans of The Big Bang Theory, The Guild, and all things Joss Whedon.

WARNING: There is no sex in this book. Your Kindle or other device will remain at a pleasant room temperature. At no point will your panties drop. Your significant other will be allowed to snore in peace as you read. You may, however, laugh yourself out of commission.


Not too long ago, in a town that, depending on your current location, is either not super far or actually quite close... (insert Star Wars theme music here...)

It is a time of chaotic hormones. 

Two nerdy gents home for winter break have discovered a female gamer at a midnight release.

During the break, the gamer trio manages to reveal the game's secret boss, a hidden enemy with enough power to destroy anything in its path.

Pursued by other gamers who want to be the first to beat this boss, George and Katie race to level up, and, in so doing, restore decency and sexual activity to their personal galaxy...

Review:

Series: N/A
Release Date: 8 December, 2013
Publisher:  SDE Press
Purchase: Amazon
ISBN: 1494430576
Edition: Kindle
Rating: 
Review Written: 1 April, 2014


Geek stories are always a wary thing for me. They can either swing one of two ways, extremely good or extremely cheesy and awful. Thankfully Backwards Compatible fell into the first category. 

Meet George and Katie, two gamers who happen to have a fate meeting when they both turn up at their local game shop for the midnight release of a very popular video game. A few snarky comments, a fight between the pair over the last copy of the game at the store, and Katie ends up owing George the price of the game after he hands over the copy he's bought. Thus begins the epic saga of their love of video games and eventually, each other.

After trading handles for online gaming together, Katie and George find themselves swept up into an epic battle that consumes them for nearly a week of their Winter Break from college. Add in a snotty hipster know-it-all, a lanky best friend, and a handful of other gaming stereotypes, and you have a party that is hardly destined for greatness. 

Switching between the view points of Katie and George, readers get a full inside look into the mindset of a twenty-something gamer of either gender. I found that this story often had me laughing at how ridiculously horrible the cliche they were poking fun at were, and how true some of the things were. As a gamer myself, I could relate to Katie's lack of any social graces that would benefit in having a relationship, as well as her lack of understanding the need for gossip. 

All in all, this story was a cute little book for anyone wanting comedy or wanting something that fits into the niche of video games and geeks.

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