I played World of Warcraft for some time and so this story brings back memories of that for me. I always knew what gold farmers were, but never really gave much thought about WHO they were. This story opened my eyes to that part of it.

I loved how Anda was shown as a girl who is highly intelligent when it comes to computer software. That is still a field that not many women are in. But I also liked how it showed her "girly" emotional side as well when she starts to care for Raymond's plight.

The graphics are pretty good this time around as well. (I also have read The Prince and the Dressmaker which was also done by Jen Wang and do like these better.)

Over all I gave this a 4 star rating for the realistic look at what other cultures face and how the little things can do big stuff in helping others.

I like it because I can finish the book in single sitting. The main theme of the story is intense so I was expecting something heavy on the plot, but there's none. It is probably one of the best book with moral and good message for children/teenager on how the Internet should be used wisely alongside with parents/adult supervision.

I liked this book because the main character is somewhat relatable. The idea that we are one way online and live our lives another way is very relevant. I also think that the idea of not knowing the struggles of another person's situation is important too. The lines between good/bad and right/wrong can blur when situations are not black and white. Great art and story.

This is a gorgeously illustrated graphic novel that touches on some very real issues. I devoured this graphic novel. The bright and colorful panels drew me in. The story itself was illuminating as it touches on the issue of cheating gaming systems by using a "farm" of people who work for low wages and in poor conditions.

Overall, this is a great graphic novel and I definitely recommend it.
I received this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I like Doctorow's books. He usually has a message about the cyber world that is interesting and relevant for young people. However I was not a fan of the Hollywood ending.

Really interesting way to bring awareness to economic injustices in a truly relatable and relevant way. The illustrations are great and allow the reader to get a true sense of the story and its characters. Using video games as the medium for exploring this subject, as well as that of self validation and identification allows all avenues to be drawn to and interested in this work.

A great look into the world of gaming, and the lures it can lead to with a teenager...as well as the money side of online gaming industry. The lessons the young girl learned...and the strength she showed was great. I'd definitely like my girls to read this before they get into gaming...which they are heading toward.

This was beautiful and charming. I loved the art style and the story! (How dare something so short give me so many emotions.)

Qual è la "vita vera" di Anda? quella in cui è una solitaria ragazzina sovrappeso, brillante nella programmazione ma altrimenti del tutto normale, o quella in cui è una delle migliori giocatrici di Coarsgold Online, il popolarissimo multiplayer in cui tutti la conoscono e la ammirano?

E qual è quella di Raymond poverissimo ragazzino cinese, che lavora su Coarsegold predandone le risorse su commissione di un'azienda, mantenendosi così in una situazione di sopravvivenza - ma, appunto, riuscendo a vivere?

E cosa succede quando le due realtà collidono, e Anda si rende conto, grazie a Raymond, che quello che succede online può influenzare la realtà e viceversa, e che i soli pericoli non sono le creature fantastiche che popolano i vari livelli del gioco?

Gradevole riflessione sulla realtà virtuale e i rapporti che si creano fra i giocatori, Real life è anche una riflessione sull'economia dietro la rete, e sulla vita in Paesi privi delle tutele ottenute in Occidente in decenni di lotte. 

Gradevole graficamente, la graphic novel soffre forse di un'eccessiva semplificazione delle problematiche, ma può comunque essere un buon punto di partenza per approfondime e discussioni sul corretto utilizzo della Rete e su realtà distanti dalla nostra.

I received a copy of this graphic novel from net galley in exchange for an honest review. I am not a gamer, but I have always enjoyed Cory Doctorow's books, so I decided to give a graphic novel a chance which is totally out of the norm for me. Overall, it was a fast moving cute story with a strong young woman as the main character. the illustrations were gorgeous and I really enjoyed the graphic format of the book.

However, I found it to be much too short and predictable. There was not much substance to the novel.

I didn't realize this was a graphic novel when I requested this, but that didn't stop me from loving it just the same!
As a gamer, I really connected to this story. I love PC gaming, and it's important to remember that not everyone is who they say they are when it comes to the online world.
I love that the main character felt the pain within the gold farmer, and stuck it out to help him through his troubles. She found it was worth it in the end!
A great read and I definitely plan on picking up a physical copy!

A nice easy read for people who love gaming, especially those who play MMORPGs and have knowledge of the gaming world. This covered a lot about gaming in the real world, how people are not as they seem on the internet. It covers different cultures, gaming gold vs real money, internet bullying, hours spent gaming, real life verses online life. It was an interesting read but not a gripping story, although I did end up caring for the characters.

Great story that will speak volumes with MMORPG gamers around the world. No longer will I be frustrated by Gold Sellers and spammers after reading this heartfelt story.

After having this book on my "to-read" list for some time now, I immediately requested it when I saw it was available for review on NetGalley.

IN REAL LIFE is one of those books that is about something that has become so important in recent years following the Gamer-gate stuff. While I didn't particularly care for the artwork most of the time, I did like the fact that the book celebrated gamer girls and tackled the subject of bullying. However, I had to dock one star because I didn't care for how the relationship between Anda and Raymond was handled. (For me, Raymond wasn't a fully developed character, which was unfortunate; he seemed more like a story device.)

I should note that while I didn't particularly care for the artwork in the beginning, the design of the story when in the game are absolutely stunning. The colors pop and create this vivid online world. It's outside of the game when I felt the artwork suffered.

All in all, IN REAL LIFE is a positive story that deserves to be read.

This is a great graphic novel about reality vs online gaming.. And globalization too.

As always, Cory Doctorow is great. The artwork is lovely and complements his writing very nicely. The feminist message in this book made me cheer, but there's some white savior stuff going on here that makes me a little uncomfortable. I know a lot of girl gamers who will just love this, though. I can definitely foresee using this as a MS/HS book club book, for sure...lots of discussion jumping off points.