Do you ever go into a book thinking, hey this will be a cute and fluffy, possibly humorous read that I'm happy to spend my time with and then come out of it wondering what the heck you were just tricked into reading and why you didn't DNF on chapter two? Well, that's how I feel about The Gamer's Guide to Getting the Girl by Kristine Scarrow. I think it's fair of me to say that I had some expectations going into this novel based solely on its title and forgive me now or stop reading if you'd like because I don't think I can write this review without spoilers. I was expecting an adorable little nerd romance that actually spent some time getting to know the characters who were in the damn ship, but instead what I got was an incredibly dull and boring book about a group of people trapped inside a mall during a storm. Where was the nerd romance? Replaced by a somewhat bratty kid trying to look like a hero for a girl by...helping everyone else but her while his best friend spends all his time with her off page and yet...somehow...the feelings develop between the two who almost never talk? I already can't even with this book and that's not even the worst part of it.

So, our story begins with two nerdy friends, Zach and Cooper, in a game store playing demos that they don't have the money to buy. Cue pretty girl, Samara, walking by and our narrator, Zach, gets all excited, basically blows his introduction with her, and then everyone leaves because the mall is closing. Next thing you know they can't leave because suddenly the underground parking garage has flooded from something breaking during the storm and so the security guards all try to keep the small group of late mall-goers in the mall until the storm dies down, I guess? Meanwhile there are a bunch of side plots that aren't given the page time to keep your interest, but basically, someone's wife is having a baby, mum with the baby runs out of diapers, and there's an attempted jewelry store robbery. And I'm not saying that none of these things should be less important than "the gamer getting the girl," but since when was this story supposed to be about everything else but the gamer getting the girl? That's not why I picked this book up and that's not the story I was looking to read.

But fine, here we are with a boring book that follows a nerdy boy doing everything but talking to the girl he supposedly likes and then grumping about to himself when he thinks that she likes his best friend because his best friend is actually paying attention to her. And I just can't believe we're meant to like the narrator when he spends all of his time acting all grouchy about helping the people he's helping because he's not getting to spend time with this girl he just met but who is apparently the girl of his dreams. But let's move on.

The end of the book is a disaster, complete with a rather ridiculous side plot for Samara's apparently drug-addicted mother with a nasty boyfriend whom she is apparently trying to run away from and then the insanely unrealistic and rushed cookie-cutter resolution to the problem, a rather dumb hero moment that results in an injury, and, you guessed it, the gamer getting the girl. Honestly, I just can't. This wasn't the book I wanted and, frankly, the writing really just wasn't great. I could potentially see this as a good book to get non-readers reading, but other than that? I'll pass.

This was a cute story. I'm from Oklahoma and was very interested in seeing how the tornado stuff went down. Ultimately it wasnt bad, but it wasnt game changing either.

The story is very basic. The hero is good at everything, and theres only a little emotional conflict within. I think this makes it perfect for the younger side of the young adult audience, an area that is lacking. I would recommend for that age group specifically. The writing is easy to follow and exciting, but with a juvenile voice. I think the book does fill a gap in that area and I would recommend it for anyone as young as seventh grade and up through high school.

** I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. **
I’m a bit conflicted about this book. I live in tornado alley. I was interested in seeing how a “romance” might begin in the midst of an emergency.
Zach seems like a sweet guy. He seems to know a little about a lot of things. The problem is that he is the hero of damn near everything. He steps in with a baby, a robbery, a medical emergency, a penicillin attack, and several other situations.
Samara seems to be a plot device instead of a person. She’s the love interest but also a potential problem between friends . The family drama was a bit much for the time frame.
Cooper is just the standard side kick. He’s sweet but doesn’t really have anything to add to the story.
It is not a terrible story. The chapter headings are interesting.
For me, this book is meh. I don’t think I’ll remember much about it but I can see others might like it.

Thank you NetGalley and Dundurn for this e-arc of The Gamer’s Guide to Getting the Girl.

What drew me to this book was the title. My husband and young son are gamers. I dabble slightly in gaming when my son needs someone to game with. So I requested this book because I thought the story of this gamer boy trying to get a girl would be cute and funny.

The story is well written, there are no problems there, but I felt there was a lack of connection between Zach, our gamer, and Samara, the girl he’s trying to get. The references to video games I knew was fun and made me smile. The author took Zach’s love of gaming and put him into a real life challenging situation, to test his real life skills.

So Zach sees a girl, Samara, in the video game store and is stunned that she’s beautiful and is a gamer as well. It’s insta-love, but he just doesn’t seem to know how to approach her and connect to her, he sort of tries. Then a storm locks them and a few others in the mall. The rest of the story deals with keeping people safe, fed, happy and under control. Zach steps up to the plate and helps with all of this – he is a great guy, but does Samara notice him? It’s easy to say from all of Zach’s actions in this book he’s an all around good guy. He cares about people, he wants to save lives, he’s level-headed and smart.

It’s a crazy time to fall in love – during a storm and tornado watch! I really didn’t see how Samara was secretly crushing on him at all during the whole event. She was always upset and walking off after talking with Zach. And I don’t think Zach was doing much to get the girl at all. He was infatuated with her, for sure, but doing enough to get to know her? I didn’t feel it until much later in the book. Like his friend Cooper pointed out, Zach was busy helping everyone else. Cooper knew her much better than Zach did!

It was a fast read, with good writing and a great cast of secondary characters. I just wish there was a bit more build up to the romance and seeing Zach put more effort into really getting the girl.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. If you're looking for a quick super cute contemporary then this is the book for you. This is one of the first contemporary books I’ve read about a natural disaster going on. I thought the idea of this book was super interesting but it does have some issues. But they aren’t too hard to over look. Zach is an adorable character who just wants to impress the only girl he’s meet who’s into video games. Warning this book has some insta love.

I loved the survival aspect of this book and how the reader is kept on the edge of their seats. Wondering if they will survive through the tornado and flooding.

I’m not for sure how accurate the science is in this book dealing with the tornado and rain but I feel like the author did a good job with coming up with realistic stuff that people probably wouldn’t think about. Like the toilets overflowing with well you know…

The author does a good job making you connect with all the characters, you end up caring for them and worrying about their safety.

I just had an issue with the romance but that was about it. It wasn’t my favorite book but it wasn’t bad. It would make a great quick read.

I loved the way this book is organized. You think it's going to be like a how to book, and each chapter is a tip on how to get the girl. But it really is just a "post-apocalyptic" style story (but not really cuz it's just a storm, the world isn't ending...or is it?)

It really felt like I was watching someone play a video game and I appreciated the references as well as the explanation for those I didn't have an idea about. It never talks down to you but is also an easy read for both adults and teens.

I love books about community and how they start. This one is kind of in that genre, where a group of people come together to solve a problem. In this case, surviving the storm, among other things.

I was given a copy of this book in advance of release for review purposes.

I enjoyed the book and really liked it. Waiting to hear more from the author. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.

I enjoyed this book but it definitely wasn’t what I was expecting. I loved the secondary characters like George, Valerie, Ira, Peter and Mildred but found Zach the main character unbearable at times. I enjoyed his interaction with the secondary characters I just mentioned but when it comes to his main love interest, Samara, and his best friend Cooper his jealousy was honestly annoying to read about. I loved the gaming references and wish there were more. I also enjoyed the survival plot line and waiting out the tornado. Overall, it was an enjoyable read but I did have a few things I didn’t care for.

I picked this book because I was looking for something easy to read for my 12-year old son. When I started to read it I just couldn’t stop until I finished it. The story was cute and fast paste with some good advices for the boys how to get a girl attention. Of course, my son is a gamer too, so he really liked that connection with the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love survival stories and even more so those of the innocent YA variety. That being said, this book was a bit shallow in characterization and everything happened a bit too quickly. It could have been fleshed out a bit more. If a teenager is looking for a quick read they would probably like this book, just not for me. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC.

1.5/5 Stars

To start this review, I want to clarify that I didn’t hate this book. For the most part, I enjoyed reading and found it a quick book to get through. However, my enjoyment of the book ends there. I do believe that a lot of people could enjoy this book. It just so happens that I am not one of them.

The premise is one I was actually really excited for. I was happy to read about a geeky guy trying to win the affections of a girl while in this wacky mall scenario. Unfortunately, that was overshadowed by the storm. The major plot point of this novel is that a tornado is in town and leaves a group of misfits trapped in a mall. In the novel, the tornado sends everything into chaos, and I think that chaos is mirrored in the plot and writing.

Despite being labeled as young adult, I’d say it falls more into the middle grade category. The plot is loosely held together by far too convenient plot devices, the characters are far too self-conscious, the writing is telling and not showing, and the title is very misleading.

Zach, the main character, is a teenager who spends the whole book helping other people and whining that a girl isn’t giving him attention when he barely even talks to her. Never mind the fact that all of the other characters treat him like a savior who is far more competent than the several adults in the group.

Sure, Zach’s story arc falls in line with a basic zero to hero stereotype, but it doesn’t quite hit the mark. He never has much character development. He spends the whole novel helping others and yet learns nothing from the situation. People tell him to jump and he jumps, not stopping to think why - that is unless it will give him a personal gain.

Getting back to the plot, there is a difference between an engaging plot that plants intriguing solutions verse taking the easy way out of a situation. For example, having a surf shop at a mall in a landlocked location. Of course sometimes you can get backed into a corner while writing, but the interesting and best parts of the story are the round-about ways to resolve the situation. In this novel, the solutions were more often than not far too convenient and disinteresting.

Overall, the writing in general was my biggest issue with this novel. I felt like there were so many interesting things that could have happened, but instead everything ended in the most boring, cheesy way possible. There was insta-love, no character development, and little to no plot.

Honestly, if I was handed this novel and asked to read it blind I would have thought it was a poorly written fan fiction by a twelve year old. I really do wish I liked this book, but I had more fun laughing and making fun of it than I actually did reading it. It may be a far too cheesy and fluffy read for me, but I’m sure this book will be loved by others.

i was interested in this book because I loved the idea of a novel told in survival gam mode. It's set in a Canadian town where mall stragglers are locked in the mall during a tornado and have to figure out how to survive possible flooding, plumbing issues and rogue victims. Zach, the male mc, immediately falls in love (and by immediately I mean IMMEDIATELY) with a girl he sees at a video game store him and his friend frequent.

The idea of a the story was interested but I felt that it wasn't properly executed in a way that would live up to the title and the book description. Yes, the novel is about a gamer getting the girl but a lot of the "tips" didn't relate to gaming much. Zach was your typical boy gamer, completely amazed that girls game too, which was quickly shut down by the love interest, Samara.

I would have enjoyed this book a little more if the main character didn't spend so much time lamenting a love lost that wasn't his love in the first place and if the mall situation felt more realistic.

It started as a cute story but with time turns so dull, I didn't feel connected to any character. A disappointing read.

I loved this book from the very first page until the very last sentence. The protagonist Zach, was an amazing character all the way around. I loved the storyline and the fact I felt my heart breaking with theirs or being put back together with theirs. I felt as if I was with the characters every step of the way. That’s when you know a novel has been written to someone’s best ability! I one hundred percent recommend this book to anybody of any age.

I was really excited about the premise of this book - nerd romance in a survivalist setting where experience of video games translates to real life. Really, it is my dream plot. However, I don't think this book is what I expected.

The characters aren't particularly engaging. We're told what Zach is like -- a nerd who is supposed to be socially awkward because of an unconvincing back-story to do with basketball. But we're never actually shown him being socially awkward. We're told that Cooper fits in with everyone and is outgoing, but never shown. Samara says a few things about Zelda and is suddenly the love of Zach's life with no proper character build-up of either party. On the whole it feels a little unconvincing for a teen novel.

I like that kindness is considered a virtue throughout, but it also never really feels like anything is at stake. And for a story that's set during a tornado, that's kind of a let-down.

I do think the main issue could simply be that this is not a Teen/YA book. It feels like it belongs more in the 9-12 section along with titles like Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I think if I had read it under that category it would have got a couple more stars. I don't think the issues addressed and characters are challenging enough for teen readers, but this might be a good bridge between children's and teen. Tween we could say.

Do you ever go into a book thinking, hey this will be a cute and fluffy, possibly humorous read that I'm happy to spend my time with and then come out of it wondering what the heck you were just tricked into reading and why you didn't DNF on chapter two? Well, that's how I feel about <i>The Gamer's Guide to Getting the Girl</i> by Kristine Scarrow. I think it's fair of me to say that I had some expectations going into this novel based solely on its title and forgive me now or stop reading if you'd like because I don't think I can write this review without <b>spoilers</b>. I was expecting an adorable little nerd romance that actually spent some time getting to know the characters who were <i>in</i> the damn ship, but instead what I got was an incredibly dull and boring book about a group of people trapped inside a mall during a storm. Where was the nerd romance? Replaced by a somewhat bratty kid trying to look like a hero for a girl by...helping everyone else but her while his best friend spends all his time with her off page and yet...somehow...the feelings develop between the two who almost never talk? I already can't even with this book and that's not even the worst part of it.

So, our story begins with two nerdy friends, Zach and Cooper, in a game store playing demos that they don't have the money to buy. Cue pretty girl, Samara, walking by and our narrator, Zach, gets all excited, basically blows his introduction with her, and then everyone leaves because the mall is closing. Next thing you know they can't leave because suddenly the underground parking garage has flooded from something breaking during the storm and so the security guards all try to keep the small group of late mall-goers in the mall until the storm dies down, I guess? Meanwhile there are a bunch of side plots that aren't given the page time to keep your interest, but basically, someone's wife is having a baby, mum with the baby runs out of diapers, and there's an attempted jewelry store robbery. And I'm not saying that none of these things should be less important than "the gamer getting the girl," but since when was this story supposed to be about everything else <em>but</em> the gamer getting the girl? That's not why I picked this book up and that's not the story I was looking to read.

But fine, here we are with a boring book that follows a nerdy boy doing everything but talking to the girl he supposedly likes and then grumping about to himself when he thinks that she likes his best friend because his best friend is actually paying attention to her. And I just can't believe we're meant to like the narrator when he spends all of his time acting all grouchy about helping the people he's helping because he's not getting to spend time with this girl he just met but who is apparently the girl of his dreams. But let's move on.

The end of the book is a disaster, complete with a rather ridiculous side plot for Samara's apparently drug-addicted mother with a nasty boyfriend whom she is apparently trying to run away from and then the insanely unrealistic and rushed cookie-cutter resolution to the problem, a rather dumb hero moment that results in an injury, and, you guessed it, the gamer getting the girl. Honestly, I just can't. This wasn't the book I wanted and, frankly, the writing really just wasn't great. I could potentially see this as a good book to get non-readers reading, but other than that? I'll pass.

<i>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

ARC provided through netgalley

Overall rating- 3

I loved the gamer references and lingo used in this story. Overall it was an enjoyable read but I felt like the story was rushed and we got that instalove. Im all for nerdy gamer love stories but this one fell a bit short for me. However, this is still something I'd consider an enjoyable read!

This was a very easy to read book; easy to get caught up in the story and easy to finish. But, it felt more like a children’s novel. Maybe for tweens? Definitely not for high schoolers; my older junior high nieces and nephews might enjoy the story, but would also find it a bit too easy.

I should mention that I love nerd books and nerd romances, but this one didn’t really feel that nerdy; it was more a “I can do more than I thought I could” take where they just happens to throw in some token video game stuff. Not real nerd or gamer stuff.

Real Rating: 3.75 ⭐
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
Short Summary:
Zack, a gamer, and his best friend, Cooper, are stuck in the mall after a tornado blows through their city and knocks down a bridge. Before that happens however, Zack sees the prettiest girl he's ever laid eyes on insert sappy music here . Obviously, he needs to chase after her, so he makes a fool out of himself by making a few misogynistic comments. Samara being the strong and independent young woman she is, rejects him. The rest of the book is basically how Zach "gets" the girl while playing hero to save the rest of the people in the mall during the tornado.

Opinion:
Being a gamer myself, I really enjoyed the subtle references to several games including Zelda!
Anyways, the cute, slightly-geeky romance between Zach and Samara was sweet, but it seemed all rushed. While it was wonderful, it was slightly over-the-top when Zach sees this girl he's met for the first time, and instantly falls in love. Maybe I'm just a pessimist. I don't know. The characters like Cooper could have been developed a bit better, in my opinion. The structure was nice, with the chapters being different rules. It honestly gave me major Allie Finkle's Rules For Girls vibes.

Congratulations to the author on the innovative topic and the praise of kindness! 'The Gamer's Guide to Getting the Girl' is a book about love and friendship but finally it's completely different than so many other books capturing the same topic. Here a bunch of strangers is trapped in a shopping mall during a tornado. Zach as one of main characters meets Samara a girl of his dreams just minutes before one of the greatest natural disasters hits the mall. While trying to stay safe people deal with fear, injuries. basic survival needs but most of all human relations. People are all different but when we care and when we act together with are capable of great things. Zach not only finds a girl, he also realises that he wants to be a doctor in the future, and that his friend Cooper is one of the best people he knows. Nothing gets people closer together than very dangerous circumstances. I highly recommend!