I am a gamer, although I did not start gaming until i was in my 20's in the early 2000s. This book takes place in the 1990s. It reminded me of Ready Player One which is one of my favorite books. I am not too sure what age group this would be for as it appears to be for middle school but then it could be YA or even adult. it may be one of those books that everyone can enjoy. If you like books about gaming, I would recommend reading this one!

Now you’re playing with power! The real Nintendo™ champion will be crowned. Let’s Play Money Making Game. $100,000. It’s a Secret to Everybody. Tell anyone and Game Over.

Dean Francis, 15-year-old Nintendo prodigy, receives the opportunity of a lifetime: To play in a mysterious tournament to win $100,000. He’ll have to use all of his gaming knowledge to solve clues leading to the details of the competition.

Meanwhile, James Michaels, rich entrepreneur, and Shozoku Ito, messenger for a wealthy Japanese investor, are the creators of the competition, which is actually a wager to determine whether American or Japanese Nintendo players are superior.

Not everyone is determined to play fair. Who will win the Money Making Game and $100,000... and what will be the cost for the losers—and the winners?

Level 1: Rise of Gamer by J.P. Hascall, a good read. Not quite what I was expecting, but very reminiscent of Ready Player One. I enjoyed it.

3.5 rating. I received a copy to review from Netgalley.

I really like books like Ready Player One by Ernest Cline were videogames play an important part in the story be it because you go into the game (Sword Art Online by Reki Kawahara) or where you just have to play it (Erebos by Ursula Poznanski)

I haven't found that many titles but I'm always on the lookout for them. When I saw the cover for Level 1: Rise of Gamer on Netgalley I just HAD to read the sinopsis because I had a feeling that it would have that videogaming element that I like so much.

I was pleasantly surprised about the fact that the story takes place in the early 90's. I never was a gamer but I did play a couple of the videogames mentioned in the book and every time Dean had to blow on one of the cartridges it made me smile with nostalgia. This really helped to get me into the story.

I would have prefered a little less day to day description because it got a little tiresome to be told every few minutes what he was listening or watching on t.v.

The only thing I'm a little confused about is the target audience. When I saw the cover I immediatly thought "Middle Grade"; the prologue tipped me off that it would be for an older audience and it mostly felt YA but at the end, with those last chapters... I don't know. I guess I´ll wait for the next book in the series to make a decision.

Although this is not my usual genre of books, I was pleasantly surprised by this story!

Suspense and excitement abound in a gamer's tournament. The stakes are high - and not only for the money...

Dean is taken on an adventure of finding clues in games in order to complete a puzzle. If he wins, he will go to a special tournament. The reader follows Dean, Michaels and Ito - the last two having VERY high stakes on the competition...

A great read!!!

Many Thanks to Concierge Marketing, Inc. , JPH Inkslinger and NetGalley for an absolutely fun and interesting ride.