More Reviews

Since my last post about reviews (see: “The reviews are in”) back in July, there have been a few more Gamers’ Rebellion reviews, as well as a one for Life, Death and Detention.

In that previous post I linked to Young Adult Reader Reviews – Australia, where a 13-year-old reader didn’t click with the novel. I’m pleased to say that another young reader has added his opinion to this page, with a much more positive view of Gamers’ Rebellion.

“I believe Gamers’ Rebellion by George Ivanoff is spectacular for many reasons.”

My favourite review so far comes from a Year 9 student in Viewpoint magazine. Here’s some of what she has to say…

“The Gamers books are fast-paced, character-driven adventures full of humour, excitement and unexpected resolutions to thorny problems. But they are also about breaking out of conformity and becoming yourself.”

And what about the grown up readers? Teacher-Librarian Lisa Hills says:

“This plot is exciting, and the characters are sufficiently complex for the reader to be not quite sure who’s on which side for a while, which heightens the tension.  I expect this to be a popular book in my school library.”
Read the full review.

Author and blogger, Sue Bursztynski says:

“Do yourself a favour. Do your family a favour. Read this instead of playing on the computer.”
Read the full review.

Author and blogger Dee White says:

“This plot is a labrynth of twists and turns where you’re never quite sure just who is really the baddy.”
Read the full review. (This blog also include a guest post from me… so you have to scroll down past it for the review.)

Blogger Tracey Jago says:

“I absolutely enjoyed reading Gamers’ Rebellion by George Ivanoff. It had me hooked from the very beginning.”
Read the full review.

The review of Life, Death and Detention is not quite as glowing, as the reviewer questions the relevance of this re-published collection for modern teenagers. It’s an interesting review, even if I don’t agree with the conclusions. The world has certainly changed since the 1990s when I originally wrote these stories. But I believe that the emotional issues faced by teenagers haven’t changed that much and so the stories are still relevant — maybe not to everyone, but to at least some readers. The context for modern teenagers is different — sure! But the emotions are the same.

Having said that, the reviewer did like some of the individual stories.

“‘He Played Unforgettable’ is a particularly interesting story chronicling the growing sexual attraction between two boys who are polar opposites, and further examines peer-pressure bullying. The paranormal ‘Sugar’ is a bit of oddball Jekyll and Hyde fun about ‘the monster within’. The memorial story ‘Remember Me’ is a solemn examination of a young person’s emotional journey coming to terms with the loss of a grandparent and fulfilling his final wish.”
Read the full review.

As I’ve said before, I don’t mind getting reviews that are not favourable, particularly if they are constructive. It’s part of life as an author, and I know that not everyone is gonna love everything I write. People are entitled to their opinions on my writing, I encourage them to have those opinions and so I’m happy to link to them, no matter what they are. And a bad review, still means I’m getting read. 🙂