Review: The Gamer’s Guide to Getting the Girl by Kristine Scarrow

Hey all, Dani here.

The NetGalley reviews keep coming; this is my second one this week…except this one I read back in March. I just wanted to wait until closer to the release day to post a review. And weirdly this book is hitting me a different way now because of the weather we’ve been having lately. Seriously, where I am in Ohio has just been rain, rain, rain. So many roads have flooded over, and the community center across the street from our house has opened up as a Red Cross Shelter for anyone who can’t stay in their home because of the flooding. Damian and I took a bag of games and two bags of books over there today, just in case people want something to help pass the time. I just want to see the sun for more than an hour or two at a time. It has been so overcast and dreary and rainy for so long.

Anyway, let’s jump into the review.

Summary

Strategy is everything when it comes to gaming — and girls.

Zach is used to living in a world of legendary battles, epic journeys, and life-or-death situations. As a gamer, he is hard-wired for adventure, even though it’s from the comfort of his parents’ couch. But nothing has prepared him for battling the biggest storm in Saskatchewan’s history. 

On top of this, Zach has finally met the girl of his dreams, but he finds himself helping everyone else stay safe while his best friend spends time with her. What Zach doesn’t realize is that love always finds its way when you’ve found the right person and are ready to risk it all to save the day.

My Thoughts

Rating: 3.5 stars

The concept for this seemed great, and right up my alley. I mean, a gamer guy who ends up in a crazy situation, trying to help others, while also trying to get the girl of his dreams? Sounds fun, and hopefully it will be filled with lots of geeky references. Yes, I’m in. And it was a good story, even if the whole thing took place in less than 24 hours.

But there wasn’t really too much focus on the romance part of it, and too much of it read like a non-gamer trying to sound like a gamer, so it just felt a bit forced and awkward to me. At the end, I do believe the author mentions that a lot of the gaming stuff came from her sons (I think she said sons, but I read this book like three months ago, so no promises on that being wholly accurate). Most of the gaming is restricted to Fortnite, which yes, I know it’s a popular game, but I don’t know…it felt like the boys were trying to act like really cool knowledgeable gamers when they only play one game.

Oh, yeah, and this freak storm/tornado/flood hits the area–which is why I’m relating to it so much at the current moment. Thanks never-ending rain–and so Zach ends up stuck in the mall with a whole bunch of other people, his best friend, the girl he is crushing on (after just seeing her for the first time on this day), and the mall security guards. So instead of Zach talking to his crush he spends pretty much all of his time being a Boy Scout and helping out this harried young mother, and helping out the security guards. But then he gets super upset when his best friend is spending time talking with the girl and getting to know her while he’s out being all “responsible.”

I don’t know. This book just didn’t hit the spots I wanted it to, so maybe my expectations were too high, but I didn’t end up liking this book all that much. I did read it pretty quickly though. I just wish it hadn’t been marketed as a nerdy romance, because it really wasn’t; those were definitely minor plots, on the side of the major plot of surviving with a bunch of strangers after this crazy weather event. Still, I’m glad I read it.

Where to Buy

You can pick up your own copy of this book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, Book Depository, or your local independent bookstore. It will be released July 16, 2019.