First of all, the clear and welcomed feminist message of the book. There are, I think, three aspects of the novel worth exploring. The book portrays how Anda – the shy and lonely main character trying to fit in at her new school – starts playing Coarsegold Online, a MMRPG (for the non-initiated: massively-multiplayer role playing game) and gets involved with the real-life consequences of playing it. About how social media and the Internet can potentially shape and change the world. In its heartfelt introduction, Cory Doctorow says that In Real Life is about game and economics, about the – political, economical, social – choices that we make on a daily basis and their consequences.
In Real Life, this new graphic novel written by Cory Doctorow with art by Jen Wang is full of them. Anda's real world is an appropriately subdued palette and grounded in reality, whereas her game life is a vivid smorgasbord of reds and purples, greens and blues.The road to hell is paved with good intentions. The colors are a vibrant and fluid watercolor look that is not only stunning, but also creates the best contrasts between Anda's two worlds. As a result the storytelling feels simple and effortless. Wang plays nicely with layout, keeping things just innovative enough to keep readers on their toes, but not overdoing it. Anda's design is a total breath of fresh air as she doesn't fall into the narrow traditional western beauty standard, and the design really helps in both Anda's relatablity and her believability - namely as a girl that might want for some escape from real life. Excelling particularly at character expressions and body language, Wang brings a real emotional heart to the story. Easily at home both in Anda's real life and in her more creative game life, Wang maximizes the contrasts between the two worlds but also manages to root everything nicely so the book still feels like one consistent volume. An immensely talented illustrator, Wang has an obvious animation background that shows in the energy, craft, and movement she brings to her character design and storytelling.
Wang is the perfect artist for this project.
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