The Gamer’s Guide to Getting the Girl

The Gamer’s Guide to Getting the Girl is a modern novel set in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, during the height of summer (and, therefore, storm season!) The chapters are presented in a ‘Tip List’ as opposed to the traditional chapter listing style, and each corresponds to a little ‘lesson’ that is learned in every chapter. The story centres around two grade 11 friends, Cooper and Zach, and is told from Zach’s point of view while the two boys are at Gamer’s Haven and the Gateway Mall during severe prairie weather. While in the video game store, Zach spies the girl of his dreams, Sam, in front of the Zelda display and briefly chats with her – in typical, awkward teenage-boy fashion – before she heads on her way. As the store is closing, Zach and Coop also head out, only to have to power go out and the remaining mall customers be gathered together and sheltered in place for their safety during the storm.

This read is as quick and intense as a Saskatchewan summer storm. The whole book takes place in less than 24 hours (and probably closer to 12 hours, but time is not really a crucial element of the story). That the chapters are short helps to keep the story moving along rapidly and provides fast and repeated satisfaction to readers who enjoy chapter completion. The severity of the storm ramps up quickly and is interspersed with other plot twists to keep readers on their toes. The story, itself, is simple and satisfying: most plot twists and problems have tidy completions that wrap up the events offering a pleasing conclusion for readers. The early introduced potential romance between Sam and Zach provides some tension between friends and has a PG element to it that will not scare off younger readers. While ‘sweet’ may not seem like a suitable word to describe a novel centred around a disastrous summer storm, The Gamer’s Guide to Getting the Girl has many touching interactions between strangers that would otherwise be lost in the normal, mundane activities of everyday life.

Though Scarrow’s novel is a quick, satisfying, and appealing read, it also has a surface quality that readers must be aware of and be willing to embrace in order to enjoy this book. Scarrow seems to put too many elements into a short novel which leaves each element somewhat underdeveloped, unnecessary, and/or too hastily concluded. As a reader, I felt that I didn’t really ‘know’ any of the characters very well – especially the secondary mall characters that were introduced because of the storm; however, even the main characters seemed to lack some depth. Elements of Zach’s, Cooper’s, and Sam’s lives were thrown in attempting to create that depth, but, without the ‘time’ to get to know the characters intimately, some of those details seemed out of place or forced. Some of the ‘extra’ events that also took place while being locked in the mall seemed unnecessary and far-fetched but didn’t necessarily detract too much from the story, itself. The other unfortunate elements to this story are the fictional landmarks set into a nonfiction setting. As a reader from Saskatoon, and a gamer, I felt an immediate connection to both the setting and the gaming aspect of the story, but I found myself disappointed by the fact that there is no Gamer’s Haven or Gateway Mall here in Saskatoon. These names seem to echo locations in Humboldt and Prince Albert in Saskatchewan, whether that is intentional or not. However, I also found it hard to believe that there would be a brand-new, two-story mall built in Saskatoon that only had one way to access it; anyone who is familiar in any way with Saskatoon knows it is also the ‘City of Bridges’ which would suggest it wouldn’t be so difficult to send a rescue operation to this situation!

Despite some weak plot elements, underdeveloped characters, and somewhat missed opportunity for more game references, The Gamer’s Guide to Getting the Girl would be a good read for middle years students. Even though the main characters are in grade 11, this fact does not impact the story significantly. There is a little bit of talk surrounding high school grades and what Zach, Cooper, and Sam want to be when they grow up, but the purpose of the main characters being older seems to be to introduce the romantic element into the story. Otherwise, the movement of the plot, language and writing style, and the plot details (including the minimal romance element) are suitable for strong readers grade 5 and up. This novel may not be as appealing to high school readers who are looking to personally connect with the story’s characters or to anyone who is looking for more than superficial references to video games. This novel may also be more appealing to readers who aren’t as familiar with Saskatoon and don’t mind that there aren’t authentic elements built into the story. Overall, The Gamer’s Guide to Getting the Girl is a good story if one goes in with expectations for a quick, light read.