User Unfriendly [Turtleback]

Vivian Vande Velde (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2002

It’s the most advanced computer role-playing game ever: When you play you’re really there—in a dark dream teeming with evil creatures, danger-filled fortresses, and malevolent sorceries.
The game plugs directly into your brain--no keyboard, no modem, no monitor. And for game hacker Arvin Rizalli and his friends, no cash up front, no questions asked . . . and no hope of rescue when the game goes horribly, deathly wrong.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Arvin Rizalli, his mother and six of his friends pirate a computer-generated, interactive role-playing game. No dull video game, the program plugs right into the players' brains, putting them in the middle of a daring quest to rescue a kidnapped princess. The quest moves at a breakneck pace, careening from forests to caves to deserts to enchanted cities. Along the way, Arvin and his company fight a dizzying array of orcs, wolves and other evildoers, but their biggest challenges come from Arvin's mother's mysterious, life-threatening illness and a bewildering assortment of dangerous glitches in the computer program. Readers who are fond of either sword and sorcery fantasy or role-playing games will not be able to put this swashbuckler down. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-10-- As this fantasy adventure begins, eighth-grader Arvin Rizalli has just become Harek Longbow, warrior elf, in the first stage of a fantasy role-playing game that simulates reality. He is on a five day quest, goal to be discovered, with six other teenagers in various roles, and his mother, impelled by curiosity to play the game for the first time. As the quest progresses, Arvin realizes first that the program has some glitches complicating their activities, and later that his mother seems to have some other, unrelated problem that interferes with her ability to play but adds to the urgency with which they must finish the game and return to reality. Just as the game is missing certain levels and controls, this novel is lacking in some basic levels of character development, motivation, and relation to a real world. In their fantasy roles, the seven players encounter giant rats, trolls, werewolves, and more, with each meeting an excuse for swordplay and general mayhem, usually accompanied by death and destruction. Arvin describes his fellow players and speculates on which roles they have assumed--this is the extent of the characterization. The mechanism or procedure by which the program simulates reality is also not explained. Velde begins this game on page one and finishes it only four pages before the end of the book, leaving little room for further developments. Fantasy game players will enjoy this story as another level of the game, but readers looking for more may be as anxious as Arvin/Harek for the game and the novel to be over. --Susan L. Rogers, Chestnut Hill Academy, PA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Turtleback
• Publisher: Demco Media (February 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0606226184
• ISBN-13: 978-0606226189
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,514,211 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of VVV's different tales..., October 16, 2004

By 

Maarz (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: User Unfriendly (Paperback)

This story has to be given a lot of credit for the origanal take on the story line of "Kids go into a computer game and hell breaks loose!" The plot is full of brilliant twists and turns, and the characters, are all entertaining enough- especially when their competetive natures to win come out. It's a good journey of showing how in an hour our lives can change completely- for the better or for the worst. Friendships can be broken, lives can be taken, new friends can be made, people can be saved; it's a great book about choices and how they effect us all. It's really worth the read, though a lot of the RPG cliche moments aren't as entertaining if you don't get them. Check it out, it's one of my favorites from this author.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars RPG/Fantasy Masterpiece, September 23, 2002

By 

"shadow_empress" (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: User Unfriendly (Paperback)

As I usually find Velde's stories captivating, not only did I find this one just as good as the last ones, but I also found it very realistic to the world of RPGs. Being a thirteen-year-old girl, you would not think that I'd enjoy many video games; quite the opposite. I found this story was staying true to its roots, having a variety of monster's, characters and weapons. The only thing I didn't get was the age limit on this; ages 9-12. Not only does it have some explicit moments of violence, it also uses words I probably wouldn't have known back then. Overall, good use of monsters, and fighting scenes. Only lacking an ending that doesn't leave anything to the imagination--but then, how many books do?

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good RPG Book, June 10, 2002

By 

mara_christensen (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: User Unfriendly (Paperback)

I think this is a very good Role Playing book. Personally, I like to RP, and I think the idea of practically living in the RP world would be really fun.

User Unfriendly has very descriptive setting; it makes you feel like you're almost living there. One thing I don't understand is why all of Arvin's friends seem to despise him so much. I didn't find his comments, (maybe his thoughts), annoying so I don't understand why they act so bitterly toward him.