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Roth’s central character, Nole, finds himself in arguably one of the most transitional periods of human development—middle school. Unfortunately, he is the prototypical “nerd” that girls dare each other to ask out as a joke. Roth’s work is expansive and explores the changing landscape of friendships and relationships during one’s adolescent years. More importantly, the work is a commentary on the value of gaming and how, while the downsides are evident, there are real connections and relationships being forged in this digital universe.
Readers get an up-close experience with massively multiplayer online role-playing games through Enix. In many ways, this environment is a rebirth for Nole, who is no longer the misfit in middle school but now a long staff-wielding elf druid traversing through the world of farms and pumpkin patches in Lincolnshire. In school, Nole meanders through like a zombie, trying to bend time into the future so he can get onto the game and interact with people where it isn’t a bona fide popularity contest.
Roth does a seamless job of weaving a narrative that shows friendships and romance in the real world and the gaming universe. The world of Enix comes across as ultra-real and authentic, a quality that is endearing to today’s youth who feel they are misunderstood in the real world. Whether it be friendships, love triangles, or first fights, the gamut of life’s experiences and budding emotions are captured in this world as Nole grapples between understanding his feelings for Dapple and Kia, his gaming friends. On the whole, Roth’s social commentary is instrumental in helping all audiences understand the ramifications of the gaming world, both in its advantages as a shared adventure with friends as well as the ever-present danger of it becoming an all-encompassing addiction.