ALA Booklist (Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Ryan, 15, is thrilled when his domineering dad volunteers for service in the Canadian army in Afghanistan, and he is left to enjoy his freedom at home near the Edmonton army base. His passion is the computer war game Desert Death, and he spends hours at a cybercafe, where he meets fellow computer-warrior Casey. While Dad sends e-mails about land mines, rebuilding a school bombed by the Taliban, and Ryan's poor grades, Ryan gets drawn into Casey's real-life drug battles on the street. Everything changes, though, after Dad comes home broken, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and Ryan feels helpless. Hooked by the contrasts between the violent cyberworld action and the honest family conflict, many readers will find themselves absorbed in the story's arguments about war and peace. Ryan rants about dropping the nuclear bomb and argues with his beautiful classmate, who talks about the new Crusades ("Jesus versus Muhammad!") and wants to "bring our troops home."

School Library Journal (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

GUEST, Jacqueline . War Games . 181p. ISBN 978-1-55277-036-8 ; ISBN 978-1-55277-035-1 . LC C2008-904714-1. ea vol: (SideStreets Series). CIP. Orca . 2009. Tr $16.95; pap. $9.95. Gr 8 Up In Hell's Hotel , Tara's friend Jenn has a troubled home life and spends most nights on the street or with undesirable boyfriends. Tara is her savior, always bailing her out of trouble. Then Tara's parents announce they are separating and, devastated, she ends up spending a night at the hangout for local street kids. It is undeniably the worst night of her life, but it brings her closer to understanding them. Then disaster strikes. The mediocre plot is only mildly interesting, and it pushes the point of the dangers of living on the street a little too hard. Still, it does shine light on an issue that many teens rarely think about. In War Games , Ryan's father is sent to Afghanistan, and Ryan is glad to get out from under his strict military rules. His new freedom gives him more of an opportunity to engage in his favorite pastime: video games. He plays at Cyberknights, a gaming café, and his game of choice is Desert Death. He becomes enamored with the ultimate Desert Death champion, Casey, who involves him with some truly bad people. At the same time he sees the risks that his father is taking in Afghanistan through the emails he receives from him. The novel's quick pace and timely subject matter will keep reluctant readers engaged. Julianna M. Helt, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA

Horn Book (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Canadian teen Ryan Taber's life is upended when his father is deployed to Afghanistan. His mother goes through a personality change while he awkwardly woos a girl, befriends a dangerous character, and blows off school. Ryan, although good inside, comes off as an unlikable protagonist, and the abrupt ending brings his escapades to a rather weak conclusion.