Username Series Book Review
In case you've been living under a rock, Joe Sugg is a British YouTuber, film-maker, author, and vlogger. He is known for his YouTube channels ThatcherJoe, ThatcherJoeVlogs, and ThatcherJoeGames, and unlike popular belief, he is much more than just Zoella's brother.
I have been waiting to read these books since Username: Evie came out back in 2015 so you could say that I am a bit late to the Username series bandwagon. Especially since at the end of last year the latest book in the installation Username: Regenerated was released. I am truly thankful that my Aunt gave me some Amazon gift cards during Christmas so I could finally get these books because now I am obsessed and hoping Joe is able to continue this amazing new world he has been able to create through these graphic novels. Before I begin giving you my review, here is the synopsis you can find on amazon for both books.
The first book by YouTube star Joe Sugg tells the story of Evie, a socially-isolated teenage girl who struggles to fit in at high school. Always looking for a way to escape, she spends her nights supporting her terminally-ill father, who is tirelessly working on a computer program. When her father passes away, Evie is forced to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousin—Mallory—who is the most popular girl in school and the bane of Evie's existence.
One night, as she's going through her father's computer, Evie stumbles on a strange file that sucks her into a virtual world. As Evie explores this strange, new land, she learns it was the project her father was working so tirelessly on a virtual Eden where Evie can get away and be herself. However, Evie is not alone; Mallory also discovers the world and her presence causes the idyll to descend into chaos. Now Evie must save the virtual world or lose her last connection to her father.
The second book by YouTube star Joe Sugg, Username: Regenerated picks up after the events of Username: Evie. In it, Evie is coming to terms with e.scape's reboot and the loss of avatar Lionel. She is desperate to gain access to the virtual reality again and pretends to have feelings for real-world Lionel so he'll fix the program. When he discovers that she's using him, real-world Lionel deletes e.scape in a fit of anger. Immediately regretting what he's done, he finds an older version, reboots it, and inadvertently brings an earlier virtual reality back to life. Meanwhile, in the e.scape, avatar Lionel befriends one of the brutes. After the reboot, the brute finds a computer that allows him to escape to the real world. Once he's gone, avatar Lionel quickly discovers what happened and goes after his friend. The two stories become intertwined with old friends reunited, new dangers faced, and Evie confronting a part of her past that she thought was long gone.
First off, I believe that one of my favorite things about these graphic novels is the illustrations. And I know duh! Illustrations are essential for a graphic novel, but it is much more than that, they are so well put together and truly help you imagine and immerse yourself into this new world made of code. So I would like to give props to the amazing team that works alongside Joe to create these novels and form part of what he calls the Sugg Squad. Especially, Armit Birdi has done a fantastic job with the artwork throughout the books. If you are into art, I think you will definitely enjoy his style as you give these books a go.
Second, I adore the whole concept of e.scape. Just as the name says e.scape is an application Evie's father builds for her by coding it himself to be her escape. In my opinion, this concept is brilliant so allow me to explain. E.scape is built to reflect Evie's personality and I believe the real world works that way as well. It's all about perspective so what we bring to the table will reflect how those around us act and interact with us. And not only that, as human beings we need a space to call our own where we can go and figure out who we are and how to deal with whatever is going on in our lives. This is one of the many things that makes the books so relatable.
It is so easy to relate to Evie even though like many hero and heroine stories Evie is treated as an outcast who finds her courage when she needs to save the world. Like many other heroines, she makes sacrifices and learns a lot about herself when she faces difficult times. Yet, the entire Username series has a fresh new perspective into this coming of age story that completely takes you by surprise when reading it.
And Evie is not the only amazing character you see in these novels. There is a handful of them you learn to love and even cry for. For the length of the books and the way the stories run I cannot even begin to comprehend how much character development happens between each book. And even at the end of each one. These characters are thought out and truly have a depth to them. They have their own stories, feelings, and backgrounds that I cannot wait to continue to learn about if these books continue. Which I hope they do.
It is true that you do learn a lot more about these characters in Username: Regenerated which is why I think it is my favorite. Although Username: Evie is very important because that is where we learn a lot of important facts and tidbits that are going to continue to be important throughout the series.
If you are planning to read this series, I beg you to look past the fact that Username: Evie is not as well put together story wise as Username: Regenerated. In the second book of the series, you will find plot twists and revelations that are built-up, timed and revealed perfectly. These aspects of storytelling, as well as the climax and action, were definitely done better in the second book. And this is something that is weird to admit about a second book because most series tend to suffer from what we call the "Second Book Syndrome".
Overall, I give these books as a series 4 stars. I really do hope that Joe continues to expand on this world he has created because his storytelling is definitely getting better, as well as his characters, are growing along with the story. So if you are a fan of Joe or have had an eye on this series, I encourage you to give it a go. I know I truly did enjoy them and actually finished both of them in one day. A very easy read, and also good for children.
I'll write to you all soon, and I'll see you again next week with another book review.
Love, Nashi
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