Arena by Holly Jennings

A fast-paced and gripping near-future science fiction debut about the gritty world of competitive gaming...
 
Every week, Kali Ling fights to the death on national TV. 
She’s died hundreds of times. And it never gets easier...
 
The RAGE tournaments—the Virtual Gaming League’s elite competition where the best gamers in the world compete in a no-holds-barred fight to the digital death. Every bloody kill is broadcast to millions. Every player is a modern gladiator—leading a life of ultimate fame, responsible only for entertaining the masses.
 
And though their weapons and armor are digital, the pain is real.
 
Chosen to be the first female captain in RAGE tournament history, Kali Ling is at the top of the world—until one of her teammates overdoses. Now, she must confront the truth about the tournament. Because it is much more than a game—and even in the real world, not everything is as it seems.
 
The VGL hides dark secrets. And the only way to change the rules is to fight from the inside...

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★★★1/2☆

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"People are stupid. But not being yourself because of their ignorance is worse."

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I would rate this about 3.8 stars but GOODREADS DON'T LIKE THAT SO :))))) Arena by Holly Jennings doesn't really focus on the video game competitions, but more the struggles the main group of characters face. Meaning, the action of the bloody games isn't as focused on as the behind the scenes. That being said, this book focuses on a lot of issues and themes such as addiction, teamwork, and society's views.

The main character, Kali, is a strong female lead who is a genuine role model. She's thrown into this leadership position, not quite sure knowing what to do, but tries her best with what she has. Kali works hard, is an amazing gamer, and has a strategic mind that won't conform to what society wants. I admired her because her strength was shown in a unique way, one that I actually haven't read in any other young adult main character.

Jennings really created a great outline for interesting and three-dimensional characters, but she didn't follow through. The other characters were definitely there to help, but they all fell flat (including Kali). While they did have different personalities and looks, none of this was really elaborated upon. The story really just focused on Kali so you never got to learn more about the others. I really wish we had been able to get backgrounds and internal demons of the other characters also. 

Though the plot didn't focus on the action of the games, the great fighting scenes were still there. If you were looking for a really action-packed book though, I don't think this would be it. Most of the plot was focusing on inner demons of the characters, and how these problems were dealt with. Nonetheless though, I found the mixture of intense gaming and universal themes to be very interesting.

The world of virtual gaming and 2053 is expanded on very little. The main focus of the novel was the characters' hardships, so the reader sees very little of the outside world. The society does play a large role, and is very similar to the real world's. Nothing matters except money and looks, and I am excited to see how Kali deals with this is the second novel. Honestly, there's just so many life lessons mixed into this that I think could help a lot of people.

"If you hate, you become exactly like them. When you face your enemies with compassion, you realize there's still a person behind that hate."

I sped through this novel. I don't know if I would say the pacing is fast because if you're expecting tons of action and kick-buttery then... it's not. But, if you just want a quick and interesting sci-fi read, then I'd suggest this novel. There's just enough super cool fighting that I think you'll be satisfied.

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