Guy in Real Life

From the acclaimed author of Brooklyn, Burning comes Guy in Real Life, an achingly real and profoundly moving love story about two teens that National Book Award–finalist Sara Zarr has called "wholly original and instantly classic."

It is Labor Day weekend in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and boy and girl collide on a dark street at two thirty in the morning: Lesh, who wears black, listens to metal, and plays MMOs; Svetlana, who embroiders her skirts, listens to Björk and Berlioz, and dungeon masters her own RPG. They should pick themselves up, continue on their way, and never talk to each other again.

But they don't.

This is a story of the roles we all play—at school, at home, online, and with our friends—and the one person who might be able to show us who we are underneath it all.

What happens when the roles you play fall apart, and the one person you shouldn’t fall for is the only one who sees the real you?

• Opposites Attract Romance: Lesh is a metalhead who lives in his MMOs. Svetlana is a dungeon master who embroiders her own skirts. They were never supposed to even talk, let alone fall for each other.
• Gamer and Geek Romance: A funny and heartfelt story that dives deep into the worlds of MMORPGs and tabletop RPGs, and the teens who love them.
• Alternating Perspectives: Told from the dual perspectives of both Lesh and Svetlana, this YA novel captures two authentic teen voices as they navigate first love.
• Online Identity vs Real Life: A thoughtful exploration of the roles we play at school, with friends, and online—and what it means to find the one person who sees who you really are.

Boy and girl collide on a dark street in Saint Paul, Minnesota, at two thirty in the morning: Lesh, who wears black, listens to metal, and plays MMOs; Svetlana, who embroiders her skirts, listens to Björk and Berlioz, and dungeon masters her own RPG. They should pick themselves up, continue on their way, and never talk to each other again.

But they don't.

“Guy in Real Life is a fascinating, original take on the spaces that exist between who we are and who we hope to be. Virtually everyone will love this book.” - John Corey Whaley, Printz Award--winning author of Where Things Come Back

“In a voice full of authentic grit, poetic verve, and real emotion, Steve Brezenoff weaves a tale that feels both wholly original and instantly classic. I loved, loved, loved these characters, and loved following them into their exploration of their worlds, their identities, and their stories. Another fantastic book from a writer I envy and admire.” - Sara Zarr, author of How To Save a Life

“In a voice full of authentic grit, poetic verve, and real emotion, Steve Brezenoff weaves a tale that feels both wholly original and instantly classic. Another fantastic book from a writer I envy and admire.” - Sara Zarr, National Book Award finalist for Story Of a Girl

“The gaming motif adds an intriguing layer, as Brezenoff uses it to explore issues of gender identity. Has [Lesh] created this character because he wants to be with the real Svetlana or because he wants to be her? There is, he realizes, no simple answer.” - Chicago Tribune

“In a first-person narration that alternates between the boy in black and the girl dungeon master, Brezenoff conjures a wry, wise and deeply sympathetic portrait of the exquisite, excruciating thrill of falling in love. This is not the teen love story you’ve read a thousand times before.” - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Brezenoff successfully immerses readers in the characters’ progression from awkward acquaintances to adorably besotted teens. In addition to alternating between their perspectives, he also spends time within both the digital and analog RPGs, exploring sexism and gender stereotypes, while highlighting the way that both types of games are often driven by a novelistic kind of storytelling. An idiosyncratic romance that offers plenty of cultural food for thought.” - Publishers Weekly

“An idiosyncratic romance that offers plenty of cultural food for thought.” - Publishers Weekly

“Guy In Real Life is a remarkably original, addictive novel that illuminates the roles we play for others and, ultimately, ourselves. A must-read for anyone who questions who they truly are, and who they could be.” - Nova Ren Suma, author of Imaginary Girls and 17 & Gone

“Virtual worlds collide with “real” life in this dead-on depiction of teen gaming culture. Demons, warriors, and orcs abound, but it’s the reality that bites hardest. I suppose Steve Brezenoff will have to grow up one of these days and forget what it was like to be sixteen, but let’s hope it doesn’t happen too soon—at least not to the part of him that can write a book like Guy in Real Life.” - Pete Hautman, National Book Award-winning author of Godless

“I suppose Steve Brezenoff will have to grow up one of these days and forget what it was like to be sixteen, but let’s hope it doesn’t happen too soon—at least not to the part of him that can write a book like Guy in Real Life.” - Pete Hautman, National Book Award-winning author of Godless