First, a confession. I'm not into gaming other than idle moments with solitaire and such old-fashioned games now online. Not only were those showcased here unknown to me but so to was the background history shared. As a result, I was looking forward to learning something new. I did. I was impressed.

Against an environment that maybe wasn't always hostile but wasn't welcoming to women, either, the women you'll meet here not only persevered but overcame obstacles. It's always difficult to pick just a few to highlight but one that stood out to me is known online as Mackenseize. She turned to gaming after an epilepsy diagnosis turned her world upside-down. Her future dreams shattered, she found herself turning to the Heartstone game community as a distraction. This ultimately lead her to create a streaming community as a safe place to open up about her disability. She soon discovered she wasn't alone and her stream thrived. Another, Marina Diez Pereire created a game called "Hey, Dad: A Brief Story of Mental Illness" in response to her own father's difficulties and her difficulty relating. In other words, it isn't all non-stop action.

What I particularly admired about them all was that they worked from where the were, often building upon almost nothing. Each story opens with the dreams they had as a child and what ultimately lead them to a career focused on the gaming world,plus a portrait, quote, and info on where they are from. They come from all over. Sylvia Gathoni was in Kenya, hardly a place most would think of as a thriving game environment, when she first encountered Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. She's now an eSports player. Ever seen a virtual concert? You may have Cathy Hackl to thank. And...well, so much more, some of which is discussed in the blurb, so I won't go on at length.

I'll simply say that once again Rebel Girls has hit it out of the park. They've also taken the unusual step for a group showcasing human skills of showing us some AI skills. Don't worry, they aren't switching to AI illustrations. They plan to continue with their worldwide host of talented artists. There's even a space for readers to create their own self-portrait and write down their own story included. The fun doesn't end there as they offer up a fun code based game (no computer required) and info on how to create your own character. I liked the suggestions that young gamers might benefit from talking to their elders, so to speak. It even offers up conversational ideas. Finally, there's an app icon readers can scan to take them to even more online.

Bottom line, I recommend this book/series highly. The Rebel Girls group works "to raise the most inspired and confident generation of girls through content experiences, products, and community." It does so by amplifying real-life stories of women like these. Thanks #NetGalley and #RebelGirls for sharing more of your Rebel Girls community with me.

*Thank you to Rebel Girls and NetGalley for providing me this book in exchange of an honest review.*

So I was scrolling Rebel Girl's page here in NetGalley, and when I saw Rebel Girls Level Up: 25 Tales of Gaming and the Metaverse I thought that it was a book I wanted to read. See, in my free time I try to write code for a game I was planning to make - don't laugh, ok?- and I was scared. You know why? Because I'm a girl. In a boy's world. So yeah, reading about Muriel Tramis, who's a game designer that I love and admire or Marina Diez Pereiro, who's a game developer and how these extraordinary girls made it to the boy's world I thought to myself, yeah I can do it too. So thanks again Rebel Girls.

Thank you to @rebelgirls and @netgalley for this free eARC.

Once again Rebel girls community has created a great book.

This time it's focused on the new technologies metaverse, gaming and streaming.

25 inspiring stories about girls and women slowly but surely taking over what once was considered mens field of expertise - gaming and metaverse...

This installment of Rebel girls is ideal for girls that strive to be a force to be reckoned with in the new technologies.

A great book for girls interested in gaming and what goes into it. The book explores women who are in the gaming industry and shows different examples of what some women do for gaming. There are qr codes throughout the book to make it more interactive and a lot of great information for budding technology and gamer girls.

In the latest instalment from Rebel Girls, we see women in all sorts of tech fields featured. Gamers, influences, web developers, game creators, etc. The book is also interactive with several QR codes - a very fun touch! The illustrations are gorgeous, the stories are inspiring - another Rebel Girls hit!

Thank you to Rebel Girls and NetGalley for this ARC!

As mentioned before I love that these books are available for young girls. I learned a lot from this one since gaming is not something I do a lot or know a lot about the community of. I really enjoyed the art styles for each of the portraits and the activities in the back for kids!

Streamers', gamers, developers, all given the same care and attention as their takes are laid out. Excellent language, and hugely interactive with QR codes, coding and links to the app. The illustrations are simply beautiful, as with the whole of this series. Fabulous for adults and young teens alike.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just as cute as all the others in this series of books. I enjoyed reading this with my daughter and hope it has helped her to see she can do anything.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rebel Girls for providing me with a copy of this book. I absolutely loved reading about role models in the Gaming and Metaverse industry and I can’t wait to get a physical copy of this book to show both my children!

I love the way each of the illustrations uses a different artist! I haven't heard of a lot of these women, but it's awesome to get to learn about them.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

The activities at the end work really well in the context of the book. I wish other Rebel Girls books had a great integration of the text and the activities.

There is a mention of using AI programs for two illustrations (they’re marked as AI illustrations when you first see them). They say they’re not going to get rid of their illustrators in order to start using AI. I’m glad they made this note and it makes sense why AI was used. I hope it doesn’t become a habit to do this though.

I do believe this book sets up readers to start researching other games and creators. However, I do think a slight disservice was done when not mentioning Gamergate. It’s one of those things that will probably show up when readers start doing their own research and I wish Rebel Girls had provided an age-appropriate summary of what happened. Is it the publisher’s responsibility? Probably not. Would it have been cool to see it though? Yes.

First of all, I would like to point out how much I love the artwork of this book. The drawings are beautiful! They are somewhat resembling the currently trending phone app filters for profile pics, but those are each with a unique twist and personality, no two are alike. There are small, well-thought-out, and relevant details added to each woman’s portrait too.
This book is filled with women in gaming and streaming, each portrayed in a beautifully unique and super empowering way. This book is like a breath of fresh air in the usual narrative of men in gaming and esports.
I love how Rebel Girls have done it again, in a subtle yet truly powerful way they shine a light on the fact that girls can do anything, anything they want to, and they belong anywhere and everywhere.

This might be meant for a younger audience, but this was still a lot of fun to read. I love learning about new people, something I've never grown out of and this feeds that love of mine. I'd honestly never read part of this series before and I don't really have a good reason for that. I can't wait to dig into all this series has to offer.

A few favorites: Amira Virgil, Aya Kyogoku, Brittney Morris and Phoebe Watson

WIth the video game industry constantly expanding, it is so great for everyone to see themselves represented. By covering CEO's, designers, directors, and streamers that do not fit the traditional mold, video gaming will become more inclusive for generations to come.
Rebel Girls always does a phenomenal way of showing representation through colorful illustrations and a wide variety of people having differing specialities.

Another great book in this series! This one looks at women in the gaming world. I love that these books are showing girls that girls and women can be in all fields. Great book! Plus I love the variety of illustration styles!