This was a really cute graphic novel. Poignant, funny, and endearing.

Come on who loves who in this book I can't tell!?

Level Up is the story of Dennis Ouyang, a young Chinese boy that finds happiness and relief from his strict parents through his love of video games. His parents work hard to provide for Dennis but they are also completely strict about his future and constantly plan from a young age for him to attend medical school and enter the workforce as a gastroenterologist. As a young boy Dennis struggles to find enthusiasm with the career and the life that is being made for him but he's always passionate about his gaming. There's definitely a happy ending for this story, but it's a reminder of the pressures parents put on their children and the turmoil these children battle with throughout their lives.

My fifth-grade gamer girl gives this book 4 1/2 stars.

Gene Luen Yang is a comics superstar who has a special place of honor in our house. In this amazing book, main character Dennis Ouyang struggles between his love for video games and his parentally-motivated medical school attendance. The angels helping him get through school are a little weird. They get even weirder when he starts doubting his career path in gastroenterology.

It's about figuring out if you have a destiny or a mission or a calling, however you want to think of it. It's also about family, and what makes a meaningful life.

Pham's drawing and watercolor people are deceptively simple. The range of emotions they convey through facial expressions and body language is amazing to a stick figure drawer like myself.

Dennis really wants to play video games like his friends but his dad say no. but sadly his dad dies and after that he just keeps playing and he wont stop. but then he sees why his dad told him the video games are not good and he try's to fix it.

The book is kindred in spirit to Gene Luen Yang's breakthrough graphic novel American Born Chinese, which honestly has a stronger protagonist and narrative. Both titles deal with Asian-American youth finding identity and friendship while overcoming obstacles related to their parents and stereotypes.

A great read, especially relevant to me as an Asian Canadian with immigrant parents. They went through so much hardship to give us the lives we have, sometimes we take it for granted. There is often pressure to live up to parents' expectations because of this, even if it means giving up what we're really passionate about. However, as with any parent, they can't expect to live their lives through their children. A book about friendship, gaming, school, and how it can all be put back together.

Such a good book and great for anyone who has an interest in gaming.

i thought this book would be boring, but it's actually pretty interesting....