I am trying to identify a book I read in my teens. It was most likely released around the mid 2000s to mid 2010s if I remember correctly.

I remember that the main character was a male lead who loved virtual video gaming as virtual reality was a part of gaming consoles at this time but didn't have the newest console. So he befriended a random kid from his class who had the latest console that was gifted to him from a mysterious figure who had a guitar on his back that wasn't plugged into anything. Eventually the second kid gets addicted to the game and starts thinking that he's still in the game even once he's longer playing it and so the story unfolds where the male lead battles between what's real and what's not and tries to fight back against this mysterious figure who keeps giving out these consoles, even finding romance along the way.

From what I have researched it fits a similar description to a litRPG book. It was definitely written by a gamer, as multiple scenes take place inside of the virtual video game console.

I am trying to identify a book I read in my teens. It was most likely released around the mid 2000s to mid 2010s if I remember correctly.

I remember that the main character was a male lead who moves into a new high school where virtual reality consoles are the trendiest thing. He ends up befriending a random kid from his class who had the latest VR console. We find out that while on the subway to school this second kid was gifted the console to him from a mysterious figure who had a guitar on his back that wasn't plugged into anything, the mysterious figure leaves him a card to the arcade he owns and then leaves. ( This second kid also had a drunk miner dad who was off planet for half the story, hence why he holes up in his VR console) Eventually the second kid gets addicted to the game and starts thinking that he's still in the game even once he's no longer playing it and starts going mental during a school lesson. He thinks he's still playing the FPS game in VR and the line between VR and reality starts blurring. So the story unfolds where the main male lead battles to get his friend out of this VR trance and along with him and another female lead who becomes the romantic interest to the main character all try to find this mysterious figure who keeps giving out these consoles.

Definitely a YA novel.

I am trying to identify a book I read in my teens. It was most likely released around the mid 2000s to mid 2010s if I remember correctly.

I remember that the main character was a male lead who loved virtual video gaming as virtual reality was a part of gaming consoles at this time but didn't have the newest console. So he befriended a random kid from his class who had the latest console that was gifted to him from a mysterious figure who had a guitar on his back that wasn't plugged into anything. Eventually the second kid gets addicted to the game and starts thinking that he's still in the game even once he's longer playing it and so the story unfolds where the male lead battles between what's real and what's not and tries to fight back against this mysterious figure who keeps giving out these consoles, even finding romance along the way.

I am trying to identify a book I read in my teens. It was most likely released around the mid 2000s to mid 2010s if I remember correctly.

I remember that the main character was a male lead who loved virtual video gaming as virtual reality was a part of gaming consoles at this time but didn't have the newest console. So he befriended a random kid from his class who had the latest console that was gifted to him from a mysterious figure who had a guitar on his back that wasn't plugged into anything. Eventually the second kid gets addicted to the game and starts thinking that he's still in the game even once he's longer playing it and so the story unfolds where the male lead battles between what's real and what's not and tries to fight back against this mysterious figure who keeps giving out these consoles, even finding romance along the way.

From what I have researched it fits a similar description to a litRPG book. It was definitely written by a gamer, as multiple scenes take place inside of the virtual video game console.