An Amusing Twist on Dungeons & Dragons for the Middle School Crowd [MG Review]

Homerooms & Hall Passes by Tom O’Donnell

In the mystical realm of Bríandalör, every day the brave and the bold delve into hidden temples or forgotten dungeons, battling vile monsters and evil wizards to loot their treasure hoards for sweet, sweet magic items. But in their free time, our heroes—Thromdurr the mighty barbarian, Devis the shifty thief, Vela the noble paladin, Sorrowshade the Gloom Elf assassin, and Albiorix the (good!) wizard—need to relax and unwind. That’s why they meet up once a week to play Homerooms & Hall Passes: a role-playing game where they assume the characters of average American eighth graders.

But when the five young adventurers are magically transported into their H&H game by an ancient curse, they must band together to survive their toughest challenge yet: middle school.Who knew that battling ogres would be easier than passing algebra or navigating the cafeteria social scene? They must use what they’ve learned from playing Homerooms & Hall Passes to figure out how to save their game world (which might actually be real…).

Goodreads

Preamble

Homerooms & Hall Passes was a Cybils 2019 middle grade speculative fiction finalist. This book exemplifies one of the joys of being a Cybils judge. I discover entertaining titles that I would be happy to recommend to most middle graders (and that I personally enjoy as well!). This book wouldn’t have been on my radar otherwise. We’re currently in the quiet season of the Cybils cycle. Mark August 21 in your calendar. That’s the date the call for judges goes out. 👀 Anyone who writes or talks about children’s or young adult books anywhere online can be a judge. /Cybils PSA.

Review

I thought Homeroom & Hall Passes‘s premise sounded hilarious and unique. My initial concern was that it would be over-the-top silly, but it is not. For example, each chapter begins with an excerpt from “The Hall Master’s Guide”. These excerpts, while funny enough to make me chuckle, also often frame the unique experiences of middle school in such a way as to validate the challenges readers may experience.

In the real world, political authority comes from noble birth, or in rare cases because someone found a magic sword. But in middle school, class presidents are chosen democratically. This process involves homemade posters, wildly unrealistic promises, and capturing a plurality of the votes cast by the class. Though the title of class president is largely meaningless, it is still relentlessly sought by Overachievers, Nerds, Jocks, and Class Clowns alike.

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The story is told from Hall Master Albiorix’s perspective. He functions as the grounded and relatable character of the party. As the HM, he doesn’t have a character to embody once his party is sucked into the game. Albiorix remains himself and gives readers an easy entry point into the worlds of Bríandalör and Homerooms & Hall Passes.

The story balances mundane and fantasy elements. I appreciated that the main conflict ultimately involved a fantastical demon rather than just ‘defeating’ middle school. I think that would have pushed the book too close to contemporary fiction (rather than speculative) for my tastes. No spoilers, but the conclusion wasn’t quite what I expected. It adds a lot to the story. I imagine readers unfamiliar with D&D could still enjoy this book, while readers who are familiar with D&D will get even more laughs out of it.

The Bottom Line

A refreshing mash-up of the quest narrative and surviving middle school stories. Try it with readers who love both or either fantasy and contemporary (and of course, with D&D players). ★★★★

Further Reading

• Read an excerpt
• Author website
• Interview @ YA Books Central
• Review by Karen @ Ms. Yingling Reads
• Review by Amber @ The Literary Phoenix
• Review @ Kirkus