I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

<i>Don't Read the Commends</i> is a YA book that is incredibly timely, realistic, and well done.... but wow is it a hard read at times. Frankly, this book is a horror novel about what the internet and social media are like for women in this era of Gamergate and trolls. Don't get me wrong--I loved the book and I am absolutely adding it to my shortlist for the Norton Award for next year--but I also pushed through reading it as fast as I could because there's no denying it was triggery.

Divya is a passionate teenage gamer with a streaming channel and social media presence. Her increasing clout have started to garner her much-needed promotional items and sponsorships, but also, trolls who don't want a girl--especially one of color--taking up space in 'their' world. When a troll mob ambushes Divya and her devoted Angst Army, that's horrible enough, but when the threats become physical in reality, that's something else.

Meanwhile, gaming is Aaron's whole life--or would be, if he didn't have to put in hours in his mom's medical practice. His real passion is writing the plot for a new game publisher-start-up (though it'd be nice if he could get paid) and playing loads of other games, too. When he and Divya meet in-game, they strikes up a friendship that feels absolutely genuine--even as troll attacks against Divya escalate and her life begins to unravel.

Smith really nailed every element in this book. Every character and relationship resounds with truth, from Divya and Aaron's adorably geeky connection to their love and exasperation for their parents. The gaming world comes across with 100% realism. As an old school gamer myself, I ADORED the shout-outs to old and dear favorites of mine like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy III (with a necessary note that this is the original American Super Nintendo release), plus casual mention of things like roms to play old games. Some revelations about Aaron's dad were especially delightful.

Of course, part of the realism is the horror aspect: trolls, doxing, and the persistent harassment that women endure online. This is all sadly accurate, too, but I love how Smith brings everything together in the end with thoughtfulness and care. Nothing about this book is sugar-coated and easy, but there's still a spirit of hopefulness that is necessary in their world and in ours.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book was incredible! A wonderful tribute to the love of gaming!

This book was a delightfully nerdy, refreshing read! I'll definitely be gifting a copy of it to my gaming reader friends!

From the gaming standpoint, I think this book does a good job of conveying the seriousness of online trolls a la Gamergate. The terror and anger I felt while reading the harassment Divya and Rebekah went through was palpable, though Divya's ultimate resolution seemed like she was giving up, conceding to what her harassers wanted. The romance was also pretty well done--Aaron and Divya's relationship was a nice, slow burn, and Aaron was a sweet and genuine foil to other shitty male characters like Jason and the Vox Populi.

My main problem was with the unresolved subplots. There were a lot of little events with Aaron's Dad and his online gaming, with Aaron's mom wanting him to be a doctor, with Divya's mom's education and financial situation, etc. that were only briefly mentioned or were not resolved. I also felt like Divya was whitewashed; there was no discussion of her cultural background aside from the fact that she experiences harassment as a non-white gamer, and her father (and her parents' separation) is only briefly mentioned. We also don't see much of her mother. Conversely, as other reviewers have mentioned, Aaron's family and heritage is more fleshed out.

This is such an amazing story. The writing was fantastic and I couldn't put it down at all the entire time I was reading it. I absolutely look forward to reading more from this author

Books about geek girls always end up on my TBR, so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this one so I could get ahead of the game. Don’t Read the Comments is about a female streamer struggling with how women are currently treated in the gaming community, so it’s still fairly timely and relevant. In theory I should have loved this book, and there were things I DID love. Smith clearly understands quite a lot about gaming culture and it showed. The world of Reclaim the Sun was fun to read about, and I loved seeing Aaron help make games…but.

The but is a lot of things that kept this book from being a five star read. First and foremost is how big and dramatic everything is. Certainly female gamers get harassed in real life but the levels Smith takes D1V’s harassment to so quickly makes it feel comical instead of serious. It doesn’t feel like this is a real thing happening to a real person by the end.

The same goes for Aaron’s conflict with Jason. Jason feels like an evil villain. He doesn’t feel like a well rounded character and the way the plot ends is just as ridiculous. It doesn’t feel like something that could happen in the real world.

The ending is perhaps what bothers me the most, it’s way too feel good. Situations like this in real life rarely tie up with a nice little knot the way this story handles all its conflicts. At the same time it doesn’t feel satisfying because no one really wins. Everyone is losing something major so you can’t even feel good about the ridiculous ending because even if evil is vanquished they sort of got what they wanted anyways. It’s complicated.

I also didn’t like the copious amount of subplots and random things going on. Aaron’s crush on Jason. Aaron not wanting to work at the clinic. Aaron’s dad having a secret folder. D1V’s mom struggling financially. D1V’s best friend struggling to recover from assault. There are just so many sidelines that none of them really get explored thoroughly and the ending feels like it’s rushing to tie everything up.

I think Smith had something here, but he just doesn’t quite hit it out of the park execution wise which is a horrible shame.

This novel accurately captures the zeitgeist of streaming culture (as I understand it) and some of the hurdles that women and girls in this industry are forced to deal with. Both Aaron and Divya are characters the reader will enjoy spending time with, and Aaron's dad in particular is a joy to read. The title alone is great advice, and is deployed to wonderful effect throughout the novel.

This was a quick, fun read!
First of all, I love the title and the theme for the book. People can be so cruel, especially online where they're anonymous and reading the comments only serves to infuriate me. The message in this of just being yourself and try not to worry what other people think you should do or be is awesome. If you can surround yourself with good people, the haters won't win.
The story was fun, I liked the relationship Divya and Aaron built. It was slow and sweet and felt real. The trolls that bullied Divya and Rebekah made me so angry and it's worse because things like this happen all the time. Seeing people stand up for what's right and band together was great and inspires hope.
I had a great time reading this and can't wait for everyone to see it!

“I’m not going to give him my art with the promise of maybe I’ll get paid. ‘Oh but what about all the exposure?’ People die from exposure. Don’t try using that line on me.”

If you didn’t know this about me, I’m a sucker for books about professional gamers. I may not be able to play a single video game irl, but I love reading about gamers. That being said, here we have an Indian gamer girl. Of course I was interested.
The plot was relatively straightforward, and … yeah, that’s about it. The story is simple, not convoluted, and there’s no big twists. The book gets by on it’s simple charms, and small-town problems. It’s engaging without being mind-boggling, and it’s cute enough.
I loved the intricacies of Reclaim the Sun, except for the fact that it apparently has no goal? You just hang out and explore stuff? Still, it was well developed, and it helped make the story feel authentic. The problems that Div and Aaron are going through were also well done. They were believable, but still hooking. The resolutions were also relatively smooth, and ended things in a realistic manner. I like the behind the scenes look at Div’s sponsorships, and how she struggles to keep up appearances online in order to support her family. It was authentic and engaging, and it busted the myth that all influencers are fabulously wealthy.
However, for a book with a protagonist that is both Indian and a girl, the author is neither and it really shows. Divya seems to have no friends irl. She calls her mom “Mom” which is about as white as it gets. Other than bemoaning the trolls that hate her because she’s brown, she never mentions anything even remotely ehtnic. No calls to relatives, no Indian snacks, no festivals, no cultural clothing. Nothing about how her parents’ separation was taken by their conservative Indian community and families. Nothing about how they immigrated to America. Hell, even Aaron talks about his father’s immigrant plight. Aaron has friends, he has a fleshed-out family, day to day problems (I love Ryan and Mira, okay?). He has a whole personality, while Divya is just “stereotype-breaking gamer” by which she inadvertently becomes a trope. I’m not saying that authors shouldn’t write about cultures that they have absolutely no experience in, but I’m just saying that it sounds hella awkward. If you’re going to throw in brown characters for the sake of “diversity,” you better be willing to do your research. Even a book like Afterworlds makes the cultural angle feel forced, and at least there was an attempt. Compared to something like Sandhya Menon’s work, it’s difficult to make your characters feel real when such a huge part of their identity seems blatantly warped.
Additionally, the whole sexist troll angle also felt very stale, and that’s all I’m going to say about that.
Overall, Don’t Read the Comments was a sweet novel with admirable intentions. However, the flatness and whitewashing of Div’s character makes it difficult to connect with her, even though you really want to.

I may not be a gamer (unless you count playing the Harry Potter Lego game on my old Xbox 360), but it's not a prerequisite for understanding and enjoying this book.

So many important issues are addressed in this story - online safety, internet trolls and bullying, and doxxing, to name a few.  Divya is a victim of online harrassment, which is a criminal offense.  What happens to her is frightening - but what's worse is things like this happen every day.  The haters are out there, folks.  

The author does an outstanding job of writing from a female perspective.  Divya's reaction is inspiring.  She's fierce, determined, and refuses to let the trolls deprive her of her virtual safe space filled with a community of people doing what they enjoy.  Aaron is also dealing with some problems of his own, but is a sweetheart and a perfect example of a supportive friend.  I loved being in the game, and the vivid imagery made me feel like I was experiencing it along with the characters.  

My desire to see the trolls get what they deserve kept me reading long after I should have turned out the light.  With the tension-filled buildup, I was ready to see them crash and burn.  But then everything seemed to be over rather suddenly, and I still felt as if things were unresolved.  Maybe it's just a revenge thing on my part. 

Although this book deals with some heavy issues, it's also full of clever banter, pop culture references (bonus points for mentioning John Cusack and Say Anything), strong friendships, and a little romance.  I plowed through it in two days.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to review this title in exchange for an honest review.

Well, folks, I found gold in the sea of garbage. Ok, that's harsh, but I have been reading some subpar novels lately and this one came at a good time. I've come to realize how much of a sucker I am for any sort of boo, involving video games. Ready Player and Otherworld are up there with my top favorite books ever so I guess that says a lot.

On one side of the tracks we have Div, a popular streamer from a struggling family and on the other side we have Aaron, a budding writer for an indie game developer. For Div, her streaming Reclaim the Sun pays the bills, and for Aaron, it causes a rift between him and his mother, who wants him to become a doctor like herself.

When Div suddenly becomes the focus of an online bullying group, she realizes that being a girl and being a non-white in the gaming world as well as the internet can be dangerous. Aaron meets Div by chance while gaming and they become fast friends, but for Aaron, aligning himself with the controversial streamer may cause his own dreams to suffer. It all comes down a boiling point during a gaming convention and nobody is backing down without a fight.

First things first. Eric Smith. He's my dream agent. I'd sell my left foot to even get him to read a partial of my manuscripts. That being said, I scooped this title right up when it became available on NetGalley expecting nothing but perfection. Now, this isn't a ploy to get him to message me and be all smitten over my review because let's be real. He appreciates reviews but doesn't go scouting for talent on Goodreads ha.

Smith writes the female perspective perfectly. He shows what it's like for a female in the gaming world; a female anywhere on the internet or in the real world, honestly. All of his characters are relatable and I found myself so invested that I read this book in one sitting. This was a fun book carrying heavy topics like bullying and the pains of being a teenager which, we can all agree, is a struggle in itself. Sprinkle in some female empowerment and feminism and we have gold.

Read this book is you like:

Gaming culture (it's the best)
Strong friendships
Light romance

When I saw this book title on my Kindle Paperwhite, I figured it had something to do with Social media hence the word 'comments' in the title but wasn't 100% sure of what the book was about since I get hundreds and thousands of books to read and review. In Don't Read the Comments we delved into the world of two gamers - one a female gamer who has her own Glitch channel stream and lives for the sponsorship to help pay bills and survive as she comes from a single mother household and her mum is also studying and working at the same time and a male gamer who games for fun but his dream is creating scripts for a game but his parent's don't seem to understand and want him to become a doctor. Our female gamer DiV aka Divya Sharma is becoming more and more popular but now she is being doxxed by a gaming community called Vox Populi who are calling her a fake and want her to stay away from the gaming world and as a female she has always been careful of her privacy but now they have crossed the line coming after not only her IRL but her mother. One day whilst gaming she comes across Aaron and the pair start talking and become fast-friends, when Aaron sees this happening to her he wants to save her and protect her. What will happen though when his being friendly with her compromises his future with ManaPunk - a company he has been writing game story for? Will he let his integrity be compromised for a future career or will he stand by his friend Divya and help her to become a face for female gamers all around. I really liked this title too as it is something when you are famous on social media whether it be for gaming or writing a book, something that is always emphasized is "DON'T READ THE COMMENTS" as this can become one's downfall as it starts to mess with your mind and affecting your own self-confidence, etc. This was a great read as it does explore the issue of female gamers and doxxing which has been an issue the past five years especially since gaming was once viewed as a "Man's World" and some people are still stuck in that belief that women should not be part of the STEM world.

Don't Read the Comments is a story that even after finishing makes you want to immediately start again. Whether it be the YA book shout outs, our mutual love of enamel pins, or Divya's love for her mother, you will want to jump right back in. I read Don't Read the Comments in one sitting because not only are there moments of tenderness and hilarity, but it's emotionally gripping.

Incredibly timely, Don't Read the Comments is a story that made my heart ache - how Divya is harassed by these trolls, the lengths they go out of fear and insecurity to make her feel unsafe and unwelcome. But at the same time, my heart ached in the best way as we see Divya's call to action, the community she has online, and her budding friendship with Aaron. Don't Read the Comments is an emotional roller coaster of the best variety.

The Internet can be a cesspool, which can make navigating comments, and occasionally life, a bit dangerous in Eric Smith's Don't Read the Comments. 

Divya is better known as streamer D1V, where her Glitch streams playing Reclaim the Sun have gotten her some celebrity status and a following known as the Angst Armada, as well as sponsorships that help keep her and her mother afloat. Aaron enjoys gaming and watches D1V's streams but he also loves writing and dreams of being able to write stories for video games instead of assuming the role of doctor that his mom wants for him. When D1V and Aaron first meet, arriving to an unclaimed planet at the same time, they find an easter egg within the game that players can duel over planets. Deciding to work together, Aaron and Divya begin to kindle a cautious friendship, where they slowly lean upon one another through their respective real-life issues and the trolls within Reclaim the Sun who are calling themselves the Vox Populi who are threatening them inside and outside the game, though neither Divya nor Aaron are willing to go down without a fight.

Generally adorable and relatable, this story was entertaining and quick to read. The narrative offered a good representation of gaming culture and the toxicity that exists within it, as well as the toxicity and harassment that exists more broadly throughout cyberspace when people are able to hide behind anonymous avatars and usernames. The text addresses important, timely topics in tasteful manner and through the diverse characters involved in the situation demonstrates both the good and bad characteristics that contribute to comprise the entire community so as not to reduce it to ALL [insert specific thing here] being like this. Definitely a good read for all ages, younger readers may get more about it with the technological references it makes and overlook some of the areas where more suspension of disbelief is required, though Smith does have plenty of cultural references to delight older readers, too. 

Overall, I'd give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

A timely and impactful YA novel about gaming, life on the internet, and fighting back against abuse.

For video game streamer Divya, AKA D1V, video games aren't just a fun release or hard earned skill--they're a means to pay the bills for herself and her single mother. And her successful Glitch stream means her mom can finish her degree and they can still pay the rent. But when a group of trolls begin an organized hate campaign to terrorize her off the platform (and in real life), her mantra of "don't read the comments" doesn't just become difficult, it becomes impossible. An unexpected online friendship with a boy hoping to become a game writer (very much against his parents' wishes), an armada of loyal fans, and a police officer determined to crack down on online abuse provide some much needed support. But in the end, it's up to Divya to determine how to fight back--and whether putting up with all the hate is really worth it.

A great read for fans of SLAY by Brittney Morris and anyone who wants to see more gaming in YA. Definitely could be a bit upsetting at times because of the reality of online trolls / hate (if only it were exaggerated for fiction), but nonetheless a great, empowering read.

This book I think was just too young for me which is unfortunate because I usually like young adult contemporary.

Eric Smith decided to tackle several big issues in Don't Read the Comments, including online harassment, doxxing, and complacency from law enforcement and the video game industry. He created an engaging and sincere story, while accurately portraying the harassment female content creators deal with every day.

**Thank you to Inkyard Press, Eric Smith, and Netgalley for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review**

Divya is a high school student who spends her time on Glitch, a gaming website where she is an influencer. She has thousands of followers and plays the game, Reclaim the Sun, a space exploration gaming program. This is her income as she attempts to support her mom financially through grad school after her father leaves them to start a new life. Divya is known online as D1V, and is always super careful about how much personal information she gives out. Unfortunately, she is attacked in the game by some racist, sexist dudes who send her a photo of her house to scare her. Don't Read the Comments follows Divya as she deals with online trolls who take the trolling off the internet and into her life, while she is also trying to learn how to trust people. It's a hard task for her, let me tell you.

Divya meets Aaron, the other POV in this book, within the game and over the book she learns to trust him even which the attacks happening to her and her family. Aaron is a gamer whose dream is to write the scripts for games, not be a doctor like his mom wants. He works for his friend who owns a gaming company, even though the money for his work hasn't come around yet. His story follows him helping Divya and dealing with his career and life within the gaming community.

I enjoyed this book, even though gaming is not my style. It was a great story about online trolling, the rampant racism and sexism in the gaming community, and find friendship among the fray. There is assault, harassment, and hurtful comments thrown at Divya because "she deserves it" for being well known on the internet and being a brown girl in gaming. It's super annoying, but unfortunately accurate to how people are treated in male dominated areas.

I enjoyed the dual POV's a lot, it was nice to see the story from both Divya and Aaron's perspectives. Their stories intertwine but are still very separate. The love story is nice and simply, not much because they are high schoolers. The focus is more on the friendship and trust between two people who met online rather than the romantic nature that could happen between them.

For fans of video games and contemporary novels, Don't Read the Comments will be the nerdy book you've been waiting for.

This was cute! I've been waiting for an author to tastefully represent internet trolling (just roll with me there). Don't Read the Comments was a quick read that continues to stick with me after I finished it. A whole lot of fun with a whole lot of heart and a warm message at the end.

I really wanted to like this one. I really respect Eric Smith as a literary agent (and goodness knows, he is good at his literary agent job). I suppose I was thinking along the lines of "Since he's a literary agent, he'll probably be able to edit his own work just as well!"

Nope. It's like book reviewers (most of them) being able to see the flaws in someone else's writing yet not being able to apply what they say to the books they themselves write. (I could technically do a whole video on that. #content!)

I should preface this review with a content warning. This book drops multiple F-bombs, and several iterations of other explicit swear words. If you are someone who is not comfortable with explicit swearing, or if you are a parent and you're not comfortable with your teen reader picking up a book with explicit swearing, this might not be the right book for you. In fact, I kind of wish there had been a content warning on NetGalley when I downloaded this, because I'm not comfortable with explicit swearing in books! xD

To start off with, let's look at that premise. Div lives with her single mother, who is still in grad school and is working part-time to make ends meet until she graduates and can find a full-time position. Yeah, okay, I'll bite. Div uses her video game streams to make some extra money, selling the tech she gets from sponsorships and using ad revenue to help pay for living expenses. From the way she's always worrying about money, I get the impression that she's barely breaking even. Which basically tells me that Eric didn't do any research into how Youtubers actually make money. Skillshare, Audible, and VRV are all services that hand out sponsorships like they're going out of style. Anyone with a handful of followers can make a bit of money off content sponsored by Skillshare, Audible, or VRV. And not just fancy gear that you have to resell, but cold, hard cash. Plus there's the obvious one: Patreon, where fans can support their favorite creators financially in exchange for rewards. (usually these would be things like getting a shout-out in a video, or receiving some free swag, or getting early access to new or exclusive content)

Speaking of swag, Div mentions at one point that she and Rebekah have to go to the convention, if only to sell the merch they've been working on designing. But they'd actually be able to sell a lot more merch if they sold it online. There's lots of websites out there where content creators can make and sell their own merch for a good bit of money.

And yeah, she does the streaming thing because it's fun and she enjoys it, but if she's really that worried about money, why not pick up a few side gigs? Like, if she were to work at a McDonald's or something. She lives in Jersey City, where the minimum wage is $10 an hour. Nowadays most part-time jobs, especially those in the service industry, actually offer a bit more than minimum wage, in order to entice workers to apply. So let's assume McDonald's hourly wage is $10.50 an hour. And let's assume that she's still devoting most of her time to her online presence, so she's only able to work for two afternoons a week. So two five-hour shifts per week at $10.50 an hour, four weeks a month, would mean that you're bringing home an extra $420 a month. That's not even taking into consideration the $3200 that McDonald's promises in tuition assistance, based on the job openings I'm looking at (via Indeed.com) as I'm typing this. And then if she still needed more money than that, she could pick up some extra side gigs babysitting, tutoring, or dogsitting. Care.com, Wyzant, and Rover are all sites that offer opportunities for such gigs. Assume she's able to spare three hours a week for side gigs like that, plus an hour or so extra each week for finding said gigs, arranging logistics, etc. Average rates for gigs like that start at about $20 an hour, so that's an extra $240 every month, just by spending a few afternoons a week standing at a cash register taking people's orders and babysitting kids.

So you can see why the initial setup kept me from actually getting absorbed into the story. Then, at the end, Div just [gives up her entire revenue stream (hide spoiler)], which, yes, technically she got the speaker's fee from the convention, which apparently was enough to pay for the last semester of her mother's school, but is her mother making enough at her part-time job to pay for the groceries, etc. that still need to be bought? It's not like her mom is going to land the perfect full-time gig right out of grad school. It just felt like a weak premise that was merely a catalyst for the story with zero payoff of any sort.

To this book's credit, there were a few things I enjoyed. The depiction of the scenes of the kids playing video games were really well-done. And the brother-sister relationship between Aaron and Mira gave me feels. I am TRASH for good sibling relationships in fiction, and this one did not at all disappoint. Speaking of the video game aspect, I feel like you might not enjoy this if you're not an actual gamer, because sometimes it gets really deep into gaming culture and references that non-gamers might have a hard time following it.

The relationship that did disappoint me, however, was the friendship between Rebekah and Div. I was thinking that they were friends from school or something, but Rebekah is apparently older than Div? In which case, I wanted them to reflect on their shared history together. Friendships don't just pop up out of nowhere like that, they need to be nurtured. When Div and Rebekah fight in the second half of the book, is that their first ever fight? Have they fought before? How did they meet and become friends in the first place? I am also trash for strong female friendships in fiction, but unfortunately this was just a really poorly-written one.

Up until about the first half of the book, I was still reading, and I mean seriously reading. I wasn't super-intrigued, like OMG IS DIV EVER GOING TO GET OUT OF THE TROLLS' SIGHTS or ARE DIV AND AARON GOING TO GET TOGETHER I NEED TO KNOW NOW, but my curiosity was piqued enough to keep reading. But then after about the halfway point I started skimming so hard because NOTHING MADE SENSE ANYMORE.

Then, of course, there were all the little bits that made my editor brain go on high alert.For example:

-At one point, Aaron is playing games online and Mira jumps on his lap. In the process of trying to make her go away, he somehow makes his avatar run in place, despite him not having any sort of VR or motion-capture equipment whatsoever.

-During one of the early online chats between Div and Aaron, we're only allowed to see Aaron's side of the conversation. We're never told whether or not Div actually responded to him, or what she said in response, and I wanted to see that, so that we could get that relationship building ASAP.

-Early on in the book, we see two different scenes of Div in her room gaming it up. During the second session, she looks over at the wall at her motto: "Don't Read the Comments." But this felt really repetitive, because it should have been introduced in the first scene of her gaming.

-Later on in the book, a police officer visits Div's house to do a follow-up to a report Div filed. She recognizes Div from her streams and calls her by her channel name, then explains that her niece is a huge fan. Not two paragraphs later, Div is in the kitchen getting a glass of water for said officer and wonders how the officer knows her channel name. SHE JUST SAID HER NIECE WAS A FAN DID YOU NOT LISTEN.

-Then, near the end, we get the big "twist" that has apparently been building since page one: (view spoiler). Which I saw coming 500 pages ago. Yeah, this book only has 360 pages. I saw that coming from the second I saw the title for the first time pop up in my Twitter feed, when Eric announced the title of his book. "Huh," I said to myself. "I wonder if a friend of our male love interest will actually turn out to be the villain this whole time." AND I WAS RIGHT. That was so predictable that it just bordered on boring.

And then of course, we have the "stupid teenagers being stupid" section. Such as:

-The aforementioned Div not doing whatever it takes to make money to pay the bills

-Aaron finding out that his dad plays video games too, but instead of doing like any normal person would and asking his dad about the game he's playing, he instead decides to snoop on the computer to find out what it is. Despite not having any reason to not want to talk to his dad about video games.

-After the aforementioned discovery, Aaron finds a letter on the computer that his dad wrote, in which his dad calls the recipient "My queen." Well obviously, it's something related to the game his dad is playing, because we already know that the game was a fantasy RPG with knights and kings and royalty. Maybe it's fanfiction for the game (spoiler alert, it is). Maybe his dad is actually playing an MMORPG and it's a letter to his in-game wife because he plays a king in the game and his in-game wife is the queen. Or it could even be a love letter TO HIS OWN REAL WIFE. But instead of assuming any of these, Aaron instead assumes his dad is having an affair. *facepalm*

-Oh, and speaking of the affair thing, Aaron finally gets up the courage to confront his dad about it. But instead of coming right out and saying "Dad, I think you're having an affair," he and his dad play the pronoun game for two pages! In a Disney movie, this would be kind of cute and maybe worth a chuckle or two. But here in the book, it's just so cringeworthy and hard to read. Aaron's like "DAD YOU NEED TO TELL MOM ABOUT WHAT I FOUND ON THE COMPUTER" and his dad's like "Oh, you found that? Oops," and then Aaron's like "How long has it been going on?" and his dad is like "Twelve years." and Aaron is like "WTF DAD HOW COULD YOU DO THIS" and his dad's like "I just thought it was harmless fun, something I could have to myself," and Aaron is like "WTF DAD YOU CAN'T DO THIS YOU'RE CHEATING ON MOM" and his dad is like "What are you talking about?" and then FINALLY Aaron is like "You're having an affair!" at which point his dad FINALLY says "No, it's just really old fanfiction." *facepalm*

-At one point, Div gets hacked and loses all her social media accounts, including her email. Which I think is a great character moment for her, because then she contemplates whether or not she actually wants them back. But then she gets her email back again with no explanation whatsoever:

How it went down in the book:

I read my email, having regained access to my account, but not to any of my other social media platforms.

How it should have gone down in the book:

I had spent an entire morning on the phone with the Gmail customer service rep and finally regained access to my inbox. I supposed now that I had gotten my email back, I could request password resets for my other accounts... but did I really want to?

That's all I wanted, just ONE SENTENCE where she reflects again on this doubt she has. But instead, this important character moment just falls flat on its face.

-Once at the con, Aaron laments that the security guard is useless and that he should be doing security instead. NO YOU SHOULDN'T BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST AS STUPID. YOU'RE THE ONE WHO JUMPED TO CONCLUSIONS ABOUT YOUR DAD'S AFFAIR BEFORE GETTING ALL THE FACTS. YOU COULDN'T EVEN MAKE THE PLAINCLOTHES GUYS TO BE THE TROLL GROUP EVEN THOUGH WE ALL KNEW FROM THE MINUTE YOU WALKED IN THE ROOM THAT THOSE GUYS WERE THE BAD ONES.

The thing that really made me rage was when Aaron and Ryan's creative work (scenarios and artwork, respectively) was stolen by Jason. What a great plot point! I thought to myself. This is so relevant, because creators everywhere are constantly worrying about copyrights and plagiarism and whatnot! And do you know how the boys react to this? THEY STEAL JASON'S $2000 COMPUTER IN RETALIATION. Yeah, because having your work stolen is the best excuse for grand larceny. *rolls eyes* And of course, they're teenagers, so they're not thinking straight, so yeah, they're going to take an eye for an eye. But then THEY FACE NO CONSEQUENCES FOR THEIR ACTIONS. A police officer interrogates them under suspicion that they did steal the computer. They ADMIT THEIR CRIME (which, yes, is inadmissable because they weren't Mirandized and they weren't in the presence of a lawyer), but instead of arresting them or making them give the computer back, the police officer is just like "Oh, okay," and JASON GIVES THEM THEIR COMPUTER THE MINUTE AARON TELLS THE OFFICER ABOUT THE STOLEN ARTWORK. EXCUSE ME MISTER, BUT THAT DOES NOT MITIGATE YOUR CRIME AND YOU ARE STILL IN BIG TROUBLE. And then they get to KEEP THE COMPUTER and SELL IT FOR THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, as if they're being REWARDED for committing a crime. I don't necessarily need all YA to be deep, thematic, moralistic stories, but this is literally going to teach impressionable teenagers that if someone takes something from you, it's okay to do the same thing tenfold to them and you'll get away with it. >.<

In conclusion, this book gets a two-star rating for the poorly developed friendship, terrible logic, lack of research, stupid teenagers being stupid that causes the plot to happen, a literal WTF ending, and extremely weak writing. Its only good aspects, I find, are the video game scenes and the sibling relationship between Aaron and Mira, along with the good representation for how women are actually treated in the gaming/nerdy community.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this e-ARC!