I finished reading this book in November, 2019--yes, you heard it right, I read this almost two years ago--and the only thing I remembered was that I did not like this book at all. Although I couldn't recall everything in this book, I did know for sure that the writing style and the plot felt too juvenile to fully immerse myself in them. Besides, I found it hard to relate to the characters, having me end up skimming through the rest of the book. Lastly, as much as I wish I would enjoy this book by Eric Smith, I sadly didn't and I wouldn't recommend this to anyone, either. If you wanted to read something by this author, please don't start with this one.

Anyone who keeps up with my reviews will know that I have said on a few occasions (*cough, cough* way too many times), that I need to start reading book summaries before I dive into books. But I don't learn. And I did it again. I mean, I looked at the cover, looked at the author, and thought, "Yes. This looks like a great book that I want to read!" So, not surprisingly, this book really wasn't what I expected. I mean, it was, but it wasn't. I had no idea I was getting into a book about online gaming, and streaming channels, and game development, and online threats moving into real life. I thought it was going to be another book about someone posting something that they shouldn't have and then getting dragged in the comments for it (a la "If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say"). But really, it was more along the lines of "Slay." To be clear... I loved both books; this is not a bad thing - just unexpected. But, all of my poor pre-reading aside, I really enjoyed this book!

My favorite element of the book was the characters. Both Divya and Aaron were complex and interesting and felt very authentic. Divya is eighteen, doing her best to help support her single mother while they both work to better their situation, while also following her passion with online gaming/streaming. She has her moments of joy, of sorrow, of terror, and of complete and utter emotional conflict. I loved that she had her moments of self-doubt, but then, with the support of good people in her life, she would find the self-assurance to keep going. And, no spoilers, but her decision at the end for how she planned to move forward felt very true to her character. And then there was Aaron! The wanna-be knight in shining armor who is a genuinely good guy but maybe a bit of a pushover. His moments were definitely not as extreme as Divya's, but he, too, had his highs and lows and learned very valuable lessons about himself along the way.

The plot of the book was also strong. I read the book in basically two sittings because I became so engrossed each time I started to read again. The pace of the plot is perfect - very intense, fast-paced bits mixed with calmer moments of character development or friendship-building. I don't like books that hit the ground at 60 mph and stay that way until the huge collision at the end. It's too much. This book was a pleasant roller coaster - enough excitement so that you're never bored, but not so crazy that you want to throw up.

My ONE complaint is that there were a few moments in the plot that felt like, "Come on! Really? That's hard to believe." NO SPOILERS, but Aaron's dad's affair, Aaron and Ryan at the ManaPunk booth, and Divya's panel at GamesCon. Just not sure those felt as realistic as the rest of the plot and the characters.

But those are small pieces of the much bigger puzzle that is "Don't Read the Comments." And that big puzzle... it is a good one, my friends! I will definitely be getting this book for my classroom; I've already got a student in mind to recommend it to!

This book was a book that was eye-opening, because it really shows you the reality about girls or women who are in the gaming industry and the bullying that happens. So, so good!

This is such a lovely, immersive book. The characters are compelling and I cared about them from the first page. I loved the dialogue, which so many authors struggle with. Don't Read the Comments tackles some big issues in the gaming community and both main characters were so interesting in their own ways. It was such a great book!

The book was just a little slow for me. I couldn't click with the writing right from the beginning, so I struggled with it.

Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith is an internet focused book. I feel like this day an age we might as well be practical about the things that we are reading. This book talks a lot about the friendships we make on the internet and the importance on how we conduct ourselves son the internet. I feel like Smith did a good job on tackling the many hard subjects he chose to add to this book. Overall I think this was a pretty good book.

Thank you Net Galley for a copy of this great book!

I started reading this book months ago but honestly couldn't keep my attention on it. I found myself distracted and just not very into it. I liked the storyline but it just didn't capture my interest at the time. I got approximately halfway through it and switched to other books. Fast forward to today and I finished reading it in about 2 hours. I couldn't put it down. I loved the character and relationship development in the last half of this book. The storyline seemed to progress quicker and overall the book was great!

Video game streaming online is one of my favorite things to do. Since I have been living at my dad’s the past 10 months healing from the intestinal perforation that I suffered back in December of 2019 I have not been able to stream myself. I do enjoy watching other people stream as well. So, when I come across books where that is part of the plot I get super excited. The story is told by two main characters Divya and Aaron. Divya, and an already established streamer with tons of fans and even sponsorships. We meet Aaron who we find out is a fan of hers where they meet totally by chance.

I enjoyed this novel immensely! Not only is it well told but it highlights many things about streaming. This includes the dark side of streaming. Trolls are an ever-present reality for any streamer. We are not really told online how to deal with trolls beyond banning them from our channel for example. What if they get wind of our real-life identity for example? What should we do? This book delves into things like that. I hope this book becomes something many streamers reads at some point for that reason.

When I requested this novel I was into the idea of reading this novel but I discovered that I was unable to provide feedback on this book due to the series being archived prior to download and file/download issues. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience of not being to review and thank you for taking the time to provide me an ARC of this novel.

Divya is a well known gamer - who has gained sponsorships and helps out her single mother. Aaron loves video games - but his parents want him to spend less time playing more time studying so he can become a doctor. Aaron and Divya's lives cross paths - she is being attacked not only online but in her everyday life.

Super fun, really good YA novel that I would definitely recommend to avid YA readers. You won't be able to put it down once you start reading.

Filled with nerd-culture references, this book was a love letter to online friendships, showcasing the genuine bonds that can be formed over the internet while also unpacking the ugly side of online harrassment and discrimination in certain communities.

Don’t Read the Comments follows Divya Sharma and Aaron Jericho, two teenagers who unexpectedly find themselves forming a friendship on a MMORPG called Reclaim the Sun. Divya, an Indian American streamer who is publicly known as D1V, relies on sponsorships to support herself and her mother.

On the other side, Aaron is a Honduran Palestinian American who dreams of writing stories for video games. However, his immigrant parents would rather him become a doctor so in his free time, he finds himself writing potential game plotlines that he hopes to one day sell.

From the first chapter, it was very easy to become invested in the story as we unpack Divya’s conflicted feelings of being an online personality. Even though I’m nowhere near the level of fame as Divya, I was able to relate a lot to her feelings of loving the internet...but also wanting to shut everything down due to how overwhelming it can be.

As someone who maintains multiple online platforms, I loved the discussion of social media culture and the unfortunate, but realistic, depiction of online trolls and harassment. Through Divya, we see the unrelentless racism, sexism, and doxxing in the gaming community which has historically been white and male-dominated.

However, not all of her internet experiences are bad. From her fans to other female and POC gamers to Aaron, Divya also finds a supportive community online which many people can find comfort in. The romance between Divya and Aaron also felt well paced, and I enjoyed that it was more slow-growing than instalove.

If you're a fan of online friendships and gaming, this is the book for you. It’s nerdy. It’s fun, and while I personally don’t play video games, there’s a lot to this story that I could empathize with as a female content creator, and I hope more stories similarly explore these complex themes.

Eric Smith does a great job making the lives of the characters feel real. This book will be incredibly relatable to my students.

This was a super fun, uplifting contemporary for anyone looking to escape their world for a bit and enter Divya's. The characters were complex and I liked the overall plot.

Loved this story! It was a harsh look into the realities of internet fame and the drama that can come along with it. Our main characters are deep into the online gaming community - but in very different ways. One a prolific and "famous" gamer and one a game designer. They meet within the online community they both love and a beautiful and supportive friendship emerges.

A super fun, nerdy, guilty pleasure read! I love the diversity in this story, and it’s a lighthearted, sweet story. I enjoyed it!

I love books dealing with the online world and this didn't disappoint! I also loved how he dealt with diversity so well.

I enjoyed reading several aspects of this book! The pacing was wonderful, characters were well drawn, and the reading experience on the whole was delightful.

Don't Read the Comments trades point of view tellings between Divya and Aaron, two gamers. Both characters have distinct voices and living situations that made them relatable. This is a wonderful young adult novel that I think many young people will connect with. As an educator, I know many of my students spend a large amount of time online. They often build friendships and relationships over games and videos. This realistic viewpoint would draw many of my students in reading this novel.

Inspired by Gamergate, the real life controversy about sexism in the video game culture, Don't Read the Comments introduces Divya Sharma, a female gamer with valuable sponsors and a strong following on Glitch, a streaming service that allows others to watch her play Reclaim the Sun. She is attacked online by trolls known as Vox Populi, which then turns into real life harassment. Aaron Jericho meets Divya online, when he defends her against the trolls while playing Reclaim the Sun. Although Aaron enjoys gaming, he prefers to create narratives to go with his friend's gaming art, which they hope to market through a rising Indie game producer. He is thrilled to get publicity on Divya's site and wants to meet IRL, but she is understandably careful about revealing her identity. Her home address is revealed and both her mother and Divya's gaming partner are attacked. With Game Con coming up, Divya realizes she may need to get the authorities involved before the doxing (broadcasting private information) becomes life threatening. This complex examination of sexism and racism in gaming, celebrates family and friendship, as well as the strength and determination it takes to stand up to bullies.