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
Comments