“Wonderfully geeky and deeply compassionate.” –Marieke Nijkamp, #1 New York Times bestselling author In this charming novel by Eric Smith, two teen gamers find their virtual worlds–and blossoming romance–invaded by the real-world issues of trolling and doxing in the gaming community. We all need a place to escape the real world. For Divya and Aaron, it’s the world of online gaming. While … it’s the world of online gaming. While Divya trades her rising-star status for sponsorships to help her struggling single mom pay rent, Aaron plays as a way to fuel his own dreams of becoming a game developer–and as a way to disappear when his mom starts talking about medical school.
After a chance online meeting, the pair decides to team up. But they soon find themselves the targets of a group of internet trolls, who begin launching a real-world doxxing campaign, threatening Aaron’s dream and Divya’s actual life. They think they can drive her out of the game, but Divya’s whole world is on the line…
And she isn’t going down without a fight.
Looking for more from Eric Smith? Don’t miss You Can Go Your Own Way!
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Wonderfully geeky and deeply compassionate, Don’t Read the Comments is a heartwarming tale of finding your community and following your dreams.
I think this is a book that all the teenagers out there need to read. It is really poignant in the struggles of being young and higher profile. And honestly, it happens all the time to young people in general.
What do I mean by “it”? Running into jerks hiding behind screens… computer screens, streaming devices, etc. We ALL run into them. And being a popular streamer doesn’t help Divya. She’s built a brand and is awesome at what she does and yet other people want to bring her down. She doesn’t always handle things well but she is brave and inspirational as she goes on this journey and stands up even when her life is threatened.
Five stars, Eric Smith, and I’m clapping. This is an important read this year and I highly, highly recommend it!
Thank you to Inkyard Press for the opportunity to read this book. I have voluntarily provided this review and the opinion expressed is my own.
Favorite character: Mira
Mira is Aaron’s 5-year-old sister, and I chose her as my favorite character because I think she is particularly well written, and her dialogue literally had me laughing out loud. She says things that are a total embarrassment to those around her, just like any 5-year-old does, and she wants others to treat her like she’s older than she is. For instance, she insists on a whole piece of pizza, but she’s really not ready for it, and the cheese slides off, landing in her lap. These are small little scenes, but if you have ever spent any time with a child this age, you know how much they ring true.
What I Loved
The gaming world is a mystery to people who do not play. The majority of the people who regularly play games, especially multiplayer online games, look at it healthily- as a hobby that they understand is just a game. But others use it to create a world where they can feel powerful and feed their self-esteem when the real world isn’t so accommodating. Harassment is rampant, and sexism/sexual harassment happens disturbingly often. One of the things I love most about this story is its accurate portrayal of the gaming world, especially the problems that female players face within that world.
I also love the budding relationship between Aaron and Divya. It is so sweet and innocent. Sometimes, in this world of online dating, we lose the innocence that once was the norm. It is so refreshing to watch the pair as they slowly get to know one another and the smart way Divya puts the breaks on when she feels things are moving too fast for her comfort level.
The story is very entertaining and kept me moving quickly through the pages by masterfully using the element of suspense. The dialogue flowed easily and naturally. Due to the nature of the plot – a large percentage being online chat – I think this was the biggest and most necessary strength of the novel.
Divya appears not to be a fully developed character, but I could understand why she lacked dimension. It is a necessary part of who she is. Just as she shut out the people around her to protect herself, she also has the walls up to the reader. Since it is written in the first person, this makes sense. Other characters were sincere in their likability or justifiably unlikable.
What I Wish
I wish that the reader had a more omniscient view of Divya so we could have felt the sincerity of her feelings in all she was going through. Divya could be a very likable and relatable character if she had more depth and dimension.
To Read or Not to Read
YA fans will love this sincere and spellbinding tale of a girl who defeats the odds through the world of online gaming.
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and a special thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Justine Sha for my spot on the blog tour.
I’m not a great knowledgeable of the gaming universe, but as I liked this synopsis so much I decided to read the book and I didn’t regret it. With a light writing, the author made me dive into the plot and feel like a player with all the tensions of each move and its interactions.
Divya loves to play but is a little tired of sexist troll attacks. With her friend Rebekah, she struggles to stay active and with sponsors but it is not so easy. After attacks happen in both the game and in real life, she fears for her safety and the safety of her mother.
Aaron loves creating scripts for games and is a little concerned about the pressure his mother puts on him to focus his efforts on studying medicine. Now he and his friend Ryan are working for a company in this business and he is very satisfied with what they are producing even though he does not see much enthusiasm in their boss. He takes great care of his younger sister, Mira, and whenever he can he lets her play with him and it is in one of those moments that he meets the famous player D1V.
The virtual friendship between Divya and Aaron gradually grows and little by little they find themselves involved with each other but Divya is afraid to meet with him personally and be disappointed. Aaron will need to be very patient and show his strength if he wants to win this girl.
The story surprised me and swallowed me up quickly and what I found most interesting was the fact that the writer created a character with protection syndrome who is Aaron and put a character who really knows how to fight for herself who is Mira. At a crucial moment in history, Eric Smith shows the reactions of these characters in a way that differs greatly from what we see in many books and I loved it so much.
A story about family values, about prejudice in the virtual world and its dangers and about the strength of great virtual and face-to-face friendships.
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely.
5/5 stars
3.5 stars
This is a new-to-me author so I wasn’t sure what to expect. And, to be quite honest, I don’t read an awful lot of male writers. That’s not intentional, it’s just that my most read genre (romance) is majority female writers. I wasn’t sure what to expect so I tried to go in with an open mind.
While this story was a slow starter for me, it did end up hooking me about 1/3 of the way into the book. So hang in there! I felt as though both Divya and Aaron got lost in thought with inconsequential details a bit too much in the beginning. That is something that goes away as the story continues.
There are actually a lot of things I love about this book. The first being that the main characters, who are potential love interests, have a small age gap where the woman is actually older than the man. That isn’t done often in YA unless an issue is made out of the ages. It’s not even addressed and I love that!
As much as I wanted to know a bit more about Divya’s parents and what happened there, I soon found it didn’t matter. I enjoy her unity with her mom and the fact that she recognizes all the sacrifices her mom has made through the years. Her mom is a wonderful character that we don’t see quite enough of, but this story isn’t about her.
Divya’s best friend, Rebekah, and Aaron’s best friend Ryan, are the perfect sidekicks (for lack of a better word) for these two. Compassionate and supportive, they also serve as each character’s Jiminy Cricket…their little conscience on their shoulders.
I am not a gamer, but still found myself enjoying this story quite a bit. I couldn’t help but wonder what my (now grown) sons would think of the story. They are both avid gamers and I may get this one for my oldest, who also enjoys reading. Whether I can get him to read a YA book when he’s almost 26 is another question. Not quite his wheelhouse, but he is curious by nature so I may convince him.
This story has more going on than gaming. With everything that is done online these days, trolls aren’t relegated to gaming only. There’s a bigger picture to be looked at here, and I believe this story alluded to that. Which makes it a good story for teens; it’s possibly a good guide to how to handle trolls. Rule number one…don’t keep trolling a secret from those who care about you and can help you. And Don’t Read the Comments! (Sorry not sorry.)
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
The Review
A truly remarkable and engaging YA Contemporary Romance. Delving into the world of gaming and online streaming was an inspired and relatable choice, as so many people turn to games and streamers for entertainment and for a sense of belonging in their lives. The tone and atmosphere the author crafted allowed readers to feel connected to the gaming world, and the imagery the author utilized in both the fictional world the characters found themselves in and the “real” world was profound, really creating a picture of these scenes in our minds.
The character growth and interaction were the heart of this narrative. Behind the amazing gaming material and exploring the gaming industry as a whole, (including the online troll population that can become quite toxic), the story focuses on two amazing yet struggling young people. The author does a great job of highlighting the need for young people in this day and age to go out into the workforce to help out their struggling parents, as this happens far more often than people think. The bond formed between Divya and Aaron is heartfelt and complex, making the reader root for these characters.
The Verdict
A fantastic, entertaining, and immersive reading experience, author Eric Smith’s “Don’t Read the Comments” is a must-read for any fan of YA Contemporary Romance. The novel really draws the reader in and gives a great balance of atmosphere with the gaming industry element and character growth for both protagonists. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
A great book to start off this year. This story about two people who have different kinds of aspirations in the gaming world and a load of personal issues to deal with that meet each other inside a virtual game and become friends is terrific. Divya and her friend Rebekah are strong female characters that deal with a lot of pressure and rise above it. Aaron is a sweetheart of a guy, and I was rooting for him from the first introduction. My stepdaughter is a big gamer, and she has told me a lot about the misogyny she faces in the gaming world. It’s real and awful, so I completely believed that a group of young men would stalk and terrorize a successful female game streamer, and they’re even uglier to her because she isn’t white. In this day and age, that seems very conceivable. The ending was perfect. I highly recommend this book for middle school, high school, and even college readers. Also a good choice if you’re looking to add more diverse titles to your shelves. Excellent read.
I enjoyed the sneak peek look into the world of gamers for girls. Good message and interesting plot. The characters are relatable and I was rooting for them.
I truly wish I could give this book more than 5 stars. It’s a stunningly accurate portrayal of the worst our society is when it comes to internet trolls and their ilk.
D1V is a popular gamer and live streamer on Glitch, she’s got her Angst Armada, and thousands of followers for her favorite game, Reclaim the Sun. She’s got some sponsorships and revenue coming in. Not a lot, but enough to help her mom with things like rent and groceries. Not bad for an 18-year-old girl.
Then it happens, one day while she and the rest of the Armada are out exploring, they’re ruthlessly attacked. D1V and a host of others are killed in game, losing all their possessions and upgrades in the process. But the worst part, it’s a concerted effort from a group called the Vox Populi, and their reign of terror has just begun. After she dies, a beep comes in and she’s received an email. It’s an email from this group, threats are issued, but the worst of all, they know who she really is, they’ve included a photo of the outside of her apartment building.
She’s extremely private though. No one knows what she looks like, where she lives, or even what her real name is and that’s exactly how she wants it. You see, not everyone likes D1V and they make it known in the comments. That’s why her mantra is, “Don’t Read the Comments”. With her best friend and video editor Reb(ecca), they make sure to stay as safe as possible in this digital world. So, when that image comes through, D1V is freaked. She doesn’t tell anyone though. Not until things start happening in real life, and not just to her.
The Vox Populi don’t stop there. They’re a concerted group of gamers who believe that D1V doesn’t belong in their midst. They don’t think she should have followers, and they definitely don’t think she deserves sponsors. They’re an ugly bunch of trolls that have turned into stalkers and hackers.
But, that’s not the only storyline. You’ve got Aaron, he’s a 17-year old gamer who also does work for ManaPunk games. His mom makes him work in her office during the summer and thinks that he should go to school to be a doctor like her and let his silly ideas of getting into the gaming industry go. She’s even threatened not to pay for college unless he goes into medicine. One day while playing his favorite game, Reclaim the Sun, he runs into D1V and is starstruck. A friendship grows from that chance encounter.
The writing in this book brought me to tears a few times. I was thoroughly immersed in this story. I truly believe it’s going to be one of the best books of the year and I can’t wait to purchase a physical copy for my 11-year-old gamer girl who wants her own youtube channel.
This book has a complex storyline that feels plucked from the stories of today, wonderful characters, and writing that just pulls you in. You become invested in both the characters and the plot. I can’t wait to read more from this author.
*I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review
Don’t Read the Comments is a modern-to-the-minute adventure about rising above expectations of family, class, and social media, to find your true destiny and grab it by the controller.