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eevah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Vomit and Cultural appropriation
slowburnsrus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The root of my dissatisfaction is that reading about a character playing a game is like reading about a character working out…fun when you do it yourself, excruciating when we read the minutiae of another’s experience.
The strongest part of this book is its work with grief, and the metaphors around gaming in relation to grief and loss. That grabbed me in the second half and kept me reading.
But the writing feel excessively overwrought with not enough payoff in either plot or observations on the human condition to make me enjoy reading it.
I cannot express how much I came to loathe many of the characters, particular Dov, the sexual harasser and groomer who (spoiler) gets a fucking redemption arc at the end of the book.
I was surprised that there were fewer attributions than I would expected in the authors note as I recognized many of the book’s references, and Sadie in particular was prone to insightful wanderings that so had definitely read before.
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use and Abortion
rzh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Vomit and Pregnancy
Minor: Abortion
lo_the_wren's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
elisacarlene's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
rebeccaquinton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Cancer, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Cultural appropriation
rynaissanceenby's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Chronic illness, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Racism, and Car accident
Minor: Animal death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Antisemitism, and Abortion
carlytenille's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship
boba_nbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was such a unique book. I loved the way the story was told not only through multiple POVs but also through video games. As the characters grew up and adapted, so did the storytelling.
Sam/Mazer is such an intriguing character who you can’t quite wrap your head around. He has been invisible his whole life and isn’t quite sure how to love and be loved. His character grows quite a bit but still has his flaws to the very end.
All in all, this was a delight to read.
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Gun violence, Medical content, Car accident, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Abortion, and Pregnancy
chloel29's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail