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lostwithoutaplan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
3.5
3.5 Stars
The life of a gamer. I enjoyed the friendships in this book and the game descriptions. I especially liked Friendship and its Oregon Trail vibes and the way they integrated gaming into the narrative of societal norms. The story included a lot of grief and upheaval, too. From beginning to end, it was a roller coaster of emotion.
The life of a gamer. I enjoyed the friendships in this book and the game descriptions. I especially liked Friendship and its Oregon Trail vibes and the way they integrated gaming into the narrative of societal norms. The story included a lot of grief and upheaval, too. From beginning to end, it was a roller coaster of emotion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Abortion, and Murder
booksense's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
memay9's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I ended up enjoying this book a lot and I went through it quickly though I think it can't really be considered a quick read because it's quite long and wordy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mass/school shootings and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Car accident and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit and Abortion
igotcourt's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
Moderate: Abortion and Death of parent
ezio_sev's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I knew very little about this book except that people who read it liked it. I was pleasantly surprised as someone who games to realize it was about designing video games, something I rarely thing about in terms of behind the scenes. I think the characters in this book are beautifully developed and made truly human decisions. Everything in this book felt so real as if it was a biography about game designers. I wish the games they made existed in real life and I wish I had a friendship like Sadie’s and Sams when I was younger even if it was for charity. Their bond was everything.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Cancer, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Suicide, Terminal illness, Car accident, and Abortion
crazyinlove's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I think I sort of set myself up for failure given the wide-spread acclaim this book had gotten, so I had high expectations going in. Unfortunately, this book just failed to meet them on nearly every front.
I actually like Sam and Sadie as characters. I think it's fine to read about flawed characters that you don't really relate to. I just think the conflicts between these two characters often felt completely contrived. It was really bizarre witnessing Sadie do a full 180 on her friendship with Sam in the span of two paragraphs, and this becomes a major conflict for the book for way too many pages. My problem with "characters who have trouble communicating" as a central theme of the book is that as the reader when you are looking at their conflict from an outside perspective, you realize that you're just witnessing two people arguing over essentially nothing. It's not entertaining, and it becomes annoying fast. I just could not take the tension in this book seriously because it genuinely felt trivial and silly.
Then there's the question of Marx. His character cut-out just felt a little goofy to me. He's Mr. Perfect in this book. He's tall, he's handsome, he's smart, he's rich, he's super understanding, he's generous, he's loveable, he's an actor, he's a producer, he's cultured, etc. etc. etc. He's just a convenient, golden retriever plot-device character ripped straight out of a YA novel. It's just a little juvenile and cheapens the book. Zevin seems to somewhat realize this and tries to give him his own chapter towards the end of the book, but it's too little too late.
Moving on, the writing in this book was a little mediocre. The prose was just fine besides the vocabulary workbook word-inserts that seemed as if Zevin was trying to impress some past high school English teacher. I also felt like some of the sentences in the first chapters were a little clunky. The dialogue between Sam and Sadie when they were children felt a little uncanny.
Some of the pacing in this book was rough. Some people appreciated the way this book works with time, but I found it distracting and at times unnecessary. Do we really need to flashback to these past moments to explain some character's current mental disposition. This need to over-explain things really dragged down the book at moments and interrupted the sequence of events that was happening. This book is omniscient 3rd person, but some of the POV transitions seemed really jarring. Like there's one instance where Sam and Sadie go to see Marx's play, and the book randomly shifts to Marx's POV to explain his character and his past with acting as if that was absolutely necessary to the book at that particular moment. It wasn't.
Lastly, the book some of the things that happen in this book just melted my patience. Sadie's abortion is mentioned and passed in a way that felt so... wrong. Especially as it comes in a moment where Sadie and Sam are arguing, and it's sort of thrown in there to heighten the drama. It just felt cheap. This is also the same problem with Marx's death which also comes at a point where Sadie and Sam's tension is at its highest. No pattern there. This kind of opens up another problem with this book where some of the issues it reaches for, it just seemed kind of cheap... again. Like raising the subject of being biracial - but doesn't meaningfully explore it, raising the issue of Marx being Asian-American and facing racism - but doesn't explore it because Marx is still supposed to be the perfect character. The subject of gay marriage could have been woven into the book in a better way if the book just doubled-down on the bisexuality that it hinted at with Sam. Instead, it's relegated to a side-plot with Simon and Ant, two new supporting characters added 200+ pages in and just comes across as meandering.
Lastly x2, Sadie and Marx's relationship is when I felt like the book really had nothing going on and was just throwing shit at the wall to keep things moving. It really felt like something out of a shitty romance novel. Suddenly, Marx's only stable relationship is a problem for the book, and Zoe wants to break up with him. He hops on a plane with Sadie to Japan. They bond. They hookup. They're an established couple. No breaths in between. It's predictable as the book was transparently foreshadowing it in the early sections. It's mostly a functional ploy to drive the wedge deeper between Sadie and Sam. It's a complete eye-roll moment for me.
Ultimately, for me, this book felt like it didn't have anything meaningful to say. Even if it did, I doubt it would know how to say it.
I actually like Sam and Sadie as characters. I think it's fine to read about flawed characters that you don't really relate to. I just think the conflicts between these two characters often felt completely contrived. It was really bizarre witnessing Sadie do a full 180 on her friendship with Sam in the span of two paragraphs, and this becomes a major conflict for the book for way too many pages. My problem with "characters who have trouble communicating" as a central theme of the book is that as the reader when you are looking at their conflict from an outside perspective, you realize that you're just witnessing two people arguing over essentially nothing. It's not entertaining, and it becomes annoying fast. I just could not take the tension in this book seriously because it genuinely felt trivial and silly.
Then there's the question of Marx. His character cut-out just felt a little goofy to me. He's Mr. Perfect in this book. He's tall, he's handsome, he's smart, he's rich, he's super understanding, he's generous, he's loveable, he's an actor, he's a producer, he's cultured, etc. etc. etc. He's just a convenient, golden retriever plot-device character ripped straight out of a YA novel. It's just a little juvenile and cheapens the book. Zevin seems to somewhat realize this and tries to give him his own chapter towards the end of the book, but it's too little too late.
Moving on, the writing in this book was a little mediocre. The prose was just fine besides the vocabulary workbook word-inserts that seemed as if Zevin was trying to impress some past high school English teacher. I also felt like some of the sentences in the first chapters were a little clunky. The dialogue between Sam and Sadie when they were children felt a little uncanny.
Some of the pacing in this book was rough. Some people appreciated the way this book works with time, but I found it distracting and at times unnecessary. Do we really need to flashback to these past moments to explain some character's current mental disposition. This need to over-explain things really dragged down the book at moments and interrupted the sequence of events that was happening. This book is omniscient 3rd person, but some of the POV transitions seemed really jarring. Like there's one instance where Sam and Sadie go to see Marx's play, and the book randomly shifts to Marx's POV to explain his character and his past with acting as if that was absolutely necessary to the book at that particular moment. It wasn't.
Lastly, the book some of the things that happen in this book just melted my patience. Sadie's abortion is mentioned and passed in a way that felt so... wrong. Especially as it comes in a moment where Sadie and Sam are arguing, and it's sort of thrown in there to heighten the drama. It just felt cheap. This is also the same problem with Marx's death which also comes at a point where Sadie and Sam's tension is at its highest. No pattern there. This kind of opens up another problem with this book where some of the issues it reaches for, it just seemed kind of cheap... again. Like raising the subject of being biracial - but doesn't meaningfully explore it, raising the issue of Marx being Asian-American and facing racism - but doesn't explore it because Marx is still supposed to be the perfect character. The subject of gay marriage could have been woven into the book in a better way if the book just doubled-down on the bisexuality that it hinted at with Sam. Instead, it's relegated to a side-plot with Simon and Ant, two new supporting characters added 200+ pages in and just comes across as meandering.
Lastly x2, Sadie and Marx's relationship is when I felt like the book really had nothing going on and was just throwing shit at the wall to keep things moving. It really felt like something out of a shitty romance novel. Suddenly, Marx's only stable relationship is a problem for the book, and Zoe wants to break up with him. He hops on a plane with Sadie to Japan. They bond. They hookup. They're an established couple. No breaths in between. It's predictable as the book was transparently foreshadowing it in the early sections. It's mostly a functional ploy to drive the wedge deeper between Sadie and Sam. It's a complete eye-roll moment for me.
Ultimately, for me, this book felt like it didn't have anything meaningful to say. Even if it did, I doubt it would know how to say it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Domestic abuse
Minor: Abortion
michaelion's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
The three of them should’ve been locking lips and hunching all together and there would’ve been less conflict. They were all made for each other. Down with monogamy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death and Genocide
Minor: Cancer, Eating disorder, Vomit, Abortion, and Colonisation
matmatmatty's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I am so glad I took the time to read this, and I am kind of sad that I won't get to experience it for the first time again.
This is the story of Sam and Sadie, who meet in hospital as kids and start playing games together. Eventually they decide to start making games together.
This is the story about the games they make, but more importantly their lives together and apart.
The characters that Zevin has created feel so realistic and like they are actual people and the games she has made are incredible - I would absolutely love to play one of them for myself (and will just have to do with playing Stardew Valley for now)
This book is hyped up a lot, but I would recommend picking this one up, even if you think it might be overhyped. I am so glad I finally read this.
This is the story of Sam and Sadie, who meet in hospital as kids and start playing games together. Eventually they decide to start making games together.
This is the story about the games they make, but more importantly their lives together and apart.
The characters that Zevin has created feel so realistic and like they are actual people and the games she has made are incredible - I would absolutely love to play one of them for myself (and will just have to do with playing Stardew Valley for now)
This book is hyped up a lot, but I would recommend picking this one up, even if you think it might be overhyped. I am so glad I finally read this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Drug use, Medical content, and Car accident
Minor: Cancer, Vomit, and Abortion
stratospheric's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Vomit, and Abortion
Minor: Drug use, Blood, and Alcohol
abernathy_33's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Suicide
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Car accident, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Cancer, Vomit, and Abortion