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achuna2'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
5.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Drug use
au_conn1'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
4.25
Graphic: Gun violence, Homophobia, Suicide, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Vomit, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Death of parent
ta_ma_ra_gj'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
4.25
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Mass/school shootings
Minor: Drug abuse, Sexual content, and Vomit
spencerthedemonbarber'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
4.5
Graphic: Body shaming, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
bickleyhouse'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
5.0
Sadie and Sam (Mazur) meet as young children when Sam is in the hospital during one of the many surgeries done in attempts to save the foot that was pretty much destroyed in an auto accident. He had not talked to anyone in six months. Sadie is there visiting her sister who has some kind of cancer. When Sadie goes down the hall in hopes of playing on a Nintendo set, Sam is already there playing. The not only strike up a conversation, the begin to play Mario Brothers together. Sam teacher Sadie how to get Mario to land on top of the flagpole at the end of the level. This begins a lifelong friendship, but that friendship also turns out to be a love/hate relationship.
Sadie and Sam wind up writing video games together, but not before a long period where they aren't speaking to one another. The create a game together that takes the world by storm. They create a company, and other people get involved, with whom they also become friends.
There is so much emotion in this book. Apparently, someone thinks it falls in the romance category. I don't really see that, myself. It definitely fits in literary fiction, I think, and possible historical fiction, because it begins in an era of games like King's Quest, Mario Brothers, and even mentions Leisure Suit Larry (I got a HUGE kick out of that shoutout!). The thing is, Sadie and Sam are both extremely broken people. So broken that they literally cannot sustain any kind of relationship for any length of time. Add Marx (the guy who winds up being the CEO of their company), who "dates" girls (and guys), but never for more than a month or two, and the mixture gets even more complex.
The saddest thing, which, in my opinion, puts this book firmly in the "tragedy" camp, is that Sadie and Sam really, truly love each other. But both of them never realize it at the same time. Both of them have very annoying streaks about them, as well (refer to aforementioned "broken" statement), which is one of the reasons that I nearly hated the book, at times.
Like I said, it gave me all the feels, both negative and positive, and that, I think, makes it a five-star read. Ms Zevin has delivered a masterpiece.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read, but especially for fans of video games. But don't get fooled into thinking it's a science fiction story, because it is not.
Moderate: Drug abuse, Gun violence, and Sexual assault
Minor: Abortion
kyriannaj's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Cancer, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Mass/school shootings, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
blairsatellite's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
nancyalicerose'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
4.5
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Sexual violence, Suicide, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Ableism and Drug abuse
a_novi'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
Moderate: Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
fancyjess_party's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail