A review by megs23
Loathe at First Sight by Suzanne Park

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I read this book without knowing anything about the plot. From the title  I thought this was an enemies to lovers trope and that expectation fell a little flat for me. Although there was some tension in the beginning with Nolan and Melody, the hatred between Melody and Asher was so much stronger that for a while I thought they’d end up together. I loved the representation of women, especially Melody as an Asian women, in gaming. Melody’s experience navigating a predominantly white and male industry was realistic and she faced a lot of racism, sexism, and harassment, which at times was captured in such detail that it was hard to read, even though I know this is a realistic portrayal. 

I appreciated Melody’s character growth from complete aversion to getting help to practicing asking and accepting help as the book progressed. I enjoyed Nolan, Candace, and Jane’s characters too. For the bulk of the book, Melody experienced negative comments about her body from her mom, Jane, and internet trolls. Near the very end, it was revealed she was a size medium and her BMI was 23… 
The passage of time in the plot was hard to follow and overall this book was a slower read for me. 
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