DISCLAIMER: I received an advanced reader copy (eBook) of Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith from Harlequin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Don’t Read the Comments is part of Harlequin’s Fall/Winter Blog Tour for YA/Inkyard Press.

Book Summary

Slay meets Eliza and Her Monsters in Eric Smith’s Don’t Read the Comments, an #ownvoices story in which two teen gamers find their virtual worlds—and blossoming romance—invaded by the real-world issues of trolling and doxing in the gaming community.

Divya Sharma is a queen. Or she is when she’s playing Reclaim the Sun, the year’s hottest online game. Divya—better known as popular streaming gamer D1V—regularly leads her #AngstArmada on quests through the game’s vast and gorgeous virtual universe. But for Divya, this is more than just a game. Out in the real world, she’s trading her rising-star status for sponsorships to help her struggling single mom pay the rent.

Gaming is basically Aaron Jericho’s entire life. Much to his mother’s frustration, Aaron has zero interest in becoming a doctor like her, and spends his free time writing games for a local developer. At least he can escape into Reclaim the Sun—and with a trillion worlds to explore, disappearing should be easy. But to his surprise, he somehow ends up on the same remote planet as celebrity gamer D1V.

At home, Divya and Aaron grapple with their problems alone, but in the game, they have each other to face infinite new worlds…and the growing legion of trolls populating them. Soon the virtual harassment seeps into reality when a group called the Vox Populi begin launching real-world doxxing campaigns, threatening Aaron’s dreams and Divya’s actual life. The online trolls think they can drive her out of the game, but everything and everyone Divya cares about is on the line…

And she isn’t going down without a fight.

*Summary is courtesy of Harlequin & YA/Inkyard Press

Don’t Read the Comments

According to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) in 2019, 65% of American adults play video games, and 46% of gamers are female. I’m one of those 46%. I’ve been playing video games my whole life, but I’m definitely a very casual gamer. I don’t play online or stream – I just play for fun. My favorite games are Animal Crossing, Super Mario Bros, and Kingdom Hearts.

As a Millennial gamer, I’ve watched the gaming industry evolve. Not only have the graphics and consoles improved with the years, but there are so many ways to play games, and there’s a game and gaming platform for everyone. Don’t Read the Comments is a fun read for gamers of all kinds. If you’ve played video games at some point in your life, you’ll enjoy this book!

Gender Stereotypes in Gaming

Growing up, there was a gender stereotype that only boys played video games and girls couldn’t be as good at playing video games as boys. In present day, many gamer girls have proven this stereotype wrong. Just like gamer girl, Divya Sharma, in Don’t Read the Comments. She is known as D1V to her Glitch subscribers. Glitch is an online gaming platform, like Twitch, where users can watch people play video games via live video streaming.

As a female gamer, it’s really empowering to read a book about another female gamer, who runs a very respectable gaming channel. I’ve never read a fiction story about video games or female gamers. So, I’m quite happy that the gaming community is getting exposure in YA literature.

Divya

D1V is best known for her gaming streams for Reclaim the Sun, a sci-fi video game where you can explore the galaxy and discover planets while riding in a custom-made spaceship. Divya’s commander in crime is her best-friend Bekah, who also produces her pre-recorded videos.

Like many other online content creators, Divya’s Glitch channel is her only source of income, which is just enough to help support her and her mom. In addition, she’s been given gaming equipment and other merchandise through sponsorships.

At this point in my blogging career, blogging is my side hustle. I’m not at the point where I make a big enough income to quit my day job. But, I can imagine how much pressure it is to produce content, and run a channel in order to support yourself and your loved ones – depending on your lifestyle.

Don’t Read the Comments

Divya’s life motto is “Don’t Read the Comments”, but of course she does anyway. Who doesn’t? The bigger a channel grows, the more comments its’ videos get, which means the more negative comments it gets from online haters and trolls. Unfortunately, you can’t get the good without the bad. Divya receives handfuls of sexist and racist comments.

I’ve seen these types of comments on social media and YouTube. Sadly, I’ve noticed that female content creators get the worst comments. Either hate from other females, or gross comments from perves.

Why is it that the people who always leave the grossest, rudest, and occasionally sexist, racist, or religiously intolerant comments never seem to have an avatar connected to their social profiles? Hiding behind a blank profile picture? How brave. How courageous.

Trolls, Haters, and Online Safety

Don’t Read the Comments talks a lot about online safety, which is really important for people of any age. That might sound like a cheesy afterschool special, but it’s all valid. No age, gender, or race is safe from online harassment or cyberbullying.

Divya is targeted by a group of trolls called the Vox Populi. Basically, they want to ruin her online life because they don’t think she deserves to be in the gaming community. They sabotage her gameplay, send her threatening messages, and even have photos of where she lives.

Online harassment is actual harassment even if it’s behind a screen. Unfortunately, that’s why online harassment gets brushed off so quickly when it should be treated just as seriously. Like Divya, online harassment can potentially turn into real-life harassment, which is very scary.

Throughout her gaming career, Divya has been super careful protecting herself online and off by omitting personal information from her subscribers.

At least it’s just my gamertag and my social media handles out there, and not my real name. I’ve been very careful about that. Deliveries of any sponsored material get shipped to the local library or to Rebekah’s dorm, and are always addressed to D1V, not the real-life Divya Sharma.

Divya mentions that she gets hate comments saying that she deserves to be harassed online because of her gaming channel. That she knew what she signed up for when she put herself on the internet for all to see.

Unfortunately, it’s a sad truth that if you’re going to put yourself out there online, that you prepare yourself for the hate comments. But, how is that fair that content creators like Divya get hated on for doing what they love? No one deserves to be victimized for creating digital content or playing video games.

“I see it too often. People saying how putting myself out there this way, on the Internet, on streaming sites, on social media… Well, what do I expect to happen? That I should anticipate being some kind of victim, for finding joy in something.”

Aaron

Aaron Jericho is a fellow gamer, who also loves to play Reclaim the Sun. Although he’s not a streamer like Divya, he’s a freelance copywriter for ManaPunk, a start-up company that creates indie mobile games. His mom runs her own medical practice, where she expects Aaron will take over one day. But, Aaron has other plans for his future – he wants to write and make video games. Unfortunately, the producer of the company is taking advantage of Aaron because he never sees even a dime for his efforts.

I have no clue how common that kind of thing happens at startups or in the gaming industry, but I like that Don’t Read the Comments talks about two sides of the video game community – the people who play the games and the ones who make them.

Online Relationships

Aaron meets Divya online by happenstance while playing Reclaim the Sun. Even though Aaron seems like a nice guy, Divya feels reluctant to share too much personal info with him – for her own safety. Regardless, the pair is able to build an online relationship – a friendship and maybe even something more.

Meeting people online used to be such a taboo – romantically or platonically, but nowadays, it’s the way of the world. I like that Don’t Read the Comments shows both sides of the spectrum of online relationships. You’re always going to find haters and trolls on any social platform you engage on. But at the same time, it’s a great way to meet people from all around the world that like the same things you do. Of course, just as long as you’re smart and safe.

Overview & Rating

Don’t Read the Comments. Ah, little sign. If only it were that easy. If only every person who gave that advice, who claimed that they heeded that advice, actually took that advice. Everyone reads the comments. Every single one.

Don’t Read the Comments is definitely a book written for gamers. Any kind of gamer. Each chapter references all the various ways we play games such as PC, mobile, RPG, VR, old-school arcade games, and more. As well as where we play them such as online gaming and streaming, beercades, and gaming conventions. As someone who appreciates video games and loves to play them, I really enjoyed this book!

I thought Don’t Read the Comments was a good depiction of what it’s like to be an online content creator. Such as, how people can make a living from running a channel and get sponsorships based on their subscriber count. For a content creator, the comments section can be their worst nightmare. But, it’s their choice to ignore the haters and read the comments from their supporters, fans, and the people whose lives they positively impact. Or, just don’t read the comments. But, that’s easier said than done. Let’s be real…

The book focuses on the video game community: the people who play games for fun, the people who play games to make money, and the people behind the scenes who create games for all of the different platforms available to us. As a whole, this book is about gamers – the people who are passionate about video games and love to play them.

Most importantly, Don’t Read the Comments touches on the topics of online relationships, online harassment, and online safety. The book shows how the internet can be a scary place, but at the same time, a really amazing tool that we are so lucky to have. I mean, how cool is it that we can play video games with someone from across that world? We have the opportunity to build relationships with people that we wouldn’t have met otherwise in our daily life because they are miles and miles away from us. Really, the internet is a wonderful world. You just have to take the good with the bad. I’m really glad Don’t Read the Comments shows both sides of the spectrum.

With that being said, I give Don’t Read the Comments… 4 out of 5 stars. If you’re not a gamer or aren’t big into video games, I’m not sure if this book is for you. However, I think friendship, online relationships, and internet safety are topics that most people can find common ground on. Most definitely, they are topics that should be talked about. Don’t Read the Comments is just what we needed to bring the gaming community and the book community together!

Thank You

Thank you, Harlequin and YA/Inkyard Press for inviting me to join Harlequin’s Blog Tour, and Netgalley for the digital advanced copy! Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith is part of Harlequin’s Fall/Winter Blog Tour for YA/Inkyard Press. Check out Don’t Read the Comments, which is now available in stores and online!

If you’d like to see what other books I’m reading these days, follow me on Goodreads!

♥ Candis

SOURCES: “2019 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry.” Entertainment Software Association, 19 Aug. 2019, www.theesa.com/esa-research/2019-essential-facts-about-the-computer-and-video-game-industry/.