3 Stars-
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This book was fine. I thought it touched on some great areas of concern in our world-- racism, poverty, sexism, assault (physical and sexual). It was done in a way that teens can relate to-- the world of gaming.

But I thought this book tried to tackle too many issues instead of taking one or two and developing them better.

The ending was a blur and because at so many pages this book had run its course. I enjoyed it as a nice quick read, but would recommend to a limited age group.

Don’t Read the Comments follows Divya Sharma, a teen girl who has become internet famous because of her video game stream for Reclaim the Sun on the popular Glitch website. Her stream has gained so many followers that she has received sponsorships from several big gaming companies, which means she receives a lot of gifted items and even cash. While all of the perks are great and it’s fun being considered a celebrity of sorts, Divya also relies on the money she makes from streaming to help her mom make ends meet. So when she encounters trolls online who threaten her livelihood, it’s a big deal on many levels. They send her messages telling her she doesn’t belong in their community and is taking money and endorsements that should go to others more talented and deserving than she is.

When they destroy her ship in the game, Divya refuses to give into them. She begins the game all over again, seeking a quiet corner of the Reclaim the Sun universe to start from scratch and rebuild her resources. It is here she encounters the second protagonist of the book, Aaron Jericho, a teen who is equally passionate about video games but from the standpoint that he wants to actually write video games for a living. Aaron is a little starstruck at first because of Divya’s celebrity status but slowly, a friendship starts to build between them.

I really loved both Divya and Aaron. Divya is smart, scrappy, and resourceful. She’s also a great friend and a good daughter. I loved that she was so determined to use her streaming income to help her mom achieve her dream of a college degree. Aaron is equally likeable and is immediately a great friend to Divya. He’s also the sweetest big brother ever, even allowing his adorable little sister Mira to play video games with him and name planets he has claimed. Divya and Aaron are just so sweet that it’s all the more wonderful that they find each other online.

Along with the relationship between Divya and Aaron, the other friendships in the novel really made Don’t Read the Comments such an enjoyable read for me. There were several feel good geeky moments throughout the story involving Divya and her Angst Armada, a group of fans/friends she has met and bonded with through the Reclaim the Sun game. Having made many wonderful friends online myself, I found it very heartwarming to watch this group interact in such a positive way.

The author does a wonderful job of creating a balance between those feel good moments and the other darker aspects of the online gaming community. While the story has many moments that left me smiling, it also has its fair share of tension and suspense, which is created by racism, sexism, and doxing, which takes harassment to a whole new level when it moves from online to in-your-face personal.

I have to confess that I was initially drawn to Eric Smith’s Don’t Read the Comments because of the cute cover that promises a “wonderfully geeky” read. And yes, while it was definitely a wonderfully geeky read, Don’t Read the Comments is so much more than that. It’s also an in-depth exploration of the online world of video game streaming, both the good and the bad. Smith exposes the undercurrent of racism, sexism and harassment that sometimes pervades the culture, he also shows the positives such as online friendships that are born from shared interests. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys contemporary reads that focus on relevant and timely issues, and definitely to anyone who loves video games.

I think this is a book that all the teenagers out there need to read. It is really poignant in the struggles of being young and higher profile. And honestly, it happens all the time to young people in general.

What do I mean by “it”? Running into jerks hiding behind screens… computer screens, streaming devices, etc. We ALL run into them. And being a popular streamer doesn’t help Divya. She’s built a brand and is awesome at what she does and yet other people want to bring her down. She doesn’t always handle things well but she is brave and inspirational as she goes on this journey and stands up even when her life is threatened.

Five stars, Eric Smith, and I’m clapping. This is an important read this year and I highly, highly recommend it!

Thank you to Inkyard Press for the opportunity to read this book. I have voluntarily provided this review and the opinion expressed is my own.

Divya Sharma is D1V, leader of the #AngstArmada on a streaming channel for the game Reclaim The Sun. It's how she makes money to help her single mother make the rent and complete her library science degree, putting her own college on hold. At the same time, Aaron Jericho loves games and he yearns to write one of his own. He enjoys games like Reclaim The Sun in his spare time and gets drawn into Divya's world when they explore a planet in the game. Their real lives and virtual lives collide, especially when the group Vox Populi not only harass Divya and her friend online but threaten to doxx her as well.

There are so many nods to online gaming, streaming, social media, and the push back that women can get when they're online. Divya tries hard to keep her head up in spite of the online harassment, as most women online would have to do, relying on her mantra Don't read the comments when she's getting trolled. Div's best friend and fellow streamer had been sexually assaulted on campus, which makes the threat of being doxxed even more terrifying for her. The Vox Populi not only harass them online, but inspire others to also harass Divya when they recognize her, and carry a following of racist and sexist men who feel they're the only ones "deserving" of being online and gaining sponsorships.

People would definitely recognize the conflict on Aaron's side as well. His mother wants him to be a doctor like her so that his emphasis on gaming and trying to work with a local developer leads to arguments. It's an otherwise very loving and supportive family, and there is eventually an entire discussion about everyone's goals and needs. That is a fantastic thing to show in families, especially after the other misunderstandings and resentments in the novel. There is a lot of love within the Jericho family, and Aaron is determined to be a good friend for Divya and be there when she needs support. Theirs is a friendship that deepens over time into a romance, but it isn't the crux of the novel.

Without spoiling the progression of the plot, I was entirely engrossed in reading it and enjoyed the fun nods to gamer culture. The serious issues brought up were in a fairly realistic kind of way, and I could handwave some of the drama that was injected into the story. It was dramatic enough to raise awareness for the plight of women not only in games, but those alone on the street, with a friend in arcades, or even attending classes. Their stories are all too familiar for many women, and it's important to see not only that they're taken seriously in the novel, but find a way to rise above it. I really enjoyed this, and think that others interested in similar topics will enjoy it as well.

Eric Smith’s Don’t Read The Comments is absolutely gorgeous. Eric himself has an infectious warmth and I love how beautifully it translated into this book.

This story hit close to home for me as someone who used to moderate chat in my best friend’s Twitch stream. I know too well how women are treated by toxic internet men when they play video games online and Eric did a wonderful job of handling those intricacies.

I think this book is going to really resonate with a lot of people. It did with me. So much love.

Right from the first page, Divya tells her mother don't read the comments. She is talking about her Glitch channel where she plays Reclaim the Sun. Divya uses sponsorship revenue she makes from playing Reclaim the Sun in her streams to help her mother pay rent, groceries and bills. She does this out of the kindness of her heart so her mother doesn't have to work another part-time job on top of two jobs while her mother takes graduate classes. Divya's father is out of the picture since he left the family awhile back.

Aaron, on the other hand, isn't worried about finances but doesn't get support from his family to fund his hobbies. He wants to pursue a career to develop video game storylines. Aaron definitely doesn't want to follow the footsteps of becoming a doctor. His mother wants him to be a doctor and both parents push him to do internships or to work instead of playing video games to boost his chances of getting into a good college.

Divya and Aaron meet through Reclaim the Sun and they support each other in ways others cannot. While people have way too much time trolling Divya, Divya doesn't give up. She rebuilds and fights back. With popular culture and political issues intertwined within the novel, Eric Smith creates a novel that is relatable.

Smith's Don't Read the Comments is written in a dual POV with Divya and Aaron alternating chapters about how Reclaim the Sun impacts their lives. And readers see how their worlds collide through the game. Smith tackles racism, sexism, online bullying, doxing, social-economics and much more within the gaming industry. Stereotypes are broken down in this novel. I highly suggest this book for readers who enjoyed reading Warcross by Marie Lu and When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon.

Danger and Romance in the VR Gaming World

Divya, known as D1V in the gaming world, is a star when it comes to leading her #AngstArmada through the vast virtual universe of Reclaim the Sun. With her friend Rebekah, as producer, she posts videos of her conquests. She has enough fans that she has sponsorships. She’s able to sell the products she receives to help pay the rent and help her mother finish her courses. However, there are trolls out there and they are intent on driving Divya out of the gaming world.

Aaron’s whole desire is to be a game developer. This conflicts with his mother’s plan to have him become a doctor like her. He loves writing games for a local developer, but there are problems in that relationship. He uses time playing Reclaim the Sun to get away from his everyday difficulties. There he meets Divya.

Aaron and Divya are attracted. Through the game they get to know each other and as danger becomes more real, help each other.

This is a great contemporary story that is almost science fiction. It explores topics important to YA readers in today’s world: racism, sexism, and doxing. Whether you’re a gamer, or not, this is a good story with a delightful romance between two geeky teenagers.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

I loved this book. I went in expecting to like it, but not love it, simply because I am someone who knows little to nothing about gaming. I've never been into it, even when I tried games everyone else seemed to like. So, I didn't think I'd care much for that aspect of the book. I thought I'd like the overall storyline, hopefully connect with the characters, and enjoy the differing voices with the alternating POVs. Well, I did like all those things but also I actually enjoyed the gaming aspect. Don't get me wrong, I still don't understand video games or watching other people play them. There's something one of the characters says that makes a lot of sense. She tells us it's just like watching sports instead of playing them. Not everyone likes that either, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be something people do or enjoy. I know people are probably like "why would you read a book about gamers if you don't like them?" Truthfully, I'd heard good things about the author and I wanted to know what everyone was talking about--because my twitter timeline was full of people talking about this book. And with good reason. A lot of books about people in certain industries can tend to feel like they're only for people who like those things. This one didn't do that at all. Instead it made me feel connected to the characters despite the fact that I'm no gamer by any means.
But it wasn't just that I could relate even as someone who isn't a part of that world. It was the overall messages the book sends. I felt every instance Div felt unsafe. I was with Rebekkah when she was reliving her trauma. I could see myself in the moments of their strength standing up for what they loved and believed in. The decisions they made for themselves and for the overall bettering of their lives were decisions I've seen my friends and myself struggle with all the time. And we aren't internet famous. I loved that the book wasn't trying to tone down the realities faced by prominent women online, or play them up in such a way as to seem totally unrealistic. I've seen both and, let me tell you, not a good look from an author. Smith did great here.
Also, Aaron was adorable. Such a good, supportive boy. We love and support his character forever. Ryan, too, was a highlight, even just a side character. They were done well (though Div will always be my favorite).
I 100% recommend this book to anyone. I don't care what you normally read. You need to at least try this book. Because it's worth the read in every way.

Divya, or D1v as she is known on the internet, is a popular streamer for the game Reclaim the Sun. Divya relies on the money she makes to help keep her family afloat: her dad abandoned them, her mom is in her last year of graduate school, and money is hard to come by. Divya depends on the money she makes, so it is heartbreaking when a pack of trolls target D1V's online presence and try to destroy her.

Aaron's parents don't understand his obsession with video games . His mom wants him to become a doctor, but he loves video games - he even dumpster dives to find better parts for his gaming setup. Instead of being a doctor, Aaron longs to write video games, and is even working on an indie game with a few friends. To escape his parents' expectations, Aaron gets lost in his new favorite game, Reclaim the Sun. The universe is enormous, but he stumbles upon D1v on an unnamed planet and the two become friends.

The trolls start harassing Divya is real life, and things get scary quick. But Divya isn't going to let a group of bullies stop her, and Aaron isn't going to let her face them alone.

This was such a good book. I tip my hat to Eric Smith, because his writing made me FURIOUS on Divya's behalf. Being a woman is hard enough, but Divya has to deal with being a woman in the gaming community. That scene in Quarter Slice Crisis is too damn real.

The issues this book covers are so pertinent and so well written that you feel every bit of defeat and triumph on Divya's behalf. The cast is diverse, and I love how Aaron is written; he's sweet and emotional and has a savior complex and tries too hard sometimes, but he's a little cinnamon roll.

If only we had more people like Nikki Watts to catch all the asshole trolls running around online under the protection of anonymity.

10/10, read this book now.

While I’m not a video gamer (something central to these characters’ lives), I still felt like they were real people I could know, and would want to be my friends.

When I picked up this book, I expected contemporary fluff. What I got was a great story about believable characters with real lives. Divya loves her gaming, but she needs the paydays it’s generating for real world survival. Aaron just games for fun, but he longs for a career in writing and development of the games he enjoys. This doesn’t line up with his mom’s dreams for him.

The book incorporated struggles with racism, sexism, and female empowerment. What could have been a more simple story of online relationships and boy-accidentally-meets-famous-girl-online took on a lot more depth. The characters experienced real problems of harassment, assault, and doxing (a new one to me, from dictionary.com: to search for and publish private or identifying information about a particular group or individual on the Internet, typically with malicious intent).

Overall, I’d give this book 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to anyone who enjoys contemporary YA fiction, or readers with YA people in their lives. It was an interesting perspective on online gaming and internet security influencing a player’s offline life.

I loved this book! I really loved that I didn't have to be a gamer to get into the book or the game itself. This isn't overly heavy on the gaming lingo and game play. Even though the characters spend a lot of time playing the game, it isn't overly technical. I do think the author did a really great job building out the world of the game and describing the game and how it was played so you could really enjoy that aspect as the characters were playing without needing to be a video game expert. I also loved that this covered a lot of really important social aspects and did it really well. Both of the main characters are persons of color and have their own struggles. The main female character and her best friend deal with misogyny, racism, cyber threats, and physical threats. The main male character has to deal with those things from a completely different angle, which leads him to really think about who his true friends are. I thought the author handled the social commentary issues very well. The only thing I really think I would have liked to see is Divya giving a statement about what happened to her and Rebecka and that it shouldn't be allowed to continue and have the gaming community as a whole support her. I do love that he created the Angst Armada to stand behind Divya in her time of need and that they never left her.

This book follows two perspectives Divya, a female gamer/streamer who goes by the online personality of D1v and Aaron an aspiring game developer. Divya streams so she can help her mom make ends meet and pay the bills. While she has plenty of fans in the online community, a small group of trolls decides that Divya is unworthy of the popularity and sponsorships she's gained as a gamer and streamer. She and her best friend Rebeckah have to deal with a lot of ugliness as female gamers, but when the threats leave cyberspace things get much more intense and dangerous for both of the girls.

Aaron games for fun and wants to write scripts and develop games in the future. His parents want him to become a doctor and take over his mom's family practice. He is working with a local game developer to build a new game, but things get a little sketchy when paychecks and contracts never seem to materialize. To blow off steam he plays the same game D1V plays, and ends up meeting up with her in the game. They end up striking up conversations and building a friendship over the internet. Aaron is able to support Divya as the trolling incidents get worse, and eventually a little romance sparks between them.

I was provided an advanced copy of this book for and honest review from Harlequin/Inkard Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a bit to get into the story, but after that I was hooked. I am not a gamer, but still found the story interesting and easy to follow (unlike some others I've read). I think this book will appeal to many teen readers and look forward to recommending it to teens at my library.

Don't Read the Comments is a gamer story, told in alternating viewpoints. Female protagonist Divya Sharma is a pretty big deal. She has a following, sponsorships, and is one of those cool people who can actually earn money live-playing a video game. But she's not doing it for fun and games - she's helping her struggling single mom pay for a graduate degree and supporting their household of two. So her sponsorships literally pay the rent.

On the other side we have Aaron Jericho. Gaming IS his life, despite the fact that his doctor mother is demanding he follow in her footsteps. Instead, Aaron is pursuing a career as a writer for video games, and he thinks he has it made working with a small indie called ManaPunk.

The two meet in the game they both play, when they duel over naming rights to a planet, and a friendship-and-maybe-more is born. Though they only know each other virtually, they build a strong alliance. When a group of trolls calling themselves the Vox Populi start attacking Divya not only in the game, but in the real world, things get very complicated.

Smith's story is contemporary and a little bit scary - the Vox Populi track Divya's apartment down despite her carefully avoiding exposing her real identity online. The pacing of this story is amazing and the details Smith sprinkles in show that either he's incredible at research or he has vast knowledge of the gaming world (or both).

This book was an "I can't put down" for sure - and the fact that both Aaron and Divya are minorities makes this even better for me. Please go buy this book like now. It's a really, really FANTABULOUS read.

I freaking adored this book! I'm not a gamer so I didn't expect to gobble it up so quickly but I read it in 3 days. ⁠⠀
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The characters are so memorable and Divya is my hero. Aaron is the very definition of a cinnamon roll charter. What I loved most of all how genuine and real all these characters are. They feel like your friends or neighbors. Writing characters like that is an underappreciated ART. ⁠⠀
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The pop-culture references are amazing. Also Reclaim the Sun needs to be a real game, it sounds amazing. ⁠⠀
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Thank you to Eric Smith Inkyard Press and Netgalley for a review copy! ⁠⠀
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Don’t Read the Comments tackles some heavy subjects, cyber bullying as one of the main ones. But it’s done beautifully, and though the subject matter is that way, it didn’t make me feel heavy while I was reading it.
Eric Smith does an absolutely marvelous job at writing from a first person female POV. His excellent writing style, as well as the pace that perfectly suited the story, made the book unputdownable.
I really enjoyed the characters. They felt fresh as they were developed excellently. The dialogue is excellent, it felt natural and flowed really well. All of it put together kept the book feeling dynamic, and entertaining throughout.
This is a read that you definitely shouldn’t skip.

Gamers are sure to feel at home in this contemporary, but even if you’ve never held a joystick, Don’t Read the Comments is for you. This novel tackles the struggles of existing as young public figures and creators in an incredibly sensitive and caring way. I felt so strongly for Divya and Aaron throughout, and I commend Smith for creating a romantic yet realistic idea of their worlds.

My favorite part of Don’t Read the Comments is the characters. I liked the dual-perspective used, and I enjoyed getting to know Aaron and Divya as they met each other in Reclaim the Sun. Both struggled with family issues and the ways in which gaming and technology impacted their lives, and Smith portrayed them incredibly sympathetically. I don’t even think I had a favorite among them, which is unusual for me.

I liked reading about Divya’s goal to put her mom through college with gaming, and her determination in the face of the trolls is inspiring. Her story is all about the dangers of modern-day celebrity, especially for young adults seeking to exist positively in online spaces where doxxing, real-world harassment, and racism are the norm for those who want to tear them down. I can’t speak to whether or not Divya’s experience is true to the gaming community because I’m not a gamer, but I will say that I was truly scared for her at times.

Aaron has a different issue: his mom wants him to become a doctor like her, but he just wants to write games and pursue his passion for development. He doesn’t want to let down his mom, but he also wants the freedom to choose his career. It was super rewarding to watch Aaron navigate this relationship while learning more about the darker side of gaming and indie game development.

The romance was totally adorable. Divya and Aaron have great chemistry, and despite the fact that their relationship is mostly online, we never miss out on any characterization. I especially liked the scenes where they gamed together in Reclaim the Sun, conquering planets and sharing resources. Those were moments in which I felt their happiness shine through the page, and I loved how their connection to the game allowed them to escape “real life” for a bit and just get to know each other.

Overall, Don’t Read the Comments is a cute yet thought-provoking novel about online communities, and the balance of danger and opportunity they provide. I recommend this book for anyone who needs an afternoon away with two very special characters. 4/5 stars.

This little gem of a YA book centers around the online gaming world while diving into topics of misogyny, doxxing, toxic masculinity, assault, harassment, and racism. For a book that covers such things, it doesn’t feel nearly as heavy as it could. It’s not trying to hit you over the head with lessons but instead takes a very realistic look at problems often faced by female players in the gaming world simply because they’re women. There are a variety of relationship dynamics, a splash of that young love high, and enough gaming goodies to satisfy any nerd, all wrapped in a storyline that felt real and incredibly prescient in today’s world.

Don’t be put off if you’re not a gamer. I’m not at all and enjoyed it, even though it’s a little game heavy in the beginning. I’ll occasionally grab YA books to screen before recommending them to my book-obsessed teenage niece. I think she’ll enjoy this one.


Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an early copy for review.

DON’T READ THE COMMENTS by Eric Smith was one of my most anticipated contemporaries of the year, and it did not disappoint. I loved Divya, one of our main characters, a well-known gamer who does livestreams and cares deeply for her friends and family. Aaron, our other POV character, was just as lovable. A boy trying to kick the habit of “saving girls” from things they don’t need help being saved from (i.e. relationship decisions) is something I hadn’t seen discussed in a YA book before, and was something I deeply appreciated. His character also deals with blatant stealing of his creative work as a writer for the story of an up-and-coming video game company that isn’t paying him--or his best friend, who does the artwork/character designs/etc—for his work. Smith reasserts that artists deserve to be paid for their work, always.

But the main plot line is Divya’s harassment by gamer-bros so many have experience with. DON’T READ THE COMMENTS is a call for girls—young girls especially—not to be afraid of the online communities, although that doesn't mean they shouldn't be careful. That they deserve to take up space and be on panels at conventions and do those livestreams. The fact that police were actively involved was another aspect I loved; it validated Divya’s experience even more, when in real life, situations like hers might not be taken as seriously. But because of this representation, I hope those who do experience repeated harassment will be inspired to go to the police. There’s a line I’m paraphrasing from the book that’s basically this: online harassment is STILL harassment, even if it doesn’t aways escalate to real-life violence, and it was so refreshing to see be reaffirmed.

(Also, because I have to mention it: Divya’s best friend is one of my favorite side characters, ever. She names her virtual intergalactic ships after YA Books and is a prominent bookstagramer. I see what you did there, Smith, and I love it. She's a survivor of sexual assault, a subplot in the book, but she's so much more. Their friendship was supportive and balanced and there was no point where they tried to tear down each other.)

However, if you’re not into the gaming world, I’m not sure you’d enjoy it as much as I did. I only recently got into video games, and still found some of the descriptions of the online gaming boring, though it had nothing to do with Smith’s writing itself, which was clear and fast-paced. (After all, I read the entire book in basically one day.) Though it has great points about sexism, racism and being an artist in today’s culture, so much of it is in a video-game world that you have to know that going in. Literally, Divya and Aaron’s relationship forms online versus in real life, a trend in YA that I like, but that others may not. Teens, however, will adore it. I will be recommending this book to as much as I can.

It took me a little while to settle into a rhythm with this book, but I stuck with it and am glad I did. A contemporary about two gamers named Divya and Aaron, it weaves in a bit of a sci-fi flavor with the virtual reality games they play. The book covers serious topics like sexism, racism, etc while also being a super fun read.

3.5 stars

This is a new-to-me author so I wasn’t sure what to expect. And, to be quite honest, I don’t read an awful lot of male writers. That’s not intentional, it’s just that my most read genre (romance) is majority female writers. I wasn’t sure what to expect so I tried to go in with an open mind.

While this story was a slow starter for me, it did end up hooking me about 1/3 of the way into the book. So hang in there! I felt as though both Divya and Aaron got lost in thought with inconsequential details a bit too much in the beginning. That is something that goes away as the story continues.

There are actually a lot of things I love about this book. The first being that the main characters, who are potential love interests, have a small age gap where the woman is actually older than the man. That isn’t done often in YA unless an issue is made out of the ages. It’s not even addressed and I love that!

As much as I wanted to know a bit more about Divya’s parents and what happened there, I soon found it didn’t matter. I enjoy her unity with her mom and the fact that she recognizes all the sacrifices her mom has made through the years. Her mom is a wonderful character that we don’t see quite enough of, but this story isn’t about her.

Divya’s best friend, Rebekah, and Aaron’s best friend Ryan, are the perfect sidekicks (for lack of a better word) for these two. Compassionate and supportive, they also serve as each character’s Jiminy Cricket…their little conscience on their shoulders.

I am not a gamer, but still found myself enjoying this story quite a bit. I couldn’t help but wonder what my (now grown) sons would think of the story. They are both avid gamers and I may get this one for my oldest, who also enjoys reading. Whether I can get him to read a YA book when he’s almost 26 is another question. Not quite his wheelhouse, but he is curious by nature so I may convince him.

This story has more going on than gaming. With everything that is done online these days, trolls aren’t relegated to gaming only. There’s a bigger picture to be looked at here, and I believe this story alluded to that. Which makes it a good story for teens; it’s possibly a good guide to how to handle trolls. Rule number one…don’t keep trolling a secret from those who care about you and can help you. And Don’t Read the Comments! (Sorry not sorry.)