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I received this book as a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion. A big thank you goes here to HarperCollins Australia.
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 mum 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.
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: HQ Young Adult
ISBN-10: 1489295704
ISBN-13: 978-1489295705
I'm absolutely in love with this cover. I really like the cute, bright colours and the whole general design. It's perfect in its simplicity and suits the story.
First of all, Eric Smith has a stunning writing style. The story itself is thrilling and highly emotional. I inhaled it in seriously no time at all. The plot is very well thought through and the story just makes you think about your own presence on Social Media and the internet in general. It again shows how important kindness really is and how online bullying can affect the faces behind the online profiles.
I adore Divya and Aaron. They both found their way into my swooning reader's heart on a rapid pace. Divya is just this cute and caring teenager, who looks out for her loved ones. She helps wherever she can but that's also how she ends up being a target herself. I often just want to hug her and tell her everything will be alright. And Aaron? He's amazing! He is just so supporting, helpful, and caring. You just have to love him.
'Don't Read The Comments' by Eric Smith has already been one of my yearly highlights for 2020. The author has been putting the stakes high for any books to follow due to his highly addictive writing style and amazing characters the reader can easily relate to.
In my opinion, this book is a must-read for everyone and I can absolutely recommend it. Read it guys and think about how you might relate to it on a personal level.