I’m not a hype girl. I don’t believe it and I don’t promote it. Just because somebody says something is good, doesn’t mean I’ll enjoy it. In fact, from my time in the music industry, I learned that the more someone says something is “Great! Best ever!!” (those were sarcastic finger quotes by the way), the less likely it is to be good. 

So I’d heard good things about this one from several different sources. I put a hold on it, waiting to be casually underwhelmed. Oh, it’s about gamers? Ok that will be fun, I guess.

Then I started reading.

Um…yes please. The hype was not wrong. This is the book I’ve wanted to read since Ready Player One came out. (The plot is different - game players vs. game designers - but the feel is the same.)

Basic premise: Sam and Sadie meet in a train station in Boston and then the whole story unfolds. How they met. How the stopped being friends. How they developed games together. How they lived their lives. 

I loved the pacing on this. I usually don’t like books that time jump, but this one worked well. It kept us in just enough suspense to stay in the story. Also, I loved how it wasn’t just a sappy love story. It felt more like real people living real lives with real problems. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some romance, but it wouldn’t have worked in a story like this one. 

Excellent read. Maybe my best fiction book of the year (so far). Also, shout out to my dad who knew that the title was from Shakespeare. I’m not a fan and had no idea. If you read the book, it will explain, but I hadn’t gotten that far yet.

Highly recommend this, but don’t take my word for it. Check it out and see what you think.

Happy gaming…

:) Amanda