✍ Scribed by Eric Smith
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
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.
"Wonderfully geeky and deeply compassionate, Don't Read the Comments is a heartwarming tale of finding your community and following your dreams."—Marieke Nijkamp, #1 New York Times bestselling author of This Is Where it Ends
" Don't Read the Comments is a modern-to-the-minute adventure about rising above expectations of family, class, and social media, to find your true destiny and grab it by the controller."—Whitney Gardner, award-winning author of You're Welcome, Universe
" Don't Read the Comments has so much heart: the kind that makes you fall in love, and the kind that makes your breath short. If you're not already a gamer, you might be after this book. And if you need a little hope, Eric Smith delivers the sunshine."—Olivia A. Cole, author of A Conspiracy of Stars
"Smith's (contributor: Color Outside the Lines , 2019, etc.) characters are achingly sincere, and his smooth and witty dialogue's a pleasure to read. He artfully immerses the reader in the world of gaming, building characters and settings that are fun and compelling to read."— Kirkus Reviews
"Smith realistically juxtaposes the benefits of online relationships with the dangers of doxxing and other types of virtual harassment, underlining Divya’s strength and determination online and IRL."— Publishers Weekly
"A solid pick for fans of Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One looking for something a little more immediate to our times. A worthy purchase for communities where nerd and gaming culture thrive."— School Library Journal
"This novel offers a complex examination of racism, sexism, and toxic masculinity in gaming, as well as a celebration of friendship and family."— Booklist
ERIC SMITH is an author and literary agent from Elizabeth, New Jersey. When he isn’t working on other people’s books, sometimes he tries to write his own. He can be found writing (and podcasting) for places like Book Riot and Paste magazine, and enjoys pop punk, video games and crying during every movie. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and best friend, Nena; their son, Langston; and a corgi named Auggie.WWW.ERICSMITHROCKS.COM
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