Don’t Hate the Player by Alexis Nedd

e-Audio, 09:30:17
Narrated by: Aaron Landon & Stacy Gonazalez
Release Date: June 8, 2021
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing (US)
Read from: July 11-13, 2021
Stand-alone
Source: Overdrive Audio
TW: 
For Readers Interested In: Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Gaming, YA

   By day, Emilia is a field hockey star with a popular boyfriend and a mother obsessed with her academic future. But by night, she’s kicking virtual ass as the only female member of a highly competitive eSports team. Emilia has mastered the art of keeping her two worlds thriving, which hinges on them staying completely separate.
     When a major eSports tournament comes to her city, Emilia is determined to prove herself to the male-dominated gaming community. But her perfectly balanced life is thrown for a loop when a member of a rival team—Jake—recognizes her . . .
     From an exciting new talent, this sweet and charming YA romance will win the hearts of gamers and non-gamers alike.

*MY THOUGHTS*

My normal buzz words when reading a book are usually just things like: books and food. But this one was a bit different. It wasn’t books or anything bookish that made me want this, but two words: Female gamer. Also read as feminism, which you will learn why when you read it too!

Emilia is a field hockey star for her school. She has the perfect life, the perfect boyfriend, everything. But once school is over, she dons a whole new persona. She plays as the only female on a super competitive eSports team. Emilia has done everything she can to make sure that her worlds stay separate. But when a tournament comes to her city, her main goal is to make sure that she does well in front of the male dominated game. But then, someone from a different team recognizes her…..

The gaming side of this was so fun, but also, a lot. The book was filled with gaming references and everything else from the game. Like, yes there is a glossary at the end, but it’s at the end. I had an e-audio copy, so I didn’t have the luxury of going to find it at the end. I had to slog through it and figure it out. I also didn’t like that there was no “background whatsoever on the game. She just kept dropping all this info about the game, when I had no idea what some of that stuff meant but had to act excited because the main character did.

I did think the romance was cute. I like the friends to lovers romance. They were cute together. I love when nerds find each other. I do wish there was something more there tho. It was more like they were really good friends, not really in a relationship. even after they were supposed to have been together. Maybe it’s just me being petty, but still.

The characters in this one were all over the place. I liked her mom, but her dad was extra. She made a computer like him and the most he could think to do is throw it out? And her mom was extra as hell. I didn’t really like any of them besides the main characters.

Last but not least, the plot in this was all over the place. The synopsis has only one storyline going, but there were at least 2 more that I felt should have been touched on. Because it was all over the place, it felt like it was hard to come together and finally pin down a certain way the story was supposed to go. It felt like they were all competing for the number one spot and I didn’t care for it.

This had a lot of potential, but I don’t feel like it lived up to it, And though it was disappointing, it was still enjoyable in other ways. This book was entertaining, but for the serious topics, it could have done much better.

Overall, I gave this

Take Me Away

Diverse Book Blogger. Diverse YA Librarian. Wonder Woman enthusiast. Bookish Blerd. "GryffinClaw" Geek extraordinaire. Pitbull mom. She/her linktr.ee/take_me_awayyy