Young Adult Fiction: Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith

It's the third week of YA Fest and I will be discussing Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith. Anyone who has spent any time on the internet knows that the comments section of any site can be brutal. For females and content creators of color, those comment sections are even worse, leading many to heed the advice of the book's title. Honestly, it is great advice, and I cannot recommend it enough. But listening to advice and agreeing with it, and then actually following through it, are two different things.

The Situation: Divya Sharma is D1V, an incredibly popular streamer on Glitch who plays the year's hottest game, Reclaim the Sun. Unbeknownst to her fans, Divya streams to help support herself and her mom. After her father left her family and refuses to support them, Divya is doing what she can for her mom, who takes night courses with the end goal of becoming a librarian. It is the sponsors and support that helps pay their rent, their bills, and keep food on the table. Meanwhile, Aaron Jericho is attempting to follow his own gaming dreams, but as a writer and creator. He has been able to gain valuable experience working for a friend, although he has yet to be paid. Even so, he continues to faithfully write for their newest project, hoping to gain the exposure, as well as a little money, that will set him up in the career of his dreams.

The Problem: An online army that is calling themselves Vox Popouli has decided that Divya does not deserve her place among the streamers, and have launched an aggressive campaign to take her down. What starts as an ambush on her and her faithful followers during a normal stream soon turns into a coordinated attack in real life, causing Divya to question if whether this is all worth it. It is while exploring on her own in Reclaim the Sun that she meets Aaron, and despite his awkwardness during game play, or maybe because of it, she finds him endearing, and the two become friends. Meanwhile, the attacks, both online and in real life, get worse, and Aaron's development meetings for the project he has been working on are getting more tense. If Divya continues, she fears for the safety of herself and her mother, as well as her streaming partner Rebekah. But if she gives up, she feels like the trolls win, and she simply cannot let that happen.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel set in the New York/New Jersey/Pennsylvania area. Divya is a popular Glitch streamer who endures nearly unending abuse from trolls, mostly because of her gender and race. And while this new group, Vox Popouli, claims that their push to get her away from streaming has nothing to do with either if those things, it is pretty clear that it is about exactly those things. Often it is the communities that proclaim themselves to be inclusive and welcoming that can be the most unforgiving and prone to discrimination. For Aaron, he simply wants to write games, and when he joined up with an old high school friend, he saw it as an opportunity to do just that. But with a pay check that seems to be forever pending, and unending and unnecessary criticism of the content he keeps turning in, it seems more and more that this will be a lesson in working in the real world, and what it means to be taken advantage of. 

My Verdict: Oh man was this hard to read. Divya is great, and Aaron is a good guy, but what they both endure is downright brutal, especially for Divya. Being a female in any male-dominated field is difficult. Add in the internet and gaming, and the word "difficult" is no longer strong enough. Even so, she continues to fight, and I love it. And she is not a Mary Sue, nor is she overpowered, or even some manic pixie dream girl. She is a real girl with real struggles who enjoys gaming and connecting with her online community. Aaron may have a bit of a savior complex, but he has his good friend Ryan to help bring him down to earth and show him how things actually are. What I adore about the book, besides Divya's strength and resolve, is that it calls out those who want to attack these online personalities, while hiding behind anonymity, and who use the bogus reason that there are "people who deserve the attention more." Yeah, okay...To anyone who has ever been brave enough to put themselves out there for a passion or dream, and ended up at the receiving end of an unnecessary and hurtful comment or action, this book is for you.

Favorite Moment: When Divya successfully defends herself and Rebekah at their favorite bad pizza spot when a guy who feels like he is "owed" gets aggressive. 

Favorite Character: At first, Divya seemed a little naive to me. But then she grew on me, and I admire her resolve to keep fighting and not let the trolls win. 

Favorite Quote: "I just...I don't want your passion to be what wears you down, Aaron. That's the quickest way to stop loving what makes you happy." - Aaron's mother.

Recommended Reading: For something a little lighter, I recommend Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia. For something a little heavier, I recommend Internment by Samira Ahmed.