I think this is a fine novel and there is plenty to discuss with book clubs. I do wish Sam and Sadie’s friendship offered a little more, or maybe just didn’t feel so one-sided. I just can’t get into because of spoilers. There are some truly heart wrenching scenes.
VerdictĪs you can tell, I did not love this novel. So I do appreciate the originality of this setting. So many stories have similar concepts: journalists, medical, etc. I do applaud the author for setting the story in such a rich and dynamic field. Especially as it takes place in the ’90s so it’s quite different than how it’s handled today. That said, I did think the journey of the friends creating their first video game together was very interesting. But other than that, they just aren’t my thing. Well, I did play Animal Crossing while pregnant in 2020. While we’re led to believe Sadie feels the exact same way, I have my doubts. But I actually felt the friendship was one-sided. I expected so much more from their dynamic and there are some impactful scenes. But I felt there was a bit of a sensitivity chip missing and some of her decisions were baffling. I did think it was interesting reading about her journey in a male-dominated industry and she’s clearly very intelligent and capable. Sam is definitely more sympathetic than Sadie, as he really went through so many horrific tragedies and I think some of his unusual behavior was somewhat warranted with what he’s been through. And it’s not that I dislike Sam and Sadie but I didn’t think there was enough there for me to fully root for them. I’m not of the mindset that the main characters must be likable in order for me to enjoy the novel. The novel spans 30 years and we see the friends go through everything together as it won’t be an easy road. It becomes a blockbuster success and with that, their lives change forever. After a big falling out, they bump into each other years later and a new partnership is born-the goal to create a new video game together. Sam Masur and Sadie Green first connected through video games when they were teenagers. I also appreciate a unique premise and this more than delivers- an unconventional love story set in the world of video game design. But it does end well so I will say I was satisfied with that. I felt my attention wander and then a meaningful scene would draw me back in but I think the last quarter kind of fell apart for me. It didn’t pack the emotional punch that I expected. And while there is much to like and there’s plenty of heartfelt scenes, I thought several aspects came up short. I kept seeing reviews call it the book of the year-a stunning work of fiction, etc.
This novel was one of my most-anticipated novels.
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