Loathe at First Sight by Suzanne Park

Star rating: 4.5/5

Content warning - this book contains extreme cyberbullying and sexual harassment. 

Summary:

Melody has just started working at a video game corporation. Excited as she is about her new role, she quickly learns firsthand the misogyny that is deeply rooted in the video game industry. Girls can't be good at video games. Girls don't belong in gaming. Her boss is a pig who seems to share this mindset, and she's certain that his nephew and new intern Nolan will be similar, but she quickly finds that there is more to Nolan than meets the eye. 

Feeling frustrated by the fact that female characters in video games are often only there as eye candy, she jokes about an idea for a game that is centered around strong female characters and male strippers. Shockingly, the idea that started as a joke becomes very real, and soon she is heading a team behind making this game into reality. But when the idea is leaked to the public, hundreds of people start cyberbullying her. With the support of Nolan and her best friends, Melody is able to weather the storm of the attacks she is receiving, speak out against hate, and create much-needed change in the video game industry.

Review:

This story is SO NEEDED. I absolutely adored Melody Joo and could relate to her on so many levels. (I have encountered so many "shocked Pikachu faces" when I tell men and boys that I'm a gamer.) Park did an amazing job of creating a well-developed, lovable, perfectly imperfect character. The entire way through this book I was either laughing or pissed off. The hate Melody receives is absolutely horrendous and far too common. Cyberbullying is destructive and cowardly. Melody puts it beautifully when speaking out about it: "If we met face-to-face, could you say all the same things you're posting online while looking me straight in the eye?" 

My one qualm about this book is that it felt confused. It seems to be marketed as a romcom, but it is clearly so much more than that. The romance element to me felt like a very small subplot. If you're looking for a lighthearted read, this does not fit the bill. But if you want a powerful, real, hard-hitting, badass feminist story, then this is the book for you! 

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for this gifted ARC. Loathe at First Sight will be available to the public on August 18, 2020!