Don't Hate the Player
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
"Refreshingly voice-y, wildly smart, and genuinely hilarious." - Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue
Emilia Romero is living a double life. By day, she's a field hockey star with a flawless report card. 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. That's in part to keep her real-life persona, but also for her own safety, since girl gamers are often threatened and harassed.
When a major eSports tournament comes to her city, Emilia is determined to prove herself to her team and the male-dominated gaming community. But her perfectly balanced life is thrown for a loop when a member of a rival team recognizes her . . .
Jake Hooper has had a crush on Emilia since he was ten years old. When his underdog eSports team makes it into the tournament, he's floored to discover she's been leading a double life. The fates bring Jake and Emilia together as they work to keep her secret, even as the pressures of the tournament and their non-gaming world threaten to pull everything apart.
Debut author Alexis Nedd has crafted a YA combo-punch of charming romance and virtual adventure that will win the hearts of gamers and non-gamers alike.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
By day, Philadelphia high school junior Emilia Romero, who is Puerto Rican, is an overachiever: popular honors student, field hockey team captain, and junior vice president candidate, with her Black best friend Penny as presidential hopeful. By night, however, Emilia is KNOX, newest member of Team Fury, a ruthless, top-tier squad in the game Guardians League Online. Until now, Emilia has kept her identities separate from friends, family, and teammates. But then Fury is invited to GLO's first live tournament, with glory—and $200,000—on the line. There, Emilia runs into white schoolmate Jake Hooper. As the tournament progresses, Emilia and Jake forge an emotional connection, despite being destined to battle one another. When Emilia's life threatens to collapse due to overabundant responsibilities and secrets, she must fight for what she wants most. Nedd's cast is well-rounded and inclusive, while gaming sequences shine with verisimilitude. Emilia's voice adeptly incorporates teen confusion and laugh-out-loud observations, and Jake's online team chat offers another perspective. In this gripping debut, Nedd balances drama, humor, and romance with an expert touch, alongside a searing examination of the insidiousness of misogyny in e-sports. Ages 12–up.
