As a non-gamer, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when I started this book. A whole story set in a videogame company while they work on their upcoming release? It seemed like there might be some inside-baseball style references that could detract from my experience. But when a trusted friend recommended it, I was totally on board.

I'm so glad that I took the chance. Yes, there were some very gamer-specific references, specifically regarding the type of long-form games that I have never played. But, being married to someone who does, having friends who do, having a general sense of games and the culture surrounding them--all of those factors meant that the universe enhanced, rather than detracted, from the story. And I would venture to say that even those with a cursory understanding of fan culture without gamer spouses would be able to follow this world.  There were a lot of fun pop culture Easter eggs peppered throughout the story, which also helped me not only understand the universe, but where it connected to my own. 

As for the characters at the center of this particular universe? Cat was strangely endearing despite her inability to advocate for herself. She was so self-assured in her writing, but so lost in personal interactions. But that characterization ultimately makes sense the more you learn about how much of Cat's life is wrapped in losing herself in games. She literally thinks in dialogue trees at times and frankly, as someone who sometimes maps out full arguments in my head--same girl. 

I adored Andi, bristly, standoff nature and all. They were dealing with traumatic fallout from their past job, which informed so much of how they interacted with others. To be clear, it wasn't an excuse for rude behavior, and Cat was mostly good about calling Andi out when that would happen. But I must be a sucker for a grump because I wanted Andi to have everything they needed/wanted.

The one complaint I have is about the abruptness of the ending. The central conflict percolating beneath the surface of the story simmered for so long and then, to me, fizzled out. While

resolving the Andi/Brett/Carter/Jan conflict wasn't entirely necessary, having a single article "fix" things before an epilogue from 2 years later seemed too sudden for me

. That being said, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story, or the evolution of the relationship between Cat and Andi, which is really what matters.